[The operation went smoothly—no surprises, no mistakes, just like he'd practiced. Of course, it's the first time he's operated on an Aegir or "Seaborn", but he had plenty of time to study the material... now, it's just a question of turning the device on and seeing what happens.
It should be fine. In theory.
... it's only a little worrying that he has, technically, never done this before. Not all the way through to the activation. It was always too risky, unless the patient was already about to die, and he could never be certain of the chip's true effectiveness. There are still so many unknowns, so many ways this could go horribly, horribly wrong. He's trying very hard not to think about it, considering that... really, what could he do about it now? He's done everything he can. Mizuki actually consented, so at least if the worst happens...
but it won't. probably.
Anyway. Mizuki has been out for awhile now, but the drugs should be wearing off soon... whenever he starts to come to, Add is sitting next to his bed in the clinic's recovery room, looking away from his array of holoscreens to smile at his patient. There's a mix of relief and nervousness hidden under the surface, as much as he tries not to show it.]
Good morning, Mizuki. How are you feeling? Any lingering pain or discomfort?
[the chip isn't active (yet), but Mizuki might notice the small scar above his eye, easily hidden under his bangs]
[ Mizuki is, at least, a very easy patient to have. He follows orders very well, and manages to do most things without having even been asked. Having questionable experiments done on him is not exactly new to him. Perhaps alarmingly so, but Mizuki doesn't see an issue with any of this. He almost half expects the white-haired doctor in front of him with the screens in the backdrop to be Kal'tsit when he wakes up. This seems like something she would do, and he's a little too groggy in the moment after waking up to realize where he is.
Until Add speaks anyway.
He blinks very slowly, opting not to move yet, just in case. ] I don't think so. ...Tired. [ There's noise in his head, but on just waking up it all sounds more akin to a speaker being shoved underwater. ] Ah- did you do everything you needed to...?
[All clear so far, no issues detected—his gaze is still on Mizuki, but if he seems a bit distracted it's because he's still focused entirely on the data streaming through his mind. The holoscreens behind him are mostly for show... well, maybe Mizuki will be able to understand that soon.
... he will, because it's going to work. Everything has gone to plan so far. It'll be fine. Focus.]
You may feel groggy for a few more hours, yes. But if you're feeling up to it, we can begin the next phase. It may be a bit overwhelming at first so we don't have to do everything at once, but it would be good to confirm that the connection was successful at the very least.
[Really, he should let the patient rest before jumping right back into experimentation... but if something is wrong, he can start on fixing it right away. Mizuki can survive another dose of anesthesia.]
[ Pros of being Seaborn is the rapid regeneration. This means drugs don't last super long in his system. Great for procedures. Bad for recreational use. Anyway, Mizuki is sitting up excitedly now, completely disregarding his previous worry. He doesn't feel any needles or anything, and he feels intact, so this is probably fine. He gives Add his usual sunny smile, overly enthused about whatever the "next phase" is.
Is this it? Is it finally happening? After the testing and everything, is he really going to become onemeld with have Add inside his head? Inside his head? In in in… hhhh… what an intoxicating thought. He wants to cling onto Add, he wants to chew on him, he wants to thank him and plead plead plead for the next phase with absolutely no dignity, but… he'll be good and polite. He should be honored Add is even doing this to begin with. ]
I'm ready. I'll handle absolutely anything you throw at me, so there's no need to worry.
[Mizuki seems fine... not even a hint of hesitation, but he should've expect that. It was Mizuki who asked about this from start, after all.
So... he should just go ahead and get into. Okay. Moment of truth.]
Alright. I'm going to activate the chip. Let me know if you feel anything.
[The process is pretty simple from here, at least from Add's end. It's not a physical switch, but it might as well be—all it takes is a thought, a basic command through the newly-formed link to activate the chip's passive features. From here, he could even take direct control if he wanted... but that would be getting ahead of himself. First step would be to have Mizuki take control and understand how all the features work.
Starting small, then. He sends a ping through Dynamo—a mental blip neither words or sound, like a new piece of knowledge has simply been injected into mind. Mizuki is now acutely aware of where that brain chip is located (slightly above and behind the left eye) and exactly which Dynamo sent it (it's next to the door, past a privacy curtain and outside of Mizuki's line of sight, but it's there), as well as the exact number of milliseconds it took to send and receive the signal. There are other bits of raw code in the packet as well, identifiers and tracking data that he doesn't bother scrubbing... Add struggled with that kind of stuff for a long time, so obviously Mizuki won't understand it at all. He can be a little bit lazy.]
[ Mizuki leans back again and gives a little nod. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Mizuki. Calm down. He can’t get too excited and put all that pressure on Add. This stuff takes time. He can understand there’s gotta be tests and stuff.
Realistically, if Add wanted to take control, it wouldn’t have been hard. Mizuki trusts him implicitly, after all, and would give up his will freely. Much to the chagrin of We Many. And speaking of… well, the thing about fresh Seaborn being converted is that the hivemind is usual a gradual thing. A tickle in the back of your head into occasional whispers into small conversations and so on until the cacophony is finally at its peak. But Add is not being converted. Rather just introduced to the ocean of Mizuki’s mind.
At first, there’s silence.
The blip comes and Mizuki’s eyes widen a bit. It seems as though everything is in order — and Mizuki is so thoroughly and overflowing with delight he forgets altogether how to express himself in the moment. He just lies there staring at the ceiling. ]
… I… I think it… it worked??
[ …Then the waves stir.
His thoughts are not that streamlined. Mostly because, and maybe this will be abundantly obvious, they’re not all his thoughts. They certainly sound and feel like it, but there’s something different and off about each of them. A questioning of Mizuki’s misplaced devotion. A wonder if he’s simply peering in or fully inside. A demand to ask for everything Mizuki wants from this. Cries. Orders. Welcomes. It doesn’t register as words. It doesn’t register as feelings. It’s thoughts, but in such an abstract version of the word it makes you question what “thoughts” are.
