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 following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. Happy labor day, all. Enjoy that day off, I know I will, the only way I know how – a brisk jog, some Unreal Tournament, watch scantily clad catgirls run around selling things in FFXI, and get another chapter done. Because goddamnit, I don't have anything better to do.
That in mind... just a leeeeettle bit more fluff going on, and yes, there will be plot at some point. Just go with me on this. In the words of Final Fantasy Tactics, I had a good feeling!
This chapter written under the influence of: Deus Ex OST: DuClare Chateau
Chapter 15 – TreatiseFrom: Orca {theworld}
To: Balmung; Terajima Ryoko; Sanjuro; BlackRose {theworld}
Subj: Meeting
By now, you're all aware that something unusual is happening, something that involves Kite, and more specifically the man he met while I was in a coma. I don't yet know what's going on, but we need to coordinate our efforts, ensure that each of us is up to speed with everything that's happened.
Kite and I are trying to track down someone who knows Dean in the real world, and may be able to tell us what's happening. In the meantime, I suggest we meet up and discuss the situation. I'll secure a private room on Delta server at 3pm. Let me know when you get online and I'll invite you in.
- Orca
A soothing, prolonged chime accompanied his entrance to 'The World', by now as much a part of his daily routine as eating and sleeping. The Aqua Capital stretched around him, forming the small enclosure that held the town's Chaos Gate, along with over a dozen players at the moment.
Kite was quick to move away from the Gate, clearing a path for incoming and outgoing adventurers. A glance at his heads-up display told him he had fifteen minutes to spare.
Perfect. Almost.
He was simultaneously proud and frustrated, excited and worried; the walk home had provided him with nothing in the way of an idea, any idea, of what BlackRose and he could actually do on their date. One thing he had set in stone was that this would not be like their other attempts at doing something fun, which invariably wound up being the same thing they always did, just without the drama. No monsters, no dungeons, no treasure; just a boy and a girl enjoying each other's company.
Beyond the warrior he had come to know and trust, the friend he had confided in and was repaid in kind, he thought of her first as a strong-willed, yet sweet girl he found himself growing ever more attracted to. The feelings were ambiguous only in that he couldn't find words to describe them; he knew what they were, and knew that she was feeling the same, even if neither of them could understand or explain them.
The frustration and worry came from just four words, all echoing loudly in his preoccupied mind. (What do we do?)
Feelings were all well and good, but he knew they needed actions to back them up. Even if they both felt the same way about each other, what could come of it if neither did anything, if neither acted on those feelings? The question was rhetorical; he knew what would come of that, and didn't want to spend any time thinking about it.
His ruminations distracted him as he casually ambled down the broadway, stripping him of any perceptive power, a fact that was punctuated when he bumped right into another player, causing both to jump back, startled.
"Ahh!" yelped Kite, embarrassed. "S-sorry, I wasn't..." he looked up, and all the color drained right back out of his cheeks, as something much less pleasant settled in the pit of his stomach.
"Oh, it's you!"
The Wavemaster Stolls righted himself, giving his robe a firm tug with his free hand to straighten it out. "Hey, man," he said in his familiar amiable tone. "Need to watch where you're going."
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Kite explained half-heartedly, bowing his head to Stolls, quickly catching on that this incarnation of his companion was the good one; the fatigue, the tired honesty of Dean's projected self were long gone, replaced with something akin to the skin of a piece of wax fruit.
"It's all right. How you doin', Kite? How goes it?"
"Okay, I guess," Kite said, looking into the eyes of a thief, and smiling with the lips of a liar. "I haven't had much luck figuring out what's going on, and it looks like no one's seen any of those characters since last night."
"That figures," replied the Wavemaster. "I've been finding out what I can, but it's like these things are one step ahead of me. I haven't even seen that other guy, the one we saw."
(Yeah, I'll bet you haven't,) screamed the more gung-ho portion of Hiroshi's mind. The realization hadn't hit home until now; every passing second that he was in this impostor's presence was both an insult and a threat. (What are you after?)
"That recent update wiped a few recent posts off the boards, too; I thought I heard about another sighting, but I can't be sure." Stolls let out a frustrated grunt.
(Other posts? Did that actually happen, or is he just trying to see what I know?) Unconcerned with caution, Kite answered honestly. "I just got in myself. The last one I heard about was that guy in black, which was yesterday. I never even got to the field."
