codeforhope | 001 | Video/Action for New Bark

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001 | Video/Action for New Bark

[A video appears on the feed with the sound of a Pokemon crying out happily, slightly muffled and at a bit of a distance. ”Goon! Gooon!” The feed shudders a bit, the surroundings shifting until whoever is on the other side finally gets their PokéGear angled toward themselves. Coming into view is what appears to be a young girl, and from the way their voice sounds in addition there’s nothing that could lead anyone to believe otherwise. This is in fact not the case, and rather she is a he. Still, the outfit he’s currently wearing seems to be made specifically for girls...]

Hello. ..Um. ...

[The child on the other end hesitates, pausing before trying to start again.]

My name... is Chihiro Fujisaki. I’m…not sure where I am...or what is going on, exactly.

[There’s a pause as the feed shifts once again, Chihiro moving to carefully sit in the grass instead of standing. The second he does a Zigzagoon climbs into his lap, nudging his head fondly against the underside of the boy's chin. He's not entirely sure what to do, obviously slightly unsure of the furry creature in his lap, but he seems friendly at least. After a pause he gently pets the Pokémon who continues to sit happily in his lap. Chihiro has arrived slightly overwhelmed by...well, everything, so it’s a moment before he’s able to continue.]

Or...how I got here, but.... Naegi-kun, Oowada-kun, Ishimaru-kun...um...Asahina-san...

[He quickly prattles off all the names of his classmates that he can remember off-hand, before realizing that a huge list of names won’t probably mean much if they...aren’t actually around. That thought strikes him hard for a moment before he takes a breath and continues, his grip on the ‘Gear tightening.]

...and everyone else. If any of you are here, from Hope’s Peak, please answer. Something...something must have happened. I mean, I’m outside again...and not...

[Chihiro seems unsure of what else to say, whatever he was saying dying on his tongue with his voice wavering slightly towards the end, so he dips his head a bit before cutting the feed.]

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[Chihiro has to resist the urge to shake his head no. He does have questions, yes, but it's impossible for him to collect his thoughts properly enough to figure out what to ask first. Suddenly, the thought of many more talking to him is....daunting. What else might he be about to learn?

It's a terrible feeling he's suddenly having. He wants to be alone so he can think, yet he wants to be with the rest of his classmates.

...]

I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry...

[He reaches up with one hand and brushes the tears from his eyes, though it doesn't help that much. He hasn't broken down completely into tears, if anything. ...No, he's better than that. He promised himself he would be.]

..I don't....know w-what to ask.

[That's....better, at least.

...

Oh.

Oh.

Of course he is. He didn't have enough to think about as it was, oh no.]

A...alter Ego, is...

[Big brother??

There's another pause, during which Chihiro takes several deep breaths to try to calm himself down.]

...

You're...Artificial Intelligence?

[You certainly...look for all the world like a totally normal person to him, Nanami. He also seems to be ignoring the implication that he made her in favor of figuring out what exactly she's trying to say to him here.]

...I see.

[...Goddamn it, Kirigiri. He'll have to have a talk with her tonight; that reaction doesn't seem good.

But that doesn't help now, does it - unfortunately, he can't be sure what will, and nothing he's been working on socially is really coming to his aid right now. So let's just...focus, and try to stay positive, and keep our heads up and we'll figure out what to do later. Right.]

Then you know we're safe here, right? Nothing can harm us here - a lot of us are here, and we're working on bringing the rest. We're going to be all right.

[ Sadly, they probably don't make congratulations balloons for that. You shall simply have to go without.

Nanami waits through the pause, perfectly willing to just...stare at the screen as she waits Nanami stop that. It isn't as though she's not guilty of long pauses in conversation herself, although she's...actively trying to show her best side here. Sort of.

She wants him to like her. ]

...Right. As a monitor for the Future Foundation...I'm the Super High School Level Gamer, Nanami Chiaki. ...You can call me Chiaki, if you want, Fujisaki-sama.

[ Since...she thinks parents call children by their first names. ]

It seems like if you aren't human before coming here...you're made to be so. So...I think I technically don't have to follow my directives any longer if I didn't want to, but...

[ ...Another pause, as she frowns. ]

...Mm, that's weird. Anyway...if you have anything you want me to do, you should let me know. Or something you want...since...it's a few days after our birthday. Are you cold...?

