Just do it up!

Levant couldn’t help but double-take and choke at Ako’s casual acknowledgment of the sent invite. Honestly, she didn’t know what she was expecting - a denial? more evidence that the System is screwing with her? But now that the answer is out, she’s forced to think about all the ramifications it implied.

Most Dreamers didn’t manifest the System like she did. They usually had an abbreviated form that often had a chat system and stats/skills if they were lucky. She’s the only one she knew that could invite other Dreamers and even access the skill Observe, though she has a sneaking suspicion it’s because of her soul alignment Keter that’s influenced it as much as it did - the Sephirot furthest away from the physical world. Did that mean Ako was the same as her? 

She flicked a finger towards the translucent blue window, trying to see more details of this so-called Compact and finding nothing. Nada. Just Ako’s name and nothing else. Couldn’t even distribute experience. There’s no other options for further tweaking of a party either, which either meant Compacts were something else entirely or was just broken and non-functional - which she has encountered before. 

“Uhhh Groove, what’s that?” Levant spoke the unfamiliar term curiously; anything involving a fight interested her, though at this point it might not be the vest thing to focus on. Yeah, gotta keep her head in the game. Shaking her head vigorously, Lev added, “No… wait. Like uhhh. System…as in do you ever see the blue screens that show things like stats or skills or health bars?”

“Is Hero a sorta class? Or are you just saying that you’re Heroic?” Lev said dubiously.   

“Well, it’s like. . .” Ako paused, pressing the tip of an index finger into her chin as she sought out the best explanation for the term she’d brought up. “When you have a lot of interconnected skills that make up a distinct fighting style.” She explained with a nod, her own silent vote of confidence in her words! But did it really matter how well she’d explained it? If Lev didn’t know what it was, then didn’t that mean she wasn’t asking about it in the first place?

“Oh! You mean a HUD?” The differing terminology wasn’t so important; she was just glad to feel like they were on the same page now! “Hold on. . .” 

Similar to before, her gaze drifted away from her companion as she interacted with the phenomena only she could see. Most people kept their HUD to themselves; a multitude of projections emanating from one person could quickly become an eyesore. Not to mention it was just a matter of privacy. But Ako knew how to show hers off; it was basically mandatory to show equipment and inventories to teachers before any tests. 

“OK!” As she exclamation left her, a series of blue, translucent panels popped into the airspace between them. Text and images were readable, no matter which angle one were to look from. One held the basic rundown of Ako herself; name, level, class, her stats, her current equipment, health, that sort of thing. The other was a glimpse of her inventory, which was a haphazard mess of items that anyone would be able to tell was in dire need of organization. 

Well, glad to see she’s not the only one confused. Lev sighed as Ako casually denied any awareness of the Title Pathfinder gave her, and she couldn’t help but believe her. The other girl just…had way too much enthusiasm and sincerity to be a scammer. Or at the very least, there’s easier masks to wear that’d require less energy on her part. 

That’s probably why she’s feeling incredibly annoyed on Ako’s behalf after learning her boss sent her here without any direction whatsoever. Stupid soft spot for dumb honest people. Lev would’ve expressed her opinion loudly then, but she had noticed Ako’s attention move to the side as she spoke, a change that sent alarm bells ringing in her head. 

Before she could ask Ako what she’s doing, an incredibly strange sensation blossomed in her head: not pain but more like what she’d imagine trying to lick a metal pole and getting shocked by static for her trouble would feel like. It made her face scrunch up sourly, her brow furrowing confusedly. 

“What did you jus-” Lev complained before glancing to the side at a flickering blue window. 

You have m░de a Part- Y░u have created a Te- You ha░░ joined a Bus wi- You have entered a Compact with Ako. 

“…Did you just send me a party invite?” Levant asked dumbfoundedly as the blue screen began spazzing again. Compact….that sounds rather ominous, and she’s not exactly sure if that’s just the System screwing up or Ako’s doing.

“Wait. Before we go anywhere-” she then pinched the bridge of her nose, upon realizing that here probably isn’t the best location. “Ugh, actually fine, let’s run and talk at the same time.” She nudged her head in the direction of where Ako came from before asking the most concerning question she had. 

“Do you have a System?” 

“Huh?” Ako’s eyes widened, unused to being looked at so strangely over something so simple. A finger instinctively scratched at her cheek as nervousness bubbled within her. “Yeah, I did. Was that OK. . .?” The situation was made even more confusing by the fact that it seemed like Lev had both received and accepted the invite, despite her questioning it. 

Her brows furrowed a little as she scrutinized the status of their party with curiosity. The parameters usually defaulted the preferences of whoever was forming it, but Ako’s were strangely absent. She should’ve been their leader... so why did it seem like neither of them held that role? She couldn’t even think about things like map synchronization or drop rules-- literally, she couldn’t. Any time she tried to delve deeper into the intricacies of party management, an unpleasant twinge through her temple acted as a deterrent. 

