<Snipped quote by Audacious>

And you don't cut those sources out of your life? That part confuses me.

<Snipped quote by Host>

I ignore the culture of the IA for that reason. It’s where most of that exists.
*Walks in a slow circle around a cluster of floating shapes*
But, thoughts like that are contagious. And they stick with you, hard.

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

I see.
*Darts my eyes between the shapes*
I don't know much about the IA. What is it like? Is everyone like that?

<Snipped quote by Host>

There’s a large subculture around people with superhuman abilities, because the IA is so expansive that they’re common enough to cause a real positive impact in society, but rare enough that actually seeing one feels like it’ll never happen. Living legends, to most. So, people have their favorites, as you’d expect. And their least favorites.

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

A popularity contest, you mean. Are you well known?

<Snipped quote by Host>

I’d say so, even though I hate it. People know Dad has a family. Aaron has a legacy he left behind too, since he was always the one of the three of us who had all the charisma.
*Continues to walks in slow circle around the same cluster*
Isaac and I always dealt with being in their shadows, but honestly, people learned and started to love his name too, after he helped out with Nemid…
*Shakes my head after visibly getting lost in thought for a moment*

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

A legacy? What did he do to gain that kind of respect?
*Circles you, standing outside the shapes*
You don't strike me as the type to want that kind of attention.

<Snipped quote by Host>

He was just good with people. And they loved hearing what he had to say.
*Stops and looks at Zinnia*
And you’re right, I’m absolutely not.

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

No feats, like the others?
*The digital space distorts for a moment, opening into a spacious environment of blue lines of light connecting floating micro-labs on spotless orange and white disks and physics-defying displays of nature like streams moving uphill*

<Snipped quote by Host>

He did things, of course. But then he’d talk to the people too. And he was a likable guy.
*Stares along the environment as it manifests in front of me*
Did we trigger that?

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

I think walking into the circle might have done it?
*Steps onto the blue line, and it zips me like a rail up into one of the micro-labs*

<Snipped quote by Host>

Woah.
*Looks up to where the trail ends, where you ended up*
You okay?

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

*Steps off and back onto the rail from the floating facility and it brings me back*
Perfectly fine. Convenient travel system.

<Snipped quote by Host>

That’s pretty cool. Still seems like it’s overly flashy.

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

This is a virtual world, as I understand it? Flashy wouldn't surprise me.

<Snipped quote by Host>

I guess you can fit more into a virtual space. I’m doubling down on what I said about him needing a large space to play.

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

Fit more, pack in more visual flair. People like him seem to appreciate details like that, as impractical as they are.

<Snipped quote by Host>

You think the visual flair is important to him?

<Snipped quote by Audacious>

When he has endless space to operate like this, it's at least a higher priority than in the lab proper.
*Bands and ribbons of orange light flutter past us, spinning in a circle around each of us before continuing on their way*

<Snipped quote by Host>

*Raises my arms while cracking a grin, and watches them before they leave*
Okay, maybe there’s a little bit of joy in it…