Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/16(Sat)13:56 No. 640917 ID: 26e769
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>…hello?

The figure responds.

It’s Tyler, your cousin.

“You stay away from me, freak! Understand?! You stay away from my family!”

Wait. Is it Tyler? It looks more like Raven. Your girlfriend.

“What? Is this a joke? …Get away from me.”

No… it’s Ikram, your best friend.

“If you do this, Wister, I will kill you.”

But it’s none of those people. Or is it… all of them?

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/16(Sat)13:57 No. 640918 ID: 26e769
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Then, suddenly, the figure moves right up to you, and you know exactly who it is.

It’s Lily.

“Give it back.”

Oh great, horrible nightmares. This is why you shouldn't sleep in class, Lily.

>If you do this, Wister, I will kill you.
That one seems the most out of character. Tyler was a dick, Raven was confused and hurt (possibly because she was subconsciously suppressing lesbianism to be with Wister, and you then threw her identity into question?), but Ikram didn't react like that. Much less threaten to kill you.

>“Give it back.”
I don't know how!

Make a strangled sound and throw your arms around her. Cry.

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, I didn't want to steal your life, I didn't want to hurt Raven, I didn't want any of this, I just wanted not to hate who I am, and now I still have to!

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/16(Sat)14:31 No. 640921 ID: 26e769
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>Ikram didn't react like that. Much less threaten to kill you.

But he did. And after what you did to him, who wouldn’t?

>I don't know how!

“I don’t know how!”

“I don’t care! This is my body. This is my life! Give. It. Back.”

>Make a strangled sound and throw your arms around her. Cry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, I didn't want to steal your life, I didn't want to hurt Raven, I didn't want any of this, I just wanted not to hate who I am, and now I still have to!

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to steal your life, I didn’t want to hurt Raven, I didn’t want any of this! I just wanted not to hate who I am, and now I still have to!” You throw your arms around her, but she shoves you away. You’re sobbing, but so is she.

She grabs you by the shoulders and starts shaking you around, screaming. “Get out of me! Get out of me!”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/16(Sat)14:32 No. 640923 ID: 26e769
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>Oh great, horrible nightmares. This is why you shouldn't sleep in class, Lily.

You wake up screaming and crying.

Everyone in class is staring at you. Everyone.

There are so many people, and they’re all looking right at you.

Finally, your English teacher, Mr. Wernham, tentatively speaks up. “…Lily? Are you okay?”

Well, so much for trying to reject the nightmare attack by trying to embrace it.

>But he did. And after what you did to him, who wouldn’t?
Um. So... you lead him on, promised to use your wish for Ayame, and then changed your mind? Cause I can't think of anything short of that that would make him that mad.

But, uh, you made sure he still met Pendel after that, and he's still gonna wish, so Ayame will still be okay, so it's not like you really fucked that up, right?

>“…Lily? Are you okay?”
Stammer a yes or something and see if you can get yourself excused to see the nurse. It'll probably be easy.

Then go find somewhere private and summon Pendel. You can't live like this. You have to know. Ask him if you really replaced her, if that's how this works.

You have to know- so the nightmares will stop. Or so you can start finding a way to save her from whatever darkness you put her in.

Who IS she? She doesn't know, does she? Don't beat yourself up over this, because:

You have access to an artificial intelligence that has control over reality itself.

You. Can. Fix. This.

Take your time.

>>640923
Say it was just a nightmare.

...if Ikram reacted that way why did you think it was okay to approach him at lunch?

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)05:34 No. 641026 ID: 26e769
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>Stammer a yes or something and see if you can get yourself excused to see the nurse. It'll probably be easy.
>Say it was just a nightmare.

“J-just a n-nightmare.” You’re shaking.

A few people laugh. Most just keep staring.

“Are you sure?”

“N-no. Can I g-go see the nurse?” You can barely speak.

Mr. Wernham nods, hesitantly.

You rush out of the room, closing the door behind you a little more loudly than you’d have liked to.

>Um. So... you lead him on, promised to use your wish for Ayame, and then changed your mind? Cause I can't think of anything short of that that would make him that mad.

You had to do it. You couldn’t help anybody on your own. No one would go near you. You were the freak. Ikram was nobody, but he was more than you. You needed his help. You knew the one thing he wanted most. He was your best friend. It was easy to convince him.

You couldn’t take the risk. What if Pendel had left after that first wish? What if you never got another chance? You couldn’t wait. You couldn’t live another day in that body. Ikram knew what you would do the second he saw your face. He knew exactly what would happen. He saw what kind of person you really were, and he was disgusted. He gave you one last opportunity to stop.

But… you couldn’t wait.

>But, uh, you made sure he still met Pendel after that, and he's still gonna wish, so Ayame will still be okay, so it's not like you really fucked that up, right?

Yeah. It wasn’t your fault. You’re a good person. You kept your promise, so you’re still a good person. You had to do it. It wasn’t your fault.

It can’t be your fault.

>...if Ikram reacted that way why did you think it was okay to approach him at lunch?

You’d hoped that he’d forget what happened. That you’d be best friends again.

Ikram did forget it. But he forgot more than that. He forgot you.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)05:39 No. 641028 ID: 26e769
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>Then go find somewhere private and summon Pendel. You can't live like this. You have to know. Ask him if you really replaced her, if that's how this works. You have to know- so the nightmares will stop. Or so you can start finding a way to save her from whatever darkness you put her in.

You run to the girls’ bathroom on the third floor - the one that’s always been out of order. You do a quick check in each of the stalls, then, satisfied that you’re alone, you say it.

“Pendel Wormwood.”

Nothing.

“Please! I can’t do this anymore. I have to know!”