[ Suddenly swinging into a very seriously concerned look, here. ]

...If you're cold, I'll send over a fire-type right away, ahead of me...

Please don't apologize.

[The urge to ollie out is strong and getting stronger by the minute; still, guilt will make her stick things out a little longer, at least.]

...If it's...not all right that I call you Fujisaki-kun, I understand. But that's...something I know, also.

[Kirigiri tried so hard. It's probably better that she told him from the start, honestly...though it definitely could have been done a bit....better.

He nods slowly. That's something he can grasp onto, if anything. The fact that they're safe. No more danger, no more killing game...

...]

A-...are you sure, Ishimaru-kun?

[It's seems all too good to be true. ...Far too good to be true. He's scared, scared that this will turn out to just be another cruel trick.]

[He holds his tongue, nearly blurting out an apology for apologizing. Hmm..

It isn't hard to answer the next thing she says, somehow. He'd been preparing himself to tell them for so long...it feels so surreal.]

...Fujisaki-kun is fine.

[There's a pause where he looks away, biting his lip. ...Well, she doesn't look it, but he has to ask.]

You're not...upset with me, a-are you?

....f-for lying....I mean.

A lot of our class is here actually! Naegi, Kirigiri-chan, Ishimaru, Oowada, pretty much everyone except Sakura-chan, Fukawa-chan, Kuwata and Maizono-chan!

[Asahina's expression quickly breaks out a wide smile.] It's...really nice to see you again.

Something like that...doesn't bother me at all.

[Let's just neither one look at the camera, then, that's certainly helping things.]

No, if I were asked what I feel toward you...my answer would be "gratitude". And "admiration".

That's how it is.

[There's a deep breath, then another, very measured and slow to avoid dissolving into hyperventilating. You're ok. Sensory and information overload is not doing Chihiro any favors right now.

....Oh, that's right. He'd completely...forgotten about his birthday entirel-

...

Our birthday. ...So they share birthdays.

It's not important, but it's just yet another bit of information that gives him pause. Any more and he might not be able to hold himself together much longer. For now, he'll just...accept the information he's given and hold onto it to be perused later. It's easier than trying to think too hard about....all of this.]

Um...n-no, I'm...I'm fine.

[As if in response to Nanami's concern, the Zigzagoon curls up more snugly in Chihiro's lap, not minding in the slightest that he's had the fingers of his left hand knotted in his fur for quite some time now.]

[ The worry doesn't fade away, and Nanami bites her lip, visibly distressed. She's...not sure what to say, but so far she's worried she messed it up somehow. She'd always, always wanted to have a chance to talk like this, but... ]

...If you have any questions, I'll answer them. Not just because...you're the programmer...but because I want to. And...I'll leave to get you, unless...you'd prefer I didn't...?

[ The pauses are getting longer, but. ]

...wanted to... [ She clears her throat. ] I wanted to...in person, see you. ...I think.

[Seeing Asahina smile like that helps calm his nerves a bit, but he doesn't smile back. In fact, there's a lengthy bit of silence where he doesn't answer, focusing on keeping the 'Gear steady.]

S-..sorry. ...It's good to see you too, Asahina-san..

[Though it's strange to say...he only saw you just a few moments ago.]

[If it's any consolation at all, he won't yell at her too much. He can't even bring himself to be properly mad at her, given the entire...thing with Kuwata. Several things. Repeated things. Yes.

That said, however, his expression softens a bit at that; the usual severity is still present, as is the confidence in his words, but he seems...a bit calmer, somehow. More reassuring and less like he's trying to drill facts into someone's head.]

You know I wouldn't lie to you.

[She knows that feeling, friend.]

...This is all really overwhelming, huh? It was for me at first too. I haven't been here long at all but...it's nice. And it's safe.

[It's miles better than murder school at least.]

[Even if she's not looking, she'll be able to hear his breath catch audibly at those words. That...wasn't the reaction he was expecting in the slightest. He'd envisioned anger, or disappointment....

Certainly not gratitude. Not admiration.

By now the tears have finally escaped to roll silently down his cheeks, but he manages to bite back his emotions before he can properly begin to cry. He just....doesn't understand.

Why. Why would....you admire him? What...has he done that's admirable?