‘. . .What the heck?’ Well, it didn’t matter! There weren’t even any monsters around to necessitate worrying about those things. Shaking her head, she could at least lead the way back even if she couldn’t lead the party.

As she set off, she considered the question Lev posed with a thoughtful hum. System... she knew what the word usually meant, but had to assume it was being used with a more purposeful context. “You mean a Groove, or something like that? I don’t know if I’d say my fighting style is that advanced, yet. . .” 

☠ - He’s not even going to answer that. Either cop, blueberry, the damn sky, she could count for any of that! All that could be deciphered is that this girl was steamed with drive and seemingly prepared to knock his damn lights out if it comes down to it. Just hearing the way she seemed as if he should hold gratitude of all the damn things of being patted down like a low life thug only boiled those thoughts within. Luckily, she managed to hit the beats back to back, offering enough limelight on the situation that causes his eyes to broaden with a touch of clarity.

…

So that’s what this was about?

Ryuji’s disposition alleviated a touch of the worrisome ideas that she was knee deep to catching a Phantom Thief. None the less a snort drawn by stubborn will puffs from him. “Hold the damn phone, and I ain’t talking about literally. I dunno what you think I got for my share of side hobbies ladies, but that-” He exclaims, quickly shifting a hand downwards and up, retrieving the said item and holding it clear before her eyes. “Sure as hell ain’t one of them. Never been a big fan of back alley creepy.”

”Hurry it up, nosy.” Little did he know was that the situation left him entirely unaware of what was left him his phone. After being haggled by one of his good friends by the name of Ann Takamaki (something about buying these mags to support her brand), the online glance of them left nothing but a bunch of busty looking models, the big bazingas, the mama mias, you name it. All the same this rowdy looking character seems unperturbed, poised and aware, as if there wasn’t a single thing for this Ako character to worry about with the deep dive into his phone.

…

He may be silently praying she’s not the type to go through chat logs. This needs to be pictures only!

Ako hates that she wants to laugh at his phone joke, but to her credit she holds her stern expression. This was no laughing matter! She did roll her eyes at his attitude coupled with being called ‘nosy’, letting out a huff of her own. Regardless, she’s glad to finally get some cooperation, and eagerly snatches the phone with her free hand. She still wasn’t letting go of him quite yet, however.

“Alright, well we’ll just see about that. . .” Navigating to his Photos app with a look of smug determination, she got to work with this investigation! As she began her delve though, her brow began to furrow; first in suspicion, then in confusion. “What the. . .?” The unsubtle magazine crops were about what she had expected, and she could only give those a withering look of disappointment, but they weren’t the final nails in the coffin she was hunting for!

She shifted gears quickly, into his Messenger to pry into the most recent chat he had open. Fortunately for Ryuji, she only did a quick upwards swipe, the surprise clearly evident as she didn’t remotely find what she was looking for. 

Had he already deleted them? But that made no sense... she’d been tailing the blonde punk, so he wouldn't even have time. Which meant. . .

Horror dawned on her face before it disappeared from view, eclipsed by the swift motion of a bow as she simultaneously released the delinquent from her rough grasp and offered his phone back to him. “Y-you’re not the right guy!” Popping back upright, she winced a little, ready for the (justified) outrage her mistake would earn her. But the further she got into this realization, the more antsy she became.

“Yeah. I uh, I don’t, I don’t really play it but uh, ehe, I know a little bit about the, the lore and things,” Russell said, “But some people I, I know really enjoy it.”

He was still very ashamed of the whole-team he had ended up causing the first (and only) time he played, and really didn’t want to do something like that again. He rubbed at the back of his neck. 

“All right, that’s, that’s good to know,” Russell said. It didn’t take long for them to get up the stairs, “I uh, I usually use them, them myself, the, the steps I mean.”

He stopped in front of a particular door and then moved to unlock it.

“Oh, sometimes I, I do, but not, not always,” Russell said, “I’m into a few, a few different ones. Lately, I’m really into the, the new Animal Crossing. New Horizons. It’s a, it’s a chilled out life simulator, if, if that makes sense.”

He placed his hand onto the handle, but he didn’t open the door yet.

“Um, speaking of, of animals, I, I hope you don’t mind them. I uh, ehe, I have a cat, you see.”

Ako nodded, figuring he wasn’t really the one to further her knowledge of the game with. No doubt there was someone out there who was thoroughly versed in its intricacies. 

She skipped up the steps with silent ease, settling into the moment of this little adventure she’d sent herself on. Her hands folded behind her back politely as they reached (what she assumed was) their destination. “Oh, yeah! I know some games like that.” She smiled, proud that a few recognizable things came to mind. Always nice, being in the loop.

“That’s fine by me! I don’t have any pets, but I’m not allergic or anything like that.” She reassured him. “What’s their name?” As soon as the question left her lips, realization struck. “Wait. . . what’s your name?” 

