Disclaimer: I do not own .hack and all that jazz.
Toys N the Attic: Woo.. x.x Been awhile since I have written a fan fiction and the first one on FF I plan on actually finishing! This chapter is kind of short.. but I dunno how long the next one will be. I had to get a cut off point. Bleh. So enjoy the first chapter..?
Fade to Black
Chapter 1
"You can not kill me for my passion is undying."
Four years since Tsukasa logged out of the world.. and everything seemed to be back to normal. Bear had become her best friend over the years and even more so over her offline friends. And BT had gone her separate ways, messaging them every now and then. The Scarlet knights had united once again, now that Subaru had a new silver knight...Kurim.
But he never came back.. The only person she had truly cared about in this stupid video game. Or she.. Why did she always still think of Tsukasa as that annoying, arrogant boy she once knew? Her viewpoints never changed...That is just what happens when you have never seen the other side of the reflection. She had never seen him in real life. She had always tried, but she didn't know his real name. She didn't know where he had gone, but just to forget about him. It all seemed so stained in the back of her memory.
As always she was cheerful, slightly self centered, strong-willed and friendly, but that was just the way she tried to preserve her memory of him. Just like it always was the only thing was.. but she would never stop shaking..and it had gotten worse since he left and only she knew why.
Today Mac Anu was just like any other. Over the four years the only thing that seemed to change was the graphics, if it ever seemed possible. It was more real.. and even though the headsets never let you feel real pain, every single hit you took in a battle seemed to affect you more..Perhaps only mentally.
She sat on the bridges rail looking forward at Bear whom seemed to be looking at Subaru, Kurim and the other Crimson Knights who were huddled in a group outside the entrance of the castle. They seemed to be in deep discussion and it was only polite not to interrupt them.. They had just come to visit Subaru anyway.. and for some reason She never liked coming here. She never liked to see Subaru and had no idea why... Bear had looked back towards her and smiled his 'old-man' smile he always did.
"...Something wrong, Mimiru?" Bear looked at her with concern..
Her gaze had fallen down towards the wooden floor of the bridge. She looked up and smiled slightly back at him, the always-cheerful smile that always fooled everyone..always. "No, why do you ask?"
Bear watched her carefully, "I dunno.. You just seem tired, or bored, or.. something around there...are you cold?"
She shook her head and leaned back slightly, moving her hands from her sitting knees to beside her on the rail, now being in a less slumped fashion.. Her eyes seemed to put on the fake smile as well. "Just a slow day..yeah..our heat went out a week ago."
The male heavyblade in front of her nodded. "Yeah.. Ok.. get some blankets then? " He crossed his arms, looking at her then looked up at the sky.
She remained to sit on the railing, now feeling slightly worse, but her expression stayed the same. Her eyes fell back down to the clean painted wood floor of the bridge.
Bear looked back at Her slowly. He couldn't really see her too well, for the sun was behind her and shadows creeped across the edges of her face and her eyes being shaded as well. He felt so dark around her, but wasn't so sure why.. She was happy. Always happy and optimistic..nothing ever changed.
Her voice was the same, as she spoke, just not as cheerful. As it was night in her time...or both their times, "Have you seen Tsukasa offline..?" She rose her head slightly, light appearing on side of her face and darkness lost on the other side.
Bear shook his head, looking to his side. "No, I havn't..I wonder if she is doing okay, but I am sure she is."
He..
"You say that everytime I ask you." She smiled slightly..
Bear's gaze went back to her, "You ask me that at least once a week, but I am sure she is. She declined being adopted.. She must have somewhere better to go."
He....
She nodded and looked up at the multi colored paints of a twilight sky looking in a wistful manner. "Yeah.."
"This morning I looked at the message boards," He decided to point out, changing the subject, "They are updating again."
The heavyblade looked at him, from what could be seen of her face her eyes looked interested. "Really? Graphics? I mean.. I doubt they could get any more realisti-"
"Not visually."
"What do you mean?" She blinked slowly..
"I am not so clear on it, but.." He seemed to close his eyes in thought, ".. I think they are changing the fighting system.. or HP or something.." Bear opened his eyes to look at her. "I think they are going to make the taking of HP more real."
She still didn't seem to understand, but she didn't bother to make herself look more interested, "Like.. pain?"
"I suppose so.. within the next week or so. They said players aren't likely to notice the updates, which I find strange..and new changes as well.."
She closed her eyes slowly... "I wonder if we should be looking forward to them.."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"What do you mean you are not going?!" a loud booming voice came behind..
The emerald gaze of a girl turned and looked at the woman, having to turn the desk chair around slowly. Their faces almost identical, but the older woman's hair much longer and streaks of gray resonated beneath. The girl just looked up, about the age of 19, her eyes emotionless and distant and a headset rested in her hands.