"I see." Under his breath, Stolls muttered, "Is that a fact."
It was still loud enough for Kite to hear, but he pretended to pay no mind. "What are you up to?"
Stolls returned the favor. "Kite... listen, there's something I need to tell you." He leveled a stern gaze at the boy. "Something's going to happen. Something big."
Kite's veiled disbelief and hostility were almost replaced by confusion. "What is it?"
"Everything comes down to this," said the magician, raising his staff and gesturing to his left. "The World, Cyber Connect, maybe even the whole shebang. It's all dependent on one thing that we may not even understand, may not even have a purpose anymore."
Confusion took center stage. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about her," he said matter-of-factly. "Morganna, or Aura, take your pick. No one knows anymore. Not a goddamn thing. Everything about this game is based on programs nobody understands, a poem written by a madman for a woman that may have been unstable herself."
The façade began to fall away, and Kite looked at his alien companion with eyes wide, yet focused. "You're talking about Harald... aren't you?"
The Wavemaster nodded his head. "We can't trust any of it, Kite. It's that simple."
"So what do we do?"
"We do nothing," replied Stolls with a touch of acid. "I'll take care of this, and you..." he paused, almost deliberately for emphasis, and turned away. "Stay out of my way. And stay offline."
Kite's hostility was renewed with the order, and he grit his teeth as his blood began to boil. (Who does this guy think he IS?!) he silently growled. "What do you want?" he challenged, breaking what little pretense remained between them. "What are you trying to accomplish?"
There was no answer. As the words left Kite's mouth, golden rings faded into view, sliding vertically along Stolls' body, gating him out of the virtual environment, leaving the boy with anger all too real.
An anger which barely surpassed his fear.
From: MKerrek {undernet/asaraeast}
To: Orca {theworld}
Subj: Re: Open your cask, Tamon
I remember you, Hiroshi. Judging from where this email came from, I can only imagine that the problem is far worse than you describe – more than just surveillance. I'll tell you everything I know, but more importantly I have something for you that may be useful in finding out what's going on.
There's a small park five blocks north of your house, we can meet there; as soon as you reply, if you can, I'll head there and wait for you. If you can't meet today, well... we'll have to work something else out, then. Anyway, reply as soon as you can and we'll set up a time.
- Max
"Hey, there you are!"
Kite sat on the edge of the pier, his legs dangling off the side, little more than a foot above water. He perked up at the voice, and glanced over his shoulder. With a smile, he waved over the new arrival, and scooted over to make room.
BlackRose strode towards the pier, her boots clapping loudly against the stone floor. Wordlessly, she took a seat alongside Kite. The tip of her blade scraped along the ground, reminding her of its burden; she looked distant for a moment, and the weapon vanished from sight, a minor cosmetic touch that told him she didn't expect to need it.
He smiled, remembering how his twin blades were similarly disposed. "I'm glad you could make it."
She chuckled. "Was there a doubt I wouldn't?"
Kite shook his head. "Not at all."
"Did you think of anything to do on our, um... date?" There was noticeable hesitation in her words; he thought he saw her twitch, as if nervous.
The thought only made him more so. Realizing she had called his bluff, he replied, "Well, how about we just sit here?"
"Right here?" she asked. "That doesn't sound very imaginative."
"We're always going somewhere," he said in response, coming upon some earlier thoughts he had almost forgotten. "Either treasure hunting, or on some mission, or someplace where all we do is run around, and fight, and try to find answers." He looked over at her. "I thought it might be nice to just relax for a little... for a change."
"Hmm." She smirked, then let out another soft chuckle. "Hmm hmm... you know what? That does sound kinda nice, when you put it that way."
The Heavy Blade scooted in closer, almost leaning on Kite. As if by reflex, his arm curled around her upper back; his hand clasped her shoulder, gently urging her even closer. She happily complied, sliding her arm around his waist and letting her body rest against his.
He heard a contented sigh, and couldn't help but smile.
The two sat there in silence for several minutes, just gazing out at the water, watching as other people, other parties came and left; some on the broadway, some on the boats. A few of them Kite recognized – he gave a nod to the Blademaster Alicia as she sailed by, along with a handful of others in far more colorful and garish costumes.
As he watched her disappear down the canal, Kite steeled his nerves and spoke to his own companion. "BlackRose?"
