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[parallaxes]

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USERNAME: REGA


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photo, un: magazine (cw: eye and plant body horror)

[viver]

[ A photo of a plant grown in his tent, unlike any she's seen before — unlike anyone's seen before. It's growing out of an eyeball inside a glass bottle. ]

[parallaxes]

[Hm. Gross.]

An unusual choice of substrate. Necessary for the species?

[viver]

[ Oh. Oops. ]

I think it is. This is the very first of its kind. Possibly the last, unless the source allows me to extract another seed from his body.

Forgive me, I must have sent this photo by mistake.

[parallaxes]

Our environment may be disrupting communications, much as it has disrupted other things. Or perhaps it was fate.

Do you commonly grow such flora?

[viver]

I'd like to think it was fate, then.

[ Fate split itself in half to make him and Sullivan, after all. ]

Only when I'm gifted with it. This was a present from someone who loves me. Both the seed and the eye.

[parallaxes]

[Given the timing:]

A sacrifice made to the maze? Or to you?

[viver]

To the maze, at first. He didn't quite know what to do with it once he was done, so it was given to me. What do you think of its new purpose?

[parallaxes]

I think it's not a purpose which would occur to most. I imagine there are many who would find it grotesque, and deeply unsettling.

[viver]

Are you one of the many?

[parallaxes]

Would you prefer if I were? Do you seek to unsettle others?

[viver]

Not at all. It's a joy to find someone who can see beauty in the grotesque.

[parallaxes]

Then fate was in your favour. But I would find its beauty greatly diminished, if you hadn't disclosed that it was a gift.

[viver]

[ Unironically loves it when someone brings up fate. Doki ]

You're not a fan of thieves?

[parallaxes]

Thieves, or unnecessary and unwarranted cruelty.

[viver]

No reason to worry, then. Cruelty is never the point.

[ When you're delulu and believe all the pain you've caused was a blessing. ]

[parallaxes]

Perhaps not. But as a consequence, do you avoid it, or continue your pursuit regardless?

[viver]

Would you ask that to a hurricane? To a hungry animal?

[parallaxes]

Neither have the capacity to know they are inflicting harm or causing suffering, nor that it may be avoidable. As such, they are not truly capable of cruelty. It is unique to intelligent beings - those who are able to make a choice.

So, no, I would not ask them. But I would ask you.