And then there’s a calling. You’re different, too. ]
[There's still a layer of separation between Add and Mizuki, so what should be a red flag is merely an interesting blur in the distance... Dynamo, meanwhile, is trying to translate all the data coming through. They're used to handling thoughts and feelings, but seaborn brain signals and human brain signals are apparently very different. The machines on the outside beep inquisitively, relaying the "message" back to Add.
... something about it seems off, but that's probably because the chip needs calibrating, right? Add hums quietly to himself, hand to his chin.
He shoots a message back, as per testing protocols. This time, the human influence is unmistakable—emotions and thought stripped down to a basic message, but there's roughness around the edges, tiny imprecisions, like uneven lines in paper cut by hand, filtered down through Dynamo. It sounds like Add, but only because he wants it to. It's not really words, not really sound, but instructions on how to replicate his words exactly.
Different in what way? I'm detecting some interference, so it may be from that.
There's another layer to it, stripped down even further to the most basic information and mixed with a touch of machine code: explain; confirm interference? A quicker form of communication that removes the need for actual words. A habit.]
[ Seaborns are fascinating, really. Perhaps if Kal'tsit were here, she'd be willing to divulge the information about them. Their fast evolving and adapting states of being, the rapid regeneration, their ideals, and just how the hivemind is less like a hub with shared thoughts and more like an intricate web. Especially when it adds factors like Mizuki - fully Seaborn, but with his own free will. What that means is that Mizuki is very quickly able to adapt to the chip and how it feels, how to convey the messages, how to register it's information.
It's not quite oneness. It's not quite in his head. But this is probably the closest he's ever going to get (sans turning Add into a Seaborn) (this is not on the table for Mizuki) (We Many have other ideas). And he's not at all ungrateful for it. The opposite, in fact, since Mizuki shakes at the feeling, lifting his knees and near kicking against the operating table.
We Many isn't as excited. As far as We're concerned, this is yet another human who's encroached on Our territory without so much as a second thought. We don't express this distaste, however. We actually do seem accepting to Add, at least. Perhaps because one of the firstborns truly thinks this is fine? Or, perhaps because they're always willing to convert things to them on their own terms?
Again, thoughts are conveyed. Reaching out to Add in a unfamiliar way to Us, but We can work with this. In a vaguely, roughly translated way, there's a response.
Alone. This "you". It's alone. Unseen. Pointless. But We see you.
We see you.
You don't have to be alone anymore, with Us.
There's other sort of hard to grasp concepts in there. Becoming one with the hivemind, not needing these chips and having a less risky method, and things that vaguely go down that path, but it's a bit like trying to decipher a conversation heavily distorted by static. Mizuki either not paying any mind to the actual conversation or just way too enthralled this worked (it's probably this one) to notice anything, because he doesn't try to explain or stop We Many from trying to convert Add.
Instead he just leans excitedly off the operating table to lean into Add. He thinks as loudly as he can, hoping to somehow convey his thoughts through to Add. He doesn't know how to use it yet, but he wants to try. It works! It works, it works, it works! Can you hear me? You're here, you're here. Ehehe…
…
He can't help himself. This is the happiest he's felt in…??? Ever? And Add did it. How incredible. How amazing. Isn't Add the best? He's a hero and he's smart and he thinks Mizuki is so useful and is allowing all this and- and- and-
Mizuki sinks his teeth into Add's shoulder without any warning prior. ]
[Again, there's interference in the signal, and the message back seems strange and disjointed. Did the chip get damaged during installation? But everything else is coming back clear, so maybe... it's related to Seaborn biology?
Or Mizuki is doing something wrong... they should do more testing first. It would be foolish to backtrack now and try to fix a problem he can't identify.
Calling him alone, though, in that weird format—before it can even reach Add there's an automatic response, a series of six pings and a short wordless statement. Dynamo is here, so Add isn't alone! It is an understandable error, but one that still needs correcting. There's no change to the communications, exactly, but they are making sure their presence is known, that it is clear and understood that everything passes through Dynamo first. They are here. They see Add, and Mizuki as well.
It's a ping that also goes to Add, as a reminder... though the only reaction he shows is a slight raise of his eyebrows.
There's a lot going on, so there's no time for that anyway. He's still trying to make sense of the first half when Mizuki starts speaking back in that excited tone, and Add can't ignore how very different it sounds in comparison. Did he catch on that quickly? But there's still some of that odd signal in the back, and he can't shake that he's missing something—
A yelp, sharp blades sinking into flesh as Dynamo surrounds them both in seconds, alert, protective— ah, fuck, Mizuki is overstimulated again]
Mizuki. [He is not yelling, but that smile is strained to its limit as Add hisses through his teeth.
A command is sent before he can decide if it's a good idea or not. Simple, straightforward, a demand that rings louder than it has any right to: release. Apparently they are going to find out today if the mind control works.]
[ We Many, or rather the god spearheading this against Add (likely the Primordial Lifespring, really), falls mostly silent. Or, at least fall to nonsensical buzzing and other eldritch garbles. Not because We've given up or anything, but the hivemind is complicated. Mizuki's thoughts are the ones at the forefront now, so the firstborns can have their conversations about this in peace.
Mizuki is way more focused on Add for the moment. The bad news for add is that Mizuki's willpower is kind of nuts - he's resisted the full corruption of the Seaborn gods so it's kind of hard to force the jellyfish to do anything especially when you roll a 16, but it doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't still listen. The opposite, as once he receives the command, he willingly opens his mouth to release Add's shoulder. Worry, concern, apologetic feelings flit about in his head as he presses his face just below the bite mark.
