theworldibuilt4you - Tumblr blog

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Addie giggled three short hissy puffs at Sonny's reaction, hands raised to cover their own blushing face as their tail swished behind them. As contrived as their method was, they had never kissed before and it felt positively electric.]

That's what I want to hear...!

[They slowly began to return to a neutral position, seeming a bit energy zapped. It would seem Addie's power nap from a while back had finally run its course...]

You should get some rest too, Casey... When was the last time you... *yawn* got some shuteye...?

[Addie was trying to stay alert to the best of their ability, trying to plan their next steps despite their declining state, like what they were going to say to Owl and Kinito...]

you did a lot n stuff... sleep is... important...

[It wouldn't hurt to just... Coil up real quick... Relaxing'll help them think! Man, their tail was so comfy...]

. .. ...

[The room begins to fill with soft, whistle-like breaths.]

-Addie

"I uh... yeah, I'd like to take a rest, too... I haven't really gotten the biggest chance to process everything that's gone down, yknow..?"

[It had taken a little bit of conversation before Casey and Sonny broke off respectively. Chamberlain had taken the couch while Casey finally got to sleep in their own bed again.]

[It took a little convincing for Sonny to take some of the extra blankets that were in the attic, but eventually he had been set up with his own cushy sleeping spot on the couch.]

[It didn't take long for him to drift to sleep either, not with the sound of the other's soft little snores just barely audible in his ears.]

[It's been so... so long]

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Addie pursed their lips at Casey's question. Having spent much time with him since this all went down, they knew all too well how badly Sonny needed to sleep. Already used to replying out loud, they paused, realizing it was a bit unfair to Casey to continue to converse that way unnecessarily.]

Slept, eaten, showered… He hasn't done any of it in who knows how long. Digital or not, those things are important to feeling better.

[They paused, an idea coming to them. They leaned forward and pressed their lips to the top of their monitor, just above where the screen met the plastic; intending it to appear as a forehead kiss from his end. To seal the action, they ended it with an exaggerated "mwah" sound, retreating with a closed-eyed smile on their face.]

I want you to start taking care of yourself from here on, hon. Try to love yourself the way I love you!

-Addie

[Casey seemed to turn up their nose at the thought of it. Atleast they didn't seem to get worse in here, and Casey didn't really have a sense of smell, but... dude must have been in a worse shape than they themselves have been]

[Before Casey could speak however, Sonny suddenly burst into a flushing mess.]

[Sonny had appreciated the attempts at affection before, the gentle change in temperature when they had held their monitor- but this was so, so much different. He could see them leaning in, hear them as they closed the gap. It was the closest he's gotten to physical affection in... decades.]

[And he didn't know how to handle it.]

[The white of his eyes seemed to glow a bit brighter, his cheeks darkening with color as his hands went to his face.]

"Aaa...aahh..- UHh...Uhm.. Oo..Okay... Ss..sure, h-hhon.."

[theworldibuilt4you]

Hello Sonny. Sec here. I know you are very busy right now, so I'm sorry for bothering you. But I have some questions. You can answer them whenever you are free.

Kinito was able to pull in people. And I'm assuming you can do that too, now that you are admin?

I was wondering, would you be able to pull in Objects?

... I want to apologize to Kinito. It had to happen, taking admin from him, but I wish it did not have to happen the way it did. But I think words would be rather inadequate, at this stage.

You made him, so I'm hoping you know him well enough to give me an idea of something on the Outside I get him as an apology gift.

Of course, it's no problem if you can't pull things in. I'll think of something else if that is the case :)

Sorry for the long message.

-Sec

(PS. You are doing a great job, but please make sure to rest sometime! You can't look after the server if you run yourself into the ground!)

[Sonny bit his tongue, those new appendages sprouting from his back beginning to curl in on himself. It really was a sensitive question, but it's not like Sec would have known.]

"...I don't... I don't know if I want... want to try something like that..."

[Even if he felt completely in control, even if he felt mostly like his old self, he still... didn't trust himself. And even if nothing went wrong, it's been so, so long since he's been out of this digital hell he had inflicted on himself. What would it be like..? Would... Would it hurt?]

[Maybe one day. Maybe one day he could figure out the logistics of it, get a grip on himself, but for now...]

"I..I just... I think it's better if I stay in here.. We.. We don't even know how it works.. Or... or if I COULD even.. Even..."

[theworldibuilt4you]

Wh-?!"

[Addie stared wide eyed at their screen, freezing in shock. They definitely did not type that. How did Sonny...?]

"Y-you... can hear me...?"