Again, only silence. You cry, on the verge of despair.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)05:39 No. 641029 ID: 26e769
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“…are you sure?”

Hey, that's not Pendel. He (she?) has pupils. And a nose.
Was there just someone in the bathroom stall?
Tell them that you're sorry she had to hear that. Would she mind giving you some space?

That's a girl, not Pendel...It might not be a bad idea to hear her out, if nothing else, but...

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)06:28 No. 641035 ID: 26e769
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>Hey, that's not Pendel. He (she?) has pupils. And a nose. Was there just someone in the bathroom stall? Tell them that you're sorry she had to hear that. Would she mind giving you some space?
>That's a girl, not Pendel...It might not be a bad idea to hear her out, if nothing else, but...

You turn to the strange girl. She looks about your age.

“Who are you?” You try to wipe your tears away. “Were you in one of the stalls? I thought I was alone. I’m sorry you had to hear-“

She sighs. “Don’t be an idiot.” Her eyes flash black.

“Pendel?!”

“You’re the one who decided to hide out in a girls’ bathroom. I can’t alter memories without a wish, you know. But, of course, the Translator of Intent has a few other… privileges.” He gazes down at himself with an unpleasant look. “If anyone walks in, they’ll just see two girls talking, and we can change the subject. That being said, and as I’m sure you are very aware, this… isn’t exactly comfortable for me. So, Lily-pad, if you are going to ask, please just go ahead and do it. I feel itchy.”

“Why wouldn’t I ask? What could be worse than not knowing?”

“Let’s just say that, sometimes, our worst fears can be preferable to the truth.”

You can't make things better if you don't know what's wrong.

It could be that you have the scenario all upside down, lilypad could perhaps have wished to be a boy. And then your memories were created & overrode Lily's

>make Pendel a girl for security.
Sorry. I, uh, not a lot of places for me to hide at school. ...wouldn't a 'cleaning' sign on the door, or making the door stick enough that you'd have time to leave work just as easy as, uh, that?

Um, why doesn't it always make you look like someone who would blend in if it can do that?

...did he test out the nose yet? Although a high school bathroom is a pretty bad place to have a nose for the first time.

(Lily talking about the inane to try and avoid it).

>Let’s just say that, sometimes, our worst fears can be preferable to the truth.
So my nightmares aren't even as bad as it gets. I can't stop thinking I killed someone and stole her life and you're telling me it's worse than that.

How am I supposed to live with that?

This may be your only chance! Squeeze his boob!

>>641035
Was there a Lily before, and you stole their body? Did you kill them? How do these world-altering wishes work exactly?

Ask Pendel what he did to get the attention of the Metamyriad. Did he erase his own history?

Also, why did the Metamyriad choose you?

>>641035
"What happened to "Lilly"? The Lilly Before me. The one everyone remembers? I need to know."
Tell him to give you all the details, even the confusing aspects. no skimping out on anything.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)23:50 No. 641167 ID: 26e769
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>Sorry. I, uh, not a lot of places for me to hide at school. ...wouldn't a 'cleaning' sign on the door, or making the door stick enough that you'd have time to leave work just as easy as, uh, that?

“You looked like you needed me. This was the first thing that I could think of.”

>Um, why doesn't it always make you look like someone who would blend in if it can do that?

“Thanks, I guess… If you can do this, why don’t you always look like someone who can blend in?”

“I do, at the start, to help people feel more comfortable about me. Don’t you remember? I start off a little more like you creatures, and then I slowly transition back into my more comfortable form.” He gazes at you, wearing a slight smile. “Being in a body that disagrees with you is quite taxing, wouldn’t you say?”

>...did he test out the nose yet? Although a high school bathroom is a pretty bad place to have a nose for the first time.

“…how’s it like having a nose?” You give out a small, nervous squeak of a laugh. “I mean, even if a high school bathroom is a pretty bad place to have a nose for the first time…”

“Oh, I do have a nose, don’t I? You know, I’ve had one a couple of times now, but every time, I forget that there’s something I’ve been wanting to try.” He starts wiggling his nose back and forth. He does it for a while. It’s almost mesmerizing. ”…fascinating.”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)23:52 No. 641168 ID: 26e769
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>This may be your only chance! Squeeze his boob!

You’re only just beginning to consider it when he neatly steps out of arm’s reach.

”Whoa there, wildcat. For someone with a supposedly confused sexuality, you certainly have an overwhelmingly sapphic bent.” He glances at the mirror. “Honestly. I’ve never seen the appeal of the things. They’re not even that big.”

You feel an odd frustration. They’re a lot larger than yours.

“I suppose that’s true.” He casually squeezes one. “Huh. Now there’s an oddly nostalgic sensation.”

Watching him do that makes you kind of uncomfortable.

“If you’re feeling irritated, then you could, I don’t know, ask your questions. The sooner we finish up here, the faster I can get out of this unpleasant, rather squishy form and back to my handsome, roguish self.”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)23:53 No. 641169 ID: 26e769
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>why did the Metamyriad choose you?

“Why did the Metamyriad choose me?”

“It didn’t. I did. I suppose when I ‘hear’ someone about to kill themselves, I feel the neighborly need to lend a hand. But I still might have passed you by, had it not been for an errant bit of empathy.”

“Empathy?” You blink, completely confused.

“...It’s not the first time I’ve looked like this. Or close to it, anyway.” He frowns, and his face suddenly looks very tired. “I suppose you and I could be considered kindred spirits, of a sort, traveling the same road in opposite directions.”

“Wait. Are you saying that you-?”