Sorry.
Will a hug make it better? Add doesn't like touching, though. Wouldn't that make it worse? But Mizuki wants to touch. To hold. To never let go. Would that scare Add? Would he hate Mizuki? Would he try to take the chip out? Is this too much? He said he wouldn't do this again. Would Add not trust Mizuki? Sheepishly, he has to pry himself off Add, wrapping his arms around himself to not be tempted to smother Add. His tentacles don't get that luxury, though, as a few of them end up around Add's arms and ankles. Mizuki's doing well, basically! This tenfold obsession isn't going to be a problem, don't worry about it. ]
[Well... he sent the command and it worked, so as far as Add is concerned he's a genius. He'll get upset about Mizuki's willpower later.
He stiffens at the additional contact, but it's tolerable when he knows to expect it. The emotions take a moment longer to parse. Dynamo is used to deciphering emotions, but it's only ever been the other way around for Add. It's odd, being on the receiving end, even with a filter in place to act as a translator... would it feel more intense if he removed that filter...?
... ah, but that's a thought for later. There are tentacles coiling at his limbs—he has to draw a line somewhere, slipping one hand free to gently extract the other.]
You're fine, Mizuki, but please try to control yourself. [pausing to check his new bite wound, please hold...
Dynamo also falls back into a less defensive formation, a pair hovering closer to Mizuki's shoulders while the others assess Add's injury. They understand the worry and guilty. They also understand that Add isn't upset, at least not by a significant value. The drones emit a string of beeps, something that Mizuki may understand as a statement of reassurance, and—has he ever thought about what Add sees when he's doing a medical scan? They're willing to share, if it'll make Mizuki feel better.
He won't feel Add's pain, but the latest stream of data will make Mizuki acutely aware of the exact depth of each cut, the degree of inflammation, infection risk, blood loss, approximate pain level, recommended treatment, how long it should take to heal under various conditions... it's a pretty minor injury, despite the excessive amount of information. It'll be gone in a few days at most. He's going to clean it off and put some bandages on in a minute.
... anyway, Mizuki does seem to be catching on quickly. Add saves his breath with another semi-condensed message while he multitasks.
Still interference. What's this about?
and then he basically echoes back that whole "alone, unseen, pointless" bit, because Dynamo might be a little mad about it in their core. Also because it sounds even weirder on the replay. Since when does Mizuki say stuff like that??]
[ "Please try to control yourself," he says, as if that wasn't Mizuki's attempt at trying. He is incredibly overstimulated by all of this. Not because actually having someone new in his head is incredibly different or anything like that, but just because he's far too excited to have a hero doing so. His commander, no less. It really does feel like a dream come true, and there's a lot of elation about all of it floating around in the mix of… well, everything else.
He does make more of an active effort, though. It's alright, Mizuki. Calm down, Mizuki. You just have to adjust, that's all. This is something you knew was coming, and it's alright to be excited, but don't let it spill over like that. Will this pep talk last? Who knows. He wants to do his best for Add, though. Even if he's never been all that good at regulating his emotions. We Many have problems with dealing with Mizuki's emotions, too-
Mizuki's attention almost instantly falls to Dynamo as two fall to his side. Oh, right, he'll be able to communicate more effectively with the small friends now, too!!! Honestly? He feels a little bad. He got so enthralled about linking with Add, he had been too tunnel-visioned… Should he express his thanks to them, too? Rather, of course he wants to, but it's not too late, right? It's so kind of them to let Mizuki be a part of this, too. He reaches a hand up to settle against the non-needle part of one of the small drones that floated by him, accompanied by small affectionate pings.
The information is admittedly a lot. All he ends up taking out of it is how incredible Dynamo is to gather all that within seconds of an injury, and how smart Add is to really translate all of that to what he needs to do. Mizuki's kind of out of his league here, right? He's not smart or can do anything real cool like Dynamo and… ]
[ Finally catching on that Add can actually hear We Many startles Mizuki a little. He knew We were in his head, but not like in in his head, if that made sense? Surely that's the "interference" he's talking about. And this time We don't respond to Add, at least in nothing that isn't an ancient, eldritch garble. Mizuki understands, but it's not so easy to convey. When are We ever? ]
That's Us. [ Speaking out loud for this, because otherwise he's going to have a rough go of trying to keep any intervening out of his thoughts. ] Not interference. Didn't know We'd be heard, too. That makes sense.
… Sorry, let me try that again. That's We- I- [ Hard to talk about Himself… Ourself in the "people" tongues like this. He's doing his best. ] …the… Many? The… "Collective". [ … ] Seaborn. We are all connected personally with Our… err… I don't know what you would call them. Gods, perhaps?
[The drone by Mizuki's hand wiggles as the affectionate pings are bounced back—the contained emotion is difficult to parse, coming from Dynamo rather than Add, but there is a distinct excitement and eagerness to how quickly the gesture is returned. Hello!!!! A friend!!! Dynamo is unused to having more "friends" within the mindlink, but it's not an unwanted situation.
Hopefully that feeling of want and camaraderie balances out how Add's eye narrows, soaking in the verbal information. Analyzing, comparing to past discussions... really, he feels kind of stupid for not guessing something like this sooner. Mizuki had an interest in hiveminds for a reason. He called himself "we" once before, as well...
A factor Add hadn't considered. He jumped into things too quickly. The doctor sighs, pressing a hand to his temples.]
You didn't think to mention this sooner? [he is not relaying any emotions right now, thanks, but the frustration is still evident. the dynamo next to him beeps, a private reminder, and he sighs out some of the tension] No, I should've asked. It's hardly a unique situation, so there's no excuse for not checking. I wasn't thorough enough...
