[ Kaito makes a face at his phone, unsure as to whether it was actually Ruby texting him or one of her punkass brothers trying to fuck with him again. The Naganos weren't most families, after all—even if their reputation was predicated on Not Actually Being Yakuza, the members of the clan were just as vicious as the real deal when it came to protecting their patriarch.
Well, that's what he remembers from the false memories. It doesn't help that he's recently reawakened to even more memories: specifically, his time in the Netherworld. Among so many other residents of Crane City, the blonde heiress (or rather, princess) was among those he had spent more time hanging around during his unlife.
In any case, he's happy to keep that bit of information tucked away for now. Always the secretive sort. ]
The empire's machine remains well-oiled. [ Seeing as she's one of the few who knows the true nature of his OFFline world's identity, he doesn't mind speaking frankly. ]
I'd appreciate if your brothers kept their harassment to business hours, but, well. We couldn't control them if we tried, right? Are you well?
[ ah, damn it. that's exactly what she didn't want to hear. ]
Yes, I'm fine. I'm really, really sorry about them. My parents have moved on now that I have a new fiancé, so I hoped my brothers would forget about it too. There isn't anything I can do about it... But as long as you stay away from me, they'll stop trying to harass you sooner or later.
So... What you're really saying is that if I beat their asses hard enough, they'll piss off?
I've been keeping the fighting to a minimum so as not to bring you any negative attention, y'know. But I can always take the gloves off. Just say the word.
[ Where in any of that is he saying he'll stay away from her???? ]
Tsk. Okay, okay. I guess we aren't kids anymore. Things were a lot easier back when might made right.
[ "Might makes right!"
It was a common catchphrase for the delinquents living in the Batata District's slummy streets. And Kaito was their delinquent prince, back in the day. ]
...I still can't get used to how naturally these fabricated memories come to mind, y'know. How do you deal with it all?
I don't find it too difficult... Well, it's mostly because I don't want to cause trouble, so I do my best to keep things the same. It's like... when I'm offline, it's "her" life, and I'm me when I'm online?
💧 Bah. I'm me either way, fake history or not. The offline world basically wrote me into the most troublemaking, trouble-attracting antihero type. What the hell even is a noodle gangster?
Well, I guess it's better than some manhwas I've read.
[ Yeah, well, you haven't spent three lives contorting yourself to fit somebody else's expectations. ]
Yes, both the offline and online world here are a little... contrived. Tropey? Is that the word? I wouldn't have noticed without the fake memories, since that's not really a concept that existed in my time. Not quite like that, at least.
Back home? Well... That's a tricky question. I miss it, of course, but I'm also not sure if it's ever possible for me to go back.
[ she might just be executed, if she did. even if she weren't, there's no way that her relationship with Iske can be salvaged. they never figured out if they were actually dead in the Netherworld, either... ]
I've made some very dear friends since then, too. I would hate to lose them. So, if it was a choice between here or there... I'm not entirely sure, but I might choose here?
[ not that she really wants this mundane fucking nightmare again. it would have been nice if they had just reincarnated from the Netherworld as completely new people. ]
[ Kaito looks at his phone for a few seconds, contemplating. In the end, he just sighs and reclines further in his chair. ]
You make me really curious, y'know that? Not that I can't imagine anyone would choose this realistic fabrication over their home worlds, but... Nevermind that. I'm not trying to pry this time.
I guess circumstances will always be different for different people. The one thing that makes it impossible for me to settle into this life is the look my mother gives me whenever we're alone at home. It's like she knows that I don't belong here. That I'm Kaito, but not her son. Every time we lock eyes, I remember that I have to go home and find her for real.
[ A solid minute passes between that hefty admission and his next message. ]
Maybe I'll learn how to cross between worlds. It can't be that hard, right? After all, someone dragged all of us from across the multiverse to live here and play video games. If I learn to do the same, then I don't have to choose. I can just keep in touch with everyone. Do you think that's stupid?
[ breezing past both his curiosity, as well as his remarks about his own fake family, since that would naturally lead to a situation where she's expected to share her own feelings— ]
Of course not! I think that's a very admirable desire.
[ huuu, and she's automatically slipping into the airheaded princess act, since she associates Kaito with the Netherworld. she's been the honour student and the idiot in two different lives, but it's hard to juggle both at once. this is exactly why she hates it when her relationships in the ON and OFF worlds cross over. ]
The rumour is that there's supposed to be some wish-granting power in this world, right? That seems like the perfect use of it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ Kaito makes a face at his phone, unsure as to whether it was actually Ruby texting him or one of her punkass brothers trying to fuck with him again. The Naganos weren't most families, after all—even if their reputation was predicated on Not Actually Being Yakuza, the members of the clan were just as vicious as the real deal when it came to protecting their patriarch.
