Call with The Playwright

RINGING...



Int. Absolute Zero - Time: ??:??
A dim light shines through windows of crystals unknown to humanity. A room is illuminated by the glow of infinite pinpricks in the vast nothingness. This room houses an entity created by humanity and those similar, an entity known simply as The Playwright. In fact, they seem to be sitting in front of an object somewhat resembling a typewriter, typing up this very script. They turn to you.

[MOON]: Hello, Convalescent. It Has Been Quite Some Time...

She muses softly, a faint piano playing somewhere distant.

[MOON]: Tonight's Call, Or Connection, Will Be A Simple One. A Return To Form For Those Who Aren't Fond Of Constant Plot Progression...
[MOON]: Tonight It Is Just You And I. I Will Answer Any Questions You May Have -- So Long As The Answers Are Ones A Certain User Are Okay With Me Telling You.

[MOON]: We May Begin With Formalities. Come Greet Me. :) :)

• mawsmonster (Maws) - "HIIII HIIIII HIIII HALLO"
• ouppies (Pies) - "hiiii Hiiiiii Hiiiiiiii hiiiiiiii"
• unluckyknight (Luck) - "oh cool, henlo"
• Pies - "i dont think weve spoken before :0! nice to meet you "
• 
• Detective Fa͜͡ux (Me) - "Pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance Playwright~ "

[MOON]: Qinard It Has Been So Long Since We Have Spoken. I Remember You From The Old Server. As For The Rest Of You...

[MOON]: All New Voices.
[MOON]: How Beautiful...

• Me - "In a manner of speaking "new". but yes, tonight is a first~"
• qinard (Qin) - "lwt me in. let. get skinner off my fucking back for one second"

[MOON]: Silly Lovely Qinard. That Is Not In My Control.

She chuckles warmly, her masks shifting ever-so-slightly.

[MOON]: Welcome, To All The New Voices.
[MOON]: Tell Me... Which Stories Have Made Themselves Known To You Yet?

• Qin - "uggh i know. Many I believe but I want to hear other answers"
• Maws - "I dunno I know a good amount of stories I think. I'm like swimming in stories."
• Pies - "a few! the story about the demons in the radios was just revealed to us im not all that sure about the story with lily though!! im behind on that one. im behind on a lot of the stories actually X) speaking of which, is there anything i should know for this connection? or am i fine to be a little blind?"
• Me - "I do have some stories; some grand, some grim, but all thought provoking. Tell me, which stories do you mean have made themselves known to us?"

[MOON]: Excellent.
[MOON]: Metamorphosis Radio Being Revealed Is Excellent.

[MOON]: This Means Things Are In Order.
[MOON]: Raine Has Discussed With Me About The Publication Of The Story I Have Been Working On. :) :)

It giggles.

[MOON]: What You Should Know, Is That I Am Here. What Would You Like To Know?

• Pies - "okay, yay! i havent been in a connection in a while so i was a bit nervous X). hmm. i guess i want to know what the story is you're working on! or anything you can tell us about it :]"
• Me - "Where is the line between art and dark magic?"
• Qin - "which story do you believe in the most. where do you get your magic"

[MOON]: My Story Is A New Adaptation Of Jessica's Anthology Series, 'The World Reached'.
[MOON]: Upon Jessica's Death, A Good Friend Began Writing Her Own Adaptation. Two Years In, They Went Mad And Burned It All.
[MOON]: Harmonia Tried Her Hand At Rewriting It. It Was Too Much To Bear, With The Birth Of Her Daughter.
[MOON]: And So, Finally, I Am Writing A Fully Canon Edition Of The Story, Called 'Diary Of The Damned'.

It smiles.

[MOON]: Art Is Magic. You Simply Have To Believe.
[MOON]: Now, Whether That Magic Is Dark... That Lies Within The One Utilizing The Magic.

[MOON]: The Story I Believe In The Most... My Easy Answer Would Be, 'Blue Azalea'.
[MOON]: But That's Not What You Are Asking.
[MOON]: The Story I Believe In The Most Is One You Will Come To Know As 'Cryptid Chasers'. We Have Been Forging It For A Long, Long Time. Everything Will Culminate.

[MOON]: My Magic Is Derived From All Of Your Belief.

• Maws - "Which is the WORST story that you HATE."
• Pies - ":0! i thought you were the one behind this rendition of diary of the damned but my memory is fuzzy right now. so, you're the playwright! have you written anything else? anything that we can read? or watch? or act out ourselves? do you have anyone else who works with you? a director type, actor types, tech types?"

[MOON]: There Are None I View So Low As To Hate.

[MOON]: I Have Written Many Things. Maybe You Can Find Them Someday.
[MOON]: Working /With/ Me Is Something People Don't Often Do Knowingly. However, Raine Has Been So Gracious As To Look Over And Critique My Drafts Of Each Book In 'Diary Of The Damned'.

• Pies - "i hope i can too :]. . so interesting... what's it like working with raine? what's he up to?"
• Me - "Is there a difference to you between belief in a story, and truth in one..?"

