[ open ] you wake up, this is not a dream

[sortileges]

Who: sortileges & you!
When: IC: 08/16 - 08/17 / OOC: 08/02 - 08/03
Where: Multiple places (ViViD, in town etc)
What: The Worst Time to come back from a canon update... aka event stuff + return stuff
Rating/Warning: None, will change if anything comes up!

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( ViViD: The worst train ride home, ever | IC: 08/16 )

[ If it weren't for the fact that coming back meant that there was a mix of memories in his head trying to sort themselves into place he might have noticed the warning signs sooner. The signs for Low Energy Levels that kept flashing up were mostly ignored as he just stands in the middle of nothing, hand against his head with his eyes shut tight because it's been a long while, so much has happened and it's weird to figure out that yes, everything is real.

Even this place where he had to get used to technology and a new way of life. His hair is shorter, he's older (though only a little more in age, but in wisdom and life much much more) as too much has happened.

It's a good, long ten or so minutes before he pays attention to the setting. The command prompt and so called "safe mode" mean very little to him so he presumes it's just part of the setting for ViViD this time. At least he knows enough about coming back after one of these trips to know where he probably is, otherwise this would have been even more disorientating. ]

...Hello?

[ Well, it's ViViD but usually there's someone hanging around. Instead it just... feels silent. Like there's nothing else there.

That is, of course, when the signs for low energy levels start going a bit crazier when he starts to walk--his throat starts to feel tight.

And he can't find the exit. ]

Of course the exit wouldn't be that easy to see here, because nothing could ever be easy.

[ Are you someone who was glitched here, or were you stupid brave enough to log in? Too bad, they aren't getting out of this unscathed apparently... ]

( 01: Energy Levels 93% | IC: 08/17 Morning )

[ He'd spent enough time staring at the change on his wrist to know that it probably shouldn't be there, but considering he didn't understand the majority of what was on the ViViD level the day before anyway he just brushes it off for now. He just assumes he should ask someone like Hiro who actually understands the technology here. Of course, that's until he's ran into the problem of Shigeru melting half the flat, his bed trying to eat him and a number of other things technology related.

Is this the real life or is it just fantasy-- it's hard to tell anymore. But. There are people he needs to see knowing that he's probably been missing for days now.

He makes sure he's dressed properly before he grabs his card and key and runs out the door. It's possible you'll catch him at the door if you've noticed he's back by now, if not, he's calling on doors or going to people's places of work or where he assumes they might be by now to check how they are.

By the time he gets there though, his wrist is probably glowing with 76% Weird. But he does force a smile and pretend like nothing has happened to some people. ]

Hello! Didn't expect to see you here. [ Nevermind????? That he came??????? to you??????? ]

( 02: Glitching 100 years into the future | IC: 08/17 Late Afternoon )

[ While the network might say he's back, if you haven't ran into him during the morning, there are some major differences now. For one thing, he doesn't really look like his younger self at all, nor is he acting quite as polite as he might normally be.

A poor alien might walk in front of him and he yells out: Are y'r eyes in the back of your head?! Watch where you're going! along with a sneer. One thing is for sure though... he seems to be enjoying himself??????

The next time though it might be you doing something that doesn't quite pass his idea of acting well, whether it's you pushing in front of him in a queue, accidentally walking in front of him, or just being there and him wanting to be a pain in the butt. Whatever you're doing might give him reason to decide to call you out on it.

What a rude old man. ]

Comments

[sortileges]

[ It's... something that makes him pause, eyes lowered to his hand that picks and scratches at the stairs.

All he says though, is: ]

A lot.

[psycholawgy]

[ she looks down at her feet then, fidgeting awkwardly. is he going to tell her about it at some point? she doesn't want to force it out of him. . . ]

But there were good stuff too, right?

[sortileges]

[ He pauses then, remembering something from what he'd read before. ]

Lancelot came back. [ A beat. ] I met some others, too.