Well, that's what he remembers from the false memories. It doesn't help that he's recently reawakened to even more memories: specifically, his time in the Netherworld. Among so many other residents of Crane City, the blonde heiress (or rather, princess) was among those he had spent more time hanging around during his unlife.
In any case, he's happy to keep that bit of information tucked away for now. Always the secretive sort. ]
The empire's machine remains well-oiled. [ Seeing as she's one of the few who knows the true nature of his OFFline world's identity, he doesn't mind speaking frankly. ]
I'd appreciate if your brothers kept their harassment to business hours, but, well.
We couldn't control them if we tried, right?
Are you well?
no subject
Yes, I'm fine.
I'm really, really sorry about them. My parents have moved on now that I have a new fiancé, so I hoped my brothers would forget about it too.
There isn't anything I can do about it...
But as long as you stay away from me, they'll stop trying to harass you sooner or later.
no subject
So...
What you're really saying is that if I beat their asses hard enough,
they'll piss off?
I've been keeping the fighting to a minimum so as not to bring you any negative attention, y'know.
But I can always take the gloves off.
Just say the word.
[ Where in any of that is he saying he'll stay away from her???? ]
no subject
If you touch them, my parents will get their legal teams involved!
[ not to mention, her brothers will probably take it out on her... ]
no subject
Things were a lot easier back when might made right.
[ "Might makes right!"
It was a common catchphrase for the delinquents living in the Batata District's slummy streets. And Kaito was their delinquent prince, back in the day. ]
...I still can't get used to how naturally these fabricated memories come to mind, y'know.
How do you deal with it all?
no subject
Well, it's mostly because I don't want to cause trouble, so I do my best to keep things the same.
It's like... when I'm offline, it's "her" life, and I'm me when I'm online?
no subject
Bah. I'm me either way, fake history or not.
The offline world basically wrote me into the most troublemaking, trouble-attracting antihero type.
What the hell even is a noodle gangster?
Well, I guess it's better than some manhwas I've read.
no subject
Yes, both the offline and online world here are a little... contrived.
Tropey? Is that the word?
I wouldn't have noticed without the fake memories, since that's not really a concept that existed in my time. Not quite like that, at least.
no subject
Tropey's a good word for it.
I suppose they're tropes for a reason, but still.
What I wouldn't give for a life of peace, quiet, and noodles.
[ And you ask why this world gave you a noodle designation... ]
Hey. Ruby.
Do you want to go back?
Or are you satisfied with this world?
Just curious.
no subject
Well...
That's a tricky question.
I miss it, of course, but I'm also not sure if it's ever possible for me to go back.
[ she might just be executed, if she did. even if she weren't, there's no way that her relationship with Iske can be salvaged. they never figured out if they were actually dead in the Netherworld, either... ]
I've made some very dear friends since then, too. I would hate to lose them.
So, if it was a choice between here or there...
I'm not entirely sure, but I might choose here?
[ not that she really wants this mundane fucking nightmare again. it would have been nice if they had just reincarnated from the Netherworld as completely new people. ]
no subject
[ Kaito looks at his phone for a few seconds, contemplating. In the end, he just sighs and reclines further in his chair. ]
You make me really curious, y'know that?
Not that I can't imagine anyone would choose this realistic fabrication over their home worlds, but...
Nevermind that. I'm not trying to pry this time.
I guess circumstances will always be different for different people.
The one thing that makes it impossible for me to settle into this life is the look my mother gives me whenever we're alone at home.
It's like she knows that I don't belong here.
That I'm Kaito, but not her son.
Every time we lock eyes, I remember that I have to go home and find her for real.
[ A solid minute passes between that hefty admission and his next message. ]
Maybe I'll learn how to cross between worlds.
It can't be that hard, right?
After all, someone dragged all of us from across the multiverse to live here and play video games.
If I learn to do the same, then I don't have to choose.
I can just keep in touch with everyone.
Do you think that's stupid?
no subject
Of course not! I think that's a very admirable desire.
[ huuu, and she's automatically slipping into the airheaded princess act, since she associates Kaito with the Netherworld. she's been the honour student and the idiot in two different lives, but it's hard to juggle both at once. this is exactly why she hates it when her relationships in the ON and OFF worlds cross over. ]
The rumour is that there's supposed to be some wish-granting power in this world, right?
That seems like the perfect use of it.