Chapter Text
Usually, this sort of tale would start a sunny morning, wouldn't it?
Olruggio would have absolutely no idea if it was indeed morning or if it was sunny out there, the last time he had set foot out of his workshop had been to steal some leftover from the kitchen and his sleep schedule was perpetually fucked-up. But was it bad to the point where he'd start hallucinating in the middle of his nth test-run of his latest contraption? He'd like to think not.
And yet, there was a weird blue, translucent, floating tablet right there before his eyes. Or, before his eyes was how it appeared anyway — this thing felt as if it had lodged itself into his brain somehow, and before his eyes was how he perceived it. Not a very reassuring thought. It looked far too defined to be a hallucination, though.
Especially when unnaturally-consistent scriptures began to appear.
[SYSTEM 001 has joined the chat.]
[SYSTEM 002 has joined the chat.]
[SYSTEM 003 has joined the chat.]
[SYSTEM 001 has added User 001.]
[SYSTEM 002 has added User 002.]
[SYSTEM 003 has added User 003.]
SYSTEM 001: Welcome to the new Chat Room feature. It had been decided that transmigrators be provided a feature to help them in their task of rewriting the plot.
SYSTEM 002: This feature is still being worked on, so please do expect updates to occur. The Administration will also take note of any suggestion you have to improve your experience.
SYSTEM 003: If Users have questions, please feel free to @ your respective Systems.
User 001: First transmigration, and now this? My life is seriously taking the fanfic route and I DON'T LIKE THIS.
User 003: No shit Sherlock
User 003: At least you didn't get isekai'd into your own former self
User 001: … Hate to surprise you but actually I did.
User 002: That makes the 3 of us then
User 002: Also can we agree that all of us had lived Gen Z lives? Cos no way any of you knows 'fanfic' and 'isekai' if you aren't Gen Z ppl
User 001: You too?
User 002: Yup
User 003: Technically a millennial but I'm proud to say I'm quick to adapt
User 003: Moving on who's who
User 003: Cos like, I just spied the ft to change usernames and I'd like to change ours before the 'User XXX' thing gets to my nerve too much for me to keep calm
User 001: Let me guess, you just arrived recently?
User 003: Yeah, 3 weeks ago, nearly exploded over being a silverwood host AGAIN, and having to go at everything AGAIN, why
User 002: A silverwood host??
User 002: Ok so hold on
User 002: Custas wouldn't be a silverwood host this soon right
User 002: …
User 002: MASTER QIFREY???????
User 003: Hold on
User 003: 'Master' Qifrey?
User 003: COCO?????????
User 001: Just my fucking luck.
Olruggio rubbed his eyes, just to make sure that he still wasn't hallucinating. And then pinched himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Hurt like hell, so not a chance he was.
Nope. The strange paper-thin slate thing was still there. And with that strange conversation script still present. And this 'User 003' was still called 'master Qifrey' by the 002 one. Olruggio had no idea what the fuck was happening, but his sleep-deprived brain suddenly wanted to be 'helpful' and supplied him with recollections of the little changes in Qifrey's behavior, starting from roughly two or three weeks ago, after coming back from the medical spire where he had stayed because of a wound that had nearly taken his life — subtle, but very much there. The way he had often stared into thin air, deathly still like a predator gauging his prey, back in the Healing Spire, before he learned to conceal it better. The way he had surveyed his own atelier at his return, as if he had been away from it for an entire lifetime instead of a month. The way his fists now seemed to like to latch onto things with iron grips. And some more.
Fuck. Not yet, Olruggio shouldn't come to a conclusion yet. Conclusions had to be for later, when he had all the evidences he needed. He had to stick to observing, for now, since he had pretty much nothing better to do (his newest contraption was all but forgotten, by this point). Also, he needed to know what the deal was with this silverwood host thing.
Still, he couldn't shake away the slight bitterness of having his lifelong friend replaced right under his nose. By an older version of himself, and just an unconfirmed hypothesis, perhaps, but still.
[User 003 has changed User 002's username to Coco.]
[User 003 has changed their username to Qifrey.]
Coco: I could've been Agott. I could've been Tetia. I could've been Richeh. All 4 of us + Master Olly have seen you turn into a fucking tree, Master Qifrey.
