codeforhope | 014

[A video flickers into life on the Network, and for a moment the only thing that can be seen is the cheerful face of a Leavanny as she dutifully adjusts the Gear so it will be properly in focus. She bounces away from the screen a second later with her arms spread wide to bring attention to a rather impressive array of scarves that have been laid across Chihiro's bed. ...no, really, there are a lot of them. Like, so many that there are little stacks of them piled where the few aren't sitting on display.

...they're also sortof janky as all hell but you've probably never seen a bug more happy about anything in her entire life.

Chihiro stands next to her as she continues to gesture at the accessories, wearing one of the scarves around his neck. It's far too long for any normal human to be wearing and the patterns adorning all of them are mismatched and just a little hideous, but...they look really warm?]

It's starting to get colder recently, isn't it? It will probably be snowing very soon...and Shiruku here has been knitting scarves for most of the year. But we, um...we have more than we know what to do with right now.

[Chihiro's expression betrays that he knows how ugly they are, but that he's also trying to silently beg anyone watching to not tell her that, please do not crush her dreams oh my god]

And people have started showing up again, and I'd hate to know that they were having to travel in this cold weather without anything to keep them warm. So we're giving these away to anyone who needs one! They won't cost anything, so don't worry about that...like I said, we have a lot of them in all sorts of colors. Consider them an early Christmas present. They've all been hand knitted by Shiruku herself.

I can send them to wherever you are, or you can come get one in person if you would like, if you are in Goldenrod right now.

[Just before the feed cuts, Shiruku picks up one of the scarves and holds it up so everyone out there can see it better. It's a vibrantly purple thing, and it drags the ground. She looks very proud of it.]

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[After a moment, the Ralts pushes a tiny hand out of the poor sweater's collar and waves back, a quick, teenty movement. H-hello.]

I got a teleporty jump start to Cherrygrove so at least I'm not out in what I got here wearing, but it's still kind of rough. And that Mom character didn't help much, packing me a sleeveless shirt and all. I'm just trying to save up for a coat and boots. Or just giving up and living here.

[Oh no what a cute]

Oh, that's good! If you're already in Cherrygrove, that makes it easier. I can have Monet or Utako fly it to you. Is there a particular color you would like?

Red's pretty much my color at this point. Also, I hope you know you don't actually have to send me ten? I was exaggerating for jokes.

[The Ralts looks up at him, and Dave pauses.]

Though, maybe at least two?

[IF IT'S TOO LONG FOR A HUMAN, CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE...]

[...thank you for clarifying, Dave, because he probably would have actually sent you ten. Ten red, ugly as sin scarves.]

Two red scarves, then. I'll make sure to send yours right away so you can get bundled up.

My name is Chihiro Fujisaki, by the way. It's nice to meet you.

Oh, yeah. Dave Strider, likewise. Uh, thank you for the scarves. Or, thank you?

[The last bit's to Shiruku.]

Thanks. Um, which part of your name's the part you want me to use? I'm American.

[The Leavanny looks up from where she had been pawing through the scarf piles to find the brightest, reddest pairs of them to send off to Dave. She waves a claw dismissively with a gentle smile. It's nothing!]

You're very welcome.

[That...actually causes Chihiro to pause for a moment, since he's never really been asked.]

I don't usually mind too much what people call me, here...but I usually prefer Fujisaki, if given a choice.

[But you could literally call him cheerios and he wouldn't care. Kirikou did and it was fine.]

Fujisaki. Okay.

[He nods, then shrugs.]

Sorry if I fuck it up. There's a lot of people here to remember, I'm not used to that so much anymore.

[Chihiro just smiles, shaking his head a little.]

Oh, don't worry too much about it. I know it can be a little overwhelming here, at first...but I'm sure you'll get used to it soon, Dave-kun.

Haha. Well, here's hoping.

[He pets his Ralts's head absently.]

You been here a while, then? You said you weren't new.

That's right. I've been here for almost two years now.

[...man. That's so strange to think about, but there it is.]

Daaaamn.

[Three years had been its own adventure, but at least he'd had Rose...]

And it's...been all right? Not, like, too boring, or too--I don't know, you know how violent video games can be these days.

Mm, it's been okay. Unusual things do happen, now and then...you just missed one, actually, but things are back to normal now.

Most of the time, things can be pretty quiet here. It's a nice place to be, I think.

...Okay. Well, "nice most of the time" is promising enough. I'll take it.

Most people like it here, even if they aren't too excited to be here at first. There are worst places to be.

[Faaaar worse.]

Hah, yeah. I hear that.

[DANGAN RONPA AND HOMESTUCK, AM I RIGHT.]

Do people actually ever not want to be here? I mean, it's just. So nice, damn.

[HA HA...HA....]

You would be surprised. Though I'm sure it's the minority that really don't want to be here, and even then it's...mostly due to homesickness.

...

I guess I understand that, too.

[Though he doesn't sound completely sure about that.]

Maybe I'm lucky this setup's got some stuff in common with where I'm from.

Mm. It's like that for me as well. It's harder for people who come from worlds that are very different. Some people are even different species beyond human before they come here.

Yeah, I heard they get turned human in that case? I mean, what's up with that. I get being depowered to protect the integrity of the immersive gaming experience, but changing someone's entire species just seems kind of beyond the pale of rudeness.

That's right. Nobody knows why that happens, exactly...anyone who had any powers or abilities before they came here lose those, too.

There's a certain time though where a lot of people start arriving all at once...things are a little different during those days. It doesn't last long, but everyone's powers come back.

Really?

[It'd be nice to fly again, but...]

Doesn't that get kinda...I dunno. Insane?

It gets pretty hectic. But it only lasts for three days or so, about as long as the weekend.

Man, that's weird. And it's, like, a set time? Maybe it's some kind of calibration thing...

It is, yes.

[That...has Chihiro tilting his head a little, curious.]

Calibration?

Maybe calibration's not the right word, but, you know, maintenance. Pokémon's a video game, right? Maybe they gotta take down all the plugins and stuff every now and then to update everything.

[Video]

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