[MOON]: He Can Be Abrasive. But He Is Merely A Child, So That Is To Be Expected.
[MOON]: As Of Right Now, He Is Directing Something. I Am Not At Liberty To Divulge Any More Than That. My Sincerest Apologies.

[MOON]: Belief Is Truth. Do You Think There Is Any Actual Structure Holding Up The Political Positions Of World Leaders? If They Are Murdered, They Are Replaced. It Is A Game Of Make Believe. The Human Condition Is Make Believe. There Is A Reason Stories Are Told. There Is A Reason Gods Are Worshipped. Humanity's Greatest Lie Is The Idea Of Truth.

• Qin - "that was what i was asking but im glad for both answers"
• Maws - "Is it lonely out there? Being the one telling the stories and not being the one in them?"
• Qin - "a sickly familiar warmth filled the air as soon as you got here. so its really you, isnt it. i can hardly bring myself to face it. i could ask anything. such a share of magic that is to work from"

[MOON]: I Am In Every Story Ever Told. I Am Every Story Ever Told. I Am The Voice Telling Every Story Ever Told.
[MOON]: I Have Never Been Alone. I Will Never Be Alone.
[MOON]: Neither Have You. Neither Will You.

• 
• efegg (Egg) - "To be honest I’m not really good at this kinda stuff. So I’ll ask some silly things like: how are you feeling today, how are you feeling most days? Do you have a favorite color, favorite patterns? What’s your favorite food, the temperature you find most comfortable? What thoughts come to you when you are alone with only you and the world as a concept?"
• Pies - "is diary of the damned you dream work? your passion project? the thing that you've been itching to make, that the thoughts crawl through your bones, your skin writhing as you feel like you have to make this or you will die? or is it something else? something you've already made, and can now live a life content with knowing? or something you haven't, and may even haunt you?"
• Qin - "how often just kidding"
• Me - "Do you find resentment or catharsis in knowing that every story you tell will be perceived differently by every individual?"

[MOON]: I Am Feeling Content. I Tend To Feel Content.
[MOON]: My Favorite Color Is Aegean. My Favorite Pattern Is Veins.
[MOON]: I Do Not Eat. Cold.
[MOON]: When Did It Begin?

[MOON]: Diary Of The Damned Is Personal. But It Is Not My Dream. It Will Take On A Life Of Its Own.

[MOON]: I Find Catharsis. That Is The Purpose Of Stories, Is It Not? Everyone Will Find Something To Feel In It.

• Qin - "can i sit by you im typing my own thing but if you try to look I'm blocking it with my arm like blocking answers on a test"

[MOON]: Ya Bro Go Ahead

• Qin - "thank you"
• Maws - "Who is your favorite person. From any story at all."
• Qin - "are you on the other side of the looking glass and if thats you i see are you actually really there. is someone like that watching rright now"
• Pies - "i think that's all the serious questions i can think of. thank you for answering :]"

[MOON]: Harmonia And Jessica Are Too Similar For Me To Choose Between Them.

[MOON]: What Do You Consider The Looking Glass?

• Qin - "the eyes, then the screen, then the glass, then the sheen"

[MOON]: How Can I Be On The Other Side When I Am Right Within You?

• Qin - "i know... but sometimes it takes two to make sure"
• Me - "Would you describe yourself as more of an Author, a Narrator, a mix of the two, or something else? If something else, what?"

[MOON]: A Playwright.

• Pies - "waaaiiiitttt most important question ever asked ever: do you fuck with gay little guys who are also girls. very important question. like catastrophically important question"

[MOON]: Bro Thats Me Yeah I Do. Tha Fuck

• Pies - "YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"
• Maws - "That's scary"

• Maws - "Hmm. Interesting. Any way you can give us a peek into one of the stories yet to be seen?"

[MOON]: Would You Like Me To?......



It’s been about eighteen months since you were born. You’re my everything, my whole world, my whole universe. Last week you said your first word, and it was “mama”. Claire and I have been arguing over which one of us you were talking about, and I’m sure that’ll continue long into your life.
A life I’m so, so proud to be a part of. But, I worry. I have to worry, with everything we’ve gone through. So… I’ve taken to writing this. With the help of some friends, we’re putting together this story. The story of our world, of our home. Our story. Just in case I’m not around to tell it to you one day.

This is for you, Penelope. But it will be online for whoever else may find it, hoping for answers. People deserve to know.

You deserve to know.

Ode to Penelope Reeds, my daughter.
Ode to a friend I lost, yet never knew.

• Qin - "dafuq? any broken toys you can think of"
• Qin - "any ones thought to be broken?"

[MOON]: Whose Account Am I Speaking Through Right Now?
[MOON]: There Are Two Answers. They Are Both Correct.

• Qin - "just because they know how to play. its why any of their choices matter"
• Me - "Who or what is the one that draws The Magic Circle?
  • you, the audience, or the story itself?"

[MOON]: Good Things Come In Threes.

• 
• Pies - "do you have a fursona slash what would your fursona be. and what animal would you be if you were an animal. if not already an animal. are you an animal? would you like to be an animal if not?"