Coco: But yeah I'm Coco. And I'm currently a five year-old baby.
At this point, Olruggio was on the floor, faring no better than his reversed chair.
They had seen Qifrey do WHAT?!?
Qifrey: Look I'm sorry I caved in to despair it was overwhelming
Coco: Oho now I've got QUESTIONS cos I thought that despair was a negative feeling and thus COULD KEEP YOU ALIVE
Qifrey: And there's morbid release in knowing that there's nothing that you can do
Coco: … Oh.
Qifrey: If it can reassure you the System is currently helping me hold it off
Qifrey: It cares too much about the 'plot', according to which it's not time for me to turn into a tree yet
User 001: Ok, I hate to interrupt you guys, but what the fuck happened??? Qifrey, did you dabble into Forbidden Magic???
Qifrey: More like I'm a victim of those Brimmed Caps but who are you
User 001: … Please don't kill me.
Coco: Just spill
Coco: The only reason why I'd wanna strangle you would be if you're one of those Brimmed Caps who draw on ppl for their own benefits
User 001: Then thanks the stars that's not what I am, I guess.
"Olly? Are you alright?"
Fuck. Qifrey was right there behind the workshop door, surely beckoned over by the commotion that Olruggio must've caused in his fall. This was bad. His old friend, as he knew, was a slippery one; if he caught a whiff that something was amiss, there went the dark-haired man's chances at verifying this tablet's veracity.
And as far as Olruggio knew, checking that was vital.
So he tossed a lie his lifelong friend's way, "Yeah, just got frustrated. Damn writer's block be blocking."
By now, the man had already gone past the doorframe, sky-blue eyes gazing at Olruggio in worry. "Oh. Then, you might want to take a break-"
[User 001 has changed their username to Easthies.]
Easthies: Ehe?
Qifrey froze net in the middle of his sentence. Olruggio felt his brain attempting to black out, and it was only by reminding himself of the other details to worry about that he kept it running.
It took a little while before another text appeared.
Qifrey: ??????????????????????????????????????????????????
Coco: There's no way
Coco: There's no fucking way
Easthies: There's yes fucking way, unfortunately. So yeah, you're stuck with me, now. Deal with it.
Coco: There's absolutely NO WAY ON EARTH'S GREEN GRASS Easthies of all ppl would say stuff like 'fanfic'
Unfortunately, the interruption was short-lived. Qifrey unfroze himself with a little cough, then continued like absolutely nothing had happened, "Perhaps you should go out and eat something? Staying here wouldn't really help with writer's block, would it now?"
"You just want me outta my workshop, don't you."
"… Touché. It's been a week, Olly. When's the last time you got proper sleep?"
A bead of sweat rolled off Olruggio's neck. He wasn't really about to tell his snow-haired friend that the last time he had slept was actually the last time Qifrey had seen him sleep, that'd make everything worse and that contraption was on a deadline. Also, he felt like he needed to stay awake a while longer to gather evidence that this Qifrey-turns-into-a-tree thing was just a product of his mind going wild… or not. And, if everything turned out true, then Olruggio might actually skip some more nights to find a cause and a solution.
On the weird tablet, conversation was still flowing, though with a stark absence of any Qifrey. Olruggio couldn't spare more time to look at it right now, though, with the sky-eyed man's disappointed stare weighing down on him. "I thought so. Come on, get out of here before I bodily drag you out. You need to eat something that isn't my leftovers."
… Well, it wouldn't be too bad to stick with Qifrey for a while. To observe him. Gather hints and evidences that this thin tablet with weird scriptures wasn't leading him on a bullshit play.
Yeah, perhaps Olruggio did want, did need the reassurance that this was indeed just an older version of Qifrey, what about it?
~~~~~
SMOLL: Master Qifrey
SMOLL: Let's be honest here
Qifrey: Please don't ask me that
SMOLL: Did you have to erase Master Olly's memories recently
Olruggio froze for a good second. Apparently, that second was enough to alert Qifrey, who glanced at him, confused concern wholly visible in clear blue eyes.
