babermetrics | IC OVERFLOW AND MISC.

[ He doesn't look thrilled at the invitation to sit down, but he manages to find a box worth sitting on. ...Well, "worth" sitting on relative to the floor. So he carefully sits on top of that, crossing his arms and literally looking down at Leon as he speaks. ]

I'm expecting the explanation that you have.

[WHATEVER MAN, THIS IS COMFORTABLE. It's a little weird now, because someone had to go and make it weird, but Leon just rolls his eyes and leans back against the wall casually.

All of this is peppered with hiccups, of course.]

. . . It ain't like I really get it either. I guess if we're really "code" CERES recovered, or whatever their story is, they must've got mine even after--all that. But if that's all bullshit, I dunno what to tell you. Yeah, okay, I remember it. I know what happened, it's not some weird timeline whatever, so you don't gotta sit there wonderin' if you need to break the news to me.

...Hmph. So you mean you came here posthumously. [ He goes for a word that's more direct, but still more tactful than it could be—no guarantees Leon knows the word, though. ] If... the world was truly destroyed... then yes, I see no reason why your "data" could not have been recovered along with everyone else's.

[ He's still heavily dubious about the premise that needs to be accepted for that to make sense, though. But... everything he's encountered already, in such a short period of time, is so unreal that he can't believe it's anything but a constructed reality. ]

Yeah--if.

[It's not like he can quite believe it either. His voice is dripping with disbelief, and he tilts back even more against the wall, head tipping back to look up and meet Togami's eyes. He may be literally looked down upon right now, but the topic has him feeling defiant--if not necessarily in Togami's direction.]

I dunno if I believe that. I dunno if I believe anythin' they tell us! But however they managed it, here I am, I guess. I feel a hundred percent real!

[That's sure not precisely true.]

...You seem similar enough to the real Kuwata. [ Not that Togami is the best judge of people's subtle personalities. But—Alter Ego was able to mimic those who were already dead... so that evaluation doesn't really mean much anyway. The important thing is: ] I may as well treat you as such until proven otherwise.

[ It's not a very reassuring or consoling way to express that sentiment, but at least he's agreed to do it. ]

Wait, you were doubtin' that?

[He hadn't picked up on Togami actually doubting he was himself, only assuming he was confused as to how this was all possible. Which Leon can't blame him for; he's still confused himself about that, and it doesn't help that he actively tries not to think about it most of the time.

But he's completely himself, hey! He makes a little face up at Togami in the dark, though he's not annoyed enough to raise his voice. Thankfully, considering that they're hiding.]

Whatever . . . nothin's gonna prove otherwise, 'cuz I'm the real deal! You're "similar" to the real Togami too . . . I guess.

[It's not like he'd known Togami well. His impression of him, though, seems to have been mostly accurate: kind of impressive, but standoffish and probably totally nerdy.

But that just raises the question as to what the hell Togami knows about him. That doesn't make any sense, does it?]

It ain't like we really knew each other, right?

We knew each other for two years. [ Hmmm. But, it makes sense that from Kuwata's perspective, they barely knew each other... Well, they still didn't know each other very well during their years as classmates, but definitely far better than they knew each other during their brief time in the Mutual Killing.

So he clarifies, in a rare, considerate moment of volunteering information. Just because he knows he'd have to in a minute anyway. ] My memories have been restored.

--Oh. Wait, really? Why you and not the others?

[It's a weird moment; it's never occurred to Leon that someone could show up and actually remember all of it, ever since he found out from Naegi that no one here did. He's almost gotten used to the whole "we all lost two years of our lives thing and that sucks" state of affairs. Why's Togami get to be special, huh?

He's not sure how he feels about it, either. He's at a disadvantage in a big way if Togami has two years' worth of memories of Leon doing things he has no idea he did.]

I guess now ain't really the time to ask about what you remember about me. I dunno how much I wanna anyway.

[He does, though, some.]

It's not the time. [ For better or worse, he agrees immediately, in a firm voice. ] At least not to explain everything. All you need to know for now is that I'm from later in time than the others.

[ He still feels kind of uncomfortable with that, but he's going to have to get used to it pretty quick, since it's inevitable that he's going to have to explain this to everyone from Hope's Peak he'll meet. ]

They mentioned stuff like that before.

[Mostly in an unsettling context, up until now. He shrugs, jerky, as he considers whether to explain--but why not? It's not like he's expecting any awkward sympathy here from this guy of all people.

And maybe if he's a total asshole about it, it'll feel good to fight about it some.]

When I got here, they kept askin' me what the last thing I remembered was, like it was gonna be somethin' besides . . . all that bullshit. It turned out they thought I was maybe from the past or whatever. Anyway, I've been hearin' all kinds of explanations of stuff I don't really get about how it all went down, but yeah, later. Whatever!

[By the way, that whole thing's still peppered with hiccups, but they're also definitely easing off by now.]

Hmmmm. I see.

[ He's curious about what "explanations" he's talking about, but now that they've mutually agreed it's not the time, he can't really ask about them. So, time to focus their efforts on getting out of here, so maybe they can finally continue a conversation in a more appropriate location for once. ]

So how do you propose we escape from this place? If this is virtual reality, are we able to access a logout or shutdown menu?

Normally yeah, but it ain't workin' right now, 'cuz CERES is screwin' us around again!

[It's nice getting mad at CERES. It's not like Leon likes that CERES keeps doing things to get mad at, but having a direction to be annoyed in--one that isn't complicated by his own world and past at all--is pretty great in comparison to everything else he could be dealing with. He huffs, arms crossed on his knees, and casts a glance around the dark closet. Not that there's much to see.]

