[FRAG] House of Liars

Vodovorot smiled to himself as he picked up the vase, admiring the flowers that sat in it. He didn't quite know everything yet, but he knew enough. He didn't know what these flowers were, but they were pretty, beautiful, and flowers. Their petals looped and looped in such beautiful fashion, just like the shapes Ellipsa made. He wanted to put pretty flowers in every corner of the house he'd made.

It wasn't a very good house, not yet, but it would be in time. He'd fill it with whatever pleased him, and then he'd show the other Magnitude Fragments. They'd all shower him in loving praise and compliments at his work. And it was good, enjoyable work! Truly, there was nothing better than creating, than building a space all to himself, than piecing together the concepts that floated around in his head.

It was so simple to put his mind to something and let it exist. There were no limits to his beautiful imagination. Should he will a concept into existence, it would remain, reality itself bending to his choosings. There was nothing left untouchable by him, no idea that could not become his. The world was already stuffed to the brim with ideas, but it would ever-expand, ever-wishing to hold more. It was beautiful, so beautiful. He was so happy to be here, to drink in creation and to be creation and to create. He loved to exist.

I must implore you to desist this childish line of thinking, came the familiar voice.

Oh, shut your trap, you old hag.

Vodovorot placed the next vase, a beautiful thing he'd been gifted, unlike the first vase (which was of his own creation). This vase was a beloved present from Kolo, who had crafted it for Vodovorot's house as soon as the latter had arrived in their home quadrant of reality. He paused to admire its shapely curve and bell top, the way it sat there, waiting for him to choose a flower to place into the stilled water. 

What would he deign to create now? What beauty crossed his mind and invited him to make real? 

perhaps a lily. it would suit your pride-filled, pigheaded ideals.

Vodovorot chose not to respond to that one. As young as he may have been, he knew better than to trust the voice in the back of his head. After all, the other Magnitude Fragments said very loving and warm things to him, very kind things. And when he looked at them, he could feel their souls vibrate together, the expression of what they were greeting one another. They were all shapes, together, and he knew he could trust them, on the most basal level. They were one and the same, different expressions of the same idea.

But when the voice in the back of his head spoke, it was a different vibration, unfamiliar. Not like those smaller Fragments were. It was wrong, alien, like it didn't vibrate - no, it did the inverse of vibrate. Not tremble, not immobile, but the literal opposite, conceptually, of communication. It was like words themselves were subservient to its desires, and the language struggled to assert meaning to the inverse-vibration that it gave off.

It was rather unpleasant, really, but Vodo found it easy to tune out.

you ignorant insect, you have no idea of which you speak!

Vodovorot clasped his hands together, feeling his magic tremble down his hands. Soft green closed itself around his fingers as it reacted with the oxygen in the air, and he opened his hands. As they spread, the beautiful stem and leaves of gorgeous lilacs appeared, swaying slightly as the concept painted itself into reality. He took the bouquet in a hand and placed it into the vase. There, perfectly beautiful. 

He stepped back to admire the shelf. Six vases sat on it, all full of various splashes of flowers. Their colors clashed, and they were mismatched, but they were beautiful in their asymmetry. Their shapes were so pleasing, their aesthetics warming his mind. 

He turned to the rest of the living room. It had been decorated with several rugs, of various patterns; with couches and lounges that stoutly waited for someone to grace them as a chair; with tables and knickknacks that the others had been so happy to give him. He hadn't yet figured out what they all were, or what they'd all done, but they were beautiful all the same.

His house was so beautiful. It was so touching. It made him so happy.

you think that happiness can remain? you think that it will not be destroyed as soon as genesis realizes my disappearance?
he may be a thief, a liar, and a cheat, but he still cares for me - you must know this, surely, in that curled skull of yours. you know i do not speak lies, only truths, and he does care for me. 
what do you think he will do when he finds me desecrated, with half of my corpse buried in your miserly flesh? 

i hope he tears you asunder, rips you limb from limb and bites and claws you into pieces, you disgusting rat.

Vodovorot smiled as he bent his knees to adjust the corner of a rug.

even now, you pretend as if i am not capable of tearing your insipid little mind to pieces. why don't you go to your proud leader, the five point framework, and demand the rest of my body back? you are only prolonging your torture and your death.

Wow! You are so angry.

i refuse to be kept in the body of a child, a creature of ere long, who will not be for much longer. i am greater than you, creature.

