[CLOSED] everybody knows that

[subtract]

Who: Add & others
When: April
What: catch all for the month!! giving out apologuns, the end of divorce era.... etc
Warnings: slightly less depression than last month

source

((Closed prompts only for this month!! please i'm drowning in march tags still. If you'd like to do something with Add, feel free to hit me up on plurk at BlueFlewFedUQueen, ping me through the game discord, or comment to my plotting thread!))

Comments

for Noah, backdated to March dreamshare event because who's gonna stop me

[devrian]

[sometimes, you get stuck in a bad dream because you wandered into the spooky forest, and sometimes, you then try to escape that dream by wandering into... a different dream. this is how the wrong white-haired child experiment ends up in the Ebalon household.

... well, at least he stumbles into Noah's room before alerting anyone else of his presence. he looks pretty anxious, not in chains (thank fuck) but his clothes are a bit singed and torn, and he slams the door behind him and holds it there for a few seconds like he's expecting someone to chase after him... but when no one does, he gradually remembers how to relax.

anyway, there's some sick kid here asking about medicine

he looks over at Noah, frowning... like, obviously he isn't here to give him medicine? he's like 8??? but something about this situation...]

... Are you okay?

[dolent]

[Noah's eyes focus on this other child. When he heard the door open and shut he'd falsely assumed it was a servant... how did some other kid get in here? He assumes that this kid is from one of the neighbouring houses, rightfully so; Noah knows they exist, but it's not like he's ever met another kid his age. It's not like he can sneak into their yards, sick as he is.

Despite looking like he might keel over and die at any moment, Noah scrambles to the edge of his bed closer to the door, moving through his pile of books at the foot of the bed.]

Your clothes are torn up...

[Sir, that is not an answer to the question?]

The servants are supposed to give me my medicine, [which glows, ominously, on the bedside table nearby; Noah does not so much as give it even an acknowledging glance.] They say it's supposed to make me feel better, but it never does.

also for Noah, late March/early April

[subtract]

[Add has still been trying to avoid people, even after all the forest nonsense... but he can only keep this up for so long. It's awkward. He knows he can probably just... walk up to some of those people and they'll forgive him, but it doesn't feel right... there has to be some way he can make sense of it, understand what it is that makes people keep coming back, what might be enough to make them leave, the limits he has to work with...

so it only makes sense for him to go to the last person he tried to scare away. Noah had his own reasons to stay friends with Add, but maybe he has some insight on how others might feel...?

anyway, the best time to do this is when Noah is alone, so right in the middle of his quiet reading hours a hand suddenly appears from nowhere and pulls his book down. Add is casually reaching through a hole in the wall like this is a totally normal way to initiate a conversation.]

Hey. I need to ask about something...

[silentabyss]

[Noah is genuinely having a good time being engrossed in his reading, and he just so happens to be reading an old novel about vampires — spooky, creepy, people drink blood, par for the course for every teeth-stealing blood-drinking bastard in this school honestly — and because of the source material, the hand reaching through the wall scares him more than it would otherwise.

He lets out a piercing shriek that can probably be heard down the hallway for anyone nearby, jolting and nearly throwing the book — were it not for the hand holding it anyway.]

Hi?! Could you use the door next time?!

[subtract]

Don't make so much noise. [frowning sternly like this is Noah's fault

he leans on the edge of the portal, sighing... hesitating, just a little, but he already initiated the conversation so it's a bit late to back out. give him a moment to decide where to start so that he doesn't sound pathetic.]

... have you spoken to Komaeda recently? [Sara he can probably deal with, but Komaeda... is tricky.]

[silentabyss]

[Noah just makes a face at that. Yeah, okay, sure, "don't make so much noise". Asshole—]

Not... more than usual? [??] He and I usually talk, yeah, but I guess I haven't spoken to him in a few days...? Why? Did something happen to him?

[subtract]

Not recently... [does he really have to explain that, c'mon Noah your memory can't be that bad it wasn't even a month ago]

How is he doing? Does he seem... normal? [...] For him, I mean.

We haven't spoken at all since the meeting, but... if he's doing fine, I should just leave him alone.

[he says it like he's already decided that's right, but he's also giving Noah a look... like "please tell me if I'm wrong, I actually have no idea what I'm talking about"]

[silentabyss]

[...oh. Noah has a sinking feeling he knows what this is about, only confirmed after Add says that last thing. That's right... he watched that whole scene go down while he was in the middle of his own fit.