[Introducing something like the Overmind chip, to an existing hivemind with its own communication methods and hierarchy... it's difficult enough to integrate with one mind, but a collective? He could've caused some real, serious damage. The responsible thing to do would be to put a hold on everything, put off future testing until he can be certain of the safety of all parties...
but. he does feel guilty, but there's still that but.
he... actually did this, didn't he? despite missing critical information, he actually... his Overmind chip worked, and it functions with minimal interference, despite having more than one consciousness in a single connected party?
The responsible thing would be to put everything on hold... but, ah, that would make Mizuki upset, wouldn't it? So really, the better choice is—]
Is there any discomfort? I can make adjustments to the communications frequency, but I'm not sure if I can prevent it from picking up other consciousnesses. Is it an issue for you?
[ Mizuki shrinks a little bit when Add sighs, looking almost guilty for his oversight. Was this a bad thing? It's not like it's going to be that different, right? We are always here, and though his thoughts are more tumultuous than him speaking, he figures it's not totally unbearable! …Right? Or… is that a selfish thought? "He didn't know," isn't a good excuse when he still should've considered it. He was just so excited.
…He messed up again, hadn't he?
There's an apologetic tap against Dynamo as he retreats into himself again, wrapping his arms around himself and staring at the floor. This isn't exactly something he could apologize for. He is sorry, though. He hadn't meant to make things difficult or complicated for Add. The opposite, actually. He really did want to do everything he could to make this process as easy as he could! And even though he's happy, he should consider things from Add's perspective. Empathy has never been his strong point. He's been trying really hard. ]
Huh? Oh, no, it's fine. We're alright. [ Mizuki's never wanted a world without We Many in his head, of course. He just, you know, wants that sense of oneness with people he loves, too. Maybe that, too, is also selfish? ] You're… I didn't mess up? I don't wanna cause any complications, Doctor Add…
[He can retreat a little, if he needs to. Dynamo beeps softly, holding its position close to Mizuki's shoulders—close, but not touching, just near enough to feel the warmth of the circuitry. There's a silent ping of permission, and they'll move away without question if asked, but there's a want to provide comfort, sympathy, a ghost of non-contact that seems fitting of someone like Add.
Add himself remains focused. Dynamo can handle the emotions at play—the facts are for him to dissect and understand.]
This is a complication, and I would've preferred to know in advance... but it's not something I can't work with.
What should I call them? "The Many"? [is that what he said before?] Or... hm, I suppose that would be making an assumption... is Mizuki an individual within the collective, or would the collective as a whole be considered "Mizuki"? For example, I would consider myself individual connected with Dynamo, but Dynamo is composed of six units that act in tandem. It would be strange to identify each Dynamo unit as if they were individuals, although they're all capable of making individual decisions while separated... I can also perceive and act through them, but they are not exactly the same as "Add" even under those conditions. We act together, but maintain separate identities. Is it something like that, or closer to Dynamo's collectiveness?
[ Dynamo is so sweet. He'll remain somewhat apologetic, mostly just wracked with guilt over… all of this. They appreciate that Dynamo is so patient, though. Mizuki genuinely loves the little drones, and he won't tell them to move away. ]
We're called "the Swarm" or just "Seaborn" by people not within our connection. You can use "We Many," if you would like. I'm a part of you, after all, but it's not a requirement.
As for who… Mizuki is within the collective… [ That's a little harder to explain… ] A short answer would be that "I" have an abnormal amount of individuality as you describe, despite the fact We have cut all ties to the Aegir I once was. An anomaly that has not proven to be an issue, thus there's been no reason to look into it.
A longer answer, We… are the will of the Seaborn, but that will is not a continuous stream throughout Us. The Firstborn all are the ones who dictate our… "guidelines". The thing that manifests as Our will. All four are supposed to have an equal "weight" within the collective, but…
…I had been following the will of the Arbor for so long — its teachings that I've learned within the Church and what its Bishop had told me — but truthfully the Arbor's voice hasn't been heard for a very, very long time outside of its grieving. It's hard to say for sure if I'm doing the right thing or not, but I do my best to say my peace on its behalf when I can.
[ "I play a messenger for my god to the other gods." "Oh so that god is telling you what to say?" "No, I'm just sort of estimating." ]
[Add nods along, listening in attentive silence. He has plenty of follow up questions, of course, but with the mindlink already established... in part wanting to experiment, and in part to save time, he draws out his own mental diagram alongside Mizuki's explanation.
Mizuki, formerly of the Aegir, joined to the Seaborn hivemind (AKA the Swarm, AKA We Many). Presumably there are other Seaborn individuals of similar rank (but less individuality?). "Firstborn" (Gods?) at the (highest?) rank above. If Mizuki is the only Seaborn in their current location, there may be fragments of the Firstborn embedded in each individual? (he prods, slightly, at that thought, as if to feel out the presence within Mizuki's mind) The Arbor (a Firstborn?) has been absent (grieving? missing? quiet? needs specifics). Mizuki follows the Arbor's teachings (what teachings?) speaks on its behalf (elevated to Firstborn rank?)
(... a brief aside, left unfinished as if Add didn't mean to share, but if Add is connected to Mizuki and Mizuki's hivemind is this complex...)
There's a lot to comb through, but he gets the gist of it.]
So these "Firstborn" are the overseers within the collective, if I understand correctly. They have individuality in the sense that they stand for different aspects of the collective will, but aim for a balance in order to lead the masses... an interesting approach. [not how he'd do it, but he can work with this, probably.]
