compnetwork | [video/text]

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[When the feed starts, there is the sight of a surprised newvomer with longer orange hair. It's from a lower angle.... Did he drop the watch?

Nope. Because the camera angle just tilted. Whoever it is filming this, they're using the glasses cam in order to do so.

There is text that accompanies the video feed.]

My new friend is looking for people who know him!

Can someone who speaks human talk to him? He's confused and doesn't know about his COMP glasses yet...

[...Was that a dog whining.]

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Is there any way to send private messages over this network?

[ hello, yes, hi, this is a little sudden, but that's a version of his proxy right there, and if what this person is saying is true, then there is no WAY he's going to get the full version of events from his mouth. ]

There should be a little lock shaped button up in the corner, but I'll go ahead and enable it myself for now.

[boop]

May I ask who I'm speaking with, though?

[ very handy, thank u network stranger! ]

[ ... huh. that question does give him pause, though. how does he introduce himself to someone neku knows without sounding strange or suspicious? that question gives him the answer, though - there's literally no way. might as well give her a card to deal with. ]

My name's Joshua Kiryu. I'm familiar with Neku, but I don't recall him ever going through what you just described. Can you elaborate?

Josh?

[The text is sent out to him not even a beat after he sends his message, almost as if to imply that the person he was talking to was familiar with him and sent it in a hurry. But... no. He said he doesn't remember anything like she described. This isn't her Josh, in that case; but just to make sure...]

My apologies. Joshua, did you arrive here straight from Shibuya?

[ ... this throws him for a loop. this person was in a position to get to know him? that would mean that a version of him existed on this facility too... either that, or this was someone from his future. the past was right out... since, well, reasons. considering his options, though, he thought the former was a little more likely. ]

I did. Who am I speaking to?

In that case, you'll have no idea who I am. That said, my name is Kairi.

[A pause.]

I've never met Neku before, I think he came after me. But we both come from a place called Facility; we were all kidnapped there from our homes by an organization known as the Consortium, or by a computer named Val. It all depends on when exactly he arrived.

[ joshua is fitting all of the pieces together himself as he reads, but the going is hard when the pool he has to draw from is this dry. besides the obvious, there are some weird temporal anomalies about the planar space-time graph he's drawing up in his brain. if she couldn't specify the "when" of his arrival, it's very possible that whatever happened was in his future, or happened to a version of neku that he had no familiarity with. he'll stop theorizing in a second, but let it be known that he's got at least three versions of the possible course of events in his head and he's ready to start digging. ]

It's a pleasure, Kairi. Should I be aware of anything before I go to speak with him? [ they're going to talk at least once. no running from this one. ]

He's been through a lot. Tread carefully and respect his boundaries if he doesn't wish to speak about something.

If you're friends like I know you are, he'll open up to you about the whole truth eventually.

[ ... oh, that f-word. he doesn't like a stranger knowing more about his personality than even he does. (friends? really? it... isn't exactly a feeling he is prepared to be comfortable with.) ]

I'm sure. Is there anything else? Otherwise, I'll leave you be.

Don't call him a fake or anything along those lines.

[She doesn't know Neku's exact opinion or knowledge on that whole can of worms, but... just to be safe.]

[ a brief pause before the next message. ]

Dare I ask why?

Not my place to say. He'll tell you if he wants to.

Fair enough. Thank you, Kairi.

You're welcome. If you ever want to talk again, please don't hesitate. I live in the big castle you'll see in Aquarius district, and work at the flower shop in Virgo. Alternatively, you can leave a message on my COMP.

[ ... what in the world did the other joshua do to befriend someone this nice? he must have really been off his game. ]

I appreciate the offer. I'll keep that in mind.

~~[NO ESSCCCCCCCAAAAAAAPPPPPPEEEEEEE]~~

Good luck with your talk.

[ ~~HELPLESS SCREAM INTO THE ABYSS~~ ]

Thank you. [ N e u t r a l a s h e l l . whatever trap the last joshua fell into he is going to dodge at the core! ~~sob.~~ ]

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