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For an entity that one day will be rejected and left to die inside a crappy old laptop, Regect was told his birth was.. extraordinary. It was clear that efforts were made to make him exist, and that itself is rare in the entity community. Most of them just… exist. Like, one moment they didn't exist, the next they did. Sure some might have this cool pre-birth moment, but again, rare.
His caretaker not Daemon described that his birth was almost like the creation of the universe itself. He didn't know what that meant at the time, he didn't know a lot of stuff back then. He wasn't even sure what his purpose was back then, the reason for his existence.
He was born when Daemon took a part of his own life essence so that he could create a new life, a life that will soon be Regect. He was born to be a master weapon.
How unfortunate that he is anything but a so-called weapon. He couldn't even do what he was supposed to do.
Though, the only thing he hates about his entire upbringing would be the fact that he shares the same life essence with the most apathetic and evil being he had ever known.
He probably is the only entity with this issue, not gonna lie.
Guess what? Regect had led a group of creepers towards their home. AGAIN.
Ze wasn't even sure why he's really pressed about this. It's not like he's the one that would patch any holes up—or rebuild their home in some cases—that’s all Regect's job. A role that the entity is pretty proud of actually, a great builder that could build some cool shit.
Even Moe is not too mad about it. She usually would just scold Regect for being reckless and maybe help with the entity after that.
… Now that he actually stops and thinks about it, Ze feels like he's way too angry at Regect for something he had done thousands of times in the past. Even angrier than he should be.
Oh.. right. He just got back from ‘speaking’ with his dad on the phone.
Or he supposed the more correct term would be, “A shouting match”.
His father had said something about his mediocre score on his exams. That somehow leads to that old man bringing back up the whole, “be a real man” shit and Ze didn't even remember how the conversation even got to that topic.
Ze has no idea how his dad found out about his scores, but that old man sure is a hypocrite. His grandma told him about how his father was back when he was in University. Ze could assure anyone that would listen that his dad could barely even reach the lowest passing score at the time, based on what his grandma has said, of course.
That old lady is pretty much the only tolerable person in his family, other than his oldest sister. And his mom.
Even though Ze couldn't remember how his father managed to bring up the “be a real man” topic, he sure does remember what exactly made him snapped.
“How are you supposed to support your wife and family if you couldn't even get a proper job? These scores won't be enough to impress the employers!” his dad shouted through the speaker, talking about the same old shit he always does.
Ze bites back any kind of rude response, trying not to get smart with his father for once as he grumbled, “Dad. I don't even think I even want to get married in this economy.” he's not lying. Who the hell in their right mind would be getting married right now? Well, unless they got a job with a great salary or they're just straight up rich, maybe they would.
Unfortunately, Ze is neither of that.
“Of course you don't. You're too damn busy playing that block game.” … ouch
“God, did sending you to that military bootcamp have no effect at all? You're still as immature as you were back then.”
“Ugh—I get it dad, I’m a huge disappointment—” Ze won't even try to deny that anymore. He's too damn tired anyways.
“Why couldn't you be more like your sisters?” Oh goodness, this again. “They’re much more successful in life and they're girls. How is your future wife going to respect you if you're acting like this?”
Again with this hypothetical wife—“Okay.. I get it dad—”
“Are you really going to let yourself lose to your sisters?”
Goddamn it, this old man just got to keep going—does he?
“You’ll be the head of your family one day—don’t you think you should try to become a great example?”
Yeah, that's enough dad.
“Your sisters have no problems balancing their assignments alongside their job, why couldn't you do the same?”
Dad—please stop.
“When are you finally going to become a man?”
Oh my fucking GOD—
“CAN YOU STOP IT WITH THE ‘BE A MAN’ TALK!? I'M GETTING TIRED OF LISTENING TO THE SAME SHIT!” Ze snapped, his voice higher and louder, far different from the usual annoyed yet quiet tone he would use to speak with his father.
The old man was stunned by his outbursts, but he quickly retaliated with any hesitation. “Well we won't have to have this conversation if you finally act like any real man woul—”
“WHAT DID I JUST SAID!?” Ze might actually throw up if his dad said ‘real man’ or any other terms and sentences synonymous to it. “I’m trying dad! Unlike you—I actually know better than to just randomly start a family because ‘my dad told me to’ because I know I won't be a great father—UNLIKE YOU!”