[ The mental diagram certainly… hm. It sure does kick those obsessive thoughts right back into place. He still keeps to himself, of course! He doesn't want to make Add uncomfortable, no no no. But it's so surreal to have all of this in place? To have his hero, his commander, his Doctor, his his his Add in his head like this. The only difference between this and We Many is the fact that this sort of connectedness is a lot easier to tell which thoughts are Add's and which are his own. It's not… completely a sense of Oneness, like with the Seaborn. But it's closer than he ever thought he'd get with someone that didn't join Us like that. And it's so intoxicating just thinking about it like that. He can't help the less-than-lucid giggle that comes out. A hand reaches up to brush some of his hair back and just… hold clumps of it tightly. His other pulls at the longer strands that dangle down. Something to distract him that wasn't just biting something again.
Excitement aside, of course, Mizuki does very fluidly get a handle on everything. Which is why he answers less with words and more with thoughts, images, memories… anything to help streamline this for Add. He asked questions, after all, so surely it's fine to tell him all this? Firstly, Add will get to see more of his kin — the Seaborn. Add will note that there's quite a variety of them, ranging from plant-like to cephalopodic to many others that all evolved and adapted to new environment. The ones that are more humanoid are still nowhere near as "normal" as Mizuki. There doesn't seem to be a solid "ranking" system in place, really, aside from the Firstborns, but there is the loose knowledge that some Seaborn do have thoughts of their own that happen to intermingle into the hivemind. Others do not.
Then, he'll show Add the Church. His home, for most of his life, anyway. A Seaborn church, but one specifically dedicated to the Caerula Arbor, with only vague depictions of it painted along the wall. Some of it just drawings of trees, some of it stars, some of it nonsensical scribbles — but it all conveys the same sense that the Arbor controls the waves and tides of the ocean. A God, by all accounts. This church worships the growth of… everything. Of oneself, of the world, of bonds, of community, of progress, of existence. A clarification here… Mizuki will finally interject, The Arbor… functionally, died. It's body, anyway. Our consciousness will always live on in We Many, but We still hear nothing but sadness from it.
Images of a man (caretaker, my old man!, the Bishop) gives Mizuki a sort of branch-y flesh. Mizuki eats it. "You are what you eat" in perhaps the most literal sense of it. Though, Add will get the sense you would have to eat quite a lot of it in one sitting to "turn" Seaborn like Mizuki. It is less that there are fragments, and more We are extensions of the Firstborn. It's why it's hard to explain why… there's "me" and "Us" because… it's all… the same. "They're" thoughts are "mine" and vice versa. The Arbor's teachings are just as much part of Us as any of the other Firstborn.
Being a messenger doesn't make you a god, anyway. (80s laugh track) ]
…Was that too much? I can start talking now if you'd like. [ Ugh, he probably overdid it… ] Um, there's four of them to hold up Our ideals: "Growth" "Reproduction" "Migration" "Survival".
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mooninthewater) wrote2023-08-16 12:10 pm
sometime vaguely mid-December
It should be fine. In theory.
... it's only a little worrying that he has, technically, never done this before. Not all the way through to the activation. It was always too risky, unless the patient was already about to die, and he could never be certain of the chip's true effectiveness. There are still so many unknowns, so many ways this could go horribly, horribly wrong. He's trying very hard not to think about it, considering that... really, what could he do about it now? He's done everything he can. Mizuki actually consented, so at least if the worst happens...
but it won't. probably.
Anyway. Mizuki has been out for awhile now, but the drugs should be wearing off soon... whenever he starts to come to, Add is sitting next to his bed in the clinic's recovery room, looking away from his array of holoscreens to smile at his patient. There's a mix of relief and nervousness hidden under the surface, as much as he tries not to show it.]
Good morning, Mizuki. How are you feeling? Any lingering pain or discomfort?
[the chip isn't active (yet), but Mizuki might notice the small scar above his eye, easily hidden under his bangs]
no subject
Until Add speaks anyway.
He blinks very slowly, opting not to move yet, just in case. ] I don't think so. ...Tired. [ There's noise in his head, but on just waking up it all sounds more akin to a speaker being shoved underwater. ] Ah- did you do everything you needed to...?
no subject
... he will, because it's going to work. Everything has gone to plan so far. It'll be fine. Focus.]
You may feel groggy for a few more hours, yes. But if you're feeling up to it, we can begin the next phase. It may be a bit overwhelming at first so we don't have to do everything at once, but it would be good to confirm that the connection was successful at the very least.
[Really, he should let the patient rest before jumping right back into experimentation... but if something is wrong, he can start on fixing it right away. Mizuki can survive another dose of anesthesia.]
no subject
Is this it? Is it finally happening? After the testing and everything, is he really going to
become onemeld withhave Add inside his head? Inside his head? In in in… hhhh… what an intoxicating thought. He wants to cling onto Add, he wants to chew on him, he wants to thank him and plead plead plead for the next phase with absolutely no dignity, but… he'll be good and polite. He should be honored Add is even doing this to begin with. ]I'm ready. I'll handle absolutely anything you throw at me, so there's no need to worry.
no subject
So... he should just go ahead and get into. Okay. Moment of truth.]
Alright. I'm going to activate the chip. Let me know if you feel anything.
[The process is pretty simple from here, at least from Add's end. It's not a physical switch, but it might as well be—all it takes is a thought, a basic command through the newly-formed link to activate the chip's passive features. From here, he could even take direct control if he wanted... but that would be getting ahead of himself. First step would be to have Mizuki take control and understand how all the features work.
Starting small, then. He sends a ping through Dynamo—a mental blip neither words or sound, like a new piece of knowledge has simply been injected into mind. Mizuki is now acutely aware of where that brain chip is located (slightly above and behind the left eye) and exactly which Dynamo sent it (it's next to the door, past a privacy curtain and outside of Mizuki's line of sight, but it's there), as well as the exact number of milliseconds it took to send and receive the signal. There are other bits of raw code in the packet as well, identifiers and tracking data that he doesn't bother scrubbing... Add struggled with that kind of stuff for a long time, so obviously Mizuki won't understand it at all. He can be a little bit lazy.]
no subject
Realistically, if Add wanted to take control, it wouldn’t have been hard. Mizuki trusts him implicitly, after all, and would give up his will freely. Much to the chagrin of We Many. And speaking of… well, the thing about fresh Seaborn being converted is that the hivemind is usual a gradual thing. A tickle in the back of your head into occasional whispers into small conversations and so on until the cacophony is finally at its peak. But Add is not being converted. Rather just introduced to the ocean of Mizuki’s mind.