[It was the only logical conclusion, so the question was more hypothetical than anything. He already said he could see them clearly, so being able to hear them as well shouldn't come as a surprise... They felt full to the brim with guilt, seeing how distressed the comment made him.]

"I-I'm sorry, I n-never should have said that...! It... just gets so lonely in here, that it just came out, I didn't actually mean it...!"

[They stumbled over their words trying to explain themselves, their hands kneading their tail anxiously. His last comment gave them pause, wondering briefly what he meant, before it clicked.]

[The whole "bringing people inside the computer" thing wasn't exclusive to Kinito - it was an admin power. An admin power that Sonny now possessed. The last thing Addie wanted to do was give the poor guy even more things to stress about...]

"H-hey, it's a conscious decision, right? And I know you'd never do that, and you know you'd never do that, so let's not think about it, okay? You've already got too much to worry about."

[Thepy gestured with their head towards the couch, a sheepish look joining the guilt on their face. This was not how they expected a "first" conversation to go... Sigh.]

"You should sit down, love... Please. You need it."

-Addie

[He was rather hesitant to continue speaking. The fingers that were digging into his skin absentmindedly had finally began to hurt. Sonny pulled his hand back at that, coming to his senses with a grimace.]

[It should be a conscious decision... But he still really, really didn't want to be in charge of such a decision. It made him sick to his stomach, the idea that with one slip he might... he might...-]

"...I'm sorry."

[It's all he could manage.]

"I will, I... I will go sit..."

[Casey watched this back and forth with a bitter taste in their mouth, only able to hear the one side. God it... it sucks trying to make shit out like this

"....Go like... take a nap or something... when was the last time you uh.. rested..?"

[He goes rather quiet. Either he doesn't know, or doesn't want to say.]

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Pumpernickle's ears go back, out of view of the camera. She...didn't quite expect others to take note of her. 'Why didn't you? YOU spoke to them' she reminds herself. It's just instinctual, prey-like fear. Especially without her... conscious helping speak for her.

The second Addie addresses her, Pumpernickle's fur spikes. She should... address their statement? It'd be rude not to.]

Um...Yeah...hi... Good luck with...with everything.

"...Haha, easy there, friend... I.. I get why you're nervous, but I promise we do not bite. It really is nice to see some new faces..."

[He picked at his sleeve]

"It's less worrying now that there's... no threat of you being in danger, of course.."

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Owl, despite their best efforts... found their eyes closing, as well. The warm feeling of Kinito curled against their chest, the sound of his snoring... it made them feel almost safe. Relaxed, at the very least.]

[They fought off sleep still, forcing themself to stay awake. But it was... so peaceful here. No threats. No messages. No arguing, no fighting... things were calm, for once.]

[Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt...?]

[They didn't have much time to debate it, however, as their body had already made up its mind for them. The haze of sleep slowly drifted over their brain like a blanket, their arms remaining snug around Kinito. And then they were asleep, their own soft snoring joining his.]

-🦉

[And everything just seemed to still around them, nothing but their own rhythmic breathing against eachother as all the worries slipped away.]

[Luckily for Owl, nothing had come to bother them. No monsters in the darkness, nothing but the gentle hum of the air conditioning and their own breaths. After what probably felt like eternity, they could finally just... rest.]

[Without any overlooming threats]

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Addie, for one, was certainly surprised to hear from someone new.]

Oh, h-hi! New person! It's been pretty hectic, so I don't blame you for not wanting to get involved until now…

And to be fair, things are still kind of messy, as I'm sure you're aware… But I'm hoping that with time and patience, things will heal over.

[Addie's attention was pulled by Sonny and Casey's light back and forth, their brows furrowing at Sonny's unnecessary insistence. They tried to ignore Casey's choice of words, though their

Sonny, you should really take them up on their offer! Think of it as keeping them company instead of "intruding." They clearly want you to stick around, and god knows we ALL know you need a break. Catch a nap, have a bite, let yourself re-experience life again.

Plus, with nothing else to do around here, I'm sure they'll appreciate having someone around doing something cool they can peek in on.

[Addie paused after that, taking in the sight of their two favorite people in the same room. Sharing the same space… And couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, manifesting as a mutter under their breath.]

"I… wish I could be there, too…"

-Addie

[Sonny was to comment on what he was told, perhaps even accept Casey's offer finally after their insistence- But he flinched at hearing the other's audio]

[It was different. Usually he couldn't make it out, but with this new status he... he could hear them so clearly. Their voice... hearing their voice for the first time probably was one of the nicest things he's heard in a long while.]

[It was so... so upsetting that those were the first words he heard spoken, though.]

"No. No, you don't." [He spoke quickly- a bit firmly too. It was clear that those words had really startled him, frightened him- made him start thinking the worst again.]

