(no subject)

[ifbymyhands]

I know I have to live for everybody else. It might just be me, but I don't want to do that anymore. Yeah, the community punishes you if you look too hard into what makes it work, but honestly, I'd prefer being turned into a toad to just letting everyone disappear. We lost three more people in the last two days, and that's just people I know.

I'm gonna try and find out everything I can. Maybe I'm not a genius, but there's gotta be some kind of pattern for this. Or at least a way to find out how to make a miracle. Some way to get everyone back and keep more people from disappearing.

...Except Water Filter-san. She can stay gone.

Comments

[twobloomsup]

[Stanley gives a sad sigh.]

Maybe the community itself is broken?

[Beat]

I, I don't know how to fix it, but we need to try something.

[ifbymyhands]

Okay. Let's try this. What hasn't worked?

[twobloomsup]

Looking for the person in their own world.

[Guess who's already done that?]

[ifbymyhands]

Really? You'd think that, at least, would work out. Usually when someone leaves and you're in their world already, either it kicks you out or you wake up and they just don't recognize you.

If the community's contradicting itself even more, that's not gonna go well.

[twobloomsup]

[At that, Stanley is surprised for a moment, then a sense of dread comes over him.]

Iiiii think it's just because I didn't manage to find him?

[Yes, Stanley. Rationalize away the bad things.]

[shadow_spread]

I don't know about miracles, but if there was once a connection, there should be a way to repair it.

[ifbymyhands]

Do you know a lot about that stuff?

[shadow_spread]

The stuff I know about is pretty specialized, but it's a good general principle.

[ifbymyhands]

It'd be nice to have everyone back. Or just the good people. And not different versions of them again, I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that.

[shadow_spread]

I think I know what you mean.

Who's Water Filter-san, by the way?

[x_battousai]

It is difficult to see friends leave so often. And I am sorry that I cannot think of something to say to reassure you.

[ifbymyhands]

That's okay, I'm just bitter.

[x_battousai]

Please do not give into that bitterness. It is even harder living through regret.

[ifbymyhands]

You're telling me. I have too much of that.

[x_battousai]

As someone who has to live through the same, how do you usually cope with your regrets?

[material_guy]

There used to be some groups doin' that, but they got gone, too.

[ifbymyhands]

What, do you think the community dumps you as punishment?

[material_guy]

Half of 'em'd probably see it as a reward.

[ifbymyhands]

The boring half.

[material_guy]

Maybe it drops boring people. It's not like this place to care if someone's busy, but all work 'n no play makes 'em no fun to mess with for this place. A buncha people can take a virus as a day off and work from home or somethin'... Maybe people who adjust too well get the boot.

1/2 WHOOPS

[embersandashes]

... Water Filter-san?

[embersandashes]

But more importantly, you should know by now that the community can and will do far worse than just turning you into a toad. And it's not just you it'll affect, either; it could react badly and punish all of us.

Look into things all you want, but you try to change it or "hack" it, you will have people standing against you.

[ifbymyhands]

Yeah. You know, Bellatrix-san? The witch who was all obsessed with purity.

Fine, then, what would you do?

[embersandashes]

I would leave it alone.

[ifbymyhands]

I find it hard to believe you haven't lost anyone you wanted back.