yogen | npc contact.2

[ It's... yeah, a lot of stuff she isn't familiar with, so that she's able to follow along with Natsume's exposition but without the full appreciation it likely deserves. It's kind of impressive, though she'll never say it, that he's involved in something like this. Less impressive is a headset when she was imagining machinery from wall to wall, but it must be more that meets they eye if she's to sit down on the chair for this instead of walking around the room and bumping into desks. ]

...Sakasaki, why are you a magician?

[ Instead of a virtual reality... designer? programmer? whatever his part of it was, it's something he clearly loves and is proud of, eager to share the experience with others. ]

To make people hapPY.

( ...He's always said it, right? That he's a magician of happiness. Natsume picks up a headset, fiddling with it for a moment. )

I grew up wanting to be a fortune teller because of my mommy's WORK, and eventually I learned that people often considered such work magiCAL... Unbelievable and unexplainABLE, though that's not true at ALL. A fortune teller is just better at predicting people than the average person through a few different tricks of the trade—commonalities among people in certain age ranGES, keen observation of what people wear or how they carry themSELVES, the common tells most people don't realize they have and the ones that are theirs and theirs aLONE... The list goes ON.

With enough pracTICE, even you could be ONE. ( ... ) Not as great of one as me or Mommy, of COURSE.

( Of course.

But she could be. It's nothing that special—just something a little out-of-the-ordinary, something drenched in mysticism, something people look at the same way they do the occult.

Distrustful, but curious. )

But truthfulLY, I hadn't thought too much about it until I met Wataru Hibiki—he's a magician, TOO. He's an actor and direcTOR, a playwright and someone who performs each and every day of his LIFE... Even with US. ( Which is—a little sad, but there's no doubt that there's some truth to it.

They'd been fun days, though. Brief as they were, they were fun. Natsume motions for her to sit, and when she does, he'll put the headset on her. Nothing to see yet. ) I'd already been interested in things like sorcery and alchemy—science and chemisTRY, to put it in more modern terminology—so naturalLY, the tricks he performed caught my EYE.

They're nothing more than illuSIONS, but the reactions they brought out of oTHERS... ( out of him... ) I suppose it made me realize what I wanted to do in LIFE.

( To make people happy. He doesn't tell her that really, the motivation to do that actually came along much later, after everything had fallen apart, after no amount of childish wishing and begging and pleading could have saved anyone or given monsters (a word he would speak with a certain dryness, forced to sarcasm to cover the hurt and anger it still gives him, like a poisonous barb still lodged in his heart) a happy end.

If he could save others from unhappy fates though... if he could just alleviate the worries of those around him, in front of him, as far as he could reach... )

Let me know if it's too TIGHT. ( He'll fix it for her, no problem; he's just sure it's not too loose on her. ) Were you asking because I gave you an explanation you didn't ask FOR?

It's fine.

[ She also wants to say something really fucking rude but she will not ]

I'm asking because you sounded happier talking about virtual reality than I've heard you before, like it's something that makes you happy, instead of revolving around other people's happiness.

[ Whereas fortune telling fully caters to other people, it's all about manipulating and tricking them, and the magic falls apart once you're aware that it's all bullshit. It's hard to get away from thinking like that when you're like Maya who views literally everything through a lens of suspicion. ]

Do I just sit here like I'm watching a 3D IMAX movie?

( Is it "I didn't ask for your life story please shut the fuck up Sakasaki."

Natsume purses his lips; he'd never really thought about it like that, because to him, guiding people to happiness and giving them opportunities to find somewhere they can be content at... does make him happy, in a way. But he can't deny either, that he's happier with the results that cater more to his selfish wishes—a rewriting of history at Yumenosaki Academy, the talks of restructuring the DreamFes system, giving more choices to people whether they wanted to go into the idol course like Subaru or to people who were enrolled into it against their will like Natsume himself...

He steps away. Kindness done for selfish reasons is still kindness, though he'd never call himself a kind person, except to reassure someone he's not a bad person. )

You can walk around if you want or move your HANDS, but it isn't necessaRY. If you imagine yourself doing someTHING, you'll do it in the game; this virtual reality is essentially based on inTENT, translating the synapses that make up your thoughts into movement you can see and FEEL. ( The... best explanation he can give her. ) Speaking of feelING, if you feel sick at any TIME, don't hesitate to tell ME.