Such angry words, all of the time. But they lived in such a happy, wonderful place. Look at how happy and wonderful it all was! It was full of gifts from people that loved him, full of beauty that he had crafted. It was a glorious, beautiful concoction of creation and love and affection. That was the true meaning of happiness, of existence. Did it not make you happy?

this brings me no joy, to know of what wrought these circumstances. i imagine my killers are celebrating, relieved and effervescent at my demise.
if i had known they had carried poison, i would have tread more carefully. alas, it is they who are the fools, the enthusiastic fools.

to think of the cleverness of the kill. it sickens and delights me, to think of what skill they had held, to pull off such a thing. but they surely must have known that i am immortal as long as the world is, and that i must yet exist, somewhere.

perhaps you will not die at the hands of genesis. perhaps they will sink their venomous fangs into your neck, let the shimmering pain melt into your blood and consume your magic as it did me, in an attempt to kill me forever. perhaps your demise will be at the hands of your creators. would that not be beautiful, would that not be poetic? i believe it is perfect.

So full of unpleasant thoughts. Ah, well. Vodovorot was not a man of unpleasant thoughts. He was, in fact, a man of lovely, beautiful thoughts, swirling around in his head over and over, a whirlpool of his life. They were good, powerful thoughts, and they were well out of reach of the voice. He wondered, for only a second, if all creatures had such a voice inside of them, resounding in their skulls, trying to fill their minds with evil thoughts and fantasies.

i would find snapping your impudent neck pleasant.

If all had such a voice, he could not imagine what life must be like for beings that struggled, for those that did not have such love shown to them, such affection from those they belonged to. What pain and agony must wash over them, to hear the voice, to believe its words? To not be able to fight, to not know that it spoke untruths?

MY NAME IS BEREAVE I AM NOT A FIGMENT OF YOUR MIND AUGUGUUGH!!!! CREATURE, UNPLEASANT CREATURE!

Vodovorot closed his eyes and let out a sad hum. Poor beings.

There was a knock at the door, and he turned with a start. Who could be seeking him at this hour? The other shapes had long since gone to rest, had they not? He'd stayed up to decorate and celebrate the love he existed in, the glorious swirl of the world, the way it turned and churned. Still, he was no rude host to leave his guest awaiting. 

With a flourish and a spin of his tail, he headed towards the door, his fingers curling around the knob.

i wish that it is genesis, and that he will remove from you your insubordinate existence.

Such a miser! Vodo shook his head as he opened the door, letting his bright smile form on his face.

Another stood there, their hands folded behind their back. They, too, had a small horn atop their head, green in color, although a hat obscured where it met his hair. They were in the midst of scuffing a foot against the ground nervously, but looked up when Vodovorot opened the door. Ah, a guest he did not recognize! 

But he could feel their Magninium vibrate together, and he knew, deep inside of himself, that he could trust their words, their thoughts, their body. What love and delights would they show him?

Hello! he said, with gusto. Who might you be?

"Oh, hi," the other spoke, standing up straight. "I- I'm Farley. I use he and him."

Good evening to you, Farley! I am Vodovorot.

"Oh, yeah, I-I heard. Jubilee and Suza both told me, actually. We didn't meet earlier, sorry about that-"

You are quite alright! To what do I owe the pleasure?

Farley gave him a nervous smile, "I just wanted to - meet you, really. I've never had anyone else who's the same age as me before. Like, anyone else as in another Magnitude Fragment. For a long time I was the youngest one."

Vodovorot placed a hand on Farley's shoulder. He wilted at first, but stood firm as soon as he realized no harm would come to him. Have no fear! Good tidings to you, my friend. Come into my adobe.

"Do you - erm - normally talk like that?"

Do you find it in poor taste? I may speak another way if you prefer. I like to use this voice because it makes me sound very mature!

"Actually, uh, no, that's fine. If you like this voice, I mean, you can keep using it."

Vodovorot stepped aside, accommodating Farley as he stepped in. Oh, this was rather joyful. He'd heard of Farley before, from the other Mag Frags, and he'd wished to meet him someday. They were not allowed to speak to him, according to their words (which he knew to be true). He did not like to speak to the others. But look! Here he stands, eager to meet Vodovorot, as eagerly as he was to meet the other! Love and wonder swirled in his head.

of course you would find this beautiful. your brain is such a pitiful amount of nothingness that it cannot comprehend any idea past naive.

"Wow, your place is really nice," Farley remarked, glancing into the living room. His eyes rested on the vases, and Vodovorot felt a swell of pride in his chest. Yes, admire his beautiful work! He had spent so many hours on arranging those. It was wonderful to have another look at them, what a wonderful feeling!

i am going to be sick all over your face. do you know what those words mean, you ridiculous beast? do you know what sick means? can you comprehend that?

Thank you! Would you enjoy a seat? Vodo gestured to one of his plush couches. This one was of a burgundy color, and very soft. He had made it himself, and crafted it to be so.

Farley nodded, shuffling to the couch and perching upon it. He played with the rim of his hat before smiling and managing, "Thank you."

It is my pleasure! Vodovorot sat across from him. A small coffee table filled the space between their legs. Now, we are well and truly met! But you have taken a seat. Do you wish to discuss further?