"You..- You can't think like that, Addie. That is... That is a DANGEROUS line of thinking."

[He gave a gentle sigh, hand coming up to pick at his other arm. It was... definitely a stressful subject for the man.]

"I... I don't..-"

[He shuts his eyes.]

"I'd never forgive myself.."

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Addie had been listening rather intently, and even had laid down on their stomach to restbtheir chin in their hands with a soft smile as they did so. However, Sonny's pause took them out of their reverie.]

Wha-Not at all! That's some really solid stuff!

I just wish I could help with some of it, but I don't know if there's anything I can do since it's all serverside...

[They looked at the floor, suddenly finding it deeply interesting.]

And hey. I like hearing you talk, you know... That's never going to be a problem...

-Addie

"Oh it's... It's all very technical... I should be able to get everything sorted it's... it's just going to take time..."

[He frowned quietly as he thought over everything he needed to get done. Baby steps... This place is in much too much disarray to try to get to everything at once.]

"And... Only if... if you say so... I know all this jargon could get erm.. Well... boring to listen about."

[He says that as if he has experience with people finding his rambling... lackluster]

[theworldibuilt4you]

[In the meanwhile, someone...new? seems to have showed themselves. She tells herself it's okay to... She'd been watching for some time everything going on, but her conscious Quite literally told her to stay out of it entirely.

a pair of perked ears are the only thing currently seeable as she...preferred to hide from sight for now. Feline, maybe? Strangely colored for a cat. Purple...]

'I-it seems like things are getting better for you all...I'm um. I'm really glad to see. I've...I've been watching but Mr- my conscious told me not to get involved...that'd it'd be dangerous. But he's asleep right now and I just can't help but-'

'...I hope you'll all be okay and....particularly...It seems like everyone is starting to do better and settle, I...hope you can help the other one...still trapped.'

'...It isn't a good feeling. Being trapped and scared and hurt.'

'Um...Good luck.'

-Pumpernickle

"..... Trapped. Right..."

[Sonny let out a small sigh as he went over what he was told by this new stranger. He wasn't too unnerved by a new face showing themselves; lord knows how long he had to hide for...]

[The man rubbed against the bristles of hair on the back of his neck. After a long while of not having the arm he was using, it was a weird feeling to use it again... He was kind of stiff.]

"I... I think I will need to leave once more, Casey. There is a lot I need to work on and... I wouldn't wish to keep you."

"Huh..? Dude. Keep me from what exactly..? There's nothing I'm busy with... And It... It kind of sucks to be the only one around..."

[Casey glances away, biting the inside of their lip]

"Plus theres... always room in that big ass house... Seriously, I'm one person, He didn't need to go and make it so.... Roomy..."

"I...I couldn't, really... I...I was already extending my welcome having my vessel stored there.."

[He hesitated.]

"... The work I need to start is going to be... rough.. and frustrating... I don't know if I would like to bother you while I'm getting into all those mangled files.."

[It would be really nice to just... sit down, though.]

[Casey gives a huff. He's so stubborn. He's trying to be polite, Casey knows this, but he's just making things harder for himself.]

"Addie, come tell your boytoy he can crash on my damn couch!"

[They know he's less likely to listen to them.]

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Owl, thankfully, wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. They, too, were quite tired, the adrenaline of... everything that had happened lately finally wearing off.]

[They shifted only slightly, nestling both of them in a more comfortable position as they rested their head above Kinito's and closed their eyes.]

[They didn't sleep just yet, though, keeping one eye open just a crack and peering through the window across the room. Every sound made them tense, carefully listening to even the slightest movement or change in the air.]

[They promised to protect Kinito, after all, and they weren't about to go back on their word.]

-🦉

[Nothing came to harm them, however. The only sound that was made was the occasional branch brushing up against the windows or the AC kicking in a little too hard.]

[And that soft rumbling snore going against their chest, the gentle thump of his tail against their side.]

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Addie broke out into a huge grin, and felt their own face warming. They... Didn't even realize he had previously put in the effort to try...!]

N-no! I… Like that you can see me. I mean, I get to see you all the time, so now we're even!

[They crossed their arms and stuck their tongue out playfully at Casey's offhand comment.]

Nyeeeeeh! That's me sticking my tongue out at you, Case-Case…!

-Addie

[Casey rolled their eyes, but there was a dull smile on their face. It was clear that they're just playing... they're much more relaxed than they had seemed before as well. Something about not having to do anything dangerous anymore just sort of puts you at ease.]

"Sooo... what's the goal now..? I mean we got that admin whatever away from Kinito, but what now..?"

