savetheearth | 1st Song // Computer [webcam]

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1st Song // Computer [webcam]

[Hello all you crazy reincarnated people. Have a really confused looking young man with bleach-blond hair staring at you. He hesitates for a moment, looking a little speechless, before he takes a deep breath and gets up the nerve to say something.]

This is not at all what I expected to find when I Googled that number.

Sorry, I know I must be interrupting a lot, but can anyone tell me what's going on? I tried looking at a few posts around here but I just got more confused. Something about a death, and security concerns and...a general?

[He sighs and rests his chin in his hand, mumbling the last bit of this to himself.] I didn't just accidentally hack into something I wasn't supposed to see, did I?

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I've...heard.

[He glances away from the screen and rubs the back of his neck. He definitely wasn't expecting to see Mitsuko's brother on the network--although in hindsight he has enough exes that he probably should've expected to see someone that he has an awkward past with.]

It seems like we've stumbled into quite a mess.

[Hajime likewise wasn't expecting to see one of his sister's ex-boyfriends on the network. She'd only had a few of them, and he'd been horrible to them all...and probably worse to Sasame than the others.]

Yeah, it's not exactly the best situation. We really can't trust anyone. Reassuring, isn't it?

[There's a pause as he tries to think of how he wants to approach the conversation. He's got no great love for Sasame, but he does like information.]

There's more to it than just the network. People have been noticing some strange stuff...

[He'll just let that discussion prompt hang, see what happens.]

[He actually knows, on some level, that he deserved a little bit of Hajime's poor treatment while he and his sister were dating. He probably had been a little inattentive. Of course, he's not going to admit that out loud, because that would be admitting that (1) he's not as perfect as he likes to pretend and (2) things bother him.

But hey, it's been a civil enough conversation, and he enjoys trying to understand a puzzle through conversation, so he's more than happy to continue the thought.]

Are you talking about the pink light? Or the weird memories and changes people are experiencing?

[At least Sasame's not still dating Mitsuko. Hajime's far less aggressive when he doesn't feel he needs to protect anyone...even if watching the guy squirm was fun.]

The latter. There have been some...interesting results for some. I take it you've experienced one?

[Hajime is very consciously keeping the camera pointed at his head and shoulders. There's no need to show off that fancy belt he's having trouble getting to stay hidden.]

[He nods.]

Yeah. Back in high school, actually. A song I knew, but couldn't remember from where, and some sort of strange message in my voice. And the number, of course. I thought it was some sort of false memory...

High school? That long ago?

[Hajime frowns.]

I never noticed anything until a few weeks ago.

Yeah. It's been about three years. I'd nearly forgotten the number, but for some reason that light made me remember.

[He pauses.] Wait, if it was a few weeks ago, that was still before the light, wasn't it?

Huh. That's a long time for this crap to be going on...

[He nods.]

Yeah, it was still before that light went off...so I guess we can say the light didn't cause anything, except maybe remembering the number a little more strongly. I was more concerned with other stuff when it popped into my head.

[Not that this is helping; this whole thing is still weirder than Hajime would like.]

[Normally, Sam would be quick to ask what's bothering him, but...it's Hajime. He probably wouldn't appreciate him being nosy.]

Yeah, that's part of the reason why I haven't checked on the number again until now. Lots of school work.

But it's really strange that the light doesn't seem to have had anything to do with it. I wonder what it WAS?

[And to think, Sam's one of the few people Hajime wouldn't mind thinking he was some kind of monster...or at least, it would bother him less. So he'd tell himself, anyway.]

I tried to do that, just focus on work, but I accidentally put it into the cash register at the restaurant. Be careful what you put the number into. Some stuff just wasn't meant to be turned into a communication device.

[He shakes his head.]

No idea. Can't have been natural...

Wait, hold on--the number works on things like CASH REGISTERS?

Yeah. Hell, when I first tried it, I had some old Chinese dude having trouble with a fax machine coming through.

Ha, I didn't even know people still used fax machines.

Like I said, he sounded old. I'd imagine he still has a VCR, too.

Probably. He'd maybe even have a pager.

...that might actually be functionally less useful than a cash register when it comes to accessing the network.

I would imagine so, less keys. Not that I plan on trying it any time soon. [beat] Of course, I don't have any cash registers I use anyway.

Anything can be used if you get creative enough, it seems. Try not to screw anything up.

[with a dismissive wave of the hand] I'll probably only use my computer and my phone unless there's an emergency.

Safest way to do it. A lot of people have been using just scraps of paper and the like...I guess those could be burned once you were done, but communicating that way just feels unnatural.

[Writing on paper and having it write back at you? Hajime does not want.]

I might try it just for the novelty. But I'm used to talking to people through my phone or computer anyway. Handwriting seems like it'd just be too slow.

[Someone has a real addiction to Facebook and texting...]

Convenient if that's all you've got access to, but I can't see it being of much use otherwise.

[Oh, he sees the possibilities...the whole thing just weirds him out.]

[He nods in response, then pauses. He briefly considers asking "how's your sister?" but dismisses that thought almost instantly--he can't think of very many ways that conversation could go well.

So instead he just gives the camera a little wave.]

Well, I guess I should let you go. I'm sure you're busy with the restaurant.

Some of us do have actual commitments.

[There's a nod.]

I'll leave you to dodging yours.

[Oh, ouch, that struck a nerve. He narrows his eyes and snappishly responds.]

While you were busy slapping your number into cash registers I wasn't on the network because I was studying. I don't--

[He stops himself there with a frown and instead just sends the message.]

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1st Song // Computer [webcam]

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