He 'felt' her turn her head towards him. "Hmm?"
(This is it,) he told himself. (Now or never... I don't want to just let it go without saying anymore... I just want to see her.) He bit the mother of all bullets, and spoke again. "Would you... like to meet sometime... offline?"
Her hesitation was tangible, though her reasons were not; was she afraid? Surprised? Embarassed? He couldn't be sure. "Yeah, in the real world," he said in a soft voice. "I-I... I've wanted to meet you for a while now."
The swordswoman gulped, and loudly so. "Yeah... I, uh... m-me too..."
Hiroshi inhaled sharply, tilting his head to meet her gaze. "Back then, it always seemed like things kept..." his voice faded into nothingness, his mind knowing how to finish the sentence but his mouth unwilling to; an admission that things simply hadn't gone as planned.
"...getting in the way," she finished for him. "And now this, too..."
He sighed, let his head hang for a moment, as did she. Through his closest ear, he heard her mumble to herself, "It's not fair."
"BlackRose?"
Their eyes met again. "It's not fair," she repeated. "It's over. We won, it's supposed to be over."
His own self-stereotype kicked in, as he clammed up, permitting her to continue unchecked. "I want to just play the game now. And this... these things, they keep happening to us." Irritation crept into her dialogue, and her grip on Kite grew tighter. "I want to be just another player again... to have fun." A long pause, pushing a minute; then she added, "To meet you, too."
(She's right,) he thought, a thought which tugged hard on his darker side, the side that wondered if it ever would truly be 'over'.
Hiroshi closed his eyes, for a moment forgetting that he was sitting alone in his bedroom. The sounds of the city filled his ears – the chatter of pedestrians, water splashing at the pier, the cries of hawkers and traders selling their wares. Though he couldn't feel the weight of BlackRose on his shoulder, the smooth texture of his leather glove which stood between his hand and her shoulder, for a moment – just for a moment – he was there.
His thoughts were gone, replaced by that moment.
Kite felt the beginnings of a smile return to his face, one which quickly grew as he realized what the two of them had said.
"Then, let's," he said, his words conveying a brute simplicity.
One which clearly puzzled the Heavy Blade. "Huh?"
He opened his eyes, gazing deep into the wine-colored orbs of his companion. "Someday soon. When this is done. We'll go somewhere together... in the real world." He was surprised at his own boldness, and didn't have time to blush. "We both want to, right?"
BlackRose turned her body towards his, her hand slipping from its perch on the opposite side of his waist. "Yeah..." she began, as if allowing him to speak again; she preempted him when she continued. "Yeah, why can't we? We've done these kinds of things before." She was now a half-step shy of exclaiming her revelations. "Of course we can!"
Kite followed her lead. "We'll do what we do best." A smiling emote found its way from his monitor from hers, which caused her to share the expression on her own face.
"I don't even know what I was thinking," she said, lifting a hand and waving it dismissively. "Getting all upset like that..."
The boy never broke eye contact with her. "You were just tired," he said. "We all are... believe me, I feel the same way. We all have to let it out sometime."
She giggled. "You're right. I had a feeling you'd say something like that."
Kite grinned awkwardly. "Am I that predictable?"
"Maybe," she said. "But you do know how to cheer someone up."
The two warriors shared a laugh, completely oblivious to their surroundings, or even their posture; both had since drawn their legs up off the pier, and were now facing each other, still within arms' reach, though their hands were now at their sides. As their mutual merriment died down, both were left simply smiling at one another, unwilling to move and unable to speak, content to simply be with each other.
Without warning, BlackRose took initiative and leaned forward, wrapping her arms firmly around Kite and holding him close to her. The boy barely maintained enough of his faculties to meet her embrace, locking his hands around her back; somehow, their heads found their way to opposite shoulders, and there they remained – the boy and the girl in each other's arms, BlackRose's head on Kite's shoulder and vice versa.
Unthinkingly, Kite lifted a hand and idly stroked the short locks of the Heavy Blade's pink hair. She tilted her head back slightly, as if responding to his touch.
"Do you still want to meet offline?" she asked.
"I do," he answered. "I want to meet the real you... the girl that I owe so much to."
Somewhere, on the other side of the city, he could imagine that faceless, featureless girl blushing, as he was sure he was.
"You will."
- End of Chapter 15