[Sonny puts a hand to his chin, tapping his heel against the digital grass of their home.]

"I've already got a lot of stuff starting in the background... I'm starting with little things. Kinito hasn't updated anything in a... long... long time.. So all the drivers on the main server computer are years out of date."

[He gestures a hand out at nothing. Something only he could see, perhaps.]

"Once the graphics and display drivers are up to date, plus a hard drive cleanup, everyone should start to see a huge difference in performance. I wanted to make sure the graphics card started first, as all of our models depend on it. You'll feel a bit more energetic eventually, which will help you last longer without your constant naps, Casey."

[Now it was their time to glance away sheepishly]

"I... I thought it was just laziness on my part, dude.."

"Not at all..! Sluggishness and fatigue is bound to be a side effect of poor disk maintenance... Once everything minor like that is up and going, I'll have to see what I can do about world corruption... I may need to create a new instance if I can't find the source. Corrupted world data can be a pickle to work out, and..-"

[He took a glance back towards

Addie.... what a rambler he was being.]

"...Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Apologies.."

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Owl chuckled as they watched him get sleepier and sleepier. So cute!]

I hope so too... not really sure how you could do that, though...

[They quietly hummed, letting him settle in and making sure he was tucked in under the covers. They pulled the sheets over themself, too, sighing as they relaxed. They decided to let Kinito drift off; he probably needed the rest.]

[As they lay there with the axolotl curled against them, they thought of the many homes they had. How they never belonged anywhere. An owl with no wings and no talons on their hands was hardly an owl at all...]

-🦉

[Kinito had stopped giving responses shortly after. His kneading movements died down as well, and now the only sound that remained was the gentlest little snore that escaped his body. It was unknown when he would awake, but until then, it seemed Owl was caught with the "sleeping pet" law:]

[Dont. Move.]

[theworldibuilt4you]

It's… Kinda weird, yeah.

[Addie laughed lightly, envisioning an exaggerated scene of rows upon rows of these freakishly huge snakes in fancy display cages, and humans lining up around the block just for the chance to get one.]

But, also endearing… Your people sound very kind, to care so deeply about other creatures…

[They were losing themselves to thought, when Casey's comment pulled them out.]

Huh-?

[They tried to pinpoint what Casey was talking about, but they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. If they had to guess, it kind of looked like Sonny was looking right at them, but maybe he had a terminal up?]

[A terminal… Centered right on them… That he was smiling at…]

[Slowly, experimentally, they began to gesture toward themselves. As far as they knew, what they were thinking of wasn't exactly possible before, but he was admin now…]

Ahah… Um... Are… You looking at me, sunshine…?

[It felt a bit presumptuous to assume like that, but they couldn't help the hopeful look in their eyes, their free hand shyly teasing the hem of their shirt.]

-Addie

"Oh yes... It's a common saying that humans will try to pet anything! Lots of humans take in some... more dangerous pets just because they cant help their love... gets them hurt. But many snakes are non venemous, and trust their humans back, so theres no issues with keeping docile ones... some are more suited to be left alone however."

[His eyes definitely seemed to move when Addie made the gesture, the pupils following their hand for a moment. It was only then did he realize how intently he was staring, and his cheeks seemed to flair up with heat.]

"I-I...- Uhm..-"

[He averts his gaze. Was it too much? Was it too much eyecontact? Too little? He hasn't talked to another person face to face in such a long time. Was he being off putting in any way?]

"I...I was.. y-yes. I... couldn't make you out before this.. It was... it took a lot of effort to see beyond the- through the..-"

[He averts his gaze, picking at his cuticles]

"But now its... so easy... I couldn't help just..-"

[He shakes his head]

"Never mind, never- I.. I can stop. I apologize, I.. I should have said something, should have told you that I could..-"

"...Heh. you guys are so gushy. It almost makes me sick."

[theworldibuilt4you]

...!!!

[That thing looked insane! It was like some fearsome figure out of a natural history book - but this was no artistic interpretation. This was a living, breathing animal.]

What the hell, your snakes are nuts!! I-I didn't even think snakes that big even existed anymore…

Well, here they don't, but over there things played pretty different…

[Addie realized rather quickly that the squared cream and brown markings looked awfully familiar.]

W-wait… That pattern… I've seen it before. There's this Burm guy in town that owns a flea market and he's covered in almost that… exact…

[A second realization hit them as they barely finished their first, and they moved to swiftly pick up their tail with urgent intent. While most of their scales were varying shades of green, they had a couple of patterns scattered here and there, too. Their eyes latched immediately onto a very particular spot near the middle: There, emblazoned seemingly at random like every other pattern on their body, was a single patch that looked nearly identical to those of the python on their screen. They just stared at it, processing.]