I was hopin' if I stayed in here long enough it'd let me log out before anyone else found me or I had to deal with any more screwed up crap, but I've been in here like fifteen minutes and nothin' yet. If we run for it we probably ain't gonna find an exit until they want us to. See what I mean about these bastards?

Hmph.

[ He crosses his arms, considering their situation from the perspective of it being a "game". Make no mistake, he is pretty mad at CERES, but a situation like this requires playing along with their desires in order to escape. It's not like he knows any back-end shutdown commands here, after all. He can't get around the system.

Even though he's had quite enough of being a piece in someone else's game, he doesn't have much choice right now... ]

If waiting it out seems unlikely, perhaps there are victory conditions to be found in directly confronting those who are coming after you.

You mean like a shooter kinda game?

[Okay, well. That sounds kind of appealing, actually. Leon doesn't play ViViD; he has his reasons, and he thinks they're pretty legit, and then he gets sucked into it anyway apparently so he has to wonder what the point is of avoiding it, but that's beside the point. The point is he's not experienced with this stuff, and it hadn't even occurred to him to think of it as a game scenario. It sounds obvious now.]

Maybe not shooting, 's not like we've got guns, but . . . that's the kinda thing you meant, right?

[He lifts his head and blinks up at Togami in the dark, thoughtful.]

[ He nods. ] Something like that. Any sort of game where the objective is to defeat your enemies.

[ He's not sure what weapons they're going to use either, but hey, it's a hospital. There are at least sharp pointy objects in the form of needles lying around. ]

I guess that'd explain why they keep attacking us and stuff, if we're supposed to find somethin' and fight back. Wonder if there's anythin' in here?

[He stands up with a sigh to take another look at the boxes, including the one he's been leaning up against. The first one he opens is a box of tiny individual packets of gauze, which feels like adding insult to injury; he snorts.]

Hey, where'd you start off anyway? Why're you dressed like that? I wonder why you were a patient and I was a doctor! Maybe 'cuz I'm like, your ViViD senpai.

Perhaps because they're attempting to cause the most insult possible.

[ I mean, I find Kuwata being a doctor very insulting to doctors.

He goes to dig around in the boxes himself, searching for needles or surgical equipment as he speaks. ] I was in a hospital bed, as you might assume.

Ugh, creepy. Who wants to wake up in a hospital bed? That'd be an insult to anyone! So did they mess you around any? I just got told to help out patients, and when I tried to get out I got caught and jabbed with that needle. Like I'm a doctor! That's so unsafe!

[Even he knows that being a doctor would be medical malpractice waiting to happen. And that's even worse than other kinds of practice.

He opens another box; it's just some blankets, sealed in packaging to stay sterile. Leon rolls his eyes and tosses one at Togami. Just because.]

[ He catches it, though probably not as effortlessly as Leon would. He frowns down at it, though, since while they could probably find some use for them, they're not worth much on their own... ]

They tried to force me into a different treatment plan, which didn't include any bodily harm, but was at least as annoying... [ Even though it wasn't nearly as dangerous and unhygienic. ]

Perhaps it would be possible to wrest a needle from one of them.

Just one needle's not gonna do much for us! Hey, was there an IV in your room?

[He has a sudden mental image of himself swinging around an IV stand; that's a little better. Leon knows how to handle sticks. He's not sure about Togami, though--and of course they'll have to get to a hospital room first to grab one.

He gets to his feet, though, having already given up on the boxes. The odds of him finding anything in here he's comfortable wielding are really damn low.]

What were they gonna do to you?

[ Well, given the fact that the thread where Togami swung around an IV stand probably takes place earlier in the timeline than this thread... he grimaces in recollection. ]

...There was one. I already used it in an... altercation. I would rather not return to my room, personally.

[ And, since that leads into the other explanation: ] She was attempting to get me to drink while on my head, or something ridiculous. Still, she was overly aggressive about it.

[Well that's a hilarious surprise. Leon covers his mouth on his laugh; he wouldn't normally bother, but he's definitely being loud enough that he might get some unwanted attention from the hallway if he didn't.]

Oh man, really?! Damn, you've had an even worse day than me! If I was you I'd be swingin' my IV around at everything that moved! . . . That's already pretty tempting. Think we could find another one somewhere?

[There've got to be more patients' rooms they can raid for blunt weapons.]

Be quiet—! [ He hisses, though frankly it's out of embarrassment and not out of any concern that they'll be found.

But then he sighs, crossing his arms and regaining some of his composure, even if he's still visibly irritated. ] There's bound to be more than a single IV stand in the entire hospital.

[He rubs his hand over his mouth again with a snort. Poor Togami; Leon knows he's pissing him off, and he doesn't want to end up firmly on his bad side, especially in a situation like this. But he just can't help himself at the mental image of him standing on his head for anything, much less drinking water in a hospital gown. Finally, once he's got control of his laughter, he reaches out to smack him on the shoulder with a grin.]

Yeah, right! And we're not really accomplishing anything hangin' out here, huh? So maybe we oughta just run for it and arm ourselves, and then go all out on these enemies!

[ Togami shoots Leon an unimpressed look when he's smacked in the shoulder, but he doesn't chastise him, or even disagree with his plan. ] ...That may be the intended course of action. Although "just run for it" is almost impressive in its sheer lack of strategy. Surely you can go on the offensive while still thinking it through a little?

[ Or maybe that's a touchy subject when Leon is coming from committing murder, where he did in fact show slightly more strategy to "go on the offensive"? Well, it's already out of his mouth. Not much to do about it now. ]

IC OVERFLOW AND MISC.

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