So they haven't made up, then? Oooooh...]

Komaeda is... Komaeda. He switches his thoughts and actions at the drop of a hat sometimes — how he'll be on about hope one day and lock himself in his room the next. So... I guess he hasn't done anything I consider out of the ordinary, but it's not like I can read his mind.

[It's not really an answer to the question, but it's not Noah's place to put Komaeda on the spot when he really doesn't have a single idea what the guy's up to.]

I thought you guys would've talked by now. [You know, like adults? ...thought Noah Ebalon, Guy Who Doesn't Talk About His Problems.] Sorry. But— if you get in a fight with someone, you're supposed to go talk to them. Even if he forgave you, maybe he thinks you want space still. Or maybe he's still mad and he's just not showing it, which is all the more reason to go say hi.

[subtract]

[... that's not the answer he wanted to hear, why would you do this to him

Add sighs, retreating slightly into his void hole... even when Noah lays out the possibilities like that, he wants to argue against it. what if Komaeda is still mad... what if he doesn't want to see Add at all anymore? if that were true, then...

it's hard. he knows the words, but he can't say them out loud... it's too embarrassing, too honest. he's taking baby steps over here.]

... I don't want to make things worse. Can't you just ask him for me? If he wants to see me again or not... but pretend it's not me getting you to ask. You can pretend you're asking as a concerned third party. That way his answer won't be swayed by my presence, either... ah, we can even put a listening device on you. You just have to act natural, it'll be easy.

for Sara, let's say 4/4

[subtract]

[It's the last day of spring break, and Add keeps putting off this apology thing... Sara has already proven that she's too stubborn to take back their stupid friendship demon, so he's left with no other option but a direct confrontation. She definitely won't let him off the hook... he has to apologize, or at least start talking to her again.

Conveniently, a familiar item appears in his workshop. He knows what he can use it for.

Portals mean he doesn't have to respect doors or privacy, but he still knocks politely on her door (after peeking inside to make sure she's in and her roommate isn't, anyway, no one has to know that detail). When she opens it, she'll find Add standing there timidly... and holding a giant black and white rocket launcher.

no he is not going to say anything to explain this, obviously it's a gift. an apologun.]

[samuraiwomen]

Eh...?

[ She didn't expect much from such a quiet knock. Maybe Nene, or someone else quiet who might need a warm room to stay in for a while. Sara stands there, half an energy bar in her mouth absolutly flabbergasted to see the person she's been trying to talk too for a month standing there...with a giant gun... ]

Add-chan!? [ WHY IS THERE A GUN!? ] A-are you okay? Is there trouble? Are we fighting another monster?

[subtract]

N... no? [????? why does she look so alarmed?? he looks a bit flustered now, glancing around like does he look injured or something... this is normal, right?

he holds the gun out a little higher, struggling because it's actually pretty goddamn heavy... maybe it's just not clear this is a gift? he shuffles awkwardly and tries not to think about his arms creaking under the weight.]

It appeared in the workshop, and I thought of you, so... next time there's trouble, you can just use this.

[yknow... instead of jumping in front of an attack. just shoot a rocket at it, or something. this doesn't actually make sense but he's giving it to her anyway.]

[samuraiwomen]

[ He's lifting it...! He's pointing the gun at her...!? ]

Add-chan. I know you're upset, b-but it doesn't need to be like this? I-I'm not angry!

[ From everything she knows about Add, frankly this doesn't make any sense. Is it because they agreed to kill eachother, now he's here to finish the job? Is he that upset she got in his way? Er...um...

There's no time to think. As Add talks, Sara steps forward and puts her hands down on the gun... Use it. Wait, hold on! ]

...Why would I shoot you?

[ It's all she can think to say, blunt as it is. The only trouble she had was Add's impulsive attack. ]

[subtract]

[he's not point it at her!! intentionally! he's just holding it up, please take the cool gun it's heavy his arms hurt]

Then shoot someone else with it, I don't care... it's useless to me, so take it. I don't want it.

It's my fault you got hurt, so next time... I'll be the one to keep you safe. [lady of El that sounds so fucking stupid, he wants to die he can't look at her anymore] I-I mean, you'll have this, so it's fine... if you do something stupid again instead of using it, that's not my fault.