Even though Ze couldn't exactly see his father's face right now, he knows damn well that the old man is fuming and is already putting on the most enraged expression. His dad did not like it when people mentioned his parenting skills.
After all, the guy always got interrogated by their neighbor who happened to be a CPS worker for a good reason.
“Boy you don't get to speak to me like that!” His dad shouted. “I AM YOUR FATHER—”
“Well you're not acting like one right now! What kind of dad ridicules their daughter’s achievements because they are a girl!? What kind of dad gets mad that their kid doesn't want to get married because they got no money let alone a girlfriend and what kind of dad sent their son to a bootcamp BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT THE SAID SON IS GAY!?”
“THAT'S ENOUGH—”
“Honk honk honk?”
Ze snapped out of his trance as his eyes immediately set on Moe, who was standing at the archway from their living room to their staircase—looking fairly concerned.
“I-I’m sorry, what's that Moe?” Ze asked, for he was really deep in his daydream when Moe had first spoken to him. He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings just now.
“Honk honk! Honk honk honk..” she repeated, looking even more worried that Ze swore that the anxiety is starting to infect him as well.
“Relax Moe.. it's not the first time I snapped at Regect. He's probably just sulking right now. He'll be back, I'm sure of it.” Ze sighed deeply, feeling mentally exhausted by the conversation with his father and Regect’s stupidity in general.
Too bad that Moe wasn't taking that answer.
“honk honk HONK!” She loudly honked, showing her displeasure loud and clear.
Ze mentally groaned as he buried his face on his two palms, his breathing starting to slow down and he tried to regain calmness in himself.
.. Moe’s right. Ze had gotten overboard with his anger towards Regect today he tries to ignore the look of genuine hurt at the entity's floating golden sclera eyes and the ocellus under it as he looked at Ze and that guy actually deserves an apology.
At least this time he does.
Can't say the same about the other times though.
Ze sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah.. yeah you're right Moe.” The player stood up off the couch as he gave his body a light stretch, his mind already running through some past memory on where Regect might've gone for the evening. “I’ll be right back. But don't wait for us if it's getting late, alright?”
With that being said, Ze—after grabbing his favourite gun for safety precautions—heads out through the front door, walking towards a random direction with hopes that it would lead him to Regect.
Ze doesn't have to look for long. At first he went to check on the random flower meadow close to their home to see if Regect was there. The whole field was covered with the guy’s favourite flowers—alliums he thought was the name—and Regect had been there in the past so Ze thought that he'll be here this time too. He was wrong.
The next was the new statue Regect was working on awhile now. He said it was supposed to be a replica of Ludovisi Ares but bigger. How did that pathetic excuse for an entity even know about Ludovisi Ares is something Ze couldn't even bother to care—maybe he used his browser to search stuff, who knows.
Regect was not there too, and the statue remains unfinished.
Ze finally found Regect nearby the entity’s carrot farm. The player almost felt stupid to not go there first—the carrot farm is probably one of Regect's favorite places to be in.
The black entity was looking in the direction of where the sun would rise, sitting on the soft patch of grass as he looked at the sky.
Regect sure does look smaller now.
Damn, that made Ze even more guilty for snapping at him.
Once he finished hyping himself up internally, Ze slowly made his way towards Regect, his steps are careful and are quite soft sounding despite the occasional loud crunch of his shoes stepping on any fallen twigs and leaves.
Ze wasn't sure if Regect could feel his presence, but either way, he didn't really react when Ze sat down next to him. His eyes that usually would be the only thing visible on his invisible head are not even there right now.
“Go home Ze.”
Huh. That's the answer to Ze's question he supposed.
“Well Moe’s worried, so you should go home too.” Ze retorted as the gears in his mind were moving to find a way to apologize to Regect. He is never really good with words after all.
“Tell her that I'm fine. I'll go home later.” Regect answered, still refusing to look at Ze. That totally didn't hurt something inside Ze’s heart—what are you bluffing about?
It is obvious that the entity doesn't really want to talk, which made it even important for Ze to careful with his choice of words so that he won't say the wrong thing and made Regect teleport somewhere else. He's not exactly in the mood to do another treasure hunt.