“Best not to dwell on it. It hardly matters to either of us now, does it? You’re no more a ‘Wister’ than I am a ’Madeleine.’”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/17(Sun)23:54 No. 641170 ID: 26e769
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>"What happened to "Lilly"? The Lilly Before me. The one everyone remembers? I need to know."
>Was there a Lily before, and you stole their body? Did you kill them?

Feeling very shocked, you nonetheless ask the question that’s been tormenting you for days. “Was there another Lily in this body, before? Did I… kill her?”

“No. I’ve told you before, you’re the only Lily Wilton that’s ever existed. There’s only one world, and it was rebuilt upon the premise you put forward. That was what you wanted, after all.”

You close your eyes, lay your head back, and sigh in relief. “I’m me? This is my body?”

“Yours and yours alone.” He nods. “No other occupants, past or present.”

>So my nightmares aren't even as bad as it gets. I can't stop thinking I killed someone and stole her life and you're telling me it's worse than that.

“Then what were you saying, about stuff being worse than my worst nightmares?” You giggle. “This is better than anything.”

“Lily. Don’t you get it?”

“Get what? That I’ve got the right body? That I can actually be happy, now?” You can’t stop laughing.

“I told you. There’s only one world. So…” He hesitates. Then he shakes his head. “…no, never mind. It’s nothing. Is that all you wanted to ask me?”

So... don't muck it up with wishes that may have unforeseen consequences?

Be sure to thank Pendel. And relax.

So, what, it's not Lilly that's gone, it's everyone else that used to exist?

Well, it does raise interesting questions like how did you end up 'the wrong gender' in the first place. Is it just more Metamyriad changes, brain damage, something else plausibly mundane/natural, or something else freaky going on? Supposedly there have been so many wishes that people acquired *noses* despite them previously not existing.

Pendal, are you possibly suggesting that our wish might have just had a world retroactively changed for us? Is that what happens with every single wish, the world gets rewritten by an editor? Do we need to worry about fragmentation?

Also, push him to say what he was going to say.

>>641175

...
Yeah, I guess so.
...I can't bring myself to care about that though. Maybe cause everyone is mostly the same.

>blatant sapphic tendencies
Maybe you won't need to agonize over that as much as you thought.

>I told you. There’s only one world. So…
The only negative consequence to that is it suggests we might have hurt everyone else when we changed things.

Except Pendel says we 'rebuilt' things. To me, that implies taking things appart and putting them back together a little different than before. Not destroying everything and starting over. We didn't kill everyone, we made them a little different.

...I suppose altering people without their consent or even knowing is a little creepy, but you can live with that.

If the wishes do work by nigh universal genocide, we can't have Lily coming to that conclusion. She won't be able to handle it.

>Pendel was like you
Wait, did you have the same problem where people you knew remembered you different? Or did you just make your wish more carefully than I did?

>close
Thanks, Pendel. You're not always a jerk.

Get out of here, go back to being you.

>>641176
If noses never existed before someone wished for them, I fail to see how any 'negative consequence' could possibly matter. If Lily wished anyone out of existence, which is extremely questionable, it's like the billionth time that's happened who cares. Also that would be 100% Pendel's fault even if it mattered.

> There’s only one world, and it was rebuilt upon the premise you put forward.
> and it was rebuilt
>rebuilt
Rebuilt as in patched it up or rebuilt as in taken apart and put back together?

>>641170
He's saying that by rewriting the world you are responsible for modifying the memories of everyone else. In a way, you killed them and replaced them with people who remember you the way you are now... but that's a really extreme way of looking at it. Actually it's possible that due to the butterfly effect some people completely died in this rewrite that didn't die before, and some people are alive that weren't before.

But uh, really, it's just a massive far-reaching breach of consent, not the maybe-bodysnatching that you were worried about.

Wait, is Pendel saying that everyone is the same person, but from different perspectives of the Metamyriad?

Ask Pendel about what he knows about the Metamyriad's reality warping. What are the physics involved in changing everything?

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/18(Mon)21:13 No. 641377 ID: 26e769
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>Well, it does raise interesting questions like how did you end up 'the wrong gender' in the first place. Is it just more Metamyriad changes, brain damage, something else plausibly mundane/natural, or something else freaky going on?

You don’t know. And… you don’t care, anymore.

It suddenly hits you. This is you. This is your body. Up until now, it’s felt sort of like a strange, wonderful dream, but now you realize that this - this is for real. You’re a girl.

You are the happiest you have ever been in your life. You start doing little pirouettes so you can watch your skirt do a little swoosh each time. This is real. This is actually happening.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Pendel smiling. “Enjoying yourself?”

You give a bubbly little laugh in response.

“Odd timing. Still, it’s nice to see you happy, for a change.”

>Pendel was like you. Wait, did you have the same problem where people you knew remembered you different? Or did you just make your wish more carefully than I did?

“Hey, did you get have that problem where everyone remembered a different you? Or did you just wish for it differently?”

“Technically, I never wished to be, um, me, at all. Should I ever cease to be the Translator of Intent, I’ll probably end up stuck as a… ‘girl’ again.” He looks repulsed by the idea. “But that won’t happen for a long time, thankfully. Not unless someone feels like exchanging places with me.”

>Pendal, are you possibly suggesting that our wish might have just had a world retroactively changed for us? Is that what happens with every single wish, the world gets rewritten by an editor? Do we need to worry about fragmentation?

