.Hack: Penance
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.
Notes: Happens after Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text], {email domains}. And now, because I was a lazy bastard on Friday, I'm gonna be extra-productive on Sunday. Sorry for all the cliffhangers, but it's so easy to do, and it's such a wonderful substitute for actually providing answers and, you know, interesting writing! /me cackles maniacally.
Anywho, I think you'll enjoy this, even if it feels a little rushed. And for those of you trying to decipher the email... all I ask is that you pay attention. Pay close attention. The clues are there :)
This chapter written under the influence of: Tantric – Live Your Life (Down)
Chapter 4 – Destination Unknown
-----------------------------------------
"See you later, Mrs. Kugara!"
Hiroshi caught a glimpse of her waving as he stepped out the front door, and stopped long enough to wave back. He made his way down to the sidewalk and began following it home, his shoes scraping against the concrete with every step, a telltale sign that his mind was elsewhere.
(He seemed a lot better,) thought the boy, stuffing his hands in his pockets. (Maybe this time we can work together to find out what's going on.)
Denying his own concerns wasn't on the agenda; he knew that there were risks, even if he didn't know what they were. There would be no Skeith, no Morganna, no Data Drain, but he didn't even try to convince himself that the thing, the man he had encountered was less dangerous than anything he had faced. Whether it was or wasn't more dangerous in fact, it was still something he didn't quite understand.
(And that's why it's dangerous,) he concluded silently. (Because I don't know anything about it.)
His feet carried him around a corner, chasing his own shadow, cast before him by the sun at his back. To his right, a police car calmly cruised down the street, driver with one hand on the wheel and the other comfortably resting on the door.
(Dean didn't send anything to Yasuhiko before I left. Guess I've got some time... if only I had something to do.)
He half-smiled; visiting his friend had been one of the only things he did offline that didn't involve school, with most of his spare time spent in 'The World'. Most of his friends were either not involved, or in the game itself but anonymous to him in real life. All this had left him with quite a surplus of free time when the Wave had finally been destroyed, and not enough people with whom to spend that time.
The taste of chocolate on his lips did little to distract him from thinking about one friend in particular.
(BlackRose...)
The pink-haired Heavy Blade hadn't been online much in the past few weeks; he figured that she had matters of her own to tend to, what with her brother Kazu and all. Though she didn't yet occupy his every waking thought, he found himself more than slightly taken with the strong willed, yet kindhearted and even sensitive girl who had taken it upon herself to find out what happened to her brother, as Hiroshi had for his friend.
Despite that their personal troubles all but forced their paths to intersect, he had grown to like and care for her, whose help he was certain he couldn't have done without, a feeling he knew she shared. She was more than just a set of statistics to fill a party, or a level treadmiller obsessed with getting stronger or acquiring loot – both of which came readily to Kite, consequently making him a rather popular fellow as of late.
They were partners. And friends.
(Things should be back to normal in a few months,) he told himself. (Then maybe we can...)
(Can what?) his thoughts countered. (Come on, what is it you'd like to do?)
(Spend more time with her,) he answered, forcing himself to add, (maybe... meet her in the real world?)
It wasn't the first time he wanted to do so, and lack of effort had been the least of their problems; in both instances where he had hoped to meet the player behind BlackRose, things had simply gotten in the way – online and offline.
(So, now what? Do I have to wait until we sort whatever this is out too?)
(I guess we'll have to wait and see,) he replied to himself. (But still, perhaps someday... someday soon...)
His mind was brought back to her most recent email, one where she had – seemingly in jest – implied that she was falling for Hiroshi (or was it Kite?) The notion itself gave him pause, and despite that she claimed to be kidding, he couldn't help but ponder the idea, already questioning how he could possibly understand the emotion at his age, or how he would know if that even applied to what he and BlackRose shared – two companions, two friends, who had never even so much as seen each other's faces.
Nonetheless, the slight flush to his ears and cheeks told a different story.
"Huh?"
Movement caught his attention; he stopped on the sidewalk in front of his house, spotting a white van rolling out of the driveway. On the side of the van was the logo of a telecommunications company, the providers of his Internet service.
He grinned. (All right, guess I won't have to worry about free time today.)
Hiroshi jogged up the front yard to his front door, prying it open and passing through in one fluid motion. "Mom, I'm home!"
"Welcome home," called his mother from the adjoining room. "You're just in time to help me set the table!"
He groaned quietly as he slipped out of his shoes and strolled through the arch, the thick aroma of a hearty stew greeting his nose. To his right, the half of the room that served as the kitchen; his mother was hunched over a huge pot as she took a taste of its contents. As he watched, she nodded to herself and resumed stirring.
"How were the Kugaras?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Hiroshi.
"Pretty good," he said as he ambled over to the nearest cabinet, opening it and removing two large bowls. "Yasuhiko's doing a lot better now, and they said he'll be fully healed in a couple weeks."