"Well, are you going to answer me?" The woman demanded violently and getting no answer. "It is this game isn't it?! To much time online instead of working on your studies..You have a scholarship!! "The woman knocked the headset out of the girl's hands with a slight wince as the headset dropped to the hard ground with a loud cracking noise.
The girl looked down at it with sadness in her eyes..
"Is it that much to you?! You are being obsessive, honey.." The mother's voice dropped into sadness. "Why do you continue to dwell?"
The girl reached down and picked up the headset slowly.. "Mother!" She glared at her angrily. "You have no idea-"
"Don't you dare try to talk yourself out of this! You are going to go to college whether you like it or not. Why are you quitting? Why.. WHY!?" The woman seemed to be put into hysterics..
The girl just watched her maternal Unit.. With no sympathy.. She didn't understand why she cared so much or why she ever had to leave the room, why to ever eat or sleep or talk with the outside world. She had all she ever needed right on her desk and even t hat didn't make her life any easier.. She stood up finally, resting the head set down. "Mother, you don't know what it's like! You don't know how much this means to me.. to still be alive somewhere els-!"
A pain went across her face as her head whipped to her right, a red hand mark on her cheek. Her eyes fell down as she shook slightly, touching her hand to her cheek.
Her mother's eyes were filled with tears as if ashamed. "I am sorry, Mimiru, but you can't live like this.."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Three rings rose from the ground as certain head knight walked onto a wasteland of giant skeletons..The largest one being only 10 yards away and at the base sat Her, legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her chin resting upon them and looking out emptily, shaking slightly. Just something at the pit of her stomach seemed to have gotten wider..Nothing good, but something empty.
"Mimiru..?" Subaru walked towards her and knelt down on one knee, her axe resting on the ground flat under her palm. "Are you okay?" her voice was full of concern as She had taken as always being false.
She finally looked up, as if just realizing she was there. "Hey, Subaru, glad you came." She smiled. God how fake Subaru was.. How could she always act so well, acting as if she cared about everything and everyone and the well being of every person, when she herself was so self-centered. It was impossible to act so well and She had envied her for it.
Subaru's 'fake' concern finally vanished when she saw the smile. "I got your message..So what did you need me for?" She sat down next to her, leaning on the bones behind her. She smiled at Her.
She looked back out again, her eyes didn't give off that spark really anymore, but her face still remained happy. Subaru of course never caught, no one ever did. Perhaps the preservation was going better then she thought. "I wanted to ask if you have talked to Tsukasa lately."
"Well..yeah." She nodded and followed Her gaze out to the wasteland field. "She called the other day and asked if we could go to a movie."
He..!
"Really.. How did it go?" Her expression never changed as she remained to look out. How She hoped it had gone badly and Tsukasa left early in the movie..
"She was in a good mood and I was, too. It all went pretty well."
She winced at the sound of 'She' a second time.
He!!
"Can I ask you, Subaru.. what is his real name?" She rested her head on her knuckles.
"I don't know if I can tell you what her name is. I would have to ask her. I don't know if she would want me to tell you." Her voice seemed snobbish in she thought or maybe imagined. Or did she imagine the emphasis on 'Her'. She cursed in her head as anger built up like a rocket.
HE!!!!
The blade master looked at her directly, her eyes full of deep disgust. "Of COURSE HE WOULD! I was his friend, too, remember!? I haven't even seen him since he LEFT!" She growled dangerously.
Subaru looked taken back by the sudden attack, her eyes widened slightly. "Mimiru, calm down.." She sighed. "Tsukasa is a girl.. Remember??"
"No I DON'T REMEMBER!" He position shifted to sitting up, her hand as if she was going to grab the heavyblade, the other flat on the ground.
Just slice her lips off! Just cut it out! She would be gone and no more good times with him anymore!
"I have never even met 'HER'! I have never even seen 'HER'!"
Subaru looked at her, backing away slightly. "Mimiru...please.." This was real fear now..
She looked at her and realizing her temper rising and began to calm down.. The memory not preserved. "I...I'm sorry." She looked down, her hand that was reaching for the heavyblade fell to the ground. She had always hated Subaru, but Subaru was the only one closest to Tsukasa.. The only one. "Please ask h-er her for me." Her voice seemed sad and ashamed. "Please?" how could she of gone off like that? It was was never her. Never her.. optimistic.. happy..sad...disgusted.
Subaru sighed in silent relief, as her artificial voice returned. "I will.. okay? I will. I promise."
She looked up from the ground; the sadness gone and a new enthusiasm took its place. "Thank you." Was it real? Was Subaru acting or just being kind..fake? But she may be able to see him again...know his real name, had it really been that long.
Mimiru smiled to herself.