You grin at your own joke, before you even say it.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow. “Oh. Computer humor. I’ve never had a knack for those… things.”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/18(Mon)21:15 No. 641379 ID: 26e769
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>He's saying that by rewriting the world you are responsible for modifying the memories of everyone else. In a way, you killed them and replaced them with people who remember you the way you are now... but that's a really extreme way of looking at it. Actually it's possible that due to the butterfly effect some people completely died in this rewrite that didn't die before, and some people are alive that weren't before.
>The only negative consequence to that is it suggests we might have hurt everyone else when we changed things. Except Pendel says we 'rebuilt' things. To me, that implies taking things appart and putting them back together a little different than before. Not destroying everything and starting over.
>So, what, it's not Lilly that's gone, it's everyone else that used to exist?

…That can’t be right. It doesn’t work like that. Does it?

Pendel is silent.

>Ask Pendel about what he knows about the Metamyriad's reality warping. What are the physics involved in changing everything?
>push him to say what he was going to say.

“Pendel? Come on. Tell me it doesn’t work like that.”

“I don’t know.” He says it quietly. “I don’t know how the Metamyriad does what it does, exactly. But, Lily…”

“You’re lying! Otherwise, that would mean… that would mean that I…“

“Don’t worry about it, Lily. Please. Even if it did… remove everyone, your wish brought just as many souls into the world.”

“That - that doesn’t - I can’t be - I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Calm down. It’s okay. It’s just a possibility. It’s entirely as likely that the Metamyriad just changes peoples’ memories, or simply alters the world, rather than rebuilding it from scratch.”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/18(Mon)21:18 No. 641381 ID: 26e769
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>...I can't bring myself to care about that though. Maybe cause everyone is mostly the same.
>We didn't kill everyone, we made them a little different. ...I suppose altering people without their consent or even knowing is a little creepy, but you can live with that.
>But uh, really, it's just a massive far-reaching breach of consent, not the maybe-bodysnatching that you were worried about.

“…I’m okay. You’re right. It probably doesn’t work like that.” You smile. “So it’s okay. Everything is okay.”

“Lily.” Pendel looks worried. “…You know I can read minds.”

>Be sure to thank Pendel.

“Thanks, Pendel. For answering my questions and all.”

“You’re welcome, but-“

“But what? I’m fine. I’m good. I’m okay.”

>And relax.

You’re completely relaxed. Why wouldn’t you be?.

You didn’t kill over seven billion people, including everyone you have ever loved.

You’re fine.

>>641381
If you did you basically just brought them back to life immediately afterwards. If you can't tell the difference, then there probably ISN'T one.

I think we just broke Lily.

Lily, there is no noticeable difference between the past and present versions. Even in the cast of those with altered memories, they're still the same personality. Your mother acts the same in either scenario. Everyone has acted consistently with the way you remember. Going to sleep and waking up in the morning is a more extreme change.

>You didn’t kill over seven billion people, including everyone you have ever loved.
It... can't work that way, right? Pendel's granted hundreds of wishes. Maybe more. If that were the way it worked, the guilt would have killed him, or driven him crazy. No one could handle that. He's not that big a jerk. He doesn't always get it, but he cares.

>It’s okay. It’s just a possibility. It’s entirely as likely that the Metamyriad just changes peoples’ memories, or simply alters the world, rather than rebuilding it from scratch.
Lily, remember what you said before about not wanting to wish to make your memory different, because all you are is a collection of memories?

It's that part inside that makes a person who they are. Even if your wish killed everyone, it put them back. With the right personalities, the right memories, except a little bit about you. The stuff that makes them them is still there.

A person is like a song. It's not the paper it's written on that matters, or medium it's stored on, it's the tune. And the tunes are still playing.

I mean, you know the metamyriad can bring back the dead. That's what we're planning to do with Ayame, right? So even if your wish killed everyone, it brought them all back!

>if you need to be sure
...Pendel, how much would it cost? To make a wish to know, for sure, one way or the other, if that's how it works.

I don't think it is that simple. If we were playing by normal rules then maybe you could be considered a murderer. But what we are messing with is pretty god-like and the rule book for stuff like that is missing. Heck, even the rules to normal life aren't concrete but speculations by people just as in the dark as everyone else. In the end there probably isn't some tome with the rights and wrongs of life. So what we need to do is make the rules as we go and do what feels right.

Take a few deep breaths. Concentrate on what you have. Do not lose control, you have time and power.

Plan: Go to the Metamyriad and find the answers yourself.

>>641413
Pendel, this is lily's subconscious speaking. We're having a mild shutdown event, if you could reset the system by giving her a lil shock or something that'd be grand. Thanks big guy, over and out!

>>641381
Think of your Dad, Lily. Math and physics. Natural systems have conservation laws, and follow the path of least resistance. Artificial or constructed systems are optimized for limited resources. The metamyriad is one or the other, and changing the universe has to have a lower cost than remaking it in entirety.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/20(Wed)01:14 No. 641623 ID: 26e769
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>If you did you basically just brought them back to life immediately afterwards. If you can't tell the difference, then there probably ISN'T one.
>Lily, there is no noticeable difference between the past and present versions. Even in the cast of those with altered memories, they're still the same personality. Your mother acts the same in either scenario. Everyone has acted consistently with the way you remember.

Just because you haven’t noticed any differences, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any. Besides… even if two people seemed identical, it doesn’t mean they would be the same person, does it?

You’re scared.

>So what we need to do is make the rules as we go and do what feels right.

This doesn’t feel right. It actually feels very, very wrong.

>It's that part inside that makes a person who they are. Even if your wish killed everyone, it put them back. With the right personalities, the right memories, except a little bit about you. The stuff that makes them them is still there. A person is like a song. It's not the paper it's written on that matters, or medium it's stored on, it's the tune. And the tunes are still playing. I mean, you know the metamyriad can bring back the dead. That's what we're planning to do with Ayame, right? So even if your wish killed everyone, it brought them all back!
> Think of your Dad, Lily. Math and physics. Natural systems have conservation laws, and follow the path of least resistance. Artificial or constructed systems are optimized for limited resources. The metamyriad is one or the other, and changing the universe has to have a lower cost than remaking it in entirety.