"That's good news." Another taste, this time followed by a dash of salt.
Hiroshi deftly set the bowls down on the nearby dining table, which occupied the other half of the room; he followed up with napkins, spoons and glasses, and politely excused himself.
As he left, he heard her say, "Oh, right, the repairmen were just here. Our connection should be up now."
"I saw their truck in the driveway," said Hiro in acknowledgement. "Hope it stays fixed this time."
Continuing his trek up the stairs, Hiro entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him, then sat down at his desk and booted up his computer. True to their word – if the repairmen had indeed given their word, which he suspected was implicit – the connection was live, and after his desktop appeared the first thing to greet his eyes was a 'new mail' notice.
-
From: Stolls {theworld}
To: Kite {theworld}
Subj: SitRep
Hey man. Got your message, but haven't found out anything yet, least nothing solid. I did chat with an admin about it, but I forgot to log the event and he said that nothing looked out of the ordinary with the server. Guess we're back to square one :-(
I know you probably won't get this tonight, but I'll do my best to keep you posted, and if you find out anything, drop me a line.
-
Hiroshi sighed. (No response from BlackRose... and now Dean's hit a dead- end, too.)
"Oh well," he thought aloud. "Maybe I'll just go through a dungeon tonight. Not like I have any idea where to begin investigating... or maybe if I get a full party myself..."
He propped his head up on his hand, elbow on his desk, and stared at the desktop, watching nothing in particular. After a few minutes, the screen went black for a second, and was replaced by an aquarium-themed screen saver, colorful fish and sea creatures swimming this way and that.
A sudden wave of fatigue washed over his body, and his head started to droop. Recalling how he had tossed and turned the night before, he covered his mouth with his free hand and gave a soft yawn. He nudged the mouse gently, and the screen saver vanished.
With an absent mind, he found his way to The World's message boards, and began browsing the various topics; his eyes caught the version upgrade which mentioned more thorough environment interaction, and he managed a quiet "hmm" when he noticed a paragraph that explicitly described how, in some cases, a player could use nearby objects or even the very ground to fight off a monster, and vice versa.
Still more topics; he noted one by the goblin Stehoney, who made a big show about the fact that the Goblin Tag event was being reset, to allow for more distribution of the rare equipment they offered. Hiroshi cringed, remembering the untold number of speed charms, sleep scrolls, and various other status-affecting items he had had to use to even the odds between him and the goblins.
(I don't think I've ever even used any of the goblin equipment... it's probably still in my locker.)
A minute later, a familiar voice floated up the stairway, slightly muffled through his bedroom door. "Hiro, dinner's ready!"
"I'll be right there, mom!" he hollered back, exiting the message board and heading back to the desktop.
Before he could stand up, a familiar chime indicated the arrival of new mail. Eagerly, he cracked open his email client and opened the most recent message.
-
From: Terajima Ryoko{theworld}
To: Kite {theworld}
Subj: Tonight
Hello, Kite. Are you going to be busy this evening? If you'll be online tonight, I was wondering if I might join you? I made a mistake at a Spring of Myst, and now I need to upgrade my axe again; would you mind helping me?
-
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. (A mistake at a spring?) he wondered. (I thought she had gotten used to the game by now... well, I'll help her out after dinner.)
Making a mental note to reply later, he closed the email and scampered away from the desk, heading downstairs to his waiting meal. He picked up the glass at his seat, and carried it over to the counter next to the refrigerator, opening it and digging through it for a bottle of soda.
"You know," said his mother as she brought the now-full bowls of soup from the stove to the table, "I got a call from your father today."
Hiro threw her a look, but continued to retrieve the bottle. "Really?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise. He uncapped the bottle and filled his glass. "How was he?"
Setting the bowls down carefully, she answered, "He's doing all right... he's in New York now. He says all the news is about some scandal in Washington."
Thinking back to his most recent adventure with Dean, Hiroshi had a hunch what she was talking about. "I heard about that."
There was a brief silence between the two as Hiroshi sealed and put away the bottle of soda, then carried his drink back to the table. Upon sitting down, his mother said, "He said he misses you... he misses us."
He swallowed, looking up at her. "And... what did you say?"
Dipping her spoon into the broth, she avoided his gaze. "I told him we missed him, too."
Hiroshi let out a mumble of approval, and followed suit, taking a hesitant bite from his bowl of stew.
The rest of the meal passed just as silently, the only noises that of lips smacking, metal and porcelain clinking, and the stove vent churning. The thick, flavorful liquid meshed with the taste of several miscellaneous vegetables – he picked out carrot, celery and potato – as it coursed down his throat and settled comfortably in his waiting stomach.
He was almost grateful for the silence, which left him alone with his thoughts. Somehow, he knew he wouldn't have too many moments like this in the near future.