It took the dark-haired witch a substantial amount of effort to put back on an indifferent face, while the cogs in his head were running full speed overtime. It probably wasn't a good idea, since he still wasn't entirely sure that the conversation happening on the blue tablet was real, but…
What the fuck was this about Qifrey erasing his memories??
Qifrey: Why do you have to jab right there Coco
SMOLL: We need to keep you uncomfortable somehow and that question seems uncomfortable enough
STUCK-UP: I just finished reading about silverwood seeds, and hard agree, we need to keep you as anxious as possible. Is this why you got yourself into trouble that often in your first life?
Qifrey: Wellllllllll
STUCK-UP: That pause is far too telling, Qifrey.
Qifrey: Why do you care anyway?
Qifrey: Also when did you get time to do leisurely readings on silverwood trees
Qifrey: Who're you and what did you do to Easthies
STUCK-UP: Go ask Lord Beldaruit. For some reason, he thought it reasonable to meddle in and get Lady Vinanna to force me onto a paid leave. In the middle of an incoming mountain of paperwork, must I add. I would've been grateful to get more time to brainstorm for my contraption, if only the drafts weren't hidden in my office which IS LOCKED FROM ME RIGHT NOW.
SMOLL: Hold up, you're making a contraption???
STUCK-UP: *Attempting to
STUCK-UP: I've lost count of how many crystal balls I've broken by now.
Qifrey: Lmao can't you just commission Olly
STUCK-UP: Sir, the only reason why my contraption wouldn't count as illegal is because it doesn't directly mess with the mind. You think a Knight Moralis would want to take it up to another witch for something like that?
SMOLL: ????????? What are you even making???????
"Olly? What's wrong?"
"Nothin'." Olruggio curtly brushed off, perhaps just a bit too quickly. "Annoying thoughts came to mind is all."
There, that should explain the scowl he was surely sporting, right? Qifrey didn't really look like he believed the other man's answers, but bless him, he didn't press further. Although that heavy, heavy gaze upon him might not be so worth the lack of questions, after all.
That wasn't Olruggio's biggest concern, though. Now, he'd have loved to hear (or well, read) about a Knight Moralis going against the law, but he'd rather they rewind and fucking elaborate on this silverwood seed business. And what the hell it had got to do with keeping Qifrey constantly anxious, and what that had got to do with Qifrey erasing Olruggio's memories. Sure, he could just go over to the Tower of Tomes under pretext that the trip was for his latest contraption, but wouldn't it be more convenient if they could just… tell him themselves?
Unfortunately, none of them seemed aware that there was someone reading their conversation with zero clue about what the fuck was happening, because instead of answering his prayers, Easthies merely delved further on the topic of his project.
STUCK-UP: Take a guess.
SMOLL: Smth to do with healingcraft?
STUCK-UP: No.
STUCK-UP: Or perhaps yes. If you squint, I guess…?
Qifrey: Wow ok
Qifrey: You mentioned the mind…
Qifrey: …
SMOLL: …
SMOLL: Does it have smth to do with recovering memories?
STUCK-UP: You're close.
Qifrey: So basically you want to show ppl the memories they lost? Via external means, so that it wouldn't really count as Forbidden Magic? Is that what the crystal balls are for?
Qifrey: I feel like there's still a missing piece in that guess smh
SMOLL: Wait, wasn't it discovered recently that memory erasure seals keep a copy of what they 'erased' for a short amount of time?
Qifrey: That's in 2019, Coco
SMOLL: Oh wait wrong era sorry
SMOLL: Ohhh so you want to collect those records into crystal balls to then show them, right?
STUCK-UP: Should I say 'ding-ding'?
Qifrey: No wonder you keep it a secret
Qifrey: A Knight Moralis chipping away at the source of their own authority is very Out There indeed lol hope that Beldaruit hasn't figured you out
Olruggio barely resisted the urge to snort, and attempted to mask any other reaction by shoving a piece of that heavenly summerberry pie into his mouth. Now he seriously wanted the guy to show him a draft of that. Would be fun to help a literal knight figure out how to get into trouble.
STUCK-UP: Can you not give me the creep thanks, my anxiety is high enough as it is and I don't need anxiety to survive unlike someone here.