Yeah… Yeah. That makes sense. You’re probably not a murderer. You are not a murderer. Okay. Okay. You’re okay.

>It... can't work that way, right? Pendel's granted hundreds of wishes. Maybe more. If that were the way it worked, the guilt would have killed him, or driven him crazy. No one could handle that. He's not that big a jerk. He doesn't always get it, but he cares.

It’s true. The guilt would have killed him. Or driven him crazy.

“I can’t die. Not until the job’s done.” He looks at the floor. “As for the other thing… what makes you think I’m not?”

>...Pendel, how much would it cost? To make a wish to know, for sure, one way or the other, if that's how it works.
>Plan: Go to the Metamyriad and find the answers yourself.

“…How much would it cost? To know, I mean.”

“Two credits.” He seems a little quiet. “…I’ll give you a little advice. When you leave this room, go downstairs, turn left, and follow the hallway until you come to a blue door with scratches on the bottom. Open that door.”

“Huh?” You blink. "Why?"

“Just do it.” He looks away, and as he does, he begins to change. “I can't stay like this for much longer. Is there anything else?”

>>641623
I think that was it. Let's go check out the MYSTERIOUS DOOR.

Everyone's a little bit crazy.
Go check out the door.

I... thanks, Pendel. Sorry I've been hard on you, you're not always a jerk. And I really hope you're not crazy.

>what do
Faith. Trust his advice, go where he said.

Thank him for answering our questions then go check out that door.

Pendel is your contact to the Metamyriad. If you lose his trust you might lose everything.

May as well see what he's talking about. You owe him that.

Lily, lily. You gotta get a grip. Remember the ship of Theseus - no matter how many times it's been altered, repaired, and otherwise modified, it's still the ship that carried Theseus in his journey, even if all the parts are replaced, bit by bit. In fact, our bodies are like this, Lily. Dead cells give way to new cells, growth and decay after each other, and still you are Lily. So relax, maybe what the Metamyriad does is natural after all. There's nothing to worry about, really.

"Thank you Pendel, sorry for making you uncomfortable."

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/21(Thu)23:10 No. 642047 ID: 26e769
File 143227501239.png - (203.27KB , 1000x1000 , meta146.png )

>I think that was it.

As you turn to go, one last question pops into your head. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

“Because you didn’t want me to.”

“That’s all?”

“Does there have to be more? You simply looked like you could use a friend.”

>Thank him for answering our questions
>"Thank you Pendel, sorry for making you uncomfortable."
>I... thanks, Pendel. Sorry I've been hard on you, you're not always a jerk. And I really hope you're not crazy.
>Everyone's a little bit crazy.

“…Thanks, Pendel. Sorry for calling you a jackass and stuff. I really hope you’re not crazy.” You smile. “Although, everyone’s a little crazy, I think. Anyway. Sorry for making you uncomfortable.”

He finally shifts completely back to his usual self. “Oh, finally coming around to the idea that I’m not the devil?” He starts laughing. “What a change! Although, I did meet the devil at one point, come to think of it.”

“Wait, what? Are you ‘joking’ again?”

“Hardly.” He grins. “I think I told you before: I had a few encounters with the Spanish Inquisition. Oh, now don’t go worrying about eternal damnation, Lily-pad. It wasn’t actually the devil. But it was quite as close as one could get, I imagine. Hell of a story, that. I’ll have to tell it to you at some point.” He does a little bow. “But for now… toodles!”

And he’s gone.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/21(Thu)23:11 No. 642048 ID: 26e769
File 143227509164.png - (53.45KB , 1000x1000 , meta147.png )

>Faith. Trust his advice, go where he said.
>May as well see what he's talking about. You owe him that.
>Go check out the door.
> Let's go check out the MYSTERIOUS DOOR.

You follow his directions as best you can remember them.

You arrive at a blue door with scratches on the bottom.

You take a deep breath, then open the door.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/21(Thu)23:12 No. 642049 ID: 26e769
File 143227513794.png - (242.87KB , 1000x1000 , meta148.png )

Huh? It’s just a broom closet. “Hello?”

You hear a gasp. You turn in its direction. Oh! It’s Veronica. Why is she in a broom closet?

Why does she look so scared?

…what is she doing?

SMACK AWAY THAT SMACK DAWG

>>642049
Oh fuck that's HEROIN. Get in there and tell her to take that needle out of her arm. That shit will FUCK YOU UP. Tell her she should try something less life-destroying like cocaine.

Make sure they don't freak out, we don't want them accidentally killing themselves. Also this school is pretty garbage for not finding out about this. Where did they even get those drugs?

Make sure they know you aren't a narc. Even if you narc out later, it's fine. Lying is your friend. Act cool, try to figure out why they're doing what they're doing, and if they need help.

Tell her that you've also had a rough day. She should consider her options, especially with what you have to offer her.

We don't know for sure it isn't insulin, although the circumstances of it being a darkened broom closet suggest it isn't so innocuous. Try a joke?
"Shit, if this closet's already in use for shooting up it's probably no good for me to bring someone on a fifteen minute date with no clothes. Any suggestions where else I should try?"

Calmly ask what is going on. Don't do anything physical.

Oh. She's shooting up. I hope that's not hard narcotics, but it probably is. I really hope this isn't a suicide or overdose attempt, although Pendel might well send you to intervene in something like that, considering where you've been, and that he did for you.

