Summer event's over, Akihabara is peaceful once again. The communal workspace cafe is relaxed as most people there are blowing off steam reading or watching things.
Kuniyoshi: Summer is finally over! What a mess.
Hecate: Now we got fall events coming up! Into the next hell!
Catoblepas: I can make heavier costumes when it gets colder. Who should I do next...?
Akiha Gongen: Heeey you guys! ...what's going on?
Catoblepas: G-good morning. We're all just tired out from all the action.
Akiha: Oh yeah, you guys are like this after school events. Your summer festival thing, or something?
Hecate: I GOT THREE COPY BOOKS TO DO! Brutal... Barguest really was a huge help in getting my book making done this time... Now I wanna laze around after going so hard.
Kuniyoshi: I made a new book too. I gotta thank Licht and his maid sometime.
Akiha: I don't understand any of the words you just said but I guess you guys have been living hard. Have some drinks!
Hecate: More stamina drinks? I've been chugging the things the past few days already.
Akiha: Oh no, my firefighter senpai told me to give this instead when I asked.
Kuniyoshi: Oh, the newest popular relaxation drink? I'll have one.
Akiha has gotten a little closer with the other Creators since the event.
Akiha Gongen: Catoblepas, you have one too! Aren't you gonna get busy again once the next term starts?
Catoblepas: ...yes. Okay then, thank you Akiha Gongen.
Catoblepas is actually putting up MORE distance than before, but Akiha notices and steps closer.
Akiha: W-what? Did I do something wrong?
Catoblepas: N-no! Everything's okay. Everything is perfectly fine!
Akiha: Then why are you backing up?
Kuniyoshi: Fascinating. Akiha just doesn't understand, does he Miss Hecate?
Hecate: Nope. Allow me to explain, Mister Kuniyoshi! This is one of those situations where an actor has their glass mask slip off! But in Catoblepas's case, his lifeguard persona slipped off when he nearly drowned! The shame, SHAME, that brings to a cosplayer who falls out of character and loses synch with their partners! And that's why he runs when people approach him.
Kuniyoshi: Wow you talk fast, Kettle. Also my name is Pot now.
Three people walk in.
Zhurong: Hi everybody! ...I sense a story!
Babe Bunyan: Holy shit, this place is still loud after everything that happened!
MC: Hi guys. You look busy so I'm gonna take the kids out. Bad examples and such, you know. Okay bye.
Kuniyoshi: NO WAIT, hey guys it's been a while! Uhh, we're just a little wound up after the event I guess?
Zhurong: Are you okay? Do you want to talk to me? Not that I'll understand much...
Catoblepas: Oh no a small child is worrying about me! I-I'm sorry, I'm okay now.
Akiha Gongen: Really? Well okay. If you're down, you bring me down too.
Catoblepas: Y-yes, thank you very much Akiha Gongen.
Akiha Gongen: So anyways, hi MC! Want one of the new drinks? You did a lot this event, so you can have three as part of my thanks.
Hecate: What brings all of you here anyway?
Zhurong: Ehehe, I came to interview Tindalos.
Babe Bunyan: Yeah he said he'll let Zhurong take a picture of him as an apology for what happened.
Zhurong: Babe says he has something else to do. I think he called it beach combing?
Babe: Yeah that. I was asked to help clean up the beach.
Hecate: Oh right, the Metaverse is opening up again today.
Kuniyoshi: Yeah. We were dismantling things with Vapula up until yesterday...
Creators: (frown)
MC: He's down, huh / How has he been? / ...
Hecate: He looks cheerful enough, but he hasn't sorted it all out yet.
Kuniyoshi: He's usually happy to collab, but lately he's turned it all down.
Catoblepas: Um, MC? Would you hear me out? We can't really do much ourselves, but you know how he feels about that sand golem...
MC: Sure, thanks Catoblepas. I was thinking of coming to talk to Vapula about that.
Catoblepas: T-thank you! He said he's going to the Metaverse today.
Later
MC, Zhurong, and Babe Bunyan head to Akihabara Academy. Benten walks in at the same time.
Benten: Oh did I just pass by MC? Huh.
Kuniyoshi: DELIVER US FROM EVIL!
Benten: Screw you, Kuniyoshi! Start 'splainin', I gots lots on my mind!
Blah blah blah
Benten: Hmmmm, I see now. It's amazing how much of an effect I have saying just a few words.
