savetheearth | 001 | video? nope. video games.

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001 | video? nope. video games.

[So whatever means of communication you're using, you're all getting not a voice, not a grunt or even a sigh, but a peculiar tune. It sounded as if someone's playing a game, and an old one at that. And on the screen, aside from the black background, there are tiny colorful sprites running around. One of which is avoiding numerous obstacles along the way. Looks fun, right? But you can't play it, sadly.

Because upon closer inspection, it seems that the sprites, the numbers and letterings, everything is shown backwards. And that background? That background isn't exactly black in color, just dark. But not dark enough to show what seemed to be someone's face from the other side of the screen. It's as if you're looking at a tinted window or something.

And from the looks of it, seems like the player's having trouble. Now that his character has met a Grim Reaper along the way. Whoops.

Hopefully everyone enjoys a good livestream of someone playing and failing a classic game?]

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B-But... what-- how did you...?

[He'll pause for a bit, trying to wrack his brain with this. Because seriously, he knows this is not how video chat definitely works. Especially when he's only using his dad's NES that's hooked up to an old TV. There's no microphone set up either so... What...?

After a while, he speaks up again. Calming down a bit.]

Um, yeah. I mean, this game has a password system and all...

Those numbers you put in weren't a password for a game--they get you access to a, well, it's kind of a network. And it can be accessed through anything, from a computer to your game to even a piece of paper, as long as you can put the numbers on it somehow.

[Why is there a child on the network? The teenagers were bad enough, but a kid this young? Hajime's just trying to make sure he understands this isn't just part of the game.]

It's a secret network, and it's got to stay that way, okay? Telling people outside the network isn't safe.

[See Lucas sitting there. See Lucas blinking at Hajime and probably thinking he's crazy.]

O...kay?

[He's going to get his controller back, and probably fiddle with it. Just by constantly pressing the start button. C'mon switch back to the game...]

[Okay, fine. The one time he tries to be nice about things, and this happens. Hajime scowls.]

Listen to me, kid, this is dangerous. It's not a game. How else do you think I'm talking to you through your Nintendo?

[There's a pause as Hajime tries for another angle.]

Haven't you noticed anything else really strange going on? An odd memory, a skill you never had before, an item that appeared out of nowhere?

[...Well he's got a point there. Now as for the other thing he said. He did sort of notice the weirdness going on in the city. Plus he couldn't forget that one time.]

Well um, actually...

[He's not so sure whether to say it or not. What happened back a few weeks ago was crazy. ...Then again what he's encountering today is a lot crazier, so he'll might as well say it. Besides, it's just him and that weird guy in the TV.]

...I kinda remember making the pool explode when I fell in. I-I mean, not like a bomb or anything just... I felt this weird power inside me, and took out most of the water in it!

[It was surely a weird and confusing experience for him. And it still is even today.]

Weird...power?

[Well, if Hajime wasn't worried before, he is now.]

It happened around the time the numbers first popped into your head, right?

Um, yeah. It's weird and it's like... Like I've had this kind of power kept inside me all this time. Th-That's how it felt, I mean...

[And he'll slowly nod at the last part.]

Just... what's going on? A-And who are you anyway?

No one really knows what's going on or why, but several of us have had strange things happening. Look...it can vanish, but I can't remove it. It just...kind of showed up.

[He'll tilt the camera away from his face and...okay, he's pointing the camera at his waist, that's probably not right, but then a weird belt with a vaguely heart-shaped buckle sort of materializes out of nowhere. Hajime will let Lucas look for a moment before panning back to his face.]

My name's Hajime, by the way. Hajime Aikawa.

Several? So, I'm not the only one the--

[Once seeing that belt suddenly appearing on that guy's waist, Lucas couldn't help but move closer to the TV screen to get a better look at it. He can't call this one weird. This is beyond weird. He'll blink again.

Well at least he now knows he's not the only one.]

...I-I'm Lucas. And that's just freaky.

[No "nice to meet you" here though. This encounter is just way too strange to call it "nice".]

Yeah, the whole thing's kind of freaky, and there are...well I don't know if I'd say there were a lot of us now, but it seems like there are more and more of us every day.

[Hey, kid, at least he didn't show you his green blood. That's beyond freaky.]

Lucas, you can't tell anyone about this, okay? Not unless you know they're also on the network. It's dangerous. Someone else went to the police about it...it wasn't a good idea.

[He has no idea how he's supposed to make this anything remotely resembling child-friendly, but this is important. No one else needs to die.]

It.. wasn't?

[Hajime you're just making the kid feel even more troubled. Because the more he talks of secrecy, the more Lucas thinks as if he's involved in some sort of crime.

For that, Lucas decides that it's best not to ask. He'll definitely regret it later anyway. And so he'll just nod.]

G-Got it. I won't tell anyone.

[Oops. He scared the kid. Caution is good, but scaring kids is not! He is attempting a reassuring smile.]

It's going to be alright, though. You just have to be careful, okay? And if you ever get into any trouble, you can use those numbers to get help.

[He'll just respond to that with a small nod, and nothing more. Because jeez, what the hell has he gotten into this time? And this is a lot worse than getting picked on by bullies too.]

It's...it's all right, really.

[Oops, he has scared this kid...]

Just leave it to us adults, okay? We'll take care of it.

[He is trying to be as encouraging as possible, but he has no idea what's going on here either, really.]

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001 | video? nope. video games.

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