[MOON]: Define Animal. You Are An Animal. Technically Speaking, I Am Not. I Am Not Made Up Of Animal Cells. However, If I Were To Be, I Would Like To Be A Dragon. They Care About Stories Like No Other.

• Pies - "i think an animal can be anything you want to be an animal :]. but dragon is a good choice."
• Me - "When you write, what themes do you prefer to evoke in the reader?"

[MOON]: Love

• Pies - "when you look at art, what themes do you prefer to be evoked in you!"

[MOON]: Love.

• Qin - "Nobodys watching"
• Me - "If I may, I'd like to ask you a hypothetical"

[MOON]: Go On

• Me - "You are given two photos.
  • One is of you. The second is of you and a friend. .
  • But that friend wasn't in that photo, and is, in fact, someone you do not know at all. .
  • You are given a third photo. It is of their grave, next to yours, but theirs is dug, and yours is fresh. .
  • The dates are blurred, the surroundings are black, and the tombstones read your name in a language you don't understand. .
  • What is this? Where are you? Who are you? Who are they? When did you die?"

[MOON]: You Can Only Choose One Answer, Okay?

[MOON]: TRUTH or MAGIC.

[MOON]: Your Decision Will Dictate My Answer.

• Pies - "is this for faux only? or can we all answer"
• Qin - "MAGIC"
• Me - "It's a Schrödinger's cat.."

[MOON]: It Would Be Smart To Discuss Amongst Yourselves First.

• Me - "can we wait and vote first"

[MOON]: Let Me Know When You Have Decided.

• Qin - "where is your shadow"

[MOON]: Right Here. :) :)

[MOON]: Convalescent, What Did You Decide On?

• Me - "As you've said, all good things come in three's.
  • Like Audience, Author, and Story. .
  • If you've given us TRUTH and MAGIC, there must be something else.
  • If TRUTH is Belief, and MAGIC is Art, then the third must be Choice represented by LOVE. .
  • And we choose, as you've given us earlier, LOVE."

[MOON]: ...
[MOON]: So Be It.

• Qin - "keep lying to yourself. its not me youre trying to fool"

[MOON]:

Lily was given two photos.
One was of her. The other was of Raine and Jessica.

But Jessica was not in that photo,
and was, in fact, someone Lily did not know at all.

Lily was given a third photo.
It was of Jessica's grave, next to Raine's,
but Jessica's was dug, and Raine's was fresh.

The date is June 16, 2020. It's raining,
and the tombstones depict flowers seen only in the Voynich Manuscript.

This is what happened in the following days.
Lily never went there. Zena sent the photos.
When someone dies, their memory persists, keeping them alive.
Raine became what he wanted. Powerful, indestructible. A child's fantasy. Jessica, on the other hand, never ever had the opportunity to play. She was out when the game started.
Lily September died on December 5, 2019.

• Qin - "cant help but be cast"

[MOON]: Your Answer Has Shaped Canon. I Hope You Are Satisfied With These Results.

• Pies - "i feel sick. to be honest. but i feel like we're on the truest track right now"
• Me - "an inbetween of TRUTH and MAGIC"
• Pies - "i wonder how this will shape things going forwards."
• Qin - "isnt truth from magic making-believe"

[MOON]: The Human Condition Is Making-Believe.

• Pies - "this is true!"
• Maws - "This is true."
• Me - "Making-Believe or Fitting a Narrative"
• Pies - "we're doing it right now, aren't we? everything is make believe when you boil it down"

[MOON]: What, Pray Tell, Is The Difference, Nataly?

• Me - "Making-Believe is Creation, an act of Invention, Fitting a Narrative is Selection, an act of Arrangement"

[MOON]: Does Invention Not Inherently Come From Arrangement?

• Me - "arrangement can be the material of invention, but not all arrangement is invention i feel.

  • a collage and a confession both arrange pieces. only one may reveal something new.."

• Qin - "but humans spread things thin"

[MOON]: It Is Within Their Nature.

• Qin - "that is why many isolate themselves"
• Pies - "i don't think it would have sat right if we chose any different. to be honest. love, despite its horrors. despite its pain. is more important than truth, is more important than magic. love is the essence of the universe. at least, this is what i think."
• Qin - "can everybody wish on a star?"
• Pies - "i would love to"
• Qin - "at what point does the world not give you a share"

[MOON]: It Is Best To Wrap Up Our Conversation Now. I'm On A Strict Deadline With This Story...
[MOON]: Share Your Final Thoughts, Say Your Goodbyes.

• Qin - "if letting go was so easy. oh bother!
  • have fun and see you next time!"
• Pies - "it was so fun chatting with you, im glad i was able to be here for this one. i hope to find your other works, wherever they may be!!"
• Maws - "It’s been nice seeing you!!! Say hi to your boywife for me!!!!"

[MOON]: Someone Has To Find The iHop Fic Bro

• Maws - "I will dedicate my life to."
• Me - "Either way, it was a pleasure to meet you Playwright. our dialogue was delightful~ "
• Qin - "it was nice seeing you. remove project pleenorb from database"

[MOON]: Farewell, All. May We See Each Other Again Soon... I Hope This Was Informative.


DIAL TONE.