1st Theory ○ [video//Action for NBT] [backdated to Sunday evening]

[esthetically]

[A red-spectacled young gentleman appears on the screen after a few seconds. He looks... slightly disturbed but more or less serious.]

I’m sorry to intrude, but I’ve actually got quite a few inquiries on this, uh... [World? Virtual Simulation?] ...this place. I’ve already given the trainer information packet a skim over, but I’m not surely meant to believe that we’re in some alternative world, am I?

First--and I do apologize if this question comes off as redundant or foolish--but I’d like to know how it is to return to where I need to be. Tomorrow is an important day for my teammate and myself, and we don’t have time to dawdle. I’d also prefer to do as little stalling as possible, as I would prefer if we headed back as soon as we're able.

[As Rei continues to talk, a young boy's voice can be heard off in the distance causing a whole lot of commotion. Eventually, a head of blond hair zooms past Rei toward the right, and then comes on back toward the left... and then the right. And then the left again. And then Nagisa ends up running circles behind Rei for a few seconds before there's a loud "Aha!" and he shouts out toward his occupied friend.]

Rei-chan! Rei-chan look, look what I caught! It's the biggest mouse I've ever seen! It's so chubby and fluffy! Look!

[With what appears to be a Dedenne in his arms, Nagisa speeds over to Rei and practically tackles right into him.

Just as the Dedenne decides that it really doesn't enjoy being treated so roughly and decides these weirdos need to be punished with a jolt of electricity.]

NAGIS-AAAHHH!!!

[At the shock, Rei's gear goes flying, and clunks on the ground. With that final scream, the gear shuts off momentarily.]

Comments

[cawsforalarm]

Mmm, yeah, I guess! I mean, I don't do a lot of physical training because I'm a mage. Our bodies are kinda weak if we don't use magic to buff them up. But I totally know what you're talking about!

[hiraoyogi]

A mage--?! Really?! No way! Like the kind in video games?!

[cawsforalarm]

...What's a video game?

[How many fantasy video game worlds can you think of that have actual video games, Nagisa?]

[hiraoyogi]

[None at all. Which is not surprising. Imagine how hella meta that would be.]

Video games are... video games! They're games! That you play on a video...

[cawsforalarm]

Hee hee... I don't know what a video is, either!

[He knows what a game is, fortunately.]

[hiraoyogi]

You don't know what a video is either?! It's-- it's like a TV! It's a screen! Like... a box with lots of complicated things in it that shows you pictures of ninjas and cats and boring ladies talking about shampoo!

[cawsforalarm]

Oh... so like this thing we're using right now? 'Cause I don't know what this thing is either -- is it a video?

[hiraoyogi]

Ye--! ...I don't know what this is actually. It looks like a phone, but it's pretty ugly. I like mine a lot more.

But since we're talking and I can see you, that's kind of like a video! That means this is a screen. But it's way different from a TV and a video game.

[cawsforalarm]

A screen... I thought that was just a paper-and-wood thing you put up to separate rooms.

[ALL THIS NEW TERMINOLOGY. Henry is majorly confused.]

[hiraoyogi]

...you must be really old. But you look young!

[cawsforalarm]

...I'm seventeen.

[hiraoyogi]

Uwah, no way! You're as old as me!! How is that possible?!

[cawsforalarm]

Time travel, probably! Or universe jumping. I think maybe that was involved.