SMOLL: Low fucking blow in front of sb whose teacher turned into a tree
Qifrey: I'M SORRY I'LL BE MORE CAREFUL I SWEAR
Good mood was gone as quickly as it came, and Olruggio attempted once again to mask any visible reaction by munching on another mouthful of pie. Although he might have bitten on that one just perhaps a little too harshly, because now Qifrey was back to eyeing him like a hawk. Not like it'd steer the flame witch away from munching on the new intel.
Right. The silverwood tree thing. So, turned out, anxiety was how a silverwood host kept themselves from becoming a tree. Fucking wonderful. Now, he just needed to know where the memory erasure thing came in. Perhaps it was Qifrey's way of keeping himself anxious?
Qifrey: Srsl tho you don't know how many close calls the chat has given me in a single day
Qifrey: I owe Olly so many thanks
STUCK-UP: One would've thought having a Knight Moralis in the chat would've filled your head with 'not good very bad's.
Qifrey: Shut up that statement was about Coco
SMOLL: I'm touched I truly am but I'd prefer you keep being anxious until we find a permanent solution
SMOLL: This is where I'd have needed to send a damn pic
SMOLL: @SYSTEM 002 Any plans on including picture-taking and picture-sending features?
SYSTEM 002: User 002's suggestion is noted.
STUCK-UP: Please, PLEASE tell me you haven't drawn up anything illegal. Don't be like me. Oh better yet, please tell me that you don't have the ink for it.
Qifrey: You're sending a very unclear message there Easthies
SMOLL: Yes I do have the ink for it no don't worry I'm drawing with random charcoal
SMOLL: And no don't worry Mom has seen nothing
Qifrey: That reminds me, when did you guys get here?
SMOLL: Two months ago
STUCK-UP: A year ago.
SMOLL: Also I encountered Iguin one week ago I think
Qifrey: WHAT
SMOLL: Right?
SMOLL: A pity throwing the book right at his face would've counted as OOC tho I'd love to do it
STUCK-UP: Right, that reminds me: what even IS the deal with threatening basically death for behaving differently from your old self? Aren't we supposed to change the past? How does the System want us to do that without allowing us different behaviors?
Qifrey: I think it might just be to avoid us getting burned on stakes later for being changelings or whatever
SMOLL: Does not need to threaten us with a game-over for that
Qifrey: True
Qifrey: But then the only other explanation is the System is an asshole and I srsl don't think an asshole would hold the silverwood back and buy time for me to find smth to worry about
SMOLL: Hmmmmmmmmmmm
STUCK-UP: When you put it that way, it seems like something the Knights Moralis would do. Just with a life instead of memories.
Qifrey: That makes the 1st Pact's laws sound so bad lol
SMOLL: Right?
STUCK-UP: Anyway, back to the topic, ARE YOU DRAWING SOMETHING ILLEGAL COCO.
SMOLL: -Dumbledore asked calmly
SMOLL: To answer your question, all in charcoal
SMOLL: Those will stay mostly just drafts cos all they'll do is turn Master Qifrey into what the 1st Pact considers a living crime and I'd rather store THAT for last ditch effort thank you
STUCK-UP: At this point, I feel like any permanent solution would turn him into a living crime. Why don't you wait until the Second Pact? Weren't you Qifrey Atelier people the ones who established it?
SMOLL: We lot at the atelier can't afford to wait till then
Qifrey: I think we can, if I can keep being a worrywart until then
SMOLL: N O .
No is right. Fuck you, Qifrey.
"Might go to the Tower of Tomes tomorrow." Olruggio declared (it must seem very sudden, considering the way Qifrey slightly jolted), toying with the piece of bread left from the pie, "I'm still short on ideas with that damn thing."
The snow-haired man blinked, "Oh. Alright, then. How long do you think you'll be away?"
"A full day, perhaps. Or more if I fuck up somewhere." Considering that Olruggio didn't know how much time he'd need to find everything he needed, one entire day seemed like a reasonable margin. Perhaps a little bit short. Eh, he'll see.
Qifrey said nothing to that, and merely nodded. As soon as Olruggio had his back turned, though, the water witch resumed his squinting.
Was it just him or had Olruggio been acting strangely today?