“Look Regect, I'm—” Ze embarrassingly stuttered as his voice cracked, he could've sworn he heard a faint snicker from the entity but he paid no mind to that.
“.. I'm sorry Regect. I know that I've gone too far today and I didn't meant it too be. I was.. I was a terrible day okay—I just..”
He was rambling, Ze is aware of it. The player’s pretty much just saying whatever that goes through his mind. He looked up—damn, was he looking at the ground this entire time—to see that Regect is finally looking at him, his golden eyes looking wide and his black pupils fully round, almost resembling like a cat.
Regect is usually pretty expressive for someone that is half limbless. So Ze is understandably a bit freaked out when he couldn't decipher what Regect is thinking or feeling as he stares at him.
“.. I shouldn't have explodes at you. I'm sorry, Regect.”
There, he said it. Ze was half expecting a half snarky comment at the fact that Ze had willingly lowered his ego for a bit to apologize to Regect or for the entity to still be petty as hell.
He did not expect to see Regect's eyes softened in real time. “.. It's fine I guess.” He grumbled as he looked away from Ze, staring at the faint stars in the night sky instead.
Ze was speechless to say the least.
He stares at Regect for a good minute before looking up to look at the stars as well. Well, now what? Ze honestly hadn't thought of what he would do after he apologized to Regect. It feels kinda awkward now.
“So uh.. what was exactly bothering you?” Regect spoke up after a while, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he glanced at Ze.
Ignoring the odd feeling at seeing how quiet Regect could be, Ze pondered to himself. Should he tell Regect about his dad? He meant, what could Regect do about it anyway? He's just an entity, maybe an AI too. One that is entirely stuck on his old laptop—most of the time just staying in Minecraft too.
Yeah, there's probably no harm in telling Regect. Not that Ze thought that he would understand anyways.
“It’s just my dad.” Ze murmured. “He found out about my exam result somehow and decided to nag me about it. I didn't even fail!”
Regect's eyes squinted in a way that made him look confused. “Uhh.. he does realize that you're an adult right?”
“EXACTLY!” The fact that even Regect—the weirdest, chudest, and pathetic guy Ze had ever met—thinks that Ze’s father is being an overkill somehow comforts Ze in a way. At least he knows that he's not overreacting.
“And then he pulls out his iconic, ‘Real men’ talk—GOSH, I'm sick of him.” Ze had completely stopped complaining to Regect and just started grumbling to himself. He never really talks to anyone about his dad—mostly because he doesn't even have anyone to talk to in the first place.
Well, in real life he doesn't.
In Minecraft, at least he got Regect and Moe.
Ze looked back at Regect to see that his golden eyes are gone again. “Regect? Are you there?” the player nudged his friend gently—Ze never thought he'd lived to see the day he finally being soft with Regect—to not startle the guy. That seems to be a correct move, considering that the golden eyes widened as it reappear, Regect's body language make it seems like he was snapped out of daydream or something.
So Regect's eyes would disappear whenever he's in deep thought.. Ze will keep that in mind.
“H–huh? Oh, right. Your dad sounds like an asshole.” Regect poorly said as he rubbed his neck. The guy looks awkward and Ze doesn't really blame him. Regect most likely doesn't have a parent let alone a dad so it's logical for the entity to not know what to say about Ze’s lament.
The player sighed as he plopped his back down on the soft ground. “It’s alright dude. I don't expect you to understand—”“My ‘dad’ is an asshole too.”
… Huh???
Ze pushed himself upwards almost instantly as he looked at Regect with shock in his eyes. Did this chud just say he got a whole dad??
“Come again?”
Regect stiffened up while both of his hands moved to slam his mouth shut, looking almost as if he hadn't meant to say that at all.
Regect's eyes sure do make that look obvious.
“Dude.. I didn't know entities could have parents??” Ze questioned exasperatedly. He had no idea how entities came to live but he sure didn't expect them to be born via sexual reproduction.
Regect stayed silent at first, which pissed Ze off for a bit because he wanted an answer—now before the entity finally lowered down his hand, a faint sound of metal against metal echoed through the night sky as his golden bangles brushed slightly against each other.
“It’s… a bit complicated. But I guess I technically do have a dad. I mean, he created me using a part of himself so I guess technically, he's also my mom too.” Regect slowly explained, as if he's trying to figure out the right words to say as he speak. He looks oddly jittery while talking about this, ‘dad’.
