[SIDESTORY] Morbit Oneshots

[A_Mi_Manera]

Mori Plays a Visual Novel
a Dopple Effect one shot
 

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You're Mori. You've settled for the evening at a bulky computer desk setup in your office. You're glad you invested in a nice leather seat, the old one destroyed your back. You hear a knock on the door.

Mori: Who's there?
"Just me, wanted to check up on you."

You pull the slop of hair over your face back a little and adjust your posture. You weren't ready for any visitors but you can at least try to play off the fact that you're practically in pajamas. 

Mori: Come on in.

It's Papaya, a long time coworker and resident bastard robot. Maybe not a bastard but bastard-esque on occasion.

Mori: The lights were off, how did you know?
Papaya: Nobody saw you leave the building, people notice. You alright?
Mori: I'm just doing some late night work. Keeping lists. 

Papaya: What you got there?
Mori: A computer game, one from a flea market. After some prompting and discussion I've gone and made the call to archive these too so I purchased a lot of older ones that'd be taken off inventory soon.
Papaya: And you're playing it?
Mori: I mean yes? I want to have proper notes and labels ready on each of these. Archiving it just as "PC Software" isn't very appealing.
Papaya: Huh....

They watch you play a bit.

Papaya: Think I know these, it's one of those things where you learn pick up lines yeah?
Mori: ...That's a bit of a over-simplification.
Papaya: I mean you've been pretty friendly with everyone, a little more than just chums.
Mori: That's part of the game, yes. 
Papaya: Like, that guy over there. He brought you flowers.
Mori: Yes. 
Papaya: And... you know that's... 
Mori: He's a florist, that's his thing. 
Papaya: And... he's inviting you out on a date?
Mori: To the beach. It's a slow burn.
Papaya: You're too good for him, decline.
Mori: Under most circumstances you're absolutely right but... for the sake of immersion I'll humor it for a playthrough.
Papaya: So is this your first time playing one of these or...
Mori: I played a few of others from the bundle I bought. They're.... incredibly varying in quality.
Papaya: Bad?
Mori: More than often but... a few stand out. Like.... hold for a minute...

You shuffle through and grab a couple of game cases.

Mori: This one right here resonated emotionally a little which... is funny to think about.
Papaya: The video game.
Mori: Mm. 
Papaya: Really? How?
Mori: It's hard to pin down... they're goofy little things on paper but something about all the litte dialogue prompts, the setting, even if it wasn't the most high budget.... at some point it felt like the author's voice came through. The little town and the people all seemed to come from someone's own experience. There was a conversation that stuck but um.... 
Papaya: Yeah?
Mori: I'm trying to remember it quote for quote so I don't paraphrase it but... I don't think I want to rob it of its context too much. This other one too seemed... wish fulfillment isn't the word.

You slide a case over. 

Papaya: Escapism?
Mori: More of a snapshot of someone's youth really. The farm town setting was so warm and had that filter you get from the late afternoon. This one wasn't based on romances at all, a few of them weren't or really barely put it in the spotlight.
Papaya: Yeah? I mean I guess it'd be boring if they were all like that huh?
Mori: Mm. Even the ones that were... a lot of these seem to be focused on bringing stories to others which is odd but... there's something admirable. There's a vunerability and it makes me feel a connection to someone I'll never likely meet.

They seem to have a little trouble making out much of it.

Papaya: I mean I sure? Maybe. Don't think a game would be the best way to do that though right? Like, how?
Mori: Mm.. it's strange to explain and I think you'd be best trying one yourself if.... it's better without spoilers but..
Papaya: Spit it out.

You flip through the pile and try to muster the confidence to pick any of these.

Mori: Would you be interested in trying? I think I might've witnessed a sort of stepping stone. The caveman drawings to a modern painting, something that takes new experimental types of media toward something bigger and much more widely appreciated. 
Papaya: Eh.... I'm not all that tech savvy. Can't figure out the installation for a lot of these things.
Mori: You're joking.

They look at you with their dead ass cold robot eyes.

Papaya: No I'm pretty bad actually. Like, call in the tech support level bad.
Mori: You're literally sentient tech. You have internet access on the fly. 
Papaya: Yeah well.... some fish can't swim.

That's true.

Mori: I could help you? It wouldn't really be that hard.
Papaya: I mean... sure? Can't be too bad right?
Mori: Take this then.

They pause and take a look at the little screen captures on the back of the box.

Papaya: Huh... is it the game you're playing?
Mori: No? Why?
Papaya: Some of the pop-ups look almost the same yeah?
Mori: Mm, they may be running off the same systems. Reminds me of those bases that sometimes get popular in mod culture, could be something similar. 
Papaya: Could be... hey, when are you finishing up?
Mori: Honestly... I'm probably going to just stay the night. I'll have alarms for tomorrow.
Papaya: You're not going home to sleep?
Mori: I'm already dressed for bed. 
Papaya: You should really take care of yourself, godhood or not. Go flop in the infirmary and I'll be hanging around and wake you up before the early birds show up. 
Mori: That's.. appreciated actually. Are you going to be fine for that?
Papaya: Yeah please, I don't gotta sleep like you do. 
Mori: Give me an hour.
Papaya: Take your time.