[samuraiwomen]

Add-chan...

[ It does look like his arms are hurting.. Sara gingerly reaches for the giant firearm, holding it close to her chest like an oversized toy. Explaining this to Akamatsu-san is going to be a trip. ]

It's...well it is your fault I got hurt, but I don't regret it! I got rid of my gun because I wanted to help people instead of hurting them.

[ She gave it too...Komeada. She hopes she can still trust him with it... how bad would it have been if he'd pulled it out after Add attacked him? She would have had to beat his ass. ]

So...don't feel bad, okay? I'm actually...really really happy you broke my arm. [ If her instinctive reaction wasn't to hurt someone, if she protected someone, that's more precious then she can say. ] I don't need a gun to shoot you with next time you do something dumb.

...But um...what does it do... is it magic?

[subtract]

[it's pretty heavy... there's a live missile in there, so maybe don't drop it, either.

he should probably focus on her lack of regrets, or saying she's happy she broke her arm instead of someone else getting hurt, or even the stupid magic question... but no, he's just now learning that she got rid of her weapon on purpose? does that mean he fucked up? he put so much thought into this plan, how could he be so stupid as to miss something that obvious?? she doesn't even want a weapon...]

I... you don't have to take it. [he's wilting... he's like 80% sure she's only taking it to be polite. sorry he's this dumb] I'll find some other way to make it up to you, so... just forget about this time. I'll make something more useful.

for Ranger, lets sayyyyyyy 4/7

[subtract]

[It is a completely ordinary day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, Add is actually in the dorms for once... and Ranger is carrying a very large gun out of his room.

Add is standing in the kitchen when he sees this, sipping some juice out of a straw... staring... because that is a very weirdly familiar gun. but on the other hand, it's not really his? He has no idea why Ranger has this. He's just going to stare conspicuously at him until Ranger decides to say something or it starts feeling too awkward. help]

THE WAY I THOUGHT I TAGGED THIS

[rearranger]

[ It is, in fact, a very large gun. He's not sure where it came from, nor why it was left in his room, but then again he's also not sure why there's about ten different machines sitting in the common room right now. But Add's presence proves to be convenient, as he had him in mind as someone who might recognize it, and the staring is enough to confirm his suspicions.

He'll stare back for a few seconds before approaching. ]

Ah, just the person I was looking for. You recognize this?

for Komaeda, 4/11

[subtract]

[He keeps putting it off, making up more and more excuses for why he needs more time to prepare... but sooner or later, he's going to have to talk to Komaeda again. It's starting to get genuinely difficult to keep it up, and he's decided he can't just cut contact with all of their mutual friends, so...

The only option left is... to talk. like adults.

It's a challenging task, but it's something he has to do. Stay strong, Add... you can do this. He slips the note he's prepared into Komaeda's locker and disappears for the rest of the night, trying not to lose his own nerves. But when the time comes... he goes to the meeting spot, and he waits.

The rest... is up to Komaeda. If he still wants to be friends or not... all Add can do is hope, and wait.]

for Ranger/Midori, 4/20 (nice)

[subtract]

[The physical damage is minor, all things considered. Some light battering, a short somewhere along an important circuit... but Dynamo was designed with combat in mind. Damage is unavoidable, so it's more effective to design something that's easy to repair rather than something impenetrable—or so goes Add's logic, anyway. All that matters is that the most important parts, like the AI, remain protected. Everything else is expendable, replaceable. A design that can be fully shed and rebuilt from scratch, if need be.

The physical damage is minor... but it's natural to examine the whole regardless. Better to be safe than sorry, right? The code within is dense, etched into crystal that pulses with strange energy, and near-identical between the two drones. It paints a clearer picture of their intended functionality: a set of six that can act independently, but also work together as a single unit. A wide array of functions, coded in an unfamiliar language and filled with complicated equations, measurements of mana and El, something that probably seems more like fantasy or sci-fi even to another AI...

There are layers to it, though. On the surface are the more recent additions, weapons and functions clearly coded by someone with a lot of skill and experience... but the older functions are less refined, a little more slapped together. There's still skill and knowledge behind it, but it reads more like a student project that was built upon over time, working around mistakes and sloppy coding choices, fixing only what's necessary rather than starting over. The AI is surprisingly simple, relying heavily on its direct link to Add for complex topics, something that unfortunately can't be checked or restored no matter how many times they run diagnostics...

and yet, despite numerous errors, they still seem to function beyond what should be possible. pushing themselves to their own limits, repeating calls for something that isn't there, yet getting a fragment of something in reply...