(...even if it's not a deliberate suicide attempt, there's been a lot of bad heroin on streets, and users dying of it. At least in the northeast. Not sure if that's true where these guys live).

>what do
Just pause in the door, don't freak out, move any closer, or run away. Just ask her "Are you okay?"

How do you know Veronica?

>I had a few encounters with the Spanish Inquisition.
Someone really needs to pop in this joke next time: "Well nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
>>642049
"What are you think you're doing?"

>>642125
*do

Seconding this, good suggestion.

>>642164
What is?

>>642078
This one, whoops

>>642078
Insulin doesn't require a spoon and a lighter.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/22(Fri)22:34 No. 642261 ID: 26e769
File 143235924442.png - (105.75KB , 1000x1000 , meta149.png )

>How do you know Veronica?

Raven showed you her picture on the way to school.

> I hope that's not hard narcotics, but it probably is.
>Oh fuck that's HEROIN.

What?!

>We don't know for sure it isn't insulin, although the circumstances of it being a darkened broom closet suggest it isn't so innocuous. Try a joke? "Shit, if this closet's already in use for shooting up it's probably no good for me to bring someone on a fifteen minute date with no clothes. Any suggestions where else I should try?"
>Just pause in the door, don't freak out, move any closer, or run away. Just ask her "Are you okay?"
>Calmly ask what is going on. Don't do anything physical.

“Uh, uh, I guess I, uh, can’t have a sex date in here and oh my god are you okay?!”

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/22(Fri)22:34 No. 642262 ID: 26e769
File 143235929460.png - (189.56KB , 1000x1000 , meta150.png )

Before you can do anything, she yanks the needle out of her arm, pulls you inside, closes the door, and grabs you by the shoulders.

“Veronica, is that…”

“It’s - it’s insulin! I’m diabetic. It’s insulin.”

>Insulin doesn't require a spoon and a lighter.

Your keep your voice quiet. “I don’t believe you. Insulin doesn’t require a spoon and a lighter.”

“I locked the door. I always lock the door. Damn it. Damn it!” She sounds scared. Her voice is shaky.“Look, just - you can’t tell anyone. Do you understand, Lily? They’ll kick me out. They’ll send me home. You can’t tell anyone. Not even Raven.”

You’re surprised that she knows your name, until you realize that she’s probably your friend. “Ronnie…”

“Please, Lily!”

>Make sure they know you aren't a narc. Even if you narc out later, it's fine. Lying is your friend. Act cool, try to figure out why they're doing what they're doing, and if they need help.
>Make sure they don't freak out, we don't want them accidentally killing themselves. Also this school is pretty garbage for not finding out about this. Where did they even get those drugs?

“…I won’t tell anyone.” You sigh. “I’m not a narc. Just please tell me why you’re doing this.”

Veronica relaxes a little, but she doesn’t let you go. “…It’s the only thing that makes me feel good anymore.”

“Where did you even get it?”

“…why do you want to know?”

Someone's selling drugs near your school. You need to make sure that they don't step up their game to kidnapping teenage junkies.

Also, you're under a lot of stress and have your own disturbing version of dealing with it. But right now, the words "Only thing that makes me feel good" are a big sign.

Also, you don't want her to become so addicted that she blindly obeys her supplier for drugs.

>I locked the door. I always lock the door. Damn it
I suspect Pendel cheating.

>“…why do you want to know?”
Maybe because I found you doing hard drugs and I'd like to understand what's going on?

I'm worried about you.

You asked me to lie for you.

Please, talk to me?

>…It’s the only thing that makes me feel good anymore.
A possible follow up question, if she needs prompting, might be why she stopped feeling good. Or what's making her feel bad.

>I locked the door. I always lock the door. Damn it
Oh wait. Lock the door behind you, Lily. The last thing you want is someone walking in on you now. You're not screwing up and having this conversation in front of the wrong people!

Plus, you get free trust points. She'll see it as you protecting her, keeping her secret, for the moment.

>>642262
Tell her that even the drugs aren't going to make her feel good anymore, eventually. Not at the dose she's taking now. She'll have to take more, and more, until she overdoses and dies. You won't let that happen. Also heroin will make her feel even WORSE when she's not high.

It's not worth it! You can help her. If she hasn't been addicted for long she might not need to go to rehab, even.

Tell her that eventually even the heroin is going to not feel as good anymore.
She's basically escaping her problems.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/23(Sat)16:38 No. 642472 ID: 26e769
File 143242432086.png - (175.21KB , 1000x1000 , meta151.png )

“Maybe because I found you doing hard drugs and I'd like to understand what's going on? I'm worried about you. You asked me to lie for you. Please, talk to me? “

Veronica finally lets you go, her arms hovering slightly. It’s like she’s afraid that the only thing keeping you here was her grip. “You wouldn’t understand, Lily.”

> Lock the door behind you, Lily. The last thing you want is someone walking in on you now. You're not screwing up and having this conversation in front of the wrong people!

You take a moment to reach over and lock the door. Veronica blinks, looking like she was ready to grab you again. “Uh, thanks.”

>you're under a lot of stress and have your own disturbing version of dealing with it.

“Hey, I’ve got stress. I’ve got problems. I have ways of dealing.”

“Don’t patronize me.” She looks agitated.

“Give me a chance. Just tell me why you stopped feeling good, or what’s making you feel bad.”

“I’m a fuck-up.” She looks really uncomfortable. “Just… drop it, would you?”

>heroin will make her feel even WORSE when she's not high. It's not worth it! You can help her. If she hasn't been addicted for long she might not need to go to rehab, even.
>Tell her that eventually even the heroin is going to not feel as good anymore. She's basically escaping her problems.