Tsukasa.....I will see you again.
Toys N the Attic: Woo.. x.x Been awhile since I have written a fan fiction and the first one on FF I plan on actually finishing! This chapter is kind of short.. but I dunno how long the next one will be. I had to get a cut off point. Bleh. So enjoy the first chapter..?
Fade to Black
Chapter 1
"You can not kill me for my passion is undying."
Four years since Tsukasa logged out of the world.. and everything seemed to be back to normal. Bear had become her best friend over the years and even more so over her offline friends. And BT had gone her separate ways, messaging them every now and then. The Scarlet knights had united once again, now that Subaru had a new silver knight...Kurim.
But he never came back.. The only person she had truly cared about in this stupid video game. Or she.. Why did she always still think of Tsukasa as that annoying, arrogant boy she once knew? Her viewpoints never changed...That is just what happens when you have never seen the other side of the reflection. She had never seen him in real life. She had always tried, but she didn't know his real name. She didn't know where he had gone, but just to forget about him. It all seemed so stained in the back of her memory.
As always she was cheerful, slightly self centered, strong-willed and friendly, but that was just the way she tried to preserve her memory of him. Just like it always was the only thing was.. but she would never stop shaking..and it had gotten worse since he left and only she knew why.
Today Mac Anu was just like any other. Over the four years the only thing that seemed to change was the graphics, if it ever seemed possible. It was more real.. and even though the headsets never let you feel real pain, every single hit you took in a battle seemed to affect you more..Perhaps only mentally.
She sat on the bridges rail looking forward at Bear whom seemed to be looking at Subaru, Kurim and the other Crimson Knights who were huddled in a group outside the entrance of the castle. They seemed to be in deep discussion and it was only polite not to interrupt them.. They had just come to visit Subaru anyway.. and for some reason She never liked coming here. She never liked to see Subaru and had no idea why... Bear had looked back towards her and smiled his 'old-man' smile he always did.
"...Something wrong, Mimiru?" Bear looked at her with concern..
Her gaze had fallen down towards the wooden floor of the bridge. She looked up and smiled slightly back at him, the always-cheerful smile that always fooled everyone..always. "No, why do you ask?"
Bear watched her carefully, "I dunno.. You just seem tired, or bored, or.. something around there...are you cold?"
She shook her head and leaned back slightly, moving her hands from her sitting knees to beside her on the rail, now being in a less slumped fashion.. Her eyes seemed to put on the fake smile as well. "Just a slow day..yeah..our heat went out a week ago."
The male heavyblade in front of her nodded. "Yeah.. Ok.. get some blankets then? " He crossed his arms, looking at her then looked up at the sky.
She remained to sit on the railing, now feeling slightly worse, but her expression stayed the same. Her eyes fell back down to the clean painted wood floor of the bridge.
Bear looked back at Her slowly. He couldn't really see her too well, for the sun was behind her and shadows creeped across the edges of her face and her eyes being shaded as well. He felt so dark around her, but wasn't so sure why.. She was happy. Always happy and optimistic..nothing ever changed.
Her voice was the same, as she spoke, just not as cheerful. As it was night in her time...or both their times, "Have you seen Tsukasa offline..?" She rose her head slightly, light appearing on side of her face and darkness lost on the other side.
Bear shook his head, looking to his side. "No, I havn't..I wonder if she is doing okay, but I am sure she is."
He..
"You say that everytime I ask you." She smiled slightly..
Bear's gaze went back to her, "You ask me that at least once a week, but I am sure she is. She declined being adopted.. She must have somewhere better to go."
He....
She nodded and looked up at the multi colored paints of a twilight sky looking in a wistful manner. "Yeah.."
"This morning I looked at the message boards," He decided to point out, changing the subject, "They are updating again."
The heavyblade looked at him, from what could be seen of her face her eyes looked interested. "Really? Graphics? I mean.. I doubt they could get any more realisti-"
"Not visually."
"What do you mean?" She blinked slowly..
"I am not so clear on it, but.." He seemed to close his eyes in thought, ".. I think they are changing the fighting system.. or HP or something.." Bear opened his eyes to look at her. "I think they are going to make the taking of HP more real."
She still didn't seem to understand, but she didn't bother to make herself look more interested, "Like.. pain?"
"I suppose so.. within the next week or so. They said players aren't likely to notice the updates, which I find strange..and new changes as well.."
She closed her eyes slowly... "I wonder if we should be looking forward to them.."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"What do you mean you are not going?!" a loud booming voice came behind..
The emerald gaze of a girl turned and looked at the woman, having to turn the desk chair around slowly. Their faces almost identical, but the older woman's hair much longer and streaks of gray resonated beneath. The girl just looked up, about the age of 19, her eyes emotionless and distant and a headset rested in her hands.
