driftfleet | text; get this child out of his comfort zone

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text; get this child out of his comfort zone

Who: Kazuto Kirigaya and [insert your name here]
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Today / Sept 4

[Waking up in unfamiliar surroundings is not new for Kazuto, but in the past it's been quite a different experience. It's not an MMO this time, which is what catches him off guard the most. He can tell immediately, even with a simple glance around- the world is too real, too detailed. (Just in case, he tests a few menu-summoning gestures, but no dice.)

Waking up in a hospital-eque area makes him think that something went wrong with his last MMO dive, but that isn't right. He clearly remembers being safe and healthy the night before- they'd checked him out at the hospital before he'd gone to Sinon's. So... what? A kidnapping? Some kind of experiment? Something about this place doesn't feel right, and there's information slowly filtering into his head that doesn't make much sense.

And then he goes and looks out a window. Yikes.

He spends some time wandering, quietly observing, though there isn't really anyone to observe- computers, broadcasts, machines, yes, but people? The place is pretty deserted. It's eerie and uncomfortable, and he gets totally lost before long. Finally, though, he puts to use the knowledge of the broadcast system that is inexplicably in his head now, typing out a message.]

Is anyone out there available to answer some questions? I don't understand what's happened to me.

[Yep, that sure is a message. Which... is probably gibberish to anyone who doesn't read Japanese. Someone should probably let him know about the auto-translate not working on text.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, me too.

[Sigh. Although his to-do list isn't as dire as it was, like, a week ago, he still has plenty to keep him occupied there. And he's missed out on enough of his life.

Well, it's not like a little kid would have that much responsibility, so it's a good thing that he get to enjoy the adventure.]

No denying that it's cool, though. I've never seen technology like the stuff we have here.

Me neither! I mean, I've been in a spaceship or two before, but this one's still a lot different! [And it helps that this one isn't falling apart or full of people trying to attack him.]

Hey, you know what's weird? I feel like I know a lot about this ship, but I've never been in one like this before! Oh, and my name's Steven!

[Steven... briefly, Kazuto thinks back on the mess he'd just gone through in Gun Gale Online, fighting Death Gun. But that man had been Sterben, not Steven as he'd originally assumed. Definitely not the same thing.

I'm not letting those memories chase me all the way here.]

I'm Kirito. It's nice to meet you. So you've got it too, then? All this information in your head that wasn't there before... like knowing how to use this thing when it doesn't exist back home.

[He gives the console a light tap. A computer is a computer, and he's always been good with them, but it's uncanny how fast he caught on to the functionality.]

[No clearly this child is some weirdo named Sterben]

Nice to meet you, Kirito! [He wonders if he can call him something like Kirito Dorito when they become good enough buds. It would be a fun nickname!

Then he gives some quick nods at his questioning.]

Yep, that's right! Back home, everything I learned about spaceships... well, it went in one ear and out the other! Except that it's probably a really really bad idea to try building your own.

But, um, now my head's all full of different space-y things! It's cool and all, but I don't remember ever going to any kind of space school.

It's probably this thing.

[Kazuto gives the back of his head a light tap next, where the augment is. He'd found it not too long ago, and the shock had been... impressive, to say the least, but he's adjusting. At least it isn't useless. He just doesn't want to think about how it got there.

Not to mention that very augment is basically telling him he's right, which somehow makes it even worse.]

Maybe it's to stop us from breaking the tech trying to figure it out.

Ooh, that!

[He probably found out about it in his own intro post at some point, and it clicks back together as Kirito says that. Steven then flicks at the small bump where his own augment seems to be a few times and giggles as he does so.]

That's pretty neat! So it's really like they put school right in our head, and now it's summer vacation already. Summer vacation in space!

[Space vacation... hah. Phrased like that, it almost sounds nice.

He's not that optimistic by nature, so he can't really feel happy about it. But he's not about to rain on this kid's parade.]

Kind of, yeah. As long as it doesn't push anything else out.

I hope not! I... I'm not ready to pay the price for space lessons! [He frets as he ponders his idea.]

Um, let's do a pop quiz to make sure we still know all the important things! What's your favorite color? And which Crying Breakfast Food character do you relate to the most?

[He likes black- wait that doesn't count as a colour, does it. Damn.]

I like blue. And sorry, I've never heard of crying breakfast food. Er, tell me about it?

[That's your quiz question, kiddo.]

Aw, that's okay. [Steven rubs his chin as he frowns.] I just hope you didn't know it and forget it. That would be really sad!

It's a cartoon about a bunch of really cool characters like Sad Apple, Crying Pear, Sad Waffle and Weeping Egg Cup. They go through a lot of adventures together and lots and lots of tears! ...It might sound like a silly cartoon, but if you give it a chance, you'll love it!

No, um. Pretty sure I've just never heard of it before.

[That's pretty depressing for a kid's show. What in the world?]

Why are they all so unhappy?

Oh man, there's plenty of reasons. Sometimes they dropped ice cream on the floor, or they cry about Spilled Milk... but they have good cries too sometimes! Like when Sad Spoon forgives Crying Pear, they cry about for a real long time!

[Has anyone ever in history literally cried over spilled milk?]

O...kay. So who's your favourite, then? You remember?

I remember. I remember everything!!

I remember... that it's too hard to pick a favorite! It's like picking from your own children, you know?

But an online quiz once told me that I'm the most like Sniffling Croissant!

[This is probably the strangest conversation he's had in a very long time.]

Well... good that you remember it, then.

Where are you from?

[He smiles proudly at his memory.]

I'm from the planet Earth! In Beach City! How about you?

Saitama Prefecture, in Japan.

[He's still basically pre-programmed to avoid giving too much info away, but Saitama's big enough that it wouldn't matter. Plus, little kid. Pretty harmless.]

Ooh! You live in Japan? That's so great! What's it like there? Do you watch a lot of anime?!

[Haaaah... anime. The thing people always ask about.]

Not... really. I mostly play video games. I like it there, though. It's a big city, so it's pretty convenient.

Awww, well video games are a lot of fun too! I got the secret ending of Golf Quest Mini once.

It sounds like Japan's really nice! I bet it's a lot bigger than Beach City... What are some of your favorite hobbies?

[Video games, video games, video games, more video games...]

Ah... well, gaming aside, I build computers, and I've been delving into program code a lot lately. Actually, just recently I created an app that channels the AI from a game I used to play so I can communicate her IRL.

[Aren't you glad you asked, kiddo?]

[That sounds exciting.]

Wow, really?! Does that mean... like making a robot friend? That's so awesome!

I guess it's kind of like that. A robot with a mind of her own.

[It would be cool if they could give Yui a synthetic body someday...]

Sweet! It's like bringing more life into this world. That's really nice of you, Kirito!

I made some life once, but it sure didn't turn out perfectly.

[To be fair, he didn't create her, but that story's complicated so there's no point in explaining.

Also, SAY AGAIN.]

You... did? What?