001. video.

[overwinters]

[ There feed seems to flicker on and off a few times when it first starts - but actually, it's just someone fiddling with it, really. It's easy to find that out by the way the screen is pointed at something completely random and keeps moving, before it finally seems to display body parts. A much too close up of a red eye, then a hand covering the camera.

After a few minutes of fiddling like that (complete with interested noises, like a kid playing with a new toy) the image finally settles down on what seems to be a young girl. At first her gaze is curious.. ]

So this is what people here use to talk to each other, huh..?

[ ... But then she huffs and seems to put on something that seems more determined or even haughty, as if she's trying to cover up her surprise and confusion. ]

It can't be that seriously nobody knows how we got here, right? There's no way that's true! Those people who gave the explanation were so unhelpful too, geez.. [ she pouts just slightly. ] Someone has a more complete answer to all of this that they didn't forget, right? So.. come on, out with it!

Comments

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

No. We don't know any more than they told us, and some of us have been here for months.

[video]

[overwinters]

So there's no way home, and we can't remember anything, and we don't even know why or how we're here..

That's so unfair! Maybe some of us had important things to do back home!

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

[Like getting killed? No, Shirou's not cool with that.]

Well, we won't get anywhere complaining about how unfair it is. We just have to do what we can.

[video]

[overwinters]

[ little does she know.. ]

... What exactly is it that you do here against it, then? [ At least that seems to slightly settle her down a bit more. ]

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

We earn anemoi. The more you get and turn over to the lab for processing, the more you remember.

[Yeah, he doesn't want her to remember dying, but he also can't bring himself to lie to a little girl.]

[video]

[overwinters]

Then.. I'll just have to hurry up and get a lot of it.

[ She doesn't like it - not being able to remember anything like this. It feels strangely empty, thinking how she might have forgotten things important to her, and.. almost a little bit lonely too, to be stuck here like this alone. ]

... I want to go home.

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

[Man. Shirou just feels bad for the poor girl. She dies at home, she wants to go home, and she's probably feeling lonely without family around.]

Um...if it makes you feel any better, this really isn't a bad place to be. There's a lot to do here, and most of the people are nice.

[video]

[overwinters]

[ Lot to do.. What kind of things did she used to do at home? She can't even remember that much, no matter how much she frowns and tries. In the end it's easier to just ask questions to distract her mind with. ]

What kind of things are here to do then..?

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

Well, there are jobs available...though I think a girl your age would work less than part-time. You can get anemoi that way. There's also all sorts of shops and restaurants to go to, an arcade, a gym, a training center, parks, a waterfront...

[video]

[overwinters]

I'll work if I have to, to get Anemoi.. I want to hurry up and remember. [ She puffs her cheeks just a little at that.

Those other words though.. It's like she hasn't heard of some of those things before, even though he's saying them so naturally, why..? She's not sure if she could go there alone either, but.. well, she's on her own now, she can try and be tough. ]

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

[...Cute.]

Um...maybe I could show you around the city?

[video] 1 / 2

[overwinters]

... Huh? [ She looks almost surprised that he offers for a moment. ]

[video]

[overwinters]

[ But.. no, he really did offer to show her around. And he doesn't seem like a bad person exactly, but.. at the same time, some proud part of her feels like she shouldn't accept help that easily, yet she does really want it. This is difficult, but in the end the desire to not be here alone, even if it's just for a few moments, wins out.

... She does hide it under a slightly haughty (or at least prideful) smile, though. ]

Well, just since you offered!

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

[Shirou suppresses a laugh at the face she's putting on. That was simply amusing.]

All right! Where are you now? In your apartment?

[video]

[overwinters]

... [ a nod. ] Yeah. It's where they told me to go, so I figured it was better than standing around on my own.

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

Okay. My house is about fifteen minutes away on foot. What's your room number?

[video]

[overwinters]

... You have your own house? [ That seems different.. From what she's seen, most people just have a room here. ]

But.. it's 303.

[video]

[wontdieifkilled]

Yeah. There's a long story behind that one.

Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can.

[video]

[overwinters]

[ Well, she can get that story out of him later, when he's there, so.. she just nods. ]

I'll be waiting. And.. you know you should never make a girl wait too long, right?

[video -> action]

[wontdieifkilled]

Oh, don't worry. It'll take me twenty minutes max to get there.

[After saying that, Shirou terminates the feed. Seventeen minutes later, the sound of knocking can be heard from the other side of Ilya's door.]

[action]

[overwinters]

[ She just sits around and waits during that time, but when she hears the knock she immediately perks up, quickly getting over to the door.. before realising she probably shouldn't seem that eager over it, right. So she takes a deep breath instead before opening the door a little more slowly, looking up at him.

... For a moment it's difficult to find what to say, but she just nods a little. ]

You were right. That wasn't twenty minutes yet.

[action]

[wontdieifkilled]

That's right. Like I said.

Are you ready to go?

[action]

[overwinters]

Yeah. [ ... She pauses, hesitantly, for a moment before she continues on. ]

It won't be dangerous, right?

[ Was there something dangerous about going out back home? She can't recall it either, but it's almost more some kind of gut sense. ]

[action]

[wontdieifkilled]

Dangerous?

[Had this been a month ago, it would have been more so, but even then, not bad if one was careful about which buildings one entered...]

No, not at all. The city itself is safe. It only gets dangerous when you leave the city.

[action]

[overwinters]

Then.. [ she's already busy pattering past him, ahead of him - even out of the door of the apartment already, almost eagerly. ]

What are you still waiting for? Come on, I want to see everything..! [ Ilya can't help it by now, she's actually smiling widely in excitement at the thought. ]