At first, there’s silence.
The blip comes and Mizuki’s eyes widen a bit. It seems as though everything is in order — and Mizuki is so thoroughly and overflowing with delight he forgets altogether how to express himself in the moment. He just lies there staring at the ceiling. ]
… I… I think it… it worked??
[ …Then the waves stir.
His thoughts are not that streamlined. Mostly because, and maybe this will be abundantly obvious, they’re not all his thoughts. They certainly sound and feel like it, but there’s something different and off about each of them. A questioning of Mizuki’s misplaced devotion. A wonder if he’s simply peering in or fully inside. A demand to ask for everything Mizuki wants from this. Cries. Orders. Welcomes. It doesn’t register as words. It doesn’t register as feelings. It’s thoughts, but in such an abstract version of the word it makes you question what “thoughts” are.
And then there’s a calling. You’re different, too. ]
no subject
... something about it seems off, but that's probably because the chip needs calibrating, right? Add hums quietly to himself, hand to his chin.
He shoots a message back, as per testing protocols. This time, the human influence is unmistakable—emotions and thought stripped down to a basic message, but there's roughness around the edges, tiny imprecisions, like uneven lines in paper cut by hand, filtered down through Dynamo. It sounds like Add, but only because he wants it to. It's not really words, not really sound, but instructions on how to replicate his words exactly.
Different in what way? I'm detecting some interference, so it may be from that.
There's another layer to it, stripped down even further to the most basic information and mixed with a touch of machine code: explain; confirm interference? A quicker form of communication that removes the need for actual words. A habit.]
no subject
It's not quite oneness. It's not quite in his head. But this is probably the closest he's ever going to get (sans turning Add into a Seaborn) (this is not on the table for Mizuki) (We Many have other ideas). And he's not at all ungrateful for it. The opposite, in fact, since Mizuki shakes at the feeling, lifting his knees and near kicking against the operating table.
We Many isn't as excited. As far as We're concerned, this is yet another human who's encroached on Our territory without so much as a second thought. We don't express this distaste, however. We actually do seem accepting to Add, at least. Perhaps because one of the firstborns truly thinks this is fine? Or, perhaps because they're always willing to convert things to them on their own terms?
Again, thoughts are conveyed. Reaching out to Add in a unfamiliar way to Us, but We can work with this. In a vaguely, roughly translated way, there's a response.
Alone. This "you". It's alone. Unseen. Pointless. But We see you.
We see you.
You don't have to be alone anymore, with Us.
There's other sort of hard to grasp concepts in there. Becoming one with the hivemind, not needing these chips and having a less risky method, and things that vaguely go down that path, but it's a bit like trying to decipher a conversation heavily distorted by static. Mizuki either not paying any mind to the actual conversation or just way too enthralled this worked (it's probably this one) to notice anything, because he doesn't try to explain or stop We Many from trying to convert Add.
Instead he just leans excitedly off the operating table to lean into Add. He thinks as loudly as he can, hoping to somehow convey his thoughts through to Add. He doesn't know how to use it yet, but he wants to try. It works! It works, it works, it works! Can you hear me? You're here, you're here. Ehehe…
…
He can't help himself. This is the happiest he's felt in…??? Ever? And Add did it. How incredible. How amazing. Isn't Add the best? He's a hero and he's smart and he thinks Mizuki is so useful and is allowing all this and- and- and-
Mizuki sinks his teeth into Add's shoulder without any warning prior. ]
no subject
Or Mizuki is doing something wrong... they should do more testing first. It would be foolish to backtrack now and try to fix a problem he can't identify.
Calling him alone, though, in that weird format—before it can even reach Add there's an automatic response, a series of six pings and a short wordless statement. Dynamo is here, so Add isn't alone! It is an understandable error, but one that still needs correcting. There's no change to the communications, exactly, but they are making sure their presence is known, that it is clear and understood that everything passes through Dynamo first. They are here. They see Add, and Mizuki as well.
It's a ping that also goes to Add, as a reminder... though the only reaction he shows is a slight raise of his eyebrows.
There's a lot going on, so there's no time for that anyway. He's still trying to make sense of the first half when Mizuki starts speaking back in that excited tone, and Add can't ignore how very different it sounds in comparison. Did he catch on that quickly? But there's still some of that odd signal in the back, and he can't shake that he's missing something—
A yelp, sharp blades sinking into flesh as Dynamo surrounds them both in seconds, alert, protective— ah, fuck, Mizuki is overstimulated again]
Mizuki. [He is not yelling, but that smile is strained to its limit as Add hisses through his teeth.
A command is sent before he can decide if it's a good idea or not. Simple, straightforward, a demand that rings louder than it has any right to: release. Apparently they are going to find out today if the mind control works.]
no subject
Mizuki is way more focused on Add for the moment. The bad news for add is that Mizuki's willpower is kind of nuts - he's resisted the full corruption of the Seaborn gods so it's kind of hard to force the jellyfish to do anything
especially when you roll a 16, but it doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't still listen. The opposite, as once he receives the command, he willingly opens his mouth to release Add's shoulder. Worry, concern, apologetic feelings flit about in his head as he presses his face just below the bite mark.Sorry.