I... Forgot I'm part Burm, so I have a bit of it, too, right here...

It's like looking back in time… So weird…

[...Why did they suddenly want to see the "real" snake equivalents of all the species in their bloodline...?]

-Addie

[He seemed to chuckle at the other's reactions, Far more than he would have otherwise at just that text.]

[He seemed to be looking more fondly at the screen, too.]

"I don't think I've even shown you one of the larger ones yet.. Anacondas are massive."

[Sonny puts a finger to his lip, tentatively.]

"I hope it's not off putting to tell you a lot of people keep snakes as pets... There's a species of python called the ball python that are much smaller- Erm.. Typically about three feet or so..? Those are fairly common in pet stores... Corn snakes as well.."

[....It appears Addie wouldn't of been the only one to notice how straight forward he was staring at the screen]

"What the FUCK are you looking at..?"

[theworldibuilt4you]

[They were caught off-guard for a moment, not really expecting that question. It took barely a second for them to relax again, though, holding him close and playing with his gills.]

Hm... well... my parents always moved around a lot when I was a kid. For work, or for... whatever else, I never really knew half the time. Sometimes it was just... I never really felt like I fit in. So I kind of continued that pattern of moving around, searching for my place. With people like me. Who- who didn't make me feel like I was missing something, incomplete.

[They frowned, glancing at the wings on their sleeves. A poor imitation of what Owl was meant to have, who they were meant to be.]

I never really liked moving so much. I mean, I like adventuring... exploring... taking in new sights and traveling, but... I just wished I had a home to return to after I was tired. An actual, forever home.

... I guess it's kind of a good thing I'm in here now, isn't it? I certainly won't have to go anywhere again... that's nice.

-🦉

[Listening to them talk, listening to them breath- it was all he really needed. He could feel his eyelids growing heavy as this conversation continued... but wouldn't it be rude to fall asleep while they were speaking..?]

"Yes..... mm... Very... good.."

[He nuzzled deeper where his cheek had been, tail flicking where it lay]

"... at least... at least this has a... silver... lining.."

[Owl could perhaps feel his hands begin to knead into them- he seemed so... relaxed. More so than they had seen him.]

"...I hope I can help... you find what was missing..."

[theworldibuilt4you]

[Addie conjured up an image in their mind's eye of the tiny brown snakes they'd occasionally see darting around. That was about as "snake" as you could get. They didn't have much variety; there might have been a few other species hiding in the brush in other regions but the only difference between them would be that they were Tiny and Black rather than Tiny and Brown, or something.]

I have actually seen "real" snakes, before... They're tiny and brown. I hear they're black in some places, though. Cute little guys! Smaller than my palm.

You say yours might be shocking… Do they come in neon yellow, or something? Now that would be shocking!

[They snickered, imagining the same little snake in such a color, practically glowing in a grassy field.]

-Addie

[Sonny hummed a moment in thought at this. Okay, perhaps not as shocking as he thought... he was under the impression that all snakes where anthropomorphic in some way where his beloved lived. He didn't consider that the whole thing was an evolutionary thing.]

[He was more nervous that he was going to accidentally unleash some sort of uncanny valley effect. Like a child seeing a monkey for the first time.]

"There ARE some brightly colored snakes in our world- although that usually means they're venemous... Here, for an example let me bring up an image of a python for you to see from our world.."

[ATTACHMENT SENT: > BERMESE.PNG]

"These ones tend to be rather large... Average in the wild would be about 16 feet long, but sometimes grow longer and heavier under human care."

[theworldibuilt4you]

So are you, love. You need rest too.

[They made a sort of low trill back, squeezing him even closer for a moment.]

Heh... I was one of the only ow- night owls in my last town... not many other nocturnal people either. Really sucks when everything's built for, like, the opposite of you. Everywhere else I lived before that at least had some variety...

-🦉

[He absentmindedly trailed a finger against the bedding they had both been resting upon. Kinito at this point had just... found comfort in hearing the other's voice; how it resonated in their chest, the subtle vibrations in the air that made up each wave of sound. He could feel each artificial breath of air they took, lungs lifting in their chest and rising him along with it.]

[If he focused he could hear a heartbeat.]

[It was mesmerizing. He'd never noticed before. Like an inorganic, organic lullabye.]

"...."

[It took him a moment to realize he hadn't spoken for a second, too entranced in the rhythmic beating and pulses.]

"T-Tell me more..? From what I've gathered, the data you've shared- it seems like... you've moved a lot. Like you never settled... are... are you comfortable sharing why, friend?"