Probing into it further, the cause quickly becomes apparent. To connect to Add, they need to access a communicative chip that (strangely) exists in only one of the drones... but it's not a communicative chip at all, not really. It's a black box, a central AI that differs completely from the rest of the components, something that's clearly sustained some serious damage in the past... but something that's still functional, despite everything. A highly advanced, ancient AI that's been improperly connected for as long as these little drones have been around.

To an inexperienced programmer, perhaps it was too difficult to figure out. Add never really mastered the art of AI... but to someone like Ranger, or Midori, it's a little easier to narrow down the problem, maybe even simplify the whole system to access it more efficiently...

either way, it's fixed now. The drones' speakers crackle to life as soon as they're back online, fumbling through their own lines of code—repairs that've opened up a lot more than they were prepared for, but more importantly—]

Dynamo, activating. Searching for signal... error, not found. Searching for signal... [yeah turns out this is the part of the code that was making them loop that search function, "where the fuck is Add" counter is up to like 9,807 now.

they're not usually talkative like this unless Helena is around, though, so something has definitely changed.]

[rearranger]

[ It's a complex piece of machinery, and one that he had to be in awe of. It wouldn't be quite right to say that he finds it superior to the technology he knows, but it wouldn't be wrong either. For Ranger, who knows his creators' technology like the the back of his hand, it's novel and fascinating and specialized, just as the Neo World Program is. But its clumsy, with a code that needs streamlining and pieces that seem to have been damaged, but impressive nonetheless.

Really, it's just fortunate that it was all relatively easy to fix once they were able to figure it out. It might have been difficult for him alone, but Midori has enough skills and knowledge to fill in the gaps, and between the two of them these more difficult projects are manageable enough. More importantly, it's fixed now, and he inspects it closely to see how it holds up, a touch anxious. He's confident enough, but technology can be sensitive.

It's online and seems to be functional enough, which he supposes is a good start, though there's a little frown as he once more tries to search for a signal that will never be found. ]

Hm... Still searching, huh...?

[ Ranger lets out a little sigh. They can't help it, of course, but even so, it's a bit like watching a dog waiting by the door for an owner that isn't returning. ]

[antitoxin]

[ ranger's thoughts are just as right, much like a dog, but at this rate it could be compared to hachikō, the akito who waited at the train station for their master to return for nine years, but had died before then. a sensitive subject when the train to the afterlife exists, and perhaps that creature had rode the train as well to find that beloved person, but unlike dynamo and hachikō, they can't allow a complete shutdown for the intelligence to follow. through dito's ramblings that morning, midori got an idea of what had transpired, and the meeting had pulled together everything to make some sense, but with how this world works... as long as dynamo is willing to wait, then they may see that person they're searching for again.

he leans back into his chair as his right hand taps away at a few keys, opening up various boxes to look at the before and after pictures of what dynamo had been like through the project. in the corner that relates to nothing of this goal of there's is a a couple of zzz's off in the corner, and with a right click, midori hides them in the background of his computer. ]

They were searching during the meeting as well...

[ today's sweet treat happens to be these because midori only works hard when he has something in his mouth, actually. with one, he pushes the entirety in his mouth, and grabs a wet, alcohol wipe beside him to wipe his hands as he does so.

it gives him time to look over their hard work, proud of what's been done so far because now midori has an idea of the power source el, and other tidbits he learned from add before his early departure. rest in pieces. what he has left them is a gift in itself, a piece of nasod technology, a few vials of blood, and some dust. ]

It wouldn't be uncouth if we allowed it to connect to a signal, that way, it'll remove the constant, overlapping stress.

[ it's an idea, and one that both dynamo and ranger can mull over. ]

[subtract]

Searching for signal... searching, searching...

[it struggles for a little longer... everything is there, all the context is in place, but it's lagging. too much data to process, but it has to know everything, it has to know—

ah

it cuts off its own voice with a series of beeps, redirecting some of its processing power. the scan is still running in the background (error count: 9,810)]

Identifying via database... complete. User data found at location N-3811061, name: Rio Ranger. User data found at location N-3853315, name: Sou Hiyori. Cross-referencing memory files...

