CICONIA: WHEN THEY CRY

[insinning]

It's a holy night. Silent night.

All is calm.

Everything is b r i g h t.

Comments

[dissimulative]

[ Oria rolls to his side so that he can look at Sinclair (rather, the yellow blob that he is) better. ]

Someone from Limbus?

[ Charon and who? ]

[insinning]

Mmm...kind of. Demian's been protecting me for as long as I can remember.

[ He's groggy enough and still tired from blood loss to just come out with it like that]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria blinks slowly,trying to rack his brains on what Sinclair means by that. ]

Who's Demian?

[insinning]

[Oh. He shouldn't have said that. Demian told him to keep it a secret or people would use it against him. But this was Oria. Despite the projection that took over, Sinclair still trusted him]

Demian is my friend.

[a pause, and then]

I'm a CPP too.

[dissimulative]

Your... oh.

[ It sounds like Oria understands and nods. ]

It's nice that another personality tries to protect you like a friend.

[ He's truly glad for Sinclair, because that means someone will try to save Sinclair when he can't for whatever reason. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair gives a little nod, even though Oria can't see]

Mm...I'm not sure if that's how other CPPs are but it's always been like that for me. A more reliable personality...

[One that Sinclair kept close to his heart]

I never told anyone before.

[dissimulative]

Does he ever come out? I don't think I've seen him before...

[ Oria wonders if that's the kind of person Sinclair wishes he could be. As far as Oria knows, Sinclair was just Sinclair. ]

[insinning]

Not while I've been conscious at least. Ah, he does like to speak to Mister Dante occasionally.

[ He thinks a little]

... Demian was like my last defense against the scientists back then, when I felt like giving up.

[dissimulative]

[ A small curiosity brews with the mention of Dante's name, but it quickly diminishes when Sinclair says that last line.

He hates that.

He hates that so much. ]

... I see. What does he actually do? You said defend, but... how exactly? Does he take over and prevent stuff that scientists try to do?

[insinning]

He's taken over before to talk them out of...some things. But he did it in a way that none of them realised I'm a CPP.

[ Sinclair fidgets, looking up at the ceiling.]

Mostly, it's more like...if someone tries to hack into my selcom or anything, he's there to protect me.

[dissimulative]

He even acts as your firewall? That's a really impressive personality.

[ He sounds like another helper AI like Keropoyo, except he can affect real life things too. Wow. ]

He cares about you a lot. I'm glad.

[insinning]

Yeah. Sometimes I think it would be nice if other people could meet him properly.

[They would 100% like him. Demian isn't unsettling and dangerous at all. lol. lmao]

...also I'm sorry about your head.

[dissimulative]

[ tfw I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not

Oria squints a bit. Why was his head hurting... ]

What did you do? I have such a headache right now.

[insinning]

Um. I headbutted you.

[ Confessing to his sins]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria considers this. Sinclair is a test experiment and wondered if he put in his all into doing that. ]

... I'm so glad my skull isn't fractured.

[insinning]

[ Hey!]

My skull isn't that thick...!

[dissimulative]

[ Oria gives Sinclair a flat look. ]

Then what the hell is mine supposed to be in comparison?? Also, you're strong.

[insinning]

[ Sinclair squirms a little under Oria's look]

I-I didn't mean it like that. Just...

[That's a fair point]

Um. I still think that's just all headbutting...

[dissimulative]

Okay, Emil.

[ He remains unconvinced, but it's nothing serious anyway. ]

I would like you to take account of my such delicate bones next time.

[ lmao ]

[insinning]

I really am sorry.

[ even though it was a little deserved]

[dissimulative]

It's fine. I'm not really fussed about it.

[ He just likes messing with Sinclair for fun. Yeah. ]

I just don't remember how that happened.

[insinning]

[Even if he knows he's being messed Sinclair flusters]

...you don't?

[dissimulative]

No...? I didn't even know about your arm injury.

[ He assumes that happened at the same time or close.

Oria is not as much of a control freak here, so he's... just kinda stewing in the implications here. ]

[insinning]

...

[Sinclair looks down, rubbing the blanket between his fingertips as a self soothing gesture]

... something took over you, I think. Like... something to make me worse. I was trying to figure out how to snap you out of it.

[dissimulative]

[ Oria is quiet for a while, some parts surprised but not. He still doesn't have his glasses on, but at the moment, he doesn't want them back on. ]

It was designed to make you worse and you subdued it with a headbutt.

[ A small smile breaks out on his face. Typical Sinclair. ]

Well, now I'm not allowed to get mad about it.