18 ☀ Day; Video
[ When the feed opens, it might be strange to see Ichigo looking so...despondent. Even stranger? He's broadcasting from Lior's old Place of Solace. But just like any Place of Solace that remains after the owner is gone, there's something....off about it. Some vitality gone from the place. ]
...I think...I think Lioriley is gone.
[ He looks down, ( Read more... )
...I think...I think Lioriley is gone.
[ He looks down, ( Read more... )
I mean it. You don't have to be alone. Or to hurt people. You have a choice...no matter what anybody says.
[ "You think all your battles up to this point have been chance? Fate? Why do you think that with all your latent abilities, even as a child, you never sensed the presence of a hollow until that day.
I have held your life in the palm of my hand since you were born."
Unbidden, the memory of Aizen's words came back to him, and Ichigo's expression tightened. Just for a second, though. Because this time he didn't push it away. This time, he made himself remember, and then made himself push the fear away. ]
Choices suck, though. I won't lie to you about that. Being in charge of your own life is hard...but is it harder than being alone, and without a direction? You say you know what you are. That you like hurting people. But your actions say otherwise.
You can choose, Rinzler. You can be whatever you want to be.
[ Carefully, slowly so Rinzler wouldn't misinterpret the movement, Ichigo reached for the program's wrist again. Fingers were already tensed up, so holding that wrist out so that he could bump his closed fist lightly against Rinzler's wasn't that hard. The hard part would be what the program might do in reaction to it. ]
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'...choice.'
There's the faintest twitch of the black mask. Not a sideways jerk of denial, not turning up or down. But reaction all the same. He wasn't written to-he wasn't written for any of this. It's wrong.
He's wrong.
He doesn't have a direction. He doesn't-without Clu, he hardly has a function. He doesn't know how to choose, and if the concept spikes with error and prickling unease, it doesn't make a difference. Rinzler doesn't know what he wants to be. And wanting doesn't do anything.
The reach snaps his focus down, and Rinzler's head turns between the Ichigo's expression and the hand. He doesn't pull away from the contact, though tension turns to rigidity, discomfort obvious. The motion, soft collision takes him... by surprise. His rumbling shifts faintly, mask tilting at the other as his wrist twists slightly in the user's grip.]
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[ But Ichigo graces that obvious confusion with a wry smirk. ]
But this is just what friends do. You know to say hello, and stuff. I know you know what a friend is.
[ looking down again, Ichigo carefully, hesitantly ( in case Rinzler decided to jerk back again ) let go of the programs wrist. ]
Here, see? Make a fist.
[ There's absolutely nothing threatening at all about it. Just a little motion. Tapping one fist against the other. ]
Some people do different things, though. It just depends.
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He doesn't step away, though his arm does pull away with an edge of relief as the user lets go. The mask tips uncertainly at the request. There's a pause, then he complies.
Strange.
He hesitates a moment, then reaches sideways with his other hand, keying up the inactive console.]
Why?
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Because I can see little glimpses of the other you inside that mask.
Because you need it.
Because I choose to believe in you." ]
...Because I choose to.
[ Choose to accept you don't know how to control yourself, and accept the responsibility of working on it. Choose to accept that you believe you're nothing but a killing machine, and vow to change it. Choose to help you learn what's good, and what's wrong. Against all odds. Against the monumental task. Across worlds, and understanding, and lifetimes of pain.
Choose to be your friend. ]
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But Ichigo isn't stopping. Isn't fighting, isn't moving to strike or defend, resolve or run. The user's not leaving.
'choice'
There's a pause, uncertainty, a thousand cycles of shouldn't and don't and can't twisting through his code. Rinzler knows this won't work. Knows Ichigo will regret it. Mistake, error. But not his choice to make.
The black helmet dips. Not a bow, not lowering in avoidance or struggle or regret. Rinzler nods. There's more response somewhere, old protocol and reply dredging up-not forbidden, just unused. He hesitates for a moment. He doesn't know if it matches.
He thinks it does.]
Thank you.
[Even though the user will learn better.]
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It's cool. I figure someone needs to help you not be so serious all the time.
[ Lame attempt at humor is lame. Ichigo is also sort of wanting to retrieve Zangetsu, just because his sword was a part of is soul. But not yet. First he had to make sure Rinzler understood him. ]
...So yeah. Now that's settled, I have a question for you;
How'd you feel about some new 'Games' on your arena, here?
[ Because this place would be freaking ideal for Fight Club. ]
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The helmet tilts slightly at the first words (they've already been through the 'what is humor' for the day). It's not particularly relevant significant, though. He shrugs.
At the question, though, his sound quickens, attention visibly sharpening. Rinzler's mask angles in question. Going by the last time, Ichigo's concept of play is... not always what he's used to.
But Rinzler is always interested in Games.]
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The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. No one wants to end up stuck in the Unnatural over this.
The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!
Third rule of Fight Club: Someone yells "stop!", goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. If you ignore this rule, or "conveniently" forget it, you will be mobbed by every single member at once. And we won't stop when you yell for it, either.
Fourth rule: Only one fight at a time, kids. Even if you've got a tag team, we're not looking for a slaughter.
Fifth rule: No killing. None. At all. It's Fight Club, not Gladiator.
Sixth rule: Fights will go on as long as they have to.