- End of Chapter 4
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.
Notes: Happens after Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text], {email domains}. And now, because I was a lazy bastard on Friday, I'm gonna be extra-productive on Sunday. Sorry for all the cliffhangers, but it's so easy to do, and it's such a wonderful substitute for actually providing answers and, you know, interesting writing! /me cackles maniacally.
Anywho, I think you'll enjoy this, even if it feels a little rushed. And for those of you trying to decipher the email... all I ask is that you pay attention. Pay close attention. The clues are there :)
This chapter written under the influence of: Tantric – Live Your Life (Down)
Chapter 4 – Destination Unknown
-----------------------------------------
"See you later, Mrs. Kugara!"
Hiroshi caught a glimpse of her waving as he stepped out the front door, and stopped long enough to wave back. He made his way down to the sidewalk and began following it home, his shoes scraping against the concrete with every step, a telltale sign that his mind was elsewhere.
(He seemed a lot better,) thought the boy, stuffing his hands in his pockets. (Maybe this time we can work together to find out what's going on.)
Denying his own concerns wasn't on the agenda; he knew that there were risks, even if he didn't know what they were. There would be no Skeith, no Morganna, no Data Drain, but he didn't even try to convince himself that the thing, the man he had encountered was less dangerous than anything he had faced. Whether it was or wasn't more dangerous in fact, it was still something he didn't quite understand.
(And that's why it's dangerous,) he concluded silently. (Because I don't know anything about it.)
His feet carried him around a corner, chasing his own shadow, cast before him by the sun at his back. To his right, a police car calmly cruised down the street, driver with one hand on the wheel and the other comfortably resting on the door.
(Dean didn't send anything to Yasuhiko before I left. Guess I've got some time... if only I had something to do.)
He half-smiled; visiting his friend had been one of the only things he did offline that didn't involve school, with most of his spare time spent in 'The World'. Most of his friends were either not involved, or in the game itself but anonymous to him in real life. All this had left him with quite a surplus of free time when the Wave had finally been destroyed, and not enough people with whom to spend that time.
The taste of chocolate on his lips did little to distract him from thinking about one friend in particular.
(BlackRose...)
The pink-haired Heavy Blade hadn't been online much in the past few weeks; he figured that she had matters of her own to tend to, what with her brother Kazu and all. Though she didn't yet occupy his every waking thought, he found himself more than slightly taken with the strong willed, yet kindhearted and even sensitive girl who had taken it upon herself to find out what happened to her brother, as Hiroshi had for his friend.
Despite that their personal troubles all but forced their paths to intersect, he had grown to like and care for her, whose help he was certain he couldn't have done without, a feeling he knew she shared. She was more than just a set of statistics to fill a party, or a level treadmiller obsessed with getting stronger or acquiring loot – both of which came readily to Kite, consequently making him a rather popular fellow as of late.
They were partners. And friends.
(Things should be back to normal in a few months,) he told himself. (Then maybe we can...)
(Can what?) his thoughts countered. (Come on, what is it you'd like to do?)
(Spend more time with her,) he answered, forcing himself to add, (maybe... meet her in the real world?)
It wasn't the first time he wanted to do so, and lack of effort had been the least of their problems; in both instances where he had hoped to meet the player behind BlackRose, things had simply gotten in the way – online and offline.
(So, now what? Do I have to wait until we sort whatever this is out too?)
(I guess we'll have to wait and see,) he replied to himself. (But still, perhaps someday... someday soon...)
His mind was brought back to her most recent email, one where she had – seemingly in jest – implied that she was falling for Hiroshi (or was it Kite?) The notion itself gave him pause, and despite that she claimed to be kidding, he couldn't help but ponder the idea, already questioning how he could possibly understand the emotion at his age, or how he would know if that even applied to what he and BlackRose shared – two companions, two friends, who had never even so much as seen each other's faces.
Nonetheless, the slight flush to his ears and cheeks told a different story.
"Huh?"
Movement caught his attention; he stopped on the sidewalk in front of his house, spotting a white van rolling out of the driveway. On the side of the van was the logo of a telecommunications company, the providers of his Internet service.
He grinned. (All right, guess I won't have to worry about free time today.)
Hiroshi jogged up the front yard to his front door, prying it open and passing through in one fluid motion. "Mom, I'm home!"
"Welcome home," called his mother from the adjoining room. "You're just in time to help me set the table!"
He groaned quietly as he slipped out of his shoes and strolled through the arch, the thick aroma of a hearty stew greeting his nose. To his right, the half of the room that served as the kitchen; his mother was hunched over a huge pot as she took a taste of its contents. As he watched, she nodded to herself and resumed stirring.
"How were the Kugaras?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Hiroshi.
"Pretty good," he said as he ambled over to the nearest cabinet, opening it and removing two large bowls. "Yasuhiko's doing a lot better now, and they said he'll be fully healed in a couple weeks."