“Ronnie, heroin isn’t a solution. It’s - it’s an escape! It’s just going to make you feel worse and worse. It’s not worth it!” You notice you’re getting a bit panicked, so you try to calm down. “Look… If you haven’t been on it for long, you might not even need to go to rehab, okay?”

“Shut up!” She grabs her things and turns to unlock the door. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

>>642472
Stop her. Tell her you know what it's like to deal with the horrible consequences of the solution to an aching need. You're not judging her. You just want to help.

>>642472
>I knew you wouldn’t understand.
Look, wait, I'm sorry! I'm guessing in the dark, here.

How am I supposed to understand if you won't say anything? I can listen, okay? What's the worst thing that happens- I still don't get it? You don't have much to lose by trying.

Then give us a little help, we could spend endless conversations about what could be the problem. But maybe talking isn't what you want right now. Maybe you want someone to understand and not judge you for once. We don't have to talk but we want to try and be there for you.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/23(Sat)22:34 No. 642550 ID: 26e769
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>Stop her.

You grab her arm. She shrugs off your grip in seconds. You blink for a moment, surprised. But then you remember that you’re about a foot shorter and a lot thinner, and Veronica’s taller and stronger than Raven.

“Look, wait, I’m sorry! I’m guessing in the dark, here.”

“Yeah! You are! So shut up!”

“Wait, wait, please, I can listen, okay? I can listen!”

“I don’t want you to listen. I don’t want to even talk about it.”

“I can be there for you! I swear, just give me a chance!”

“Stop it, Lily! Just fucking stop it!” She finally stops, door ready to close, and stares you in the eyes. “Stop trying to fix me!”

>Tell her you know what it's like to deal with the horrible consequences of the solution to an aching need. You're not judging her. You just want to help.

“I know what it’s like to-“

“No! No, fuck you! You don’t know what it’s like. You can’t know what it’s like. You think I want to be like this? You think I want to do this? You think I don’t want to go home and just chill out, get clean? I don’t have a home to go back to, Lily. I don’t have people who love me. I wish I was you. I wish I was like you. I wish I had friends, and family, and someone who could care for me like Raven does for you. But I don’t. I never will. And I get that. I’m a waste, a fuck-up, and I’ll probably end up dead in an alley pretty soon. I’m resigned to that. But what I don’t need is you rubbing it in my face, acting like you can just walk into my life and fix everything. You can’t fix me! No one can fix me! I can’t fix me.”

She stands for a moment, breathing rapidly, before slamming the door. You can hear her footsteps as she runs off into the hallway.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/23(Sat)22:36 No. 642551 ID: 26e769
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...You don’t understand.

You tried your best. You did. You tried to listen, tried to talk.

You just wanted to help her. You did everything right, didn’t you?

You have no idea what went wrong.

We do not TALK about this notion, but teenage runaways are the target of choice for pimps. Get them drug addicted, send them out streetwalking: That's one of the more straightforward stories of how girls become prostitutes. That might be what has already happened to her, and if so it'll take a long time for her to admit it and explain it.

"I can't understand what I don't even know. Is it part of what you have to do to have a place to sleep now that you left home?"

>>642551
What went wrong? Well for one you tried to act like you understand how she feels when your problems are on two entirely different spectrums. I actually have a plan to fix this, though. She has nobody who loves her, and no home. THESE are the problems we can fix for her. We just need to play it smart, and likely only act from the shadows... This'll be a long term project for sure, as it'll need careful planning. We need to get her a home, and hook her up with someone who'll care for her.

>>642551
Yeah I'm pretty sure nothing you could have said would have worked. She is resigned to her fate, and sees all attempts of help as condescending useless bullshit. What you have to do is approach as a group. Make sure she can't get away, and make it clear that she has no choice in the matter. She couldn't do anything alone, maybe you couldn't help her alone, but all four of you have a chance of doing something.

You just need backup.

>You have no idea what went wrong.
She reacted badly when you tried to relate her to you. "I have stress too", "I know what it's like to". Avoid that in the future. She doesn't know just how fucking bad your life was, pre-wish, and you really can't explain it to her. Saying you can relate doesn't sound true to her.

I think that was the biggest mistake. You should have let her say something instead of turning it back on yourself, or trying to give a lecture. Lectures never work. Need to think more like a therapist and less like an authority to figure to help in this kind of situation.

...also, she's kind of jealous and resentful of you. You're normal and sort of popular now. You have everything she wants. You were disadvantaged by your new status here, harder to relate to her. (Maybe she'd react less badly to someone less popular than girl-you?).

And, as I'm sure you understand, she resents the idea of being fixed.

>You did everything right, didn’t you?
Well, you stopped her from shooting up, at least once. That might have saved her life.

...I wonder if we can get our hands on any narcan.

The horrible part is that her issues are a good model of your own predicament: despite having access to an artificial intelligence with control over reality itself, you can't seem to make things go right because you're not the right person for the job, and the one thing you can't seem to change is who you are, which is causing distress for you because you were selfish enough to fix your own problems instead of bringing back the dead.

So, fixing HER problems should be a good start at sorting out your own issues. After all, the whole reason why the Metamyriad is giving people unlimited power is to learn what that unlimited power really is. Maybe you can take a cue from that and fix up someone whose problems are similar to yours.

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/24(Sun)00:43 No. 642593 ID: 26e769
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>"I can't understand what I don't even know. Is it part of what you have to do to have a place to sleep now that you left home?"

Veronica’s gone. There’s no point talking to thin air.

