009 - voice/action, fourth wall

[controlroute]

[See Atsuro. See Atsuro run through the village, speaking frantically into his journal.]

Hero! Yoohoo! Naoya's back!

[See Atsuro notice that there are an awful lot of people around, very few of which he recognizes; they can't all be residents.]

And he... brought some friends?

Comments

[overtalking]

[Hey there, mr. tech geek. There's a girl standing here, just chilling, watching the crowds.

She also has a glowing red ring above her head.]

[controlroute]

[Aah!

...Oh, it's not a number, that's good. Not that he'd know what one looks like anyway. He can't help but be curious about that one though, so he walks up to her.]

Um.. hi. Did you know you're... glowing?

[Okay, he just implied she was pregnant. Cut him some slack, it didn't sound that awkward in his head.]

[overtalking]

[well, it's not one number... but a stream of various numbers and data which is probably more intelligible to him than it would be to most people. As she turns to look at him, the ring switches from red to green.]

Do you require something?

[controlroute]

[He can see it now that he's a little closer. It's kind of neat, actually, reminds him of Naoya's coat.]

No, I didn't mean to bother you. I'm just... wondering about that ring above your head.

[overtalking]

[her look is still blank but... also somehow confused. Like he asked whether the sky was green.] I am functioning normally.

[controlroute]

Functioning? Are you an android? Like KAITO?

[overtalking]

[her answer is accompanied by a small dinging sound.] That's correct... Though I do not know a KAITO.

[controlroute]

Amazing! There's so much great technology here. The guys on the forums would flip if they knew about any of this! That ding noise is so cute too!

Oh! Sorry, I get a little carried away sometimes. I'm Atsuro. It's nice to meet you!

[overtalking]

[there's a flicker of outright curiosity as she asks] You think it's cute?

[...but then it vanishes and she falls silent. It almost seems as though she thinks she said too much and is waiting to be reprimanded.]

[controlroute]

[He notices that, but he's not going to point it out. After all, she seems a little shy, and he doesn't want to embarrass her too much. Answering questions is kosher though.] It's totally cute! Like in a dating sim when your answer makes a girl like you more. Not that I think you're from a dating sim or anything, haha!

[overtalking]

[shy has nothing to do with it though there's no way he could know that. She's really got no idea what to make of him, though, except one thing is obvious - he's a nerd. And so, she says something quite bold]

You're "android-holic."

[controlroute]

[Ouch. Straight to the point, huh?]

Haha, a little bit. I love computers and programming stuff, so androids are kind of a natural extension of that. I can't help it though. Sure, people are working on androids back in Tokyo, but they're not even close to ones that could really pass for human. I noticed from the way you talk, but you probably could have hidden it if you wanted to, right? The technology behind you is amazing.

[overtalking]

What are you talking about? Tokyo has millions of androids.

[The emotionless act is pretty much gone now, from a combination of his attitude and sheer confusion at his crazy statements.]

[controlroute]

Ah, then you're probably in the future, from my point in time. That's this place for you. But if that's the future, then I'm looking forward to it.

[overtalking]

The future? So what, you're a time traveler?

[controlroute]

Haha, if only. It's the place we're in right now, Luceti. It takes people from different points in time, different worlds, things like that. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but you get used to crazy around here.