[Video] UN: Komaeda

[despairing_hope]

[The video starts with a close up of Komaeda's face as he's messing with the settings. It's advanced technology he's not familiar with, but it didn't take him long to get it going. Nothing ever takes him long to figure out when he tries.

He leans away and offers a smile, but it's a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. He's tired. There's a weight there. People who are familiar with him might notice it's a little less carefree than he usually is. But then it's only to be expected.]

Hello! This is quite the interesting thing to be suddenly rushed through. They said anomalies were the cause, but isn't that a bit curious? "Anomaly" is such a vague term. It's the sort of thing you see on TV used to hand wave fantastical concepts they don't want the audience to think of too much. So is there something not being explained here?

[Of course he barrels straight to the delicate question.]

But, what do I know? There's a lot of surprising things happening all at once. In fact, at this point I wouldn't be surprised if I was told we were in some sort of MMO! Being in some sort of elaborate program would make more sense than not anyway.

[He goes quiet for a moment, his expression far away lost in thought. It takes him a moment to remember the camera and go back to his train of thought.]

Ah, since I was just recently welcomed to this little expedition, I should introduce myself. My name is Komaeda Nagito. There's not really anything else to say, I'm a bit luckier than most people?

Comments

video; un: NANAMIN

[virtualbytes]

There's probably a lot that they haven't explained... I think.

[ Nanami herself doesn't have any doubts about that at the very least, especially when you kept into consideration the facts and just how much has been left out. ]

I don't know if we're in an MMO, but if we were, I'd like to think that I would have been told if I leveled up or not by now, probably. Or gotten skill points...

[despairing_hope]

Ah! Nanami san, I wasn't expecting to see you.

[Well he wasn't expecting to see anyone he knew.]

It might be a case where we don't know. We might be NPCS that don't get to level up. Or perhaps we can't until we crash on a planet that isn't familiar with space travel and is suitably fantasy generic "old time".

[virtualbytes]

... Really? Ah, Hinata-kun and Nidai-kun and Nanami-san are also here.

[ There is something wrong about that sentence and Komaeda has three guesses as to what exactly that is. The first two don't count. ]

If we're NPCs though, wouldn't we just have generic dialogue that the protagonists get to repeat over and over? Although there are some games where the NPC dialogue changes depending on how far you are in the story... and I think Hinata-kun fits more of the 'protagonist' role than he does an NPC role, too. Do you think we'll crash onto that kind of planet though, Komaeda-kun?

[despairing_hope]

Ah so Hinata kun is here as well.

[Was that good luck or bad luck though? He wasn't quite sure. He definitely wasn't prepared to deal with that at the moment though. But first, what Nanami said.]

You never struck me as the sort of person who speaks in third person.

[So please clarify. She also didn't seem particularly upset or mad at him, which he wasn't sure how to take either.]

Who knows if we'll crash? It would depend on what is most interesting and the story we're to follow.

video; un: owari

[muncher]

[ Owari remembers hearing something about "anomalies" during orientation; she didn't care to think about it then, and she doesn't care to think about it now that Komaeda's brought it back up. The only thing she can think about is the surge of annoyance she feels seeing his face and hearing his voice, but they'll run into each other sooner or later, so it's better to just get it out of the way now. ]

Oh. It's you.

[ It's said flatly, but hey, at least she's not yelling at and threatening him...yet. ]

[despairing_hope]

Ah, so even you're here.

[Like even the dirt was dragged in.]

I wonder if that means everyone is here.

[He hadn't thought of that. If everyone might be here then....

No. He was going to go look.]

Did you all survive? Or did you all die too?

[muncher]

[ Ah, and there's the trigger. Of course he would say something so infuriating so soon. ]

We survived, no thanks to you! What the hell were you thinkin' with that plan?! Do you even know how much trouble ya caused us? I oughta snap you in half!

[ ...And there's the threats. ]

Video | un:NEKOMARU!NIDAI!

[nodyinteam]

[Nekomaru is of course surprised when he checks the communicator and sees a very familiar face. Komaeda is one classmate who has proven the hardest to understand and easiest to tie up. And something about him seems different now. But despite all of that, Nekomaru can't help but be relieved to see another familiar face up in the lonely reaches of face.]

Komaeda?! You're here now too?!

[despairing_hope]

Ah, even Nidai kun is here. You're looking rather well!

[He laughed a little.]

And looking normal again.

[And not dead.]

[nodyinteam]

Thanks! [At least, he thinks that was a compliment??]

I was the first of us to show you here, you know! And now suddenly you're all popping up one by one... or occasionally two by two! [He wonders, could there be two Komaedas too?]

video; un: KANEKI

[anthropophagite]

Elaborate program? [ that sounds creepy, and yet- ] I'd prefer if it was something like that. [ because it meant someone could eventually find a way to break it, and they could return.

anyway, he will nod his head politely ] It's nice to meet you, Komaeda-san, I'm Kaneki Ken. Also new.

[despairing_hope]

Would you? If that were the case we might not even be real.

[What if they were digital copies of their real selves and never could return?]