Seventh rule: If you are assigned a tagteam opponent, me, and my friend Madsen will decide for you. Do not jump into another person's fight. If you do, you will be mobbed.
And the eighth and final rule: If it's your first time coming to Fight Club. You have to fight.
[ Damn, but he loved giving those rules out. Madsen would be so happy if Rinzler agrees to this. Seriously, they need a place big enough, and one that wouldn't be in danger of setting the entire city on fire thanks to the crazy powers on display. ]
It's like a game. But now, you've already heard the cover story for why we do it. It's not like we can exactly have "resistance tryouts" publicly.
...Well, that and with the crazy-strong abilities a lot of people have, we need an open space, big enough to hold us all, that won't burn down.
Fenrir-san fought here. Place is still standing. Good enough a field test for me.
But...it's your choice. If you're okay with this, I'll put the word out.
[ Uncrossing his arms, Ichigo pins Rinzler with a serious stare. He's absolutely not kidding about the rules, or what any of it is. And he's fully aware he's asking a pretty big favor here. ]
Do you accept?
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Others... questionable. His noise ticks out uncertainly at the third, and especially the fifth. Testing functions and skills made sense... but in this place especially, where derezz was at best a temporary solution, there seemed little point to holding back. Limiting yourself.
But he wants to fight. And he wants to see what these others are capable of.]
Query. Security measures?
Clarify 'burn down'. [There's a pause.]
Restriction five: inefficient.
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[ tapping a foot against the Grid floor, he looks up. ]
Your place doesn't seem to burn.
[ Actually, Ichigo is ready for it this time, and when he shakes his head, it's not at Rinzler's fixation on killing. ]
Do you know what happens to people that die here? If they do come back - and that's a big if - they come back from the Unnatural. That means the Unnatural, and Genero, and all his little butt-buddy scientists got to fiddle with them beforehand. And usually? They come back without a sense. Like a sense of sight, or hearing. Sometimes they can't speak, or end up scarred.
[ He's not entirely sure why he does it. Usually Ichigo is touchy as hell about anyone knowing what happened to him in the Unnatural, or that he was the first to be "punished" and put on display as an example. But whatever his reasons, on the word "scarred" he lifted his shirt a little with one hand, showing the mottled parallel lines of burn scars. Three lines following his ribs where he'd been electrocuted so much, for so long it burned off his skin.
Since then other people have ended up there, and Ichigo is hellbent on making sure that no one else ends up there. Not if he can help it. ]
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Oh users Ichigo, you have no idea how long he's been waiting for someone to tell him what that orange stuff is called. Well.]
Confirmed: fire ineffective.
[The second explanation... actually makes sense. A lot of sense. Rinzler's hands clench faintly at the mention-Genero's already been through his code, and it's hope as much as diagnostics that tells him nothing significant was changed. But it makes sense to limit the sysadmins' data, prevent them from investigating or tampering with more than they have already.
He's still as Ichigo shows the lingering damage. Eyes flick behind the mask from the injury to the user's expression. His noise ticks out loud and edged as he gives a short nod.]
Acknowledged.
[The security requirements are... less easy to get into.]
Security of structure potential risk. Two previous attempts at intrusion, unauthorized system access. Here. [Or, you know, fifty attempts if he counted Soundwave's marblebots separately. That had taken forever to clean up.]
Entry of unknown subjects possible threat. Surveillance requires attention, focus. [Not that he wouldn't detect someone hacking into the systems, but Rinzler didn't want to spend the duration of combat having to chase off glitched up mechs. Or users. His mask tips to Ichigo in question.]
Solution?
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Oh, you mean will your place be okay? Yeah, it should be. But there's always going to be a risk any time anybody gathers in a group here.
Genero knows about us enough to know that we're meeting. But he doesn't know why. Hence the movie reference -- er, it's a movie about fighting for no other reason than to fight.
[ Let's not explain the dual personalities nihilism part, shall we? Or the death, and chaos parts. Yeeeeah. ]
So see? He thinks we're just taking our frustration out on each other. We're really learning who works well with who, who's strong, who's not, and who belongs on the front lines, and who doesn't.
[ There's also a little more to it than that, but it's the basic gist. And enough to hopefully explain what Ichigo is asking for, here. ]
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Requirement. No access granted to subjects previously attempting unauthorized infiltration, entry.
[That should cover all relevant concerns. Well, the main ones.
The helmet angles slightly at the description, but he doesn't comment. He's also less than sure of their ability to screen the data. The sysadmins' surveillance covered far more than the network, after all. But Rinzler does value combat for its own sake. The data acquired seems valuable... but as much for his own purposes as any others.
He's still not certain about this group's efficacy. Or his own interest in (probability of) playing by their rules longterm. But Games? Games he can do.]
No other objections.
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[ Because you are not a popular guy right now, Rinzler. He's already wondering how he's gonna sell this to half the members beyond "Non-flammable".
Sighing, but smiling nonetheless, he finally does go to pick up his sword again. ]
Still, I think it'll work out. So...thank you.
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Rinzler's not used to change.
A lingering edge of tension bleeds out from his stance as Ichigo retrieves his weapon. Incongruous, given the calculated shift in threat potential. But relief all the same. Then again, the user doesn't make sense. Rinzler supposes his own reactions don't need to, either.
He stills at the words, ticking rumble quiet, though regular. The black mask dips slightly, lifts again.]
Want to play.
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