[ But he doesn't go into more detail. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ that's good, right? merlin always talked fondly of lancelot... so him coming back is a good thing, supposedly. maybe he isn't as lonely anymore, she doesn't know. with her arms covering her mouth, he probably won't see it, but it does make her smile a bit. ]

You got a haircut.

[sortileges]

[ He doesn't, especially as he still isn't looking at her properly either. Maybe it's a good indication that the bad outweighs the good, but he doesn't want to talk about that right now.

He blinks at what she finally says though, hand going up to his hair to feel it. It takes a long moment to remember the trip to the hair dresser with Vietnam that time, and he finally looks back at her. ]

I guess I did.

[psycholawgy]

[ she looks down again when she realises he's looking at her and just... stays silent, really. what is she supposed to say now? the air seems slightly lighter now but it's still awkward. and she can only keep up with the small talk for so long. ]

[sortileges]

[ He doesn't exactly know what to say either. When Yu came back that time it was easier to slot into place, but to be fair they weren't dating. He shifts a bit, just as awkward. ]

What do you want to do now?

[psycholawgy]

[ well, it was fine when she asked earlier because given the situation, it was obvious she meant with what's going on with the two of them, but now she doesn't know what he's pertaining to. but even if she's clueless. . . ]

Can I sit next to you?

[sortileges]

[ He means literally... right now. That question at least makes sense. He twists around so there's more room for her, and holds out his hand to help pull her forward. ]

Of course you can.

[psycholawgy]

[ at first, she just looks at his hand like it's some alien thing but she takes it eventually and moves to sit next to him. he'd probably notice that she's shaking now that she's closer than before. and she does see that his wrist is glowing when she takes his hand. ]

What's that?

[sortileges]

[ He squeezes her hand when she takes it, smiling gently at her. He glances at his wrist when she points it out and sighs. ]

A present from ViViD.

[psycholawgy]

[ she reaches out to touch his wrist but ends up backing out at the last second. ]

Does it hurt?

[sortileges]

[ He shakes his head. ]

no, it changes though. [ It's probably dropped to 62% during this time honestly. This talk was Emotionally Draining. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ well maybe if he hadn't left, they wouldn't have had this talk!! ]

Maybe it'll go away when all of this is over.

[sortileges]

[ Look... he didn't expect it either?! ]

Maybe. I'm not sure if it's just because of how I came back or if other people have it too, though.

[psycholawgy]

[ she looks to the side. ]

I've never seen anybody else have something like that. It could just be a ViViD thing.

[ with how technology is being right now, she doubts people actually log into the game for the weird glowy thing to be common. ]

[sortileges]

I don't know. I think I died there which is why I ended up here later than I should have. It's a bit difficult to tell.

[ His own hand moves to rub over the mark now. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ the idea of him dying only makes her frown again, though. ]

I'm sorry.

[sortileges]

[ He leans to kiss her on the cheek. ]

It's fine, you don't have to apologise. It was just ViViD.

[ That happened plenty of times????????? ]

[psycholawgy]

[ that makes her jump slightly, though. she feels bad for reacting that way which is why she covers her face with both her hands. ]

Sorry, I— [ god, she doesn't know. ] ... sorry.

[sortileges]

[ He just freezes slightly, brushing it off like nothing happened soon after. ]

It's fine. [ It isn't :( ] Don't worry about it.

[ But silence falls again because he doesn't know what to say or do anymore if she keeps reacting like this either. It stings. ]

I can come back later if you want?

[psycholawgy]

[ it was just more surprising than anything else, really. she didn't mean to react that way. ]

It's... It's been a while since we went to the rooftop.

[sortileges]

[ Yeah... but still. ]

It has. Did you want to go there?

[ I mean, if anything tries to attack them up there he's confident he can stop it so w/e. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ the rooftop's pretty much an empty space, so the only threat there is merlin... (unsure) there shouldn't be any weird stuff going on up there. ]

Only if you want to.

[sortileges]

[ Um??? What if there are flying robots??????? He doesn't know. ]

Well, we can get there this way, right? Up there?