A pleasure Kaneki san. It's rather overwhelming isn't it? Waking up here.

[anthropophagite]

Well, I was thinking about the people I've left behind, actually. [ kaneki has priorities. Plus he was taken right when he was kidnapped and was probably going to be tortured and killed, so he is conflicted ] If this is like a projection of ourselves into a virtual world, there would be a bigger chance for us to return, rather than being lost in space and somehow having to find the way back. [ that sounds a lot more complicated ]

And yeah, it's a bit. I'm still feeling rather lost.

[Video - UN: Hinatahaj]

[thisisourfuture]

[He had wrestled with himself on whether or not to respond. By coincidence, he had been about to head planet side. Hinata sighs and stares directly into the screen.]

We're above a planet. Whether this is a program or not, I really dion't want to have this conversation like this. Ask what you want about where we are now. The rest you ask planet side. Face to face. That fine with you?

[He isn't going to let Komaeda control the talk this time. Avoiding him would do just that.]

[despairing_hope]

Ah! Hinata kun. A lot of people really are here!

[But he didn't want to talk to Hinata!]

Why does it have to be face to face and down below? That sort of thing is far too dangerous. Just talk to me now.

Or don't talk to me at all. I'm sure I could get anything of value you could offer from other people.

[Ah... it was hard to stop.]

[thisisourfuture]

[It hasn't even been five minutes and he already wonders why he's making this effort.] I'd rather talk about our world business in person. It only involves us. It's not going to be dangerous.

[He could shut this feed but he has to understand just what Komaeda had been thinking before.]

But if you to ask everyone else about this fleet and what little is known, I won't stop you. But I still want to talk to you.

un: el rey

[shabby]

[ He doesn't listen to most of this. (Sorry, Komaeda. It's him. Not you.) But he hears TV and that catches his attention. ]

What is your favorite TV show?

[despairing_hope]

I'm not sure I have a favorite. I've enjoyed a lot of Taiga dramas though.

[shabby]

What is a Taiga drama?

[ It sounds like tiger. Vaas likes tigers. ]

video | un: KUZURYUU

[mobilized]

[He wants to ignore it. Really, really wants to. He's upset and confused, and the "orientation" process didn't do anything except make both of those things worse. The idea of adding "dealing with Komaeda in any capacity" on top of all that is just, like. Hard fucking pass.

(That, and seeing Komaeda's face on the screen is uncomfortable and unsettling, too reminiscent of another video and another message.)

But he knows ignoring it would be irresponsible, and so here he is, scowling when the feed clicks on. Getting them all back eventually was always the goal, that's true, but he's not about to pretend he didn't have an order of preference, or that Komaeda was ever at the top of it.]

Yeah, no shit. If you're wanting a decent explanation from them, you better be ready to wait a long fucking time.

[there might be some residual anger there. maybe. a little.]

[despairing_hope]

Of course I'm not expecting that, I'm not an idiot.

[But the tone implied Kuzuryuu was for even implying it.]

The best way is always to see what else is going on.

Ah... but you're not good at that sort of thing, are you? None of you are.

[mobilized]

Tch.

[He knows he's being baited. That doesn't really stop him from rising to it, as much as he tries not to.]

Good enough to get around your bullshit "plan." What's your point?

Video; UN: Nanamicchi

[partyleader]

You... Komaeda-kun!

[Nanami's expression immediately slips into a relieved smile. She's concerned about the tiredness weighing heavily on his face, and she doesn't want anyone else to be stuck in this situation with them, but... Nanami would be lying if she said she wasn't glad to see him.]

There's definitely some weird things going on here... Some of it is really concerning, too. [And more than just the strangeness of what the people in charge told them upon their arrival. She thinks back to the things she's heard about the past few weeks but has not seen... About the dead bodies that had apparently been showing up.

But she pushes that out of her mind, at least for now, because she's more concerned about Komaeda at the moment. Even if Nanami can be bad with people, she still has a knack for picking up this sort of thing... And even if she didn't, it's easy to see that something is wrong.] Are you okay, though? You look like something's bothering you...

[despairing_hope]

Bothering? Not at all! Why would anything bother me?

[His tone went low at his last few words. A clear contradiction. Not that he was going to share it openly, not any time soon at the very least. If peopke wanted such details they could figure then out themselves.

But, before continuing he had to pause, to really look at the video. It was Nanami... and yet... there was something different he couldn't quite place. Well, ignoring the different username!]

But before you think there's a reason to care about the feelings and wellbeing of trash, is it safe to say you're the other Nanami that has been mentioned to me?

[partyleader]

No... There is something, isn't there? [She knows how Komaeda is, though, even if something about him is a little... different right now.] But... If it's something that you don't want to talk about it, I understand.

[Nanami wants to tell him "You're not trash," as she's wanted to in the past but never has before. Maybe she should change that while they're stuck here, but she knows it's probably something to not jump into right away. But-] Ah... You must've spoken to Nanami-san before me, then?

But yes... For some reason there's two of us. It's another confusing thing we've been trying to figure out, but... Even if it doesn't make a lot of sense, Nanami-san is a really good person.