“Also, entities can be born in many ways actually. Some of us do actually have parents, though most of us just.. exist.”
“Exist?” well what the hell does that even mean? Ze thought.
“I mean.. it is really complicated but basically—one moment you don't exist, the next you do. That's like, the simplest way to put it, honestly.”
Huh.. well ain't that interesting. “Never think that annoying thing like you guys can be interesting to learn about.” Ze jokingly commented, just lightening up the mood for fun.
That apparently works since Regect let out an amused chuckle. “Though there's also some cases where the higher ranked entities turn their human victim into an entity themselves—but eh, don't worry about that.”
“I’m sorry, what—”
The black entity burst out of laughter as he clutched his abdomen, his body shaking as he cackled. “I’m joking! I'm joking, I totally am joking.” Regect went up to wipe some tears that had formed at the edge of his eye from how hard he had laughed early, his body still shaking from the mediocre attempt to hide his giggle.
Ze chose not to point out how it's kinda obvious that Regect is not joking by how he still managed to show a little bit of tension in his body language.
“So I'm assuming that your dad is a chud like you? I mean, I really do despise my dad but even I can admit that I still inherited some unlikable stuff from him..” like his habit to snap so easily at people, for example. He's not really proud of that one.
Regect’s demeanor practically wilted like a flower when Ze asked that. The player almost felt stupid once again, Ze himself hated it whenever anyone said shits like, “You look just like your dad”, because he hated looking almost identical to his dad and also he's nothing like that old hag. With that being said, what makes he think that Regect would be any different?
“Uh.. not really. He's a pretty powerful guy actually. Hell—I’m pretty sure that he's one of the highest in the rank.” This time, Ze watched as Regect fiddled with his golden bangles as he replied to his answer, observing how the entity is tracing their shape with odd carefulness and hesitance.
“Wait, you're serious?” Regect sure does keep surprising Ze in this conversation. First he apparently has a dad and secondly, that dad is apparently powerful and shit?
“Trust me with this one dude. Out of many things I could lie about—this topic is not one of them, unfortunately..” not really convincing for Ze, but sure.
“About my ‘dad’—he’s uh..” the entity stuttered as his claws stopped fiddling the the bangles and instead he hugs his legs—or technically, just a leg considering that the other one is not visible as from the golden ankle shackle—“When he created me, he had this really specific vision about what I'm supposed to be. I was supposed to be the somewhat greatest thing he has ever created. Out of many entities he has created, I was the only one he genuinely saw as his offspring.”
“Well.. was.”
Ze was studying Regect by now, his own expression showing a rare—and odd—awkward understanding. Who could've thought that the only person that he could relate to about his daddy issues is not even a person at all.
“Yeesh. Just when I thought I was the only one. My dad was so scared I'd become a girl or something just because I mentioned that I like flowers that he put all the effort into making me ‘a real man’. He probably is afraid to have a gay son or something.”
Ze remembers that memory specifically. Mostly because that is the beginning of his father’s attempt to get him away from ‘girly stuff’ to make him ‘a real man’—ugh, he can't stop saying that despite everything—to the point that he had actually forbid Ze from playing with his older sisters.
Suddenly, it was very clear why he doesn't have a great relationship with them anymore.
“What do you mean by… was?” he originally didn't want to ask Regect about it. Again, he doesn't like it when other people ask about why his dad did the thing he did so once again, it makes sense for Regect to be the same.
Damn, he really be empathising with someone who he wasn't even sure experienced emotions like he does.
But in his defense, Ze had just opened up and is being vulnerable to the entity, something that he didn't even do with a real human being.
So yeah, he thinks Regect could at least do the same.
“Uhh..” Damn, Regect looks hesitant about it—did Ze go too far? “That’s also a long story. To make it short, I was born with a defect.”
“Pft, so you're saying that you're a chud from birth?”
“Wha—ughh, shut up!” Ze snickered as Regect pushed him playfully, clearly a little flustered by the insult.
“The point is, I was supposed to be no different than a machine—emotionless and precise. As you can see, I'm neither of those, so my ‘dad’ decided to fix it.”
“He put me to a test, studies, even tried to mess with my conscience once, none of them work. He decided to just let me be—with a promise that I'll at least still be able to act like a weapon he expects me to be.”