"That's good news." Another taste, this time followed by a dash of salt.
Hiroshi deftly set the bowls down on the nearby dining table, which occupied the other half of the room; he followed up with napkins, spoons and glasses, and politely excused himself.
As he left, he heard her say, "Oh, right, the repairmen were just here. Our connection should be up now."
"I saw their truck in the driveway," said Hiro in acknowledgement. "Hope it stays fixed this time."
Continuing his trek up the stairs, Hiro entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him, then sat down at his desk and booted up his computer. True to their word – if the repairmen had indeed given their word, which he suspected was implicit – the connection was live, and after his desktop appeared the first thing to greet his eyes was a 'new mail' notice.
-
From: Stolls {theworld}
To: Kite {theworld}
Subj: SitRep
Hey man. Got your message, but haven't found out anything yet, least nothing solid. I did chat with an admin about it, but I forgot to log the event and he said that nothing looked out of the ordinary with the server. Guess we're back to square one :-(
I know you probably won't get this tonight, but I'll do my best to keep you posted, and if you find out anything, drop me a line.
-
Hiroshi sighed. (No response from BlackRose... and now Dean's hit a dead- end, too.)
"Oh well," he thought aloud. "Maybe I'll just go through a dungeon tonight. Not like I have any idea where to begin investigating... or maybe if I get a full party myself..."
He propped his head up on his hand, elbow on his desk, and stared at the desktop, watching nothing in particular. After a few minutes, the screen went black for a second, and was replaced by an aquarium-themed screen saver, colorful fish and sea creatures swimming this way and that.
A sudden wave of fatigue washed over his body, and his head started to droop. Recalling how he had tossed and turned the night before, he covered his mouth with his free hand and gave a soft yawn. He nudged the mouse gently, and the screen saver vanished.
With an absent mind, he found his way to The World's message boards, and began browsing the various topics; his eyes caught the version upgrade which mentioned more thorough environment interaction, and he managed a quiet "hmm" when he noticed a paragraph that explicitly described how, in some cases, a player could use nearby objects or even the very ground to fight off a monster, and vice versa.
Still more topics; he noted one by the goblin Stehoney, who made a big show about the fact that the Goblin Tag event was being reset, to allow for more distribution of the rare equipment they offered. Hiroshi cringed, remembering the untold number of speed charms, sleep scrolls, and various other status-affecting items he had had to use to even the odds between him and the goblins.
(I don't think I've ever even used any of the goblin equipment... it's probably still in my locker.)
A minute later, a familiar voice floated up the stairway, slightly muffled through his bedroom door. "Hiro, dinner's ready!"
"I'll be right there, mom!" he hollered back, exiting the message board and heading back to the desktop.
Before he could stand up, a familiar chime indicated the arrival of new mail. Eagerly, he cracked open his email client and opened the most recent message.
-
From: Terajima Ryoko{theworld}
To: Kite {theworld}
Subj: Tonight
Hello, Kite. Are you going to be busy this evening? If you'll be online tonight, I was wondering if I might join you? I made a mistake at a Spring of Myst, and now I need to upgrade my axe again; would you mind helping me?
-
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. (A mistake at a spring?) he wondered. (I thought she had gotten used to the game by now... well, I'll help her out after dinner.)
Making a mental note to reply later, he closed the email and scampered away from the desk, heading downstairs to his waiting meal. He picked up the glass at his seat, and carried it over to the counter next to the refrigerator, opening it and digging through it for a bottle of soda.
"You know," said his mother as she brought the now-full bowls of soup from the stove to the table, "I got a call from your father today."
Hiro threw her a look, but continued to retrieve the bottle. "Really?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise. He uncapped the bottle and filled his glass. "How was he?"
Setting the bowls down carefully, she answered, "He's doing all right... he's in New York now. He says all the news is about some scandal in Washington."
Thinking back to his most recent adventure with Dean, Hiroshi had a hunch what she was talking about. "I heard about that."
There was a brief silence between the two as Hiroshi sealed and put away the bottle of soda, then carried his drink back to the table. Upon sitting down, his mother said, "He said he misses you... he misses us."
He swallowed, looking up at her. "And... what did you say?"
Dipping her spoon into the broth, she avoided his gaze. "I told him we missed him, too."
Hiroshi let out a mumble of approval, and followed suit, taking a hesitant bite from his bowl of stew.
The rest of the meal passed just as silently, the only noises that of lips smacking, metal and porcelain clinking, and the stove vent churning. The thick, flavorful liquid meshed with the taste of several miscellaneous vegetables – he picked out carrot, celery and potato – as it coursed down his throat and settled comfortably in his waiting stomach.
He was almost grateful for the silence, which left him alone with his thoughts. Somehow, he knew he wouldn't have too many moments like this in the near future.
- End of Chapter 4