( ... )

Virtual reality is lost on me NOW, so I'll stay out of it; you just enjoy the night SKY, Little Wolf. We can still TALK.

( He flicks a switch. )

( You wake up.

The grass is cool and slightly wet beneath Maya's hands, the night breeze pleasantly chilly. All around her stretches nothing but a large plain as far as the eye can see, eventually fading into darkness as the moon's waning light reaches its limit. Somewhere off in the distance, night birds call to one another, and insects sing to each other in sweet chirrups.

But more pressing than that: the sky, stretching ever onward. Like in reality, the moon is in a waning gibbous phase, but it's swathed in a sea of twinkling stars. She won't get too long to admire it in this state; it breaks open a few moments later, shooting stars slowly coloring the night sky with temporary white lines as they appear and disappear between their brethren.

A small light—a firefly, maybe—bobs by her head, and it's from this that Natsume's voice comes, softly. )

The meteor shower will last four in-game HOURS, equivalent to twenty minutes outside of the GAME. It'll reach its highest point in five minUTES, and then wane for the next fifTEEN.

( If Maya's curious enough to check her stats also, she'll find she's a Level 1 Quartermaster. She's still in the clothing she entered virtual reality with, but each of them have some stats that suit her fighter subclass—defense, attack, agility, so on. She also has a shortsword she can summon!

But this is a nice, pleasant little meteor shower in a pleasant little field in SHINSEKAI. No need for swords. )

[ Why is this a videogame

Why is she watching this alone... With a frown, she stares at the light, seeing if maybe she can imagine Natsume himself being here instead of a bug. If this virtual reality is based off intent... That's not how it works, is it. ]

( What a cute look; the light shifts from side to side, interested, and then it bounces as Natsume laughs. )

And here I thought you'd be a happier if it were a little less date-LIKE.

( Just a little teasing.

Outside of the virtual world, Natsume fingers the headset, thinking. He does want to see the stars with her, but it's risky for him to be in the virtual reality too. Who'd get them out? Maybe he can close his eyes and ignore the sickness like that, and maybe he can remember they're in a game and not a real world, despite its realism...

He hesitates, then sits down behind her chair and leans back against it, putting on the headset.

It takes a moment for him to appear, replacing the light, and his eyes are disoriented before he just. closes them, breathing out slowly. Oh, he's going to have to make some adjustments. Maybe he'll ask Add for ideas, and they can figure something out... His hand moves along the grass until it bumps against her side, and then he relaxes. )

Is this betTER?

Edited 2021-10-28 06:27 (UTC)

[ The touch surprises her, but at least she knows he's there now, even with the disconnect between her knowing that they're sitting but here she's getting up and turning to look at Natsume. ]

It's stranger being watched without being able to see you.

[ Worse than being stalked, it's her sitting in a chair in a room alone with him unable to know what's going on in the world around her. It would be too easy for her to be snuck up upon and killed, and the logical part of her brain tells her that covering her eyes in any capacity is a mistake.

But the stars aren't like this in the real world, not even in a forest in the middle of nowhere.

also can she see Natsume's stats? what is he ]

( wtf nosy... she can't but for you, he's a level 5 sorcerer. )

LuckiLY, you'll never have to get used to IT.

( Unlike some of us giving away our eyesight. It isn't the same as the stage either; you can see a full audience, you know they're there. Natsume resists to the urge to open his eyes and just settles back against the grass more, arms behind his head.

...He can tell she's looking at him; he's always been good at that, even before his trade. )

Shouldn't you be watching the stars instead of ME? ( ♪ ) They'll get jealous if you don't pay them enough attention when we came all the way out here just for THEM.

Inanimate objects don't get jealous.

[ Still, she looks away, eyes up at the night sky, sitting up with legs tucked to one side and quiet like Natsume isn't even there. Hiro would have loved this. He'd be the one lying flat on his back like Natsume is, hands folded over his stomach and watching the stars fall out of the sky until there aren't any left or he'd falling asleep waiting. ]

( The stars fall one by one, a faint twinkling noise undercurrenting the night noise in the field, and despite the risk of cybersickness, Natsume peeks open his eyes and turns enough to watch her.