He's quiet for a while, sniffing as he once again struggles to calm himself down. He can feel his Pokemon companion licking his face again, this time working to clean the tears away, whining now with concern.]

I...I see.

[That's not quite...what he wanted to say, there, but nothing else would come out.]

[If anything, it's the opposite. It's nothing Nanami's done....it's more the fact that Chihiro has a hundred things on his mind right now and doesn't know what to do with any of them.

He's quick to answer, though. ...The last thing he wants is to be stranded out here, alone.]

N-no, I...you can come get me. ..Please.

[She said she'd bring him to...Goldenrod, where the rest of his classmates are. Right. That's the goal, for now. Get to where everyone else is, and then have your questions answered.]

[Well, this just went straight to hell in a handbasket in short order, didn't it.

All right, then. Time at last to do what Kirigiri does best — aside from being a detective (and a downright horrible person), that is.]

Speak to the others, Fujisaki-kun. I'll...let you get settled in, for now.

[Now's a good time to end the call and disappear for a while, and that's precisely what she's going to do.]

Then I'll come right away. You don't have to worry...I have a Tropius, which is like a big tree dinosaur...? It flies. It's roomy and everything, so it'll be fast. And I can take on any random encounters we might have...if the SHSL Gamer couldn't handle Pokemon, it would be pretty sad.

[ She'd have to like, turn in her title for a new one.

...She'd have to find a new one, gosh. ]

If I leave now...I should be there sometime tomorrow evening.

[ If she swaps out fliers as needed for breaks and doesn't stop. ]

Then about the same time in transit back...that should work out. It's a lot faster than walking.

[The softer tone Ishimaru adopts allows Chihiro to relax a bit. This is actually the most subdued he's ever seen Ishimaru before, so it's....rather strange. Sure he's still the same as he was, but the last time they spoke at all it was at the top of his lungs.

So, yes, this is preferrable. Please to be continuing this.

And that is enough to reassure him. He'll continue to be wary until he finally sees one of you in person, but just hearing the words spoken is satisfactory for the time being.]

O-ok. ...I trust you.

M-mhm.

[No arguments there.]

I-it....feels too good to be real. ...I just....don't understand.

[You'll have to bear with him Asahina, he's....reeeally trying to not just turn off the 'Gear entirely, ignore everyone, and let himself cry for a while. Of course, he's forcing himself not to, for his own sake and everyone else's. It will come- that it will- but not now.]

[He's learned a few things since he's been here!

...Unfortunately, he's still got about all the natural empathy of a rock; now that that's out of the way and Fujisaki seems less freaked out, the volume is going right back up because of course it is.]

Good! Now, has anyone arranged to pick you up? Assuming you want that, of course!

[Chihiro stares at the screen as Nanami talks, just listening to her. By now he's just absorbing everything he hears as best he can, once again trying not to think too hard about whatever it is- big tree dinosaur notwithstanding.

He shifts his position a bit where he's sitting, the Zigzagoon moving to stretch himself out lengthwise across his lap.]

S-should I....stay here, or....go back into town?

[Chihiro, honey, she doesn't expect you to sleep on the ground and wait for her when there's a Pokemon Center like right there.]

[Thank you for reminding him you haven't changed, Ishimaru.]

..Nanami-san is coming to get me.

[He knows she said she wouldn't be here until tomorrow, but he's already grown anxious waiting. Thus, he's been glued to his 'Gear ever since, ready to answer any new messages or videos coming in to him.]

She....she said she's bringing me to Goldenrod. ...That's where you and the r-rest of our classmates are...right?

[Not that he doesn't trust Nanami's word, but it's nice to be sure.]

[ More than that, Nanami looks a little flustered. NO, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO STAY OUTSIDE WHILE IT TAKES HER A DAY TO GO GET YOU...gosh, papa, do you think she's mean? ]

The Pokemon Center has beds for travelling trainers, in towns without inns. And they'll have food and things, too...so, staying in town would be more comfortable for you. And I can find you wherever, since I have your number. ...I don't want you to get sick or to be uncomfortable, so...going there might be best.

It is! We're all -

[...oh gently caress, hang on - ]

...Ah.

[How. How do we word this.]

What's the last thing you remember happening before coming here, by the way?

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001 | Video/Action for New Bark

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