[... which is still gonna take a few minutes, but it's faster than trying to sort through almost a decade's worth of memories all at once. they need context, what were they doing before this, why were these people granted heightened access... damage, repair work, signal out of reach

there must still be some damage. that must be why...]

Critical error detected. Resetting user permissions to default settings. [locking them out, because only one person should be allowed access to their code, this can't possibly be a correct use of the exemption protocols]

Where is Master Add? Where is Master Add? Where, where, where... signal lost, unable to connect. Where is Master Add... last signal received over 200 hours ago. Master Add is hurt. Recorded stress levels exceed recommended parameters. Where is he? Where is he?

[one of the drones is decidedly staying put, but the second one is going to fly up into the air and try to zip out of the room if someone doesn't catch it... or if they left their doors/windows closed. alas, Dynamo was not designed to operate doorknobs.

they're also running extremely hot now, so much for all those repairs. having access to their emotion chip might've been a bad thing for their stability, actually.]

[rearranger]

[ the way i rolled a 5 help... In truth, it's not all that far from what he had expected to happen, thought bigger issue of whether or not it has the tendency to turn actively hostile when confronted with such an emotional state is of some concern. There's simply no helping it when every bit of code needs to be reevaluated and rewritten to compensate for the new functions.

It draws a slight frown from him, but he's willing enough to wait it out insomuch as he can, and to be locked out so quickly means that it's functioning as intended. When compared to the rest, it's practically a relief. No, what bothers him is the way that it continues, the way it goes on and on and on and -

...

He shakes his head and decides to start from the top, ]

You suffered damage to your system, so emergency repairs needed to be done to bring you back online, and more than that to fix the rest.

[ Repairs of which they're about to undo. ]

As for Add, if he were around, I'd be deferring to him right about now, but...

[ He looks over to Midori to fill in the blanks there. Ranger's never been very good at offering anything more than facts and data, and now is no different. ]

[antitoxin]

[ all doors locked, windows shut, and there's nowhere for dynamo to go but up, if it tries to push a tile to escape through the crawlspace. midori doubts that very much, considering add seemed to be a very neat person by nature, and so he thinks dynamo would avoid the same messes to continue his owner's charm. though, as a battle unit, it wouldn't care what needs to be done in order to unite with who it wishes to see.

midori's heart stays in place, but the expression on his face softens to show he's moved by the intelligence yearning for information. it's to fit the role of someone dejected from the scene before him, and he doesn't even reach for another pastry to show how much it effects him.

even seeing the information about dynamo's status disappear from his screen doesn't warrant a response, because there's another box on the side filled with data he's pulled, condescened into code that makes up dynamo, and the open ends that he needs to repair so nothing leaks out and cause anymore harm. watching it reverse access, then float away in search, and knowing that it's overheating is worrisome, and so he takes the more humam approach. ]

Yes, that's right. You remember us well, hm?

[ his hands drop to the seat of his lap, nails tapping against the fabric gently until he stops moving. this isn't unlike test subjects back home, AI who start to crumble apart because of the concept called death, and thus they break down. most AIs are omitted that information, as it makes them more humble, and easier to speak with. there are some due to their personality that can handle it, and others who perform poorly once conscious of it. ]

He is no longer hurting. [ midori starts, his attempt to reassure dynamo that pain is no longer an issue with add, but that doesn't mean because there's none is a good reason to. turning in his seat, he focuses on the one floating, and he knows that they all share the same information, but this is midori taking the time and effort to tell them as a "whole", it's called being considerate. ]

This is important, so you must listen too.

[ he continues, ]

Your master passed away later in the morning of April 12th, 2000, ah... you could say that day was full of heroes. Add took it upon himself to protect what he had left at the cost of his life... You wouldn't be aware of what happened around that time because of how much energy your body spent, but there is a reason as to why you're here with us now. Be it Add's willpower, determination, reminder, or to experience something new... you have an important role on your shoulders, and it is too early for you to follow him yet.

[ and that is the simple truth. ]

His love for those that are advanced in technology stood out to me, I doubt he would want harm coming to you.

[ adding that bit in hopes that dynamo will stop overheating, because they could wait it out for it to shutdown, but midori is hoping to avoid that. ]