Kuniyoshi: That's a funny way of saying you start shit.
Benten: What? I saw how everything went down.
Hecate and Kuniyoshi are surprised.
Catoblepas: ...you have? You didn't come to the event area, did you?
Benten: No, I was watching Tindalos's channel.
Creators: oh
Benten: Come on, expressionists gotta vibe check each other to find their feels! And Vapula will be okay! Instinct!
Later
The Metaverse is still in beach mode and students are around picking up trash.
Itzamna: Oh hello MC and children. We've been waiting for you.
Zhurong: Hello Mr. Itzamna! We came to see Tindalos and--
Babe Bunyan: Huh, you helping too old man? Throw out your back yet?
Itzamna: Hahaha, I'm supervising today. He's over there, working since this morning.
Itzamna points over to Tindalos, who casually walks over upon noticing.
Tindalos: S'up paparazzo! Be sure you get my good side!
Babe: That's the first thing you say to us, douchebag!? Adults should be nicer!
Zhurong: Hey, I'm not a paparazzo!
Enigma: Hello everyone. Please consider that to be Tindalos's clumsy way of hiding his embarrassment.
Tindalos: STFU, you useless scrap of code!
Enigma: ...
Enigma: It is true. I am an artificially created bit of incompetence as ineffectual as Tindalos.
Tindalos: Piss off with your casual digs! Ugh. I'm planning on streaming my apology for this incident and my volunteer work to make up for it.
Enigma: Master Turing is publicly saying the cause of this incident is due to a programming error.
Babe Bunyan: Huh. Is that how adults deal with things? You can't really hold fictional beings responsible for stuff.
Tindalos: Wow, sharp thinking kid.
Babe: STOP CALLING ME THAT!
Tindalos: ...it ain't that big a deal. Oh I don't mean that in a bad way.
MC: Not so sharp tongued today? / Cute / So about the Bro...
(A) Tindalos: Who the hell do you think I am!? ...yeah, that's getting a little old. I'mma do a workout video for my next upload. Detox, my style. I'll totally drop another drama bomb if it gets slow around here though!
(B) Tindalos: S-shut up...that ain't like me. People skip bugged out gaming streams. But yeah... I'm think that ain't that bad a thing.
Tindalos: ...yeah, I got no excuse for him. But I don't regret having made him, so I won't forget him...that's why I made THESE guys!
Mini Tindalos Bros!
MC: ...they aren't THAT Tindalos Bro, right?
Enigma: They are Tindalos Bro mk. 2 made from the data left from Tindalos Antimony. There is no memory continuity between them. They are comparable to children in human terms.
Tindalos: I'm gonna stream so many videos with these guys!
Enigma: In the end, Tindalos will be Tindalos. No regrets, no remorse, no change.
Tindalos: And you're gonna keep harping on mistakes, aren't you dickhead?
Enigma: How can someone who only hurts people be so wrong?
Tindalos and Enigma: >:C
Vapula: Okay you two, time to vaput a lid on it.
MC: Hi Vapula, I came to see you! Need help with anything?
Vapula: MC! Thanks for coming out all this way on such a hot day. Hi Zhurong, Babe. Vaplease enjoy yourselves to make up for last time.
Babe: Heh, we came to do work. The beach combing, remember?
Zhurong: And I have an interview to do! Tindalos, stand over there for your picture!
Enigma: Yes, please capture his punishment on film.
Tindalos: You're half responsible for this mess too, asshat!
Everyone splits off to do whatever.
Itzamna: ...so Vapula, have you sorted out your head?
Vapula: ...yeah, thanks for worrying about me. MC, would you vaplease come with me for a bit? I wanna talk to you.
MC: Sure.
MC and Vapula quietly walk off.
Vapula: So...I've been thinking this whole time after what happened. I was wondering why he...they did all that.
He's talking about Tindalos Antimony and the sand dragon and the ends they chose.
Vapula: Yeah I still don't get it...but I have started thinking one thing. Like, isn't it obvious that you wouldn't know much about someone else's life? Or maybe I should vaput it as life is about what you don't know. They had their thoughts, and those were real.
Vapula squats down and starts piling sand up, using some seawater to pack the sand together.
Vapula: I've been thinking a long time about what Itzamna asked me about what I can't express. I vaput so many sand dragons together, and they look the same on the outside. But...they just aren't the same inside. I never found a core for their memories.