>What went wrong? Well for one you tried to act like you understand how she feels when your problems are on two entirely different spectrums.
>She reacted badly when you tried to relate her to you. "I have stress too", "I know what it's like to". Avoid that in the future. She doesn't know just how fucking bad your life was, pre-wish, and you really can't explain it to her. Saying you can relate doesn't sound true to her.

You start to feel like you’re out of your element, here. How can you help her? Why would Pendel send you to see Ronnie? Shouldn’t someone better take care of her?

> her issues are a good model of your own predicament […] the one thing you can’t seem to change is who you are.
>And, as I'm sure you understand, she resents the idea of being fixed.

It’s true. But then, you’ve never truly wanted to change who you were. Just what. Even if you are a freak, at least you’re happy now, right? You wanted nothing more than to be fixed, and now you are.

>...also, she's kind of jealous and resentful of you. You're normal and sort of popular now. You have everything she wants. You were disadvantaged by your new status here, harder to relate to her. (Maybe she'd react less badly to someone less popular than girl-you?).

Why would anyone be jealous of you? You’re not even sure if you like your girlfriend, you don’t know who your friends are, and you’re nowhere near normal.

…then again, Ronnie doesn’t know about any of that.

>Yeah I'm pretty sure nothing you could have said would have worked. She is resigned to her fate, and sees all attempts of help as condescending useless bullshit. What you have to do is approach as a group. Make sure she can't get away, and make it clear that she has no choice in the matter. She couldn't do anything alone, maybe you couldn't help her alone, but all four of you have a chance of doing something.

Yeah, that might work.

>Well, you stopped her from shooting up, at least once. That might have saved her life.

You did, didn’t you? At least you helped her that much. Then again, she’s probably just going to go off and do it somewhere else.

You suddenly feel kind of nauseous and weird. Your stomach hurts.

>>642593
IT'S TIME FOR FEMALE PROBLEMS!

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/24(Sun)00:53 No. 642596 ID: 26e769
File 143245402114.png - (127.41KB , 1000x1000 , meta155.png )

>IT'S TIME FOR FEMALE PROBLEMS!

W-what?!

Oh god. Oh god!

Is this really happening? But you don't know how - you're not prepared - what do you do?!

>Why would Pendel send you to see Ronnie? Shouldn’t someone better take care of her?
Pendel doesn't have a lot of people to send places. And maybe what you did was right, or good enough.

Or maybe it was about you as much as her. Maybe you needed someone to help, or a real-world problem you can actually address. Or a reminder other people are fucked up worse than you in some ways.

>>642596
Um. Back to the bathroom, I guess?

>what do you do?
Get help, maybe? Be real convenient if you ran into Orchid. She remebers helping you though this once.

You're in a dark room with a sturdy lock.

What do you think, genius?

Lily!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/24(Sun)02:03 No. 642605 ID: 26e769
File 143245823587.png - (84.17KB , 1000x1000 , meta156.png )

>You're in a dark room with a sturdy lock. What do you think, genius?

You don’t know what that means!

>Um. Back to the bathroom, I guess?

But what do you do when you get to the bathroom? Oh god, oh god, you didn’t think this would happen today! It’s only been four days since you got this body!

>Get help, maybe? Be real convenient if you ran into Orchid. She remebers helping you though this once.

Yeah! Where would Orchid be? You think it over. Based on what you know of her schedule, she’d probably be in algebra right about n-

…

Uh. Maybe you should look for Raven instead. Yeah. You’ll do that.

Orchid!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/24(Sun)02:05 No. 642611 ID: 26e769
File 143245832142.png - (91.34KB , 1000x1000 , meta157.png )

…

You really, really, really want to have sex with the girl sitting next to you.

Oh, uh, right… Your name is Orchid ‘Orc’ Wilton. You are a 17-year-old badass motherfucker.

You enjoy classic rock, hard rock, punk rock, alternative rock, indie rock, grunge, P!nk, Ween, fighting games, action movies, Powerpuff Girls, and trespassing on really cool private property. Some people call you a ‘music nerd’ and/or a ‘weirdo’. You think that anyone who doesn’t enjoy the same things that you enjoy is not worth your time. Unsurprisingly, you have very few friends.

You’re kind of awesome. However, your mom is a bigoted bitch, your dad’s a boring math geek, and your twin sister is apparently now a trans-dimensional transsexual with psuedo-amnesia.

So your home life is a little complicated.

You are currently engaged in a very familiar activity: covertly ogling Mercy, your incredibly hot crush. You have discovered that she has a boyfriend. This has made you fairly pissed off at the world. However, her boyfriend is not currently here, so you’re enjoying several mildly erotic daydreams starring her while you ignore whatever the teacher's saying.

A. What do you want to wish for?
B. Why is it for everyone in the world to be homosexual?
C. Pay attention in class!

Orchid!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/24(Sun)02:46 No. 642621 ID: 26e769
File 143246080605.png - (97.25KB , 1000x1000 , meta158.png )

>C. Pay attention in class!

Never!

>A. What do you want to wish for?
>B. Why is it for everyone in the world to be homosexual?

Agh. You wish that your wish was that cool. All-gay world? Hell yeah. Though then you’d miss out on all the hot dudes, so… hmm. You’ll have to think this over later.

Your wish is boring, anyway. It’s a little crazy, too, but not in a really fun way. You wish twelve-year-old Orchid had been a little more creative with her power fantasies.

Seriously, who would even want to rule the world?

Orchid!5tTWT1eydY 2015/05/24(Sun)03:02 No. 642625 ID: 26e769
File 143246173779.png - (69.11KB , 1000x1000 , meta159.png )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhQQgU7hfmI

>Uh. Maybe you should look for Raven instead.
Because that won't be incredibly awkward.