[ Her eyes lingers on the photo as he flips it over, and she sends a curious glance his way. But when he brings up ViViD again, she nods. ]
Yes. We were in a group of four, and when we got to the stage, we decided to split up. Zero and I went to the town, while the others went off to find the source of a loud roar.
The town itself looked normal, from the outside. However, when we went into a building, it was completely white and unfinished. There were people inside, as well, but one passed through Zero and he almost glitched out completely.
[ Just thinking about it sends fear through Kyouko—the thought that a program a lot of people here used every day could do something like that... It was terrifying. ]
[He notices the look, and wonders if she's going to ask; when she doesn't, he's pretty relieved, though he tries not to make that obvious. It's stupid to be embarrassed to show that to Kirigiri, but--the way he looks in that picture--
Well, whatever. That's for thinking about later. This is worse than he expected it to be.
As for the ViViD talk, Leon's only kind of aware of what all of it means. He likes video games sometimes, but he's not a "gamer," per se. And he's been avoiding ViViD almost entirely--first since arriving here, then again since all the glitching out. He can only somewhat grasp all of the implications here, but it doesn't take a gamer to know they're pretty bleak.
He watches Kirigiri with a little frown.]
You mean like--thrown outta the game, or he got hurt? I heard about weird stuff happenin' with people getting hurt. That was in the real ViViD, so it'd probably be even worse in the beta . . . right? Damn, that's creepy.
It was as if his data itself was compromised. [ It's hard to explain, without being able to see it. It was almost like Zero glitched completely out of existence for a moment.
But that wasn't the only thing they felt, either. ]
The longer we stayed in that level, the harder it became to breathe. I was sure we were going to suffocate there, to be honest. My fingers were beginning to disappear at the edges as well, almost as if my data was being corrupted just by existing in ViViD.
[ Thinking back on it, it's worse than it seemed at the time. When she was in the level itself, she was so focused on getting out that she didn't have time to stop and think of the implications of her body slowly disappearing along with almost suffocating. ]
[He looks at her hands immediately--as if she might only have half of them, suddenly, and he just hadn't noticed before, and she just hadn't thought to tell him sooner. It's a silly thought, but hearing "my fingers were disappearing" doesn't exactly encourage him to be rational about this. And of course she's wearing gloves again . . . but at least they appear to be full of fingers. Not half-fingers, or anything else.
Still, that was a quick rush of adrenaline. Leon's lips tug down into a frown, and after a beat, he reaches for one of her hands. Slowly; she could pull it back if she wanted. But it's more than curiosity. He wants to feel it for himself.]
That's . . . shit. Was it just like normal when you came out? You didn't have to see a doctor or anythin'? I know some people got hurt pretty bad, but--I dunno if that was in ViViD. I thought we weren't supposed to get messed up for real in ViViD! If it was some beta test ViViD that means they totally knew it was unsafe and they just--shoved you guys into it anyway!
[ She's surprised when he takes her hand, her eyebrows going up a little. But she doesn't pull away, watching him carefully instead. ]
I was concerned that the effects were going to carry over once we got out. The moment we left, though, all of us were breathing normally and our data was back to normal. [ It still doesn't erase the fact that it had happened while in ViViD in the first place, though. ]
It has made me wonder if ViViD may possibly be more dangerous than we think.
It's these assholes who got us here who're dangerous.
[He looks up at her face, briefly, glowering. But then he frowns down at her hand again, holding it carefully in his. Holding hands with Kirigiri, huh . . .
But this isn't that. He's done that with plenty of girls before, and there's no way to mistake that for this: he rests her hand on his upturned palm, and then gently pinches her index finger between his other finger and thumb. When the finger feels normal--so far as he can tell under the glove--he's relieved, along with feeling kind of silly for even checking, and lets out a little sigh.
It'd just been weird not to be able to see for sure that she was okay.]
[Unfortunately for her, Leon is. It keeps slipping his mind how deprived he's been of contact until he gets some, and then it's like a tiny jab to the gut; how long since he's hugged anyone? Put an arm around a friend? Touched hair? Rested his head in a girl's lap? He lets go of Kirigiri's hand, but not before briefly, gently squeezing it between both of his, because he just can't help himself.]
Yeah, or feel, I guess. Don't worry, I ain't gonna touch your lungs though.
[ Her eyes dart up at him at the squeeze, confused by it. ]
Good. I wouldn't want to have to pay for your hospital bills. [ She says it with a smile, even though her tone sounds serious. But no need to worry, it's a joke. Mostly. ]
[He's definitely kidding, though. His interest in physical altercations with his classmates is even more in the negative than it was back at Hope's Peak, maybe not surprisingly.
