First Sunrise [Video]

[glassworkgenius]

[ Today Hinoto-Ri is greeted by some panicked kid's yells over the network. Sorry about that. He's a fresh arrival, but is already feeling the effects of the Scorpio event. ]

Mr. Butterfly-mask--!! Are you out there!? I-I need to know if my friends from The World are here! I remember, I remember everything... Maybe they're here too? 

Oz-kun!! Hope-kun!! Yuuta-kun!?! Please tell me you're okay!

O-oh no what if... what if I'm the only one here... What if... what if they're... [ His eyes are starting to water. Someone stop it before it gets worse? Or not. Your call. ]

Comments

[otakuro]

H-Hey... Try and calm down a little. I don't know if your friends are here, but I don't think you need to worry too much about it.

[glassworkgenius]

But this city is dangerous! And what if they can't defend themselves? What if they don't have their weapons? Are there police!? Should I call them?!

[otakuro]

[Atsuro tries to sound calming, but the kid's anxiety is beginning to rile him up, too.]

Well... The thing is, if they're here, they're probably pretty safe. There's nothing to be afraid of, usually, in the daylight. If they're not... time doesn't exactly work the same way. When you get back home, it'll be the same time as when you left. So you won't have to worry about them.

That's what they told us, anyway.

[glassworkgenius]

Probably... probably's not for certain... [ Still, he shakes his head. ]

If it's them, they're probably managing. I'll just have to believe that.

[otakuro]

Right!

This network you're on links to everyone in the city, too - so if they are here, they're sure to have heard you.

[glassworkgenius]

Mmn. That's good to know. Thank you.

Oh-- I'm Taiyou by the way.

[otakuro]

Atsuro Kihara. It's nice to meet you.

...I'm not sure what your exact situation is, but... yeah, I wish I knew how my friends were doing, too. I'll just have to trust that they really can get us back to the moment we left.

[glassworkgenius]

It's... different. I probably can't go back to them.

[otakuro]

Huh? What do you mean?

...Ah, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to.

[glassworkgenius]

No it's fine.

Um, this isn't my first time getting stuck somewhere I don't know. There were a bunch of others, from different 'worlds' than mine. But we were all made to leave after "their beta was over"... Then I ended up here.

[otakuro]

...'Beta', huh? Sounds like someone decided it would be fun to play a game. It's kinda what I thought this place was like at first.

Well, they're a little better about treating us like normal people here, I think.

[glassworkgenius]

I had fun though! We fought monsters with friends like in RPG's, and had festivals and I got to explore fields and caves... Stuff I'd never have been able to do back home.

... I miss it already.

[otakuro]

Huh...?

Why are you so worried about your friends if the game you were playing was fun?

[glassworkgenius]

We all left. I have no idea what their original worlds are like... I probably never will get the chance to find out, now.

[otakuro]

No chance of transdimensional email, huh...?

[This wasn't really a situation Atsuro could relate to at all, but...]

Hey, maybe when the game is released for real, you'll all be invited to play again.

[glassworkgenius]

That would be something, wouldn't it?

[ He's smiling again, at least to put on a brave face. ]

Hope hope hope. Gotta keep hoping.

[otakuro]

Yeah.

[Atsuro smiles a little wanly.]

...The important thing is the time you've had together, right?

[glassworkgenius]

Yeah. One of my friends said he forgot all his memories of that place the last time he went home, but... Maybe things are different this time.

I remember. So... if they do too, that would be great. Wherever they are.