Just for a little bit, her profile backed by the sky's brilliance and the streaks that start to multiply until they're hundreds in number, little white lines like an artist hatching out shadows with white charcoal. He wonders why she came, and why she's here now, and if she's going to stay after; if he's going to be able to move onto the next part of his plans, if he'll hold her hand for more than a few moments, and his hand almost moves before he grounds it again. He wonders if she knows she's pretty cute when she's pretending he's not next to her when she was being cute about him not being there in the first place, valid concerns about the strangeness of being watched or not, and he wonders if she knows he thinks she's pretty when she's the one thing out of place against the twinkling sky.

And then he feels a little ill, so he closes his eyes again to wait for it to pass in quiet. )

[ Maya looks over to say something but sees that Natsume's eyes are closed and she looks away again, after a moment, because thinking the same will also make her ill. So she thinks other things instead while the sky brightens around her, like why she doesn't want to be here, and why she wants to stay, and why this is a terrible idea, and how it's more thoughtful than she imagined this day would go. Because it's beautiful. Breathtaking, quiet, peaceful, a place you would love to stay in forever and forget about the fact that you're a student in a school where everybody is pitted against each other in the worst of ways.

And that's the problem. Her problem with illusions and white lies and momentary happiness.

... ]

You don't want to watch, Sakasaki? It's beautiful.

( Urgh, talking... He doesn't respond for a moment, not until he's sure his stomach isn't going to leap out of his throat if he does at least. )

...Do you remember what I said about stereoscopic viSION, and how it works together with a few other things to create that sense of immersion in the virtual WORLD? It requires both eyes to be in some amount of working orDER, as you might imaGINE.

( A little exhale, a little in. He's glad it's so cool in (out?) here; it does wonders for him. )

When that sense of immersion doesn't match up to what you SEE, you can experience cybersickNESS... A type of motion sickness unique to this WORLD. Fascinating, isn't IT.

( Humans making new problems out of nothing because they want to do things like this. )

But don't worry about ME. I watched for a little bit; it certainly was breathtaKING. ( ...pressing his lips together so he doesn't smile too wide— ) Though I only saw it because I was looking at YOU. I wonder which view was prettiER?

[ About to take out his other eye tbh. Maybe he can sense the face she's making at him even if he can't see it.

Alright, going to ignore that. ]

If you can make a world like this, you can make a world adapted to those with limited vision. You're the magician here, are you not?

[ Also a virtual reality program engineer?? Alice what exactly did Natsume contribute or was it just funding ]

( He knows....... he knows. But this is a date, cut him some slack, he's allowing himself to flirt since he's been trying the past few months to do it less with her. )

Even magic has its limitaTIONS, Little Wolf. You'd do well to remember THAT. It's not a cure-ALL, no more than a genie's WISH.

( which is a little heavy for, like, just a conversation about handicaps. He pauses, then shrugs. )

It's something I'd look into if I were still alive; there's no helping it HERE. The technology of this school is far too out-daTED, though come to think of IT... ( Hmm... ) We have some rather intelligent minds among our numBER, so I suppose I could see if they have any ideas or suggesTIONS. It does seem a shame that I can't enjoy the fruits of my laBOR.

( ... )

Though it's not without any accessibility features at all; this is going to hit the markets soon eNOUGH, so naturally we have THEM. I just don't think you'd be interested in hearing a voice over drone on and on about how many meteorites there ARE, or it noting every time something MOVES.

( also re: what he contributed, he didnt even do funding. alumni of the game club helped with that, and also with a lot of the engineering and etc; natsume definitely KNOWS a lot but he probably just makes games and looks up/refers back to notes about anything specific. he's a quick study though and retains info like a sponge so ??? this is all i remember that's been explained i try not to ask too many questions )

[ Flirting is like illusions and magic; it doesn't work as well when you're aware and on guard for it. ]

No, but it's a useful feature to have. A voice-over explaining all about meteorites and other astronomical objects as they're brought into attention in the night sky.

