[003. video]

[freecssofnature]

[He's frowning intently when the video feed starts, but he doesn't hesitate to speak. This has been eating at him for a few days now -- and he can't figure it out himself; so finally he thought he might as well ask...

Maybe someone knows.]

How can you tell what's real?

[That's it; he gives a quick nod and cuts the feed.]

Comments

[Video]

[genkireaper]

I can't say there's a set method or formula. What reasons are given in one world might easily be argued against on the other side.

It seems that most people are dreaming of being imprisoned in some way. Dreams have the advantage of knowing how to work against the doubts in your mind. Here... I don't think anyone could imagine details to this degree. Maybe the best way is to judge by one's instincts. It's said that they're more right initially than not.

[Video]

[freecssofnature]

But even when I tried really hard, I couldn't see anything wrong with it.

Or anything here.

I guess I believe this one is real just because everybody's seeing weird stuff at the same time, but I can't tell.

[Video]

[genkireaper]

Well... As I said, the closest way you could tell is by the feel, or your instincts. The more you think on it, the harder it'll be to make a decision.

[Video]

[freecssofnature]

[Quiet for a minute.]

... Thank you!

[He doesn't look convinced, but he gives her a little smile anyway.]

[impertinenti]

This is real. If it wasn't, we wouldn't all be stuck here for as long as some of us have been.

[freecssofnature]

I think you're right...

But the other feels like it's real too. That's not just me, right? Everybody seems confused.

[impertinenti]

'shishishi, they believe they're right because they're too scared to accept the truth that this place is real.

[freecssofnature]

But this place isn't scary!

[Genuinely confused by that one. Especially compared to the dreams... he doesn't believe them, but thinking that might be the truth, and whatever the doctors won't tell him about really happened--

They're much more frightening than this city.]

[offline]

[kill_joo_ded]

[Killua looks down at the PCD, frowning at Gon's question before moving out to find him.]

...yo.

[offline]

[freecssofnature]

[Gon's sitting cross-legged outside on a lump of crumbling concrete, watching his own device intently. He glances up at Killua and smiles immediately.]

Hi!

[offline]

[kill_joo_ded]

[He stops short of the concrete, poking it with a finger as if to test its sturdiness.]

What're you thinking, asking weird things like that? It's not like you at all.

[offline]

[freecssofnature]

Oh, on the network?

[He sets the PCD down, speaking slowly at first, his gaze distant.] I've been trying to find something wrong with the other place all week, but so far, it looks just as real as here.

I still think this one is real, but I wanted to know! Because maybe next time it'll be harder to tell....

[video]

[coraltaijiya]

[Tired Sango is tired.]

They--the Animus--don't want you to be able to.

[That's what she's been telling herself, and that's what she believes until she falls asleep.]

[video]

[freecssofnature]

I guess not. But it's weird that it's so perfect... right? If they made it all up, they ought to get something wrong.

[He lets out a loud sigh, flopping onto his back and lifting the device up over his face.] Maybe it's just a really good fake.

[video]

[coraltaijiya]

They're powerful enough to keep... all of us here. It's not such a stretch.

[video]

[freecssofnature]

Yeah... but isn't power different from getting everything to be just like it's real?

[video]

[grandtheftbody]

What do you want to be real?

[video]

[freecssofnature]

This place.

But I want to know if there's a way to tell...

[video]

[grandtheftbody]

Does it matter? If this is the place that you want to be real, then simply let it be real to you.

[video]

[freecssofnature]

But what if the place I want to be real isn't the right one?