(But he's sure he could totally take her.)
He does feel a little better at the joke, though, sitting back with his hands on his knees.]
You're really okay, huh . . . I mean, you seem fine. You really freaked me out with that stuff! I owe someone in CERES an ass-kicking for makin' you go through that!
[Of course Kirigiri's way of processing this stuff is probably for the best anyway; it's not like Leon can do much for her except offer her a seat, some company, and something to drink. It was all virtual anyway! She seems fine, all things considered. But it's definitely disturbing to hear, and Leon's pretty impressed--and maybe a little confused--that she's so easily able to put it aside and focus.]
But yeah, no kiddin'. The whole thing already kinda weirded me out, but this is way beyond that! Even if that was a beta thing, that means they could just--do that to us whenever they wanted, right? Make us disappear . . .
[ It's true, she doesn't focus on herself. Not when she has things she needs to figure out. It's easier to focus on other things, anyway. ]
I believe so. They brought us into this world and they can take us out, as they say.
[ She crosses her arms. ] I plan to find out just what they're aiming for. They told us they want us to aid in the fight against the Flamines, but I'm beginning to doubt that. [ Actually, she doubted it from the beginning, but her doubts are getting stronger. ] I wonder why they haven't had us do anything yet, if they need our help so badly.
[He's been suspicious of that since the beginning himself, and every day that passes the way these days have passed just makes him more sure of it. There's a building frustration with everything happening here that he can't easily get out; sometimes he thinks about trying ViViD again, working off some aggression that way, but how can he do that when things like this are happening? Even ViViD's suspicious!
He could probably stand to throw a few pitches. Ugh . . .
He tips back against the couch dramatically.]
None of it makes any sense! It's supposed to be like we live our lives normally to give 'em chance to work on the code, or whatever, right? But then why do they keep fucking up our lives? It's all wrong! Do they think we're stupid?!
[ What if they've been lying to them about their worlds being destroyed too, and everyone just went along with it? That'd be enough reason for CERES to think they're all stupid, in Kyouko's opinion. ]
They may just find sending us into chaos entertaining. [ It isn't beyond the realm of possibility, after all. Kyouko and Leon both know someone who's done that just for the sake of entertainment. ]
[Oh, he knows. He makes a grim face when he immediately comes to the same conclusion she just implied. It's not the first time he's thought of it, either--or that their worlds might not even be destroyed. He has a lot of time at night to think about things he'd rather not think.]
. . . It's like we came right from all that into all this and it's just a sneakier thing that's exactly the same after all.
Yes. While I am grateful to be out of that school... I'm not keen on the possibility of being manipulated like that again.
[ She sighs. You win some and you lose some, as the saying goes. She really should just be thankful that there's the possibility that every classmate can come back, and that CERES hasn't forced them into some sick game (yet). ]
I know that there are more than a few individuals here that want to fight against CERES, so there is a group of us here that are willing to do something. Even if that something isn't much right now.
[ This, of course, she's gathered from the network. Outside of that, Kyouko's sure more people have talked about getting an upper hand against CERES. ]
All I wanna do is punch a bunch of 'em in the face.
[That's probably about the extent of what he can do, too, and he knows it. But whatever; they only need so many people who can make the plans and figure out the details, right?]
So, what I mean is, you better call me if you guys ever figure out how to punch them in the face so I can help out with that!
Heh. Of course. [ Kyouko knows she wouldn't mind seeing whoever is behind all this punched in the face at all. ]
I plan on keeping you informed on any information I can find. I will not let a classmate stay in the dark, after all. [ Especially after going through what they all went through... She knows the importance of working with others now. ]
[ Friends, huh? There's a small pause as Kyouko considers it. She doesn't go out of her way to make friends, not at all. In fact, it's not something she always ready to call others until Hope's Peak. But everyone that survived, she considers a friend and she's sure Leon would have been in that category had he not gone so quickly.
So, really, she thinks it's safe to say: ] Yes. We are.
[As if he'd always known. Of course he hadn't. He considers her one, even if his feelings are still complicated in some deeply buried ways, and maybe she's not the kind of person he'd become friends with in normal circumstances . . .
Or maybe she is, and neither of them remember the times when they were.
But does it matter either way? Leon feels it, and he'd been nervous that she didn't. When she confirms it, his smile widens; he considers what to do with his hands, because they itch to do something. It'd be different if she were a guy, dammit! In some ways, that's easier!