Will a hug make it better? Add doesn't like touching, though. Wouldn't that make it worse? But Mizuki wants to touch. To hold. To never let go. Would that scare Add? Would he hate Mizuki? Would he try to take the chip out? Is this too much? He said he wouldn't do this again. Would Add not trust Mizuki? Sheepishly, he has to pry himself off Add, wrapping his arms around himself to not be tempted to smother Add. His tentacles don't get that luxury, though, as a few of them end up around Add's arms and ankles. Mizuki's doing well, basically! This tenfold obsession isn't going to be a problem, don't worry about it. ]
no subject
He stiffens at the additional contact, but it's tolerable when he knows to expect it. The emotions take a moment longer to parse. Dynamo is used to deciphering emotions, but it's only ever been the other way around for Add. It's odd, being on the receiving end, even with a filter in place to act as a translator... would it feel more intense if he removed that filter...?
... ah, but that's a thought for later. There are tentacles coiling at his limbs—he has to draw a line somewhere, slipping one hand free to gently extract the other.]
You're fine, Mizuki, but please try to control yourself. [pausing to check his new bite wound, please hold...
Dynamo also falls back into a less defensive formation, a pair hovering closer to Mizuki's shoulders while the others assess Add's injury. They understand the worry and guilty. They also understand that Add isn't upset, at least not by a significant value. The drones emit a string of beeps, something that Mizuki may understand as a statement of reassurance, and—has he ever thought about what Add sees when he's doing a medical scan? They're willing to share, if it'll make Mizuki feel better.
He won't feel Add's pain, but the latest stream of data will make Mizuki acutely aware of the exact depth of each cut, the degree of inflammation, infection risk, blood loss, approximate pain level, recommended treatment, how long it should take to heal under various conditions... it's a pretty minor injury, despite the excessive amount of information. It'll be gone in a few days at most. He's going to clean it off and put some bandages on in a minute.
... anyway, Mizuki does seem to be catching on quickly. Add saves his breath with another semi-condensed message while he multitasks.
Still interference. What's this about?
and then he basically echoes back that whole "alone, unseen, pointless" bit, because Dynamo might be a little mad about it in their core. Also because it sounds even weirder on the replay. Since when does Mizuki say stuff like that??]
1/3
He does make more of an active effort, though. It's alright, Mizuki. Calm down, Mizuki. You just have to adjust, that's all. This is something you knew was coming, and it's alright to be excited, but don't let it spill over like that. Will this pep talk last? Who knows. He wants to do his best for Add, though. Even if he's never been all that good at regulating his emotions. We Many have problems with dealing with Mizuki's emotions, too-
Mizuki's attention almost instantly falls to Dynamo as two fall to his side. Oh, right, he'll be able to communicate more effectively with the small friends now, too!!! Honestly? He feels a little bad. He got so enthralled about linking with Add, he had been too tunnel-visioned… Should he express his thanks to them, too? Rather, of course he wants to, but it's not too late, right? It's so kind of them to let Mizuki be a part of this, too. He reaches a hand up to settle against the non-needle part of one of the small drones that floated by him, accompanied by small affectionate pings.
The information is admittedly a lot. All he ends up taking out of it is how incredible Dynamo is to gather all that within seconds of an injury, and how smart Add is to really translate all of that to what he needs to do. Mizuki's kind of out of his league here, right? He's not smart or can do anything real cool like Dynamo and… ]
2/3
no subject
That's Us. [ Speaking out loud for this, because otherwise he's going to have a rough go of trying to keep any intervening out of his thoughts. ] Not interference. Didn't know We'd be heard, too. That makes sense.
… Sorry, let me try that again. That's We- I- [ Hard to talk about Himself… Ourself in the "people" tongues like this. He's doing his best. ] …the… Many? The… "Collective". [ … ] Seaborn. We are all connected personally with Our… err… I don't know what you would call them. Gods, perhaps?
Is that an issue, Doctor Add?
no subject
Hopefully that feeling of want and camaraderie balances out how Add's eye narrows, soaking in the verbal information. Analyzing, comparing to past discussions... really, he feels kind of stupid for not guessing something like this sooner. Mizuki had an interest in hiveminds for a reason. He called himself "we" once before, as well...
A factor Add hadn't considered. He jumped into things too quickly. The doctor sighs, pressing a hand to his temples.]
You didn't think to mention this sooner? [he is not relaying any emotions right now, thanks, but the frustration is still evident. the dynamo next to him beeps, a private reminder, and he sighs out some of the tension] No, I should've asked. It's hardly a unique situation, so there's no excuse for not checking. I wasn't thorough enough...
[Introducing something like the Overmind chip, to an existing hivemind with its own communication methods and hierarchy... it's difficult enough to integrate with one mind, but a collective? He could've caused some real, serious damage. The responsible thing to do would be to put a hold on everything, put off future testing until he can be certain of the safety of all parties...
but. he does feel guilty, but there's still that but.
he... actually did this, didn't he? despite missing critical information, he actually... his Overmind chip worked, and it functions with minimal interference, despite having more than one consciousness in a single connected party?
The responsible thing would be to put everything on hold... but, ah, that would make Mizuki upset, wouldn't it? So really, the better choice is—]
Is there any discomfort? I can make adjustments to the communications frequency, but I'm not sure if I can prevent it from picking up other consciousnesses. Is it an issue for you?
no subject
…He messed up again, hadn't he?
There's an apologetic tap against Dynamo as he retreats into himself again, wrapping his arms around himself and staring at the floor. This isn't exactly something he could apologize for. He is sorry, though. He hadn't meant to make things difficult or complicated for Add. The opposite, actually. He really did want to do everything he could to make this process as easy as he could! And even though he's happy, he should consider things from Add's perspective. Empathy has never been his strong point. He's been trying really hard. ]
Huh? Oh, no, it's fine. We're alright. [ Mizuki's never wanted a world without We Many in his head, of course. He just, you know, wants that sense of oneness with people he loves, too. Maybe that, too, is also selfish? ] You're… I didn't mess up? I don't wanna cause any complications, Doctor Add…
no subject
Add himself remains focused. Dynamo can handle the emotions at play—the facts are for him to dissect and understand.]