Vapula: ...still, even if I had that core and did everything the same, I'd come out with something different. The golem we made together the other day Could Only be Born Then. We could make something just like it, but won't be the same thing as it. What gives it meaning is everyone around it. Touching the hearts of people and being loved makes it something that would only be there at that moment. I'm sure...that's what feels means to me. I saw what I couldn't express this summer.
MC: ...nice work, Vapula / I'm glad I met you / (hug Vapula)
(A) Vapula: ...hehe, you too MC. I'm...glad I found it. Thanks so much. I'll never be able to pay you back in full, so vaplease tell me whenever you want me to make something. A life-sized model, a giant mecha, anything!
(B) Vapula: ...haha, I think I'd have laughed at saying something like that before now. It's not so bad though. I'm glad I met you too. Vaplease call me if you need help. It's my turn to go to you! But vaplease make it sometime when I'm not making models...no, anytime's okay!
(C) Vapula: Uhh, this isn't just about you wanting to hug me right? W-well, I'm not totally against it... NO NOT SO SUDDENLY! I'm ticklish! Ahaha! ...I'm okay. Thanks...it must've sucked for you too.
Vapula: Alright, it's about time for us to go. Help me take down the event stage and vaput a golem together.
Vapula looks like he's cleared something up, but also kind of sad. MC looks off in the same direction he's looking at, thinking of those disappeared beyond the sea...
Babe Bunyan: Yee haw, guys. I know you're having a quiet moment, but you got some time?
Vapula: Y-yeah, it's okay. I'll be there soon after some vapreparations.
Babe: Oh, it ain't like that. I found this while cleaning up. Isn't this his? (holds out a golem core)
Vapula: !! W-where did you vapick this up!?
Babe: While I was picking up trash and shells. It's a cowboy's job to bring stray sheep back home.
MC: Awesome! You're the best, Babe!
Babe: Hey now, you're kinda overdoing it. Anyways, later!
Vapula: ...what do we do, MC? It won't be the same even with this core. But...I'm sure I can vaput something new together that has something from the old one. It'll be like his kid. So...want me to make it?
MC: Yes please. (nod)
Vapula puts the core on the sand, and he and MC put the form together of a new life that inherits the shape and soul of the little thing that spent the summer with them.
Vapula: ...awaken, new dragon! And then...come vaplay with us!
Sand Dragon: Chirp!
The little dragon wraps itself around MC's feet, and MC decides to give it some meaning the previous one did not get.
MC: (name the dragon)
Elsewhere
Turing is typing on a keyboard in some tall building in Tokyo. A bunch of computer screens are showing videos and data about this event's details. Turing is packing them all up and sending them to someone who immediately absorbs them in an instant.
Turing: So what do you think of these results? ...oh yes, this should be great results for you.
Turing gives a jokey smile as he talks about this failure.
Turing: I've never seen Enigma have such enmity with Tindalos and such conflict with his failures. Before he would just prioritize any theories I put out and do nothing else... But then he changed when the Real World Tindalos came in as his opposite and pushed him that way. The thing I could never get to take root has finally gained the possibility to sprout. It's still in development though. How exciting! I suppose that even if an event like this one never happened, I could get a clue if I meet someone like that. We may reach a singularity one day, even if I'm not around. Things will go on even if something happens to me.
The person Turing is talking to smiles. Turing smiles back.
Turing: Tindalos Antimony ought to be a reference point for your guys' trilemma at least, right? The Competitive Self, the Given Thesis, and the Fusion of Selves...
Turing's comment provokes a flood of math formulas and theories, the project that genius on Turing's level pursued even after his life. Turing shakes his head at this.
Turing: Tell me the details later. How's the simulation this time turn out? The technology you gave me should have provided you with plenty of lab data. Hmm...that's nice. So me pushing things was worth it. But putting MC in danger and drawing attention to them made things really dicey. Could you make a cover up? Nobody else besides us needs to know the truth. Anyways, when do you think you'll give me the go sign about your plan?
A long silence passes tinged with doubt passes. Then a short reply comes.
Turing: ASAP, huh? I'm looking forward to it. (pretends not to see the deep passion behind them) See you later, A.
Turing leaves the room empty, and the computers automatically shut off like they're going to sleep. Silence is all that remains.
The End
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