In the end he just reaches over and squeezes her shoulder, briefly.]
Juuuust makin' sure! So . . . y'know, I've got your back if you ever need it!
[ She can't help but feel a little awkward saying it, especially after what happened during his trial. But Kyouko has to remind herself that they couldn't do anything else in that situation, and it's different here. There's not that incessant paranoia of everyone around them here, and there's a chance to actually build trust between one another. Kyouko just has to focus on the possibilities instead of what's happened in the past. ]
I should be going now. If you decide to go into ViVid, please stay safe.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Yes. We were in a group of four, and when we got to the stage, we decided to split up. Zero and I went to the town, while the others went off to find the source of a loud roar.
The town itself looked normal, from the outside. However, when we went into a building, it was completely white and unfinished. There were people inside, as well, but one passed through Zero and he almost glitched out completely.
[ Just thinking about it sends fear through Kyouko—the thought that a program a lot of people here used every day could do something like that... It was terrifying. ]
no subject
Well, whatever. That's for thinking about later. This is worse than he expected it to be.
As for the ViViD talk, Leon's only kind of aware of what all of it means. He likes video games sometimes, but he's not a "gamer," per se. And he's been avoiding ViViD almost entirely--first since arriving here, then again since all the glitching out. He can only somewhat grasp all of the implications here, but it doesn't take a gamer to know they're pretty bleak.
He watches Kirigiri with a little frown.]
You mean like--thrown outta the game, or he got hurt? I heard about weird stuff happenin' with people getting hurt. That was in the real ViViD, so it'd probably be even worse in the beta . . . right? Damn, that's creepy.
no subject
But that wasn't the only thing they felt, either. ]
The longer we stayed in that level, the harder it became to breathe. I was sure we were going to suffocate there, to be honest. My fingers were beginning to disappear at the edges as well, almost as if my data was being corrupted just by existing in ViViD.
[ Thinking back on it, it's worse than it seemed at the time. When she was in the level itself, she was so focused on getting out that she didn't have time to stop and think of the implications of her body slowly disappearing along with almost suffocating. ]
no subject
[He looks at her hands immediately--as if she might only have half of them, suddenly, and he just hadn't noticed before, and she just hadn't thought to tell him sooner. It's a silly thought, but hearing "my fingers were disappearing" doesn't exactly encourage him to be rational about this. And of course she's wearing gloves again . . . but at least they appear to be full of fingers. Not half-fingers, or anything else.
Still, that was a quick rush of adrenaline. Leon's lips tug down into a frown, and after a beat, he reaches for one of her hands. Slowly; she could pull it back if she wanted. But it's more than curiosity. He wants to feel it for himself.]
That's . . . shit. Was it just like normal when you came out? You didn't have to see a doctor or anythin'? I know some people got hurt pretty bad, but--I dunno if that was in ViViD. I thought we weren't supposed to get messed up for real in ViViD! If it was some beta test ViViD that means they totally knew it was unsafe and they just--shoved you guys into it anyway!
no subject
I was concerned that the effects were going to carry over once we got out. The moment we left, though, all of us were breathing normally and our data was back to normal. [ It still doesn't erase the fact that it had happened while in ViViD in the first place, though. ]
It has made me wonder if ViViD may possibly be more dangerous than we think.
no subject
[He looks up at her face, briefly, glowering. But then he frowns down at her hand again, holding it carefully in his. Holding hands with Kirigiri, huh . . .
But this isn't that. He's done that with plenty of girls before, and there's no way to mistake that for this: he rests her hand on his upturned palm, and then gently pinches her index finger between his other finger and thumb. When the finger feels normal--so far as he can tell under the glove--he's relieved, along with feeling kind of silly for even checking, and lets out a little sigh.
It'd just been weird not to be able to see for sure that she was okay.]
Heh . . . guess you're all here.
no subject
Yes. I suppose you needed to see for yourself, correct?
no subject
Yeah, or feel, I guess. Don't worry, I ain't gonna touch your lungs though.
no subject
Good. I wouldn't want to have to pay for your hospital bills. [ She says it with a smile, even though her tone sounds serious. But no need to worry, it's a joke. Mostly. ]
no subject
[He's definitely kidding, though. His interest in physical altercations with his classmates is even more in the negative than it was back at Hope's Peak, maybe not surprisingly.
(But he's sure he could totally take her.)
He does feel a little better at the joke, though, sitting back with his hands on his knees.]