This is a complication, and I would've preferred to know in advance... but it's not something I can't work with.
What should I call them? "The Many"? [is that what he said before?] Or... hm, I suppose that would be making an assumption... is Mizuki an individual within the collective, or would the collective as a whole be considered "Mizuki"? For example, I would consider myself individual connected with Dynamo, but Dynamo is composed of six units that act in tandem. It would be strange to identify each Dynamo unit as if they were individuals, although they're all capable of making individual decisions while separated... I can also perceive and act through them, but they are not exactly the same as "Add" even under those conditions. We act together, but maintain separate identities. Is it something like that, or closer to Dynamo's collectiveness?
no subject
We're called "the Swarm" or just "Seaborn" by people not within our connection. You can use "We Many," if you would like. I'm a part of you, after all, but it's not a requirement.
As for who… Mizuki is within the collective… [ That's a little harder to explain… ] A short answer would be that "I" have an abnormal amount of individuality as you describe, despite the fact We have cut all ties to the Aegir I once was. An anomaly that has not proven to be an issue, thus there's been no reason to look into it.
A longer answer, We… are the will of the Seaborn, but that will is not a continuous stream throughout Us. The Firstborn all are the ones who dictate our… "guidelines". The thing that manifests as Our will. All four are supposed to have an equal "weight" within the collective, but…
…I had been following the will of the Arbor for so long — its teachings that I've learned within the Church and what its Bishop had told me — but truthfully the Arbor's voice hasn't been heard for a very, very long time outside of its grieving. It's hard to say for sure if I'm doing the right thing or not, but I do my best to say my peace on its behalf when I can.
[ "I play a messenger for my god to the other gods." "Oh so that god is telling you what to say?" "No, I'm just sort of estimating." ]
no subject
Mizuki, formerly of the Aegir, joined to the Seaborn hivemind (AKA the Swarm, AKA We Many). Presumably there are other Seaborn individuals of similar rank (but less individuality?). "Firstborn" (Gods?) at the (highest?) rank above. If Mizuki is the only Seaborn in their current location, there may be fragments of the Firstborn embedded in each individual? (he prods, slightly, at that thought, as if to feel out the presence within Mizuki's mind) The Arbor (a Firstborn?) has been absent (grieving? missing? quiet? needs specifics). Mizuki follows the Arbor's teachings (what teachings?) speaks on its behalf (elevated to Firstborn rank?)
(... a brief aside, left unfinished as if Add didn't mean to share, but if Add is connected to Mizuki and Mizuki's hivemind is this complex...)
There's a lot to comb through, but he gets the gist of it.]
So these "Firstborn" are the overseers within the collective, if I understand correctly. They have individuality in the sense that they stand for different aspects of the collective will, but aim for a balance in order to lead the masses... an interesting approach. [not how he'd do it, but he can work with this, probably.]
no subject
his his hisAdd in his head like this. The only difference between this and We Many is the fact that this sort of connectedness is a lot easier to tell which thoughts are Add's and which are his own. It's not… completely a sense of Oneness, like with the Seaborn. But it's closer than he ever thought he'd get with someone that didn't join Us like that. And it's so intoxicating just thinking about it like that. He can't help the less-than-lucid giggle that comes out. A hand reaches up to brush some of his hair back and just… hold clumps of it tightly. His other pulls at the longer strands that dangle down. Something to distract him that wasn't just biting something again.Excitement aside, of course, Mizuki does very fluidly get a handle on everything. Which is why he answers less with words and more with thoughts, images, memories… anything to help streamline this for Add. He asked questions, after all, so surely it's fine to tell him all this? Firstly, Add will get to see more of his kin — the Seaborn. Add will note that there's quite a variety of them, ranging from plant-like to cephalopodic to many others that all evolved and adapted to new environment. The ones that are more humanoid are still nowhere near as "normal" as Mizuki. There doesn't seem to be a solid "ranking" system in place, really, aside from the Firstborns, but there is the loose knowledge that some Seaborn do have thoughts of their own that happen to intermingle into the hivemind. Others do not.
Then, he'll show Add the Church. His home, for most of his life, anyway. A Seaborn church, but one specifically dedicated to the Caerula Arbor, with only vague depictions of it painted along the wall. Some of it just drawings of trees, some of it stars, some of it nonsensical scribbles — but it all conveys the same sense that the Arbor controls the waves and tides of the ocean. A God, by all accounts. This church worships the growth of… everything. Of oneself, of the world, of bonds, of community, of progress, of existence. A clarification here… Mizuki will finally interject, The Arbor… functionally, died. It's body, anyway. Our consciousness will always live on in We Many, but We still hear nothing but sadness from it.
Images of a man (caretaker, my old man!, the Bishop) gives Mizuki a sort of branch-y flesh. Mizuki eats it. "You are what you eat" in perhaps the most literal sense of it. Though, Add will get the sense you would have to eat quite a lot of it in one sitting to "turn" Seaborn like Mizuki. It is less that there are fragments, and more We are extensions of the Firstborn. It's why it's hard to explain why… there's "me" and "Us" because… it's all… the same. "They're" thoughts are "mine" and vice versa. The Arbor's teachings are just as much part of Us as any of the other Firstborn.
Being a messenger doesn't make you a god, anyway. (
80s laugh track) ]…Was that too much? I can start talking now if you'd like. [ Ugh, he probably overdid it… ] Um, there's four of them to hold up Our ideals: "Growth" "Reproduction" "Migration" "Survival".