[It occurs to her to suggest that the games are all set to free to play but it's not like she's nearly as interested in gaming right now as she is in his story so uh. Just suffer, ig.]
Only "almost?" Do they want us dead so they can keep us totally digital only?
CCCorp knew I had an agreement with the university. If someone figured out I was talking to DV, maybe they wanted to scare me off. Or maybe they just wanted to force me into a situation where I wouldn't be able to talk to him if I was too busy with something else.
You know. My damn life getting ruined. Made me busy.
[He shoves his hand up a little hard against the token machine. No, he's fine, thanks for asking.]
I could only give so much time a week because I was on football scholarship, and the school and its image had to come before CCCorp's needs. So I had to be careful talking about what school I went to, what team I played for. Had to be UCB's representation. It's the only way the school really allowed CCCorp to give us a custom setup at our dorm.
Tell that to the news crews. As far as they all know, it's on me.
[He has zero proof, outside what's been recorded in the forums and scant medical records. Astronomically bad luck. A freak medical condition, perhaps. Part of himself glad he didn't catch up on the gossip too hard while he was hospitalized, for how much it made him want to yell.]
Not that it matters here. But... at least I can still protect people here. I know I can. [In that, he sounds completely certain.
Jaw tight and eyes serious, Barrett straightens up from the token machine, exhaling hard as he stares down at his companion.]
Shoka... I want to find a way out of this damn place. I think that's what DV wants, too. I don't know if he'll ever feel safe enough, but...
You have to believe me. He doesn't want anyone else to get hurt by this company. They're already doing too much.
Oh, yeah, sure, it's totally your fault the thickest damn bone in your body broke out of nowhere.
[Fuck them!!!!!!!! Fuck all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She has to take in a deep breath to - not exactly calm, there's too much righteous anger that doesn't need to be extinguished, not when every single part of this is rotten to the core and needs to go down in flames. But she does need to settle down for now, focus on what she can actually do.
The flames can come later. Because she won't be satisfied until CC Corp is razed to the fucking ground.]
I wouldn't have come this far if I didn't believe you. Have some faith in me, would ya?
Besides, you're not the only one who can protect people. Like I said: I've got your back.
[It doesn't quite hit. Mostly because he knows very well Shoka can protect. She's demonstrated such. She has nothing to prove.
But the sentiment still settles in anyway, and he gives it its space.]
Thank you. I know you'll be someone a lot of people can count on.
[He needs a second to compose himself as well, hurt and anger chewing up at the inside of his chest. So he dips the subject a bit, nodding back to the token machine as one hand grips his opposite wrist, a nervous gesture that twists.]
I'm guessing either I can't figure this out, or we get tokens from somewhere else. You got better eagle eyes?
I don't know about "a lot," but I'll see what I can do.
[Socializing still isn't exactly something she enjoys pushing herself to do, but well. Dealing with people is still better than the guilt knowing you could've done something but let them die instead.]
-Anyway, the arcade's probably set to free-to-play. I don't think we actually need any tokens.
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Only "almost?" Do they want us dead so they can keep us totally digital only?
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[Water is wet and all that.]
I don't know. I think if they wanted us dead, they'd have killed us all a while ago.
Maybe it's more... they don't care if we end up dead. If they have our digital brains, maybe it doesn't matter.
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But still... you think there was a previous group of players for this fucked up experiment or something?
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But DV has said nothing that gets deleted in Fragment stays deleted, and the company knows it.
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[Ugh!!! She hates this.]
You sound like you've talked a lot. Have you met him in person?
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[He seems to stop the thought short at that, though. Thinking. Letting his hand tap against the machine in thought. Hm.]
He has a hard time meeting people, though.
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Dangerous.
The more he talks, the more he puts himself and everybody else at risk.
I'm wondering if he's going to blame himself now. He's been trying to warn people.
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And warn people... how?
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Doing things in the game. Sending messages. I think he's trying to show people things... to make us think about what the game knows about us.
What happened to Morgan, though... that wasn't him. And I don't think what happened last week with the NPC lady was him, either.
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Wasn't him, either.
I don't know how anyone could have done it, but I think it was a threat.
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Doesn't sound like it was a very good one if you don't even know what it was about.
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CCCorp knew I had an agreement with the university. If someone figured out I was talking to DV, maybe they wanted to scare me off. Or maybe they just wanted to force me into a situation where I wouldn't be able to talk to him if I was too busy with something else.
You know. My damn life getting ruined. Made me busy.
[He shoves his hand up a little hard against the token machine. No, he's fine, thanks for asking.]
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Wait, agreement with the university? What?
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I could only give so much time a week because I was on football scholarship, and the school and its image had to come before CCCorp's needs. So I had to be careful talking about what school I went to, what team I played for. Had to be UCB's representation. It's the only way the school really allowed CCCorp to give us a custom setup at our dorm.
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...
If she wasn't already furious before, she sure is now.]
Those assholes.
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Yeah. Well.
They got me, so. Hope they're fuming in some corporate office or some backroom in one of the servers that I still came back or something.
Wasn't about to leave Levi here by himself. Or DV.
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[She trails off and just makes a frustrated noise instead.]
You were getting somewhere. And now they've taken that from you. That's so fucked up!
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[He has zero proof, outside what's been recorded in the forums and scant medical records. Astronomically bad luck. A freak medical condition, perhaps. Part of himself glad he didn't catch up on the gossip too hard while he was hospitalized, for how much it made him want to yell.]
Not that it matters here. But... at least I can still protect people here. I know I can. [In that, he sounds completely certain.
Jaw tight and eyes serious, Barrett straightens up from the token machine, exhaling hard as he stares down at his companion.]
Shoka... I want to find a way out of this damn place. I think that's what DV wants, too. I don't know if he'll ever feel safe enough, but...
You have to believe me. He doesn't want anyone else to get hurt by this company. They're already doing too much.
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[Fuck them!!!!!!!! Fuck all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She has to take in a deep breath to - not exactly calm, there's too much righteous anger that doesn't need to be extinguished, not when every single part of this is rotten to the core and needs to go down in flames. But she does need to settle down for now, focus on what she can actually do.
The flames can come later. Because she won't be satisfied until CC Corp is razed to the fucking ground.]
I wouldn't have come this far if I didn't believe you. Have some faith in me, would ya?
Besides, you're not the only one who can protect people. Like I said: I've got your back.
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[It doesn't quite hit. Mostly because he knows very well Shoka can protect. She's demonstrated such. She has nothing to prove.
But the sentiment still settles in anyway, and he gives it its space.]
Thank you. I know you'll be someone a lot of people can count on.
[He needs a second to compose himself as well, hurt and anger chewing up at the inside of his chest. So he dips the subject a bit, nodding back to the token machine as one hand grips his opposite wrist, a nervous gesture that twists.]
I'm guessing either I can't figure this out, or we get tokens from somewhere else. You got better eagle eyes?
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[Socializing still isn't exactly something she enjoys pushing herself to do, but well. Dealing with people is still better than the guilt knowing you could've done something but let them die instead.]
-Anyway, the arcade's probably set to free-to-play. I don't think we actually need any tokens.
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...Oh.
Really?
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[She's smiling when she faces him, but it does turn to a slight, thoughtful frown as she heads towards the cabinet.]
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