You're really okay, huh . . . I mean, you seem fine. You really freaked me out with that stuff! I owe someone in CERES an ass-kicking for makin' you go through that!
no subject
[ She appreciates the sentiment, though. Despite having a rocky start when he first got here, they seem to be on stable ground for now, at least. ]
For now we should focus on processing this information. ViViD has the potential to be dangerous, that's for sure.
no subject
[Of course Kirigiri's way of processing this stuff is probably for the best anyway; it's not like Leon can do much for her except offer her a seat, some company, and something to drink. It was all virtual anyway! She seems fine, all things considered. But it's definitely disturbing to hear, and Leon's pretty impressed--and maybe a little confused--that she's so easily able to put it aside and focus.]
But yeah, no kiddin'. The whole thing already kinda weirded me out, but this is way beyond that! Even if that was a beta thing, that means they could just--do that to us whenever they wanted, right? Make us disappear . . .
no subject
I believe so. They brought us into this world and they can take us out, as they say.
[ She crosses her arms. ] I plan to find out just what they're aiming for. They told us they want us to aid in the fight against the Flamines, but I'm beginning to doubt that. [ Actually, she doubted it from the beginning, but her doubts are getting stronger. ] I wonder why they haven't had us do anything yet, if they need our help so badly.
no subject
[He's been suspicious of that since the beginning himself, and every day that passes the way these days have passed just makes him more sure of it. There's a building frustration with everything happening here that he can't easily get out; sometimes he thinks about trying ViViD again, working off some aggression that way, but how can he do that when things like this are happening? Even ViViD's suspicious!
He could probably stand to throw a few pitches. Ugh . . .
He tips back against the couch dramatically.]
None of it makes any sense! It's supposed to be like we live our lives normally to give 'em chance to work on the code, or whatever, right? But then why do they keep fucking up our lives? It's all wrong! Do they think we're stupid?!
no subject
[ What if they've been lying to them about their worlds being destroyed too, and everyone just went along with it? That'd be enough reason for CERES to think they're all stupid, in Kyouko's opinion. ]
They may just find sending us into chaos entertaining. [ It isn't beyond the realm of possibility, after all. Kyouko and Leon both know someone who's done that just for the sake of entertainment. ]
no subject
. . . It's like we came right from all that into all this and it's just a sneakier thing that's exactly the same after all.
no subject
[ She sighs. You win some and you lose some, as the saying goes. She really should just be thankful that there's the possibility that every classmate can come back, and that CERES hasn't forced them into some sick game (yet). ]
no subject
Actually, he's not going to anything, and he knows it. That's part of what stings so much about all of this.]
What would we even do? That's what kills me! How do we get out o' whatever they throw at us when they can do stuff like this to us?
no subject
I know that there are more than a few individuals here that want to fight against CERES, so there is a group of us here that are willing to do something. Even if that something isn't much right now.
[ This, of course, she's gathered from the network. Outside of that, Kyouko's sure more people have talked about getting an upper hand against CERES. ]
no subject
[That's probably about the extent of what he can do, too, and he knows it. But whatever; they only need so many people who can make the plans and figure out the details, right?]
So, what I mean is, you better call me if you guys ever figure out how to punch them in the face so I can help out with that!
no subject
I plan on keeping you informed on any information I can find. I will not let a classmate stay in the dark, after all. [ Especially after going through what they all went through... She knows the importance of working with others now. ]
no subject
[He softens some. She laughed a little . . .
It's kind of hard to stay worked up when that happens. Leon's quiet for a beat, then continues, more relaxed.]
"Classmates," huh? Hey, we're friends, right?
no subject
So, really, she thinks it's safe to say: ] Yes. We are.
no subject
[As if he'd always known. Of course he hadn't. He considers her one, even if his feelings are still complicated in some deeply buried ways, and maybe she's not the kind of person he'd become friends with in normal circumstances . . .
Or maybe she is, and neither of them remember the times when they were.
But does it matter either way? Leon feels it, and he'd been nervous that she didn't. When she confirms it, his smile widens; he considers what to do with his hands, because they itch to do something. It'd be different if she were a guy, dammit! In some ways, that's easier!
In the end he just reaches over and squeezes her shoulder, briefly.]
Juuuust makin' sure! So . . . y'know, I've got your back if you ever need it!
no subject
[ She can't help but feel a little awkward saying it, especially after what happened during his trial. But Kyouko has to remind herself that they couldn't do anything else in that situation, and it's different here. There's not that incessant paranoia of everyone around them here, and there's a chance to actually build trust between one another. Kyouko just has to focus on the possibilities instead of what's happened in the past. ]
I should be going now. If you decide to go into ViVid, please stay safe.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)