"Well, are you going to answer me?" The woman demanded violently and getting no answer. "It is this game isn't it?! To much time online instead of working on your studies..You have a scholarship!! "The woman knocked the headset out of the girl's hands with a slight wince as the headset dropped to the hard ground with a loud cracking noise.
The girl looked down at it with sadness in her eyes..
"Is it that much to you?! You are being obsessive, honey.." The mother's voice dropped into sadness. "Why do you continue to dwell?"
The girl reached down and picked up the headset slowly.. "Mother!" She glared at her angrily. "You have no idea-"
"Don't you dare try to talk yourself out of this! You are going to go to college whether you like it or not. Why are you quitting? Why.. WHY!?" The woman seemed to be put into hysterics..
The girl just watched her maternal Unit.. With no sympathy.. She didn't understand why she cared so much or why she ever had to leave the room, why to ever eat or sleep or talk with the outside world. She had all she ever needed right on her desk and even t hat didn't make her life any easier.. She stood up finally, resting the head set down. "Mother, you don't know what it's like! You don't know how much this means to me.. to still be alive somewhere els-!"
A pain went across her face as her head whipped to her right, a red hand mark on her cheek. Her eyes fell down as she shook slightly, touching her hand to her cheek.
Her mother's eyes were filled with tears as if ashamed. "I am sorry, Mimiru, but you can't live like this.."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Three rings rose from the ground as certain head knight walked onto a wasteland of giant skeletons..The largest one being only 10 yards away and at the base sat Her, legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her chin resting upon them and looking out emptily, shaking slightly. Just something at the pit of her stomach seemed to have gotten wider..Nothing good, but something empty.
"Mimiru..?" Subaru walked towards her and knelt down on one knee, her axe resting on the ground flat under her palm. "Are you okay?" her voice was full of concern as She had taken as always being false.
She finally looked up, as if just realizing she was there. "Hey, Subaru, glad you came." She smiled. God how fake Subaru was.. How could she always act so well, acting as if she cared about everything and everyone and the well being of every person, when she herself was so self-centered. It was impossible to act so well and She had envied her for it.
Subaru's 'fake' concern finally vanished when she saw the smile. "I got your message..So what did you need me for?" She sat down next to her, leaning on the bones behind her. She smiled at Her.
She looked back out again, her eyes didn't give off that spark really anymore, but her face still remained happy. Subaru of course never caught, no one ever did. Perhaps the preservation was going better then she thought. "I wanted to ask if you have talked to Tsukasa lately."
"Well..yeah." She nodded and followed Her gaze out to the wasteland field. "She called the other day and asked if we could go to a movie."
He..!
"Really.. How did it go?" Her expression never changed as she remained to look out. How She hoped it had gone badly and Tsukasa left early in the movie..
"She was in a good mood and I was, too. It all went pretty well."
She winced at the sound of 'She' a second time.
He!!
"Can I ask you, Subaru.. what is his real name?" She rested her head on her knuckles.
"I don't know if I can tell you what her name is. I would have to ask her. I don't know if she would want me to tell you." Her voice seemed snobbish in she thought or maybe imagined. Or did she imagine the emphasis on 'Her'. She cursed in her head as anger built up like a rocket.
HE!!!!
The blade master looked at her directly, her eyes full of deep disgust. "Of COURSE HE WOULD! I was his friend, too, remember!? I haven't even seen him since he LEFT!" She growled dangerously.
Subaru looked taken back by the sudden attack, her eyes widened slightly. "Mimiru, calm down.." She sighed. "Tsukasa is a girl.. Remember??"
"No I DON'T REMEMBER!" He position shifted to sitting up, her hand as if she was going to grab the heavyblade, the other flat on the ground.
Just slice her lips off! Just cut it out! She would be gone and no more good times with him anymore!
"I have never even met 'HER'! I have never even seen 'HER'!"
Subaru looked at her, backing away slightly. "Mimiru...please.." This was real fear now..
She looked at her and realizing her temper rising and began to calm down.. The memory not preserved. "I...I'm sorry." She looked down, her hand that was reaching for the heavyblade fell to the ground. She had always hated Subaru, but Subaru was the only one closest to Tsukasa.. The only one. "Please ask h-er her for me." Her voice seemed sad and ashamed. "Please?" how could she of gone off like that? It was was never her. Never her.. optimistic.. happy..sad...disgusted.
Subaru sighed in silent relief, as her artificial voice returned. "I will.. okay? I will. I promise."
She looked up from the ground; the sadness gone and a new enthusiasm took its place. "Thank you." Was it real? Was Subaru acting or just being kind..fake? But she may be able to see him again...know his real name, had it really been that long.
Mimiru smiled to herself.
Tsukasa.....I will see you again.