pc catchall | homophonic | netzach

[metacognition]

code

      OBLOMOV.      

oblomov.
netzach.

❝ Now or never! 'To be or not to be!'"—Oblomov raised himself from his chair a little, but failing to find his slippers with his feet at once, sat down again. ❞

Comments

wk 1 sun

[metacognition]

[ well hello

fei du's out here. he's at the park, sitting on a bench, holding a mug of something in his hands. occasionally, sparks flicker across his knuckles. he is absolutely still disassociating out of his fucking mind it's fine.

hi ]

[abstractart]

...hey, man.

[that's a reasonable mood after all this, tbh. netzach just takes a seat next to him, slightly unsteady but still upright enough.]

You're gonna want to drink that.

[metacognition]

[ the voice snaps him out of it enough that fei du shakes his head - the spark that flickers across his knuckles fades, abruptly, and he blinks, refocusing back into reality. he looks at netzach, at the cup, and then his expression shifts, easily, into a smile. ]

I'm not sure. My stomach is still a little queasy - I think I just wanted it for the warmth.

How're you holding up?

[abstractart]

S'worse if it's empty.

[he's just saying-- but the warmth is enough, yeah, so he'll let it go easily enough.]

I'm fine. Got healed yesterday.

[metacognition]

Good - I'm glad to hear it.

[ thank you he does not drink anything. ]

And after today...?

[abstractart]

...yeah, I'll be good. Kind of more worried about you.

[sir.]

[metacognition]

[ he blinks. ]

Why's that?

[abstractart]

Looked like you were somewhere else for a minute there.

[metacognition]

Mmm. Just going over the details of the case - trying to find the places where I slipped up. Did I look that unfocused...?

[ he looks a little sheepish at that, ducking his head. ] Oops...

[abstractart]

Pretty sure that doesn't usually make people spark, man.

[he shrugs slightly there, though-- he's just saying, but he's also probably not going to push it.]

[metacognition]

Oh.

[ he looks down at his hand for a moment...? ]

Mmm. I was just thinking. [ and then shifts his wrist a little, so the spark comes up over his knuckles again, bouncing lightly off the top of each. ] Something to do with my hands.

They gave us quite a bit to think about, today, besides.

[abstractart]

...mm.

[if he says so... it sounds fake, but if he knows about anything, it's avoiding topics. fei du's allowed to keep his secrets; he just rolls with the topic change.]

What do you think about it?

[metacognition]

[ thanks bud. the spark continues to roll lightly over his knuckles for a moment, thoughtful. ]

... I figured out D did it last night. Not until after, but... he was already talking like a dead man.

[ mmm... ] I like both of their company. I liked Rin's, too.

[abstractart]

Rang was talking like he did it, too, but he's just...

[a vague handwave.]

He's him.

[is what he settles on. he's a bit high he is not so eloquent.]

I didn't talk to D as much, but he was fine, you know?

[metacognition]

Mm. Me too.

[ he looks thoughtful, for a moment. ]

...Rang had decided to play the villain even if he wasn't. The interaction between a person and a crowd, the perception of what makes a monster...

I don't doubt that he's a little unhinged, but I've known plenty of men who were more monsters.

[abstractart]

Yeah. He talks like that, but he hasn't done anything.

[that is, arguably, the more important part.]

I wouldn't call him one either.

[metacognition]

No. Me either.

[ he's just a little weirdo. ]

Humanity is such an interesting concept.

[abstractart]

...what do you think it means?

[metacognition]

[ hmmm...

fei du has an answer after a thoughtful pause, tilting his head, but it's a sure one. ]

I think empathy makes us human, more than anything.

[abstractart]

So- just the capacity for it? Or using it?

[he's just taking that in, considering it quietly.]

[metacognition]

Do those have to be mutually exclusive?

[ he taps his fingertips lightly against the edge of his cup. ]

The choice to use it, maybe. To engage with it. Maybe not always, but to understand it.

[abstractart]

Not exclusive. Just different. I think you can feel empathy but not act on it.

[a little more consideration, a few moments of quiet.]

I'm probably human to you, right?

[metacognition]

[ he laughs a little, at that - good naturedly self deprecating. ]

I think my definition of human has changed quite a bit, in the past few weeks, so you'll have to humor me in that I say yes. During that game, though, I guessed your age was higher than 28. Was I right?

[abstractart]

Way higher, yeah. Dunno how much of it really counts, though, I don't... remember all of it, specifically.

[metacognition]

[ this is extremely interesting to him specifically actually ]

...You don't remember it?