[ Just like the immersion of 3-D IMAX theaters, really Maya's only point of reference for this sort of thing. Forget dates for a moment, ]

It would be a great asset to schools everywhere.

( oh my god, she's lucky she's cute? )

Did you want to be a teacher or something when you grew UP?

No. I wouldn't have the patience.

[ Can you imagine? Maybe a college professor. But sometimes you're just miss student council president and you're too used to having to think about the students ]

Wouldn't YOU? I think you'd make a wonderful ONE. You're awfully patient with the students HERE, and you're not even getting PAID.

( this is such unromantic date talk he didn't WANT to talk about the school and yet HERE THEY ARE. Creatures trapped by their own habits. Natsume slowly sits up, leaning back on his hands. Well... he can make it work. )

...What did you want to BE? And NO, I don't care that it doesn't matter NOW, Little Wolf. I still want to KNOW.

[ "Patient" in that she hasn't already stabbed half the student body, he means. Patient in that she still talks to him, even if she sighs now and thinks it's a waste of time and that it doesn't matter, and has to frame it in her head as repayment for the experience of seeing a meteor shower, and it's not enough. ]

Nothing in particular, but I figured I would be successful one way or another. Perhaps the CEO of a company, or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

[ LOFTLY GOALS but she knows she can do it. She also knows the two have nothing to do with one another, has nothing to do with anything that she likes or enjoys, but rather what she is good at. aka telling people what to do and being judgmental ]

Very telling profesSIONS.

( Which is the only reason why he wanted to know: the things people want to be, or figured they might become, say something about them. Maya's is that she likes telling people what to do and being judgmental, but it also shows she wants to be in a position to help people under her. That's not really too different from now, either.

The stars start to steadily wind down in number, signalling the peak's past and the end of the astronomical phenomenon sooner rather than later. It's too bad he can't look at her without needing to turn his head, but that's the price he pays. )

Fortuneteller is the only thing I ever wanted to BE, and then I was forced into a vocational high school to become an idol by my paRENTS. My daddy wanted me to become someone who could control the hearts of the masses using the fame that came with being an idol in addition to the skills I had already started honing working alongside my momMY.

( There's only one other person who knows this piece of information, and it's Subaru; they're being shared for vastly different reasons, though. )

I've never held such lofty DREAMS. ( He only wanted to help people; he still only wants to help people. ) But I wouldn't mind it eiTHER.

( ... )

The meteor shower's halfway oVER. Did you eat before you came to SCHOOL?

[ Your dad sounds kind of sketch, Natsume ]

Intentions aside, being able to control the hearts of the masses is a very powerful skill. You still have a ways to go on that front, though.

[ If you can't capture the heart of one girl-- but anyways, ]

Not much, but I did eat.

[ She figures he would try another picnic, but also you don't go anywhere without eating first, mom drilled that into me ]

( Yeah he is, but Natsume says that his dad's not a bad person he's just a super megalomaniac. I hate this family. )

Do you really think SO? How disheartening to HEAR.

( Except he doesn't sound that heartbroken over it—he knows he's nowhere near his mom's level, not yet. And Maya is hard mode, especially since they've gotten off on the wrong foot more often than not.

The reply about food makes him hmm though, and he mentally shuffles some things around in his mind; today is flexible enough that he can manage that much... )

But alright; that means we can leave eating for a little while laTER. There's something else I'd like to treat you to anyWAY. ( ...he's going to close his eyes again, ugh. ) Once... the meteor shower is over, that IS.

[ This meteor shower he's not even watching, that it feels kind of a waste to be watching all by herself but he was aware of this when he suggested it, so her attention returns to the stars. ]

...I wouldn't mind some ginger tea, if not a full meal.

[ It's warm, good for settling the stomach. ]

( Ginger tea, good for unwell stomachs. He would glance at her if he could, and it's still a small regret to have given up a part of himself, but

but he thinks about Haruka, so happy to be seen, and it fades quicker than his sickness does. )

Are you feeling ILL? We can cut our ( ...date... ) hang-out short if you ARE...

( ... )

Unless you're thinking of ME, Little Wolf?

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