"Oh, that'd - uh - be nice. But, er, I don't know what to talk about? Did you have anything in mind?"

Please, tell me about yourself! The others said you do not talk to them often. I am mighty curious to hear from you!

Farley ducked his head, blushing slightly. "Ahhh, that... I just don't... like, it feels weird to me. I was raised by Coalition Fragments - er, the normal Fragments. I grew up with them, just kinda... thinking I was one of them. So whenever Suza recognized me for what I was, it felt... weird and overbearing, kinda? So I just said leave me alone, I don't want to deal with this... and I haven't been dealing with it, really."

Oh, my! 

"Y-yeah, haha, I know."

how putrid. a framework that pretends it is not.

Vodovorot's smile twitched. Oh, he did not mean to feed into the voice, but sometimes it could just grate on him! He had to pause to think to collect the right words he wanted to speak. It was true, what he had said about sounding mature. He enjoyed sounding 'older'. His words were infused with the concept of old. Mature, well-read, ancient. It made him feel safe.

Hmmm. But why did it make him feel such a way? Did he, too, have some sort of fear of the others? Did he wish to be accepted for more than what he was?

"You okay? You look kinda scrunched up."

Do I sound better if I kinda talk like this? he tried.

Farley blinked, in a mixture of surprise and startlement. Oh, he did not mean to offend the other, but he was consumed by curiosity. And, for what it was worth, Farley seemed kind. "Er, I don't really have an opinion on that. Talk however you want to talk. I don't mind."

Such confusing words! Did he truly not mind? Did such a thing not matter? It was stirring something inside of Vodovorot. Was he glad for such things? The others had cooed over every thing he'd done, every word he'd said. Now here he sat, a compatriot of a man who lived in nonchalance. There was an inexplicable desire to befriend Farley, inside of him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Ah, not fully one of nonchalance! Vodovorot nodded, with eager excitement. 

"How were you born?"

I don't really remember, he said, voice subdued as he relaxed (and yet still spoke quicker, in excitement), it's kind of hard to remember nonexistence. But, I listened to what the other Mags told me! And they said I came into existence when Jubilee and Morning Star and Sundae and Sterling cut Bereave in half! 

Farley blinked, then leaned back. He seemed a little more relaxed, too. "Uh... wow, that's a lot."

Is it?

"Yeah. I didn't even know Bereave could die." he steepled his fingers in front of his face, staring at the ceiling. "Wowwww. You said, uh, Jubilee and Morning Star?"

Yes, I did! Do you know of them?

"I know Jubilee, at least. Kinda know Morning Star. Do you like them?"

Vodo beamed. Of course! I was born from their deeds!

"Haha... they're pretty cool. Jubilee takes me out for sodas sometimes. I think he's fascinated by me."

Oh? What are sodas?

"Oh! They're, um, like, these fun fizzy drinks. Er, you probably haven't had anything to drink yet... how about I just show you?" Farley gave an awkward smile.

Vodovorot's entire face lit up in glee and he clapped his hands in front of his chest. Yes! Yes, a fun outing together! Oh, it would be absolutely delightful, to enjoy wonderful hours with his closest peer! They were going to go out for a soda - of which he still did not quite understand, alas - and become friends! The mere thought of what joy they'd have was making his heart twirl.

"Haha, you seem excited," Farley offered, rubbing the back of his head.

Vodovorot nodded vigorously. Yes! You are quite wonderful and you've brought up such a lovely thing! I can't wait to enjoy a soda with you! Oh, but-

"Huh?"

How do you do that thing? With your mouth? I cannot seem to emulate it.

"Ooooh, that," Farley rubbed his neck again. "I just... speak the words. Try thinking of the word speak. That's how I do it.

Speak? What sort of a concept of a word wwwwaaasss "Speak?" Vodo blinked, and then clamped hands over his mouth.

"Yeah! Just like that!"

He blinked, pulling his hands away and leaning forwards. The noise that emitted from him was so high-pitched, so squeezable. "Sppppeaking? Speaking? Oh, that's I'm speaking!"

"Yeah, you are. You'll fit right in." Farley offered a hand, "Wanna go get some soda?"

"YES!" Vodo squealed, grabbing the other's hand. Farley stood.

you may revel in joy now, creature, but know that your life is limited. may you live with the fear of death and retribution hanging over your innocence for all time; may you not rest for terror that the thief will come in the night and snap your life like a twig. know that you are nothing, and tremble. perhaps i will tell genesis to take the life of your friend, here, as well. what shameful beings you are.

Vodovorot merely smiled, and hugged Farley close to himself. What a wonderful time they would have together. Oh, he was so excited. He was so pleased. He had made a true friend so quickly, and they would feast on soda together. Delightful, so truly!

And warmth washed over him as they teleported.