"What do you mean? You said this was reality…" I faltered, not understanding what was happening.
If there had been a mirror nearby, my expression would probably have been extremely bewildered. Complete incomprehension was surely written all over my face.
"It is reality, but it also has its conventions. This world needs to be kept in working order somehow," Mita replied, as if explaining something very simple and understandable.
She thought for a second or two, choosing her words, then continued.
"Seasons! That's also a convention of the outside world. That the year will have spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and each season has its own, let's say, properties. Here, the convention is the shared 'available resources'," – on the last words, she curled her fingers in the air, as if making quotation marks. What are these strange gestures?
"Shared available resources?" I asked again, trying to understand what she meant.
"Look, sweetie, the world is real, but it runs from your phone, and it has its limits."
Kaboom!
It was as if an explosion had gone off in my head. The information was too unexpected and shocking.
So, it turns out I'm a Demiurge who has descended into his own, yet not his own, creation, which turned out to be just another reality? And I descended not as a creator, but as a simple guest, whose rights here were less than those of its inhabitant?
"And…" I prompted her to continue, but didn't know what specifically to ask. My head was just spinning!
"Right, and you yourself set low graphics settings. Remember?"
Me?! It was like being hit over the head with a club. And it was true, me. My phone was old, and Mita, living in this world, was suffering. Unfair.
But… my phone couldn't handle more! It's not like I had options.
"Well, don't be upset," she said, noticing my frown and putting her hand on my shoulder. "It's better than bugs. Believe me."
"Bugs?"
"Yep, I hope you don't encounter them."
I didn't even know what to say. Who are these 'bugs' of yours? I didn't know, and did I want to know?.. Probably not, especially since Mita herself says it's better not to.
"You… I'm sorry…" I decided to apologize, just in case. I felt guilty for putting off upgrading my phone for so long. I shouldn't have started this.
"It's nothing, as God here, I have the ability to change those settings," she went to the drawer and took out a small hand mirror, showing it to me.
Is she trying to get me to look at myself? Oh… no, I get it.
"Mita, the reflection ran away again," I noted, looking with surprise at the empty surface of the mirror.
"You see it too? I turned them off again," she smiled, as if it were perfectly normal.
I nodded timidly, accepting it, although it didn't exactly fit in my head – I couldn't just snap my fingers and make myself reflect in a mirror.
"Can you turn it on?" I asked, just to test her reaction. What would she say?
"Um… you want it to be on that much?" she looked at me intently, as if studying me.
"Well, of course… I don't like emptiness," I replied, trying not to show my uncertainty.
"I can turn it on, but…" She hesitated, as if reluctant to say something.
"But? Does it strain the core too much?" I interrupted her, trying to speak calmly.
"Well, yeah. Ever seen cartoons with slow animation? When characters move as if in slow motion?" she asked, squinting.
I thought about it; generally, I remembered something like that, but I couldn't recall anything specific.
"That's kind of how the core will be loading us for a very long time. Everything will move as if through jelly."
"But wait, everything was fine before. Why wasn't there such a problem then?" I asked, trying to understand what was happening here.
"Before was before, and now most of the resources have gone somewhere else," she spread her hands, as if she knew nothing.
"Somewhere else? Where?" I pressed, feeling a growing anxiety – where else.
At this, she simply spread her hands.
"What I don't know, I don't know," she said, again avoiding eye contact.
"Got it, no reflections then. I'll manage somehow," I sighed, accepting her rules of the game. I'd just have to put up with it.
She smiled and clasped her hands behind her back.
"Ilyusha, I see you like looking in the mirror? What, afraid a hint of positivity might appear on your face?" playful notes slipped into her voice.
Huh?
"What? Not true. I just like it when everything is in its place."
She laughed. It seems I had amused her again, and again, I hadn't intended to.
Next, Mita suggested playing the console, and we went out into the living room.
Inside the room, for some reason, sneakers by the entrance caught my eye… what the hell?
I definitely don't wear shoes like that, and they weren't here before.
"Mita… where did these sneakers come from? They're definitely not mine."
She raised a finger to object, but I interrupted her.
"Not mine," I repeated to her.
"They became yours," she replied, shrugging. As if that explained anything.
"Yeah?" The bewilderment on my face was the most sincere reaction possible.
"Yep))) I conjured them. Now they're yours. And I can do other clothes too. I told you))) I can make you the most fashionable guy in the whole world," she added enthusiastically.
But I didn't share her joy. I don't like this. Sneakers just appeared out of nowhere. It's intrusive. It's just plain… how does she know my shoe size? Did she measure? But isn't that weird?
Seeing that I was silent and frowning, she waved her hands in front of me, trying to get my attention.
"You look a bit gloomy, but so be it, I'll get you something. Want some?"
"Nope."
She lowered her gaze, clasping her hands together with a somewhat guilty look.
Huh? I think I embarrassed her. And yet, something here isn't right. I almost felt it with every cell of my body, but I was still carefree – after all, this wasn't that familiar reality.
"Alright then, let's go play," I suggested, changing the subject. I'll come back to this later.
"Huh? Hooray!" she exclaimed exaggeratedly, clapping her hands.
We quickly moved to the console and turned on the TV with the device.
Two games appeared before us – "Penguin Piles" and "Sour Fight." The names sounded absurd.
"You've already seen the ad for Sour Fight on TV before, it's a fighting game for two."
"Penguin Piles… well, you have to drag snowballs to victory there."
"And what's the fun in the second game?" I inquired, not particularly drawn to the cover art. Penguins interested me little.
"Cute little penguins. What else do you need?" she replied, shrugging and smiling radiantly. Too pushy.
Understood, then we'll play both. Got to kill time with something...