“... Wow. I mean, your dad sounds more of an asshole than my dad is—”
“And then despite all the powers he gave me—I COULDN'T EVEN FIGHT BACK! Last time I did, he blasted me off till I ended up looking like this!
“Wait, you weren't born like this?”
Regect immediately snapped his—invisible—head back at Ze, completely clueless of the player’s shocked expression as he scoffed. “OF COURSE I WASN'T! What? You think I look like this since my very beginning? It clashes with my original theme y’know?”
Ze's mind decided to avoid the confusion about what the hell did Regect meant by ‘his theme’ and paid attention to the bigger fish here. Does that mean Regect technically got demolished by his own creator?
For some odd reason, he feels this need to run the fade with this guy.
“I think you're not that bad.” Ze blurted.
He watched as Regect’s eyes shifted from frustration to surprise—and flattered—look. “.. What.” he looks really taken aback, which is fair—Ze and even Regect are acting out of character right now, though at least Ze know Regect is capable of being gentle from how the entity is with Moe.
Ze, once he realized how that sounds like immediately spluttered random noise, his face obviously turning red as he tries to salvage some of his dignity.
“I mean, you're still a pathetic chud—but you're not entirely a lost cause. Like—you’re great at building! That gotta count for something right?” he stuttered, hoping that his cover is enough to stir Regect away from the wrong thought. Couldn't let the guy think he's getting soft.
The look that the entity's eyes are giving looks like he's about to respond to Ze’s adorable attempt on recovering his ego. But he didn't. Looks like Regect is not that terrible after all.
“Thanks. I could teach you how to build if you wanted to.”
“Fuck off, you know how that goes the last time.”
Neither of them remember who had started wheezing first, but the sound of their laughter echoed through the night sky, muting almost every other sound in the surroundings.
They don't even know what's so funny about what they just said.
Regect is the first one to stop. He took a shaky inhale as he let his body fall into the soft bedding of grass beneath them, his eyes closing as he spoke. “.. I guess you're not that bad either.”
Ze stares at the entity as he gasps for air from laughing too much, taking in how relaxed his body language is as he replies, voice softer than it had ever been with Regect. “Thanks.”
How wonderful that Ze hadn't lost yet another friend from his outbursts.
“If you tell anyone about this, I will actually find a way to gut you.”
“I was about to say the same thing, don't worry.”
“Regect, do ghosts have parents?” a smaller, cuter voice echoed through Regect's mind as he glanced down at a small child next to him.
He no longer bothers to correct Micha that he's not a ghost by now. It's much easier than having to explain that he's an entity coming from a complex power tier hierarchy anyway.
“Well, not all of us do. But… I have a ‘dad’.” Regect had replied to him at the time as he helped his friend to pick up yet another basket of carrots they both had planted.
Micha's eyes seemed to glitter at his answer. “Wow really! Your dad must be as cool as you! My dad is a cop, so he's very cool too. What does your dad do, Regect?” the child asked him, completely oblivious of the weight of the answer.
What an innocent question. Too bad that the answer is not as innocent as it is.
Regect's claws tightened around the basket’s handles, his soul suddenly filled with this odd feeling that is akin to anger and grief.
“My ‘dad’ is an evil guy, Micha. He hurt me, and he'll do the same to you. So whatever you do—do not interact with any ‘ghosts’ that are not me, understand?”
Regect couldn't help but become a bit stern at the time. But he had been away for so long without giving a single report to Daemon, so it's just a matter of time before those freaky looking eyes came looking for him.
Micha looks a bit confused at his sudden change in behavior. He also looked hurt for a bit—Regect’s soul had skipped a beat and clenched at the same time at the sight of it—before the kid put up a determined expression.
“Don’t worry Regect! I won't let your dad hurt you anymore. I will catch him like how my dad would!” he declared, pulling out his wooden sword as he swish it around as he circled around Regect—acting as his ‘protector’.
The entity was taken aback from Micha’s actions, before slowly, his eyes softened. “..Thank you Em.” he placed the basket full of carrots on his hip as his free hand reached down to brush the child’s white fluffy hair. “But I prefer if you never meet my ‘dad’.”
Regect would never forget the joyful laughter of his little friend. How he hoped that things had gone in a different path.