The cloak-wearing child squinted her eyes, picking up both the sound and distant motions of someone approaching. Not that the person was trying very hard to hide themselves with their affirming yell. As she spotted the smock of red hair getting closer and closer, she figured there’s only really three reasons why the girl’s yelling as she was: the forest was entirely safe, she’s strong enough to tell everything to screw off and die, or…well she’s gone ‘yolo’.

Seeing the older redhead in her uniform made her feel more conscious of how messed up she looked. Comparing the other girl’s black and white uniform with her visibly torn jeans and sweater…. well they weren’t comparable.

“Yeaah. I’m lost,” Lev said confusedly as she ran her hand along the back of her head, “Uhh…what do you mean by ‘you’re supposed to find me?’”

A twinge of pain shot through her head immediately after her question, causing her to wince and place a hand over her eye. A familiar blue screen appeared in front of her, though its appearance was oddly glitchy like it was falling apart. It flickered and flickered before it took form with apparently extreme difficulty.

Pathfin░er Up░ated: Meet with t░e Guide.

….What was going on with the System? She’s been cut off from the World before, and in those cases, it just didn’t work. The way it was acting…well, it wasn’t supposed to act like this.

“I’m Lev by the way, “ the child introduced herself distractedly, “Who are you by the way? The Guide?” Her eyes intently gauged the girl in front of her as she said the presumed title.

Ako frowned at the confirmation. Even if she didn’t receive it, she might have figured as much from the girl’s disheveled appearance. Were there enemies lurking about that she’d had a run-in with? Well, it was OK now that she was here! 

“Oh!” She hadn’t thought of it when she said it, but it was somewhat of an odd statement. Now that she knew she was supposed to find someone, the situation still wasn’t as clear as it could have been. She scratched at her cheek gently as she thought of the best way to explain it. “Well. . . My boss sent me out here to investigate, but she didn’t say what,” she trailed off, growing bashful at how unprofessional she sounded. “If you’re lost, then I don’t think this is a coincidence!”

Her gung-ho pose she struck, two fists clenched, was swept away as quickly as it had appeared. “The Guide. . .?” Nothing sprang to mind. Whatever that was, it didn’t have anything to do with her- yet. “Nope. I’m just Ako. Nice to meet you, Lev!” 

“I’ll have us out of here in no time! Ah, here. . .” Her gaze slipped to the side as her focus shifted to her HUD. Her new companion’s name appeared now if she looked for it, and from there she could send out an invite to form a party! That’d make things a little easier, and keep her from getting lost again. Instead of the decisive message she usually felt when sending off similar invites, this one seemed to fizzle out into oblivion. Did it even go through? 

“Residential Quarter. Administrative Quarter.” He lists, his response far more prompt than before. “Commercial Quarter. Industrial Quarter.” Though it is true that loitering within other peoples’ property would be a poor idea, the residential district remains the best place for the girl to stay, if only because she would have even less ‘business’ in the rest of the metropolis. It is not often that an individual with absolutely no connections to the city appears, and he is no more certain on how to proceed than she is.

“Need shelter—stay in this quarter.” Though it would be nothing luxurious, there are plenty of miscellaneous safehouses, inns, and hovels in which she could remain until she found a way back to her own home.

“Need. Guidance?”

Since this Quarter was the one trying to get out of, her choices fell to the remaining three. Neither Administrative nor Industrial sounded like they had anything worthwhile in store- for her, at least. “Shelter. . .?” Ako shook her head quickly. “I don’t plan on spending the night or anything.” Not if she could help it, but it was good to know she had a fallback plan.

☠ - The one damn time they don’t want to be nosy! Part of him swears if he was off swinging on some guy or bad mouthing them, a nice sprinkle of bad luck would swing in and suddenly his ass would be hounded. Finding the metaphorical walls attempting to close as he gains a faint understanding of that sensation of claustrophobic, that fire remained in his eyes, only spurred further by that clutch of those fingers that aimed to ensure her prey remained fearful. Fearful of her? Questionable. What she could come to discover?

That’s just outright horrifying.

“Haaaah..” Damn it! Should should he do!? In a bid to extend these precious seconds into hours, that hand crept downward, easing towards the pocketed phone while keeping a cautious eye on the girl before him. ‘Something ain’t adding the hell up! Who even is she!? ..Bastard couldn’t of been tailing me, could she? I mean even then, I’m just your damn everyday high school student!’  So what was with this mysterious stuck up prepared to rip out his damn jugular at a moment’s notice!?

“Gutsy as hell. How about you humor me with something on the other hand..”

”There’s a million ways to go and get a guy’s name n’ number, officer. Is that even what you are? Cause if not they sure must be pretty damn handsy where you come from.” ..What if this was a cop? F U C K. The last damn thing he should be doing is mouthing off to one! Yet this one was coming on too damn strong for his liking! For better or worst, the ‘gasoline’ was spread on the situation, that hand of his was now clutched on the pocket, the tension only continues to gallop to increasing highs by the second.

The palpable tension was smothering out any true sense of time, this isolated moment slowing to a crawl as their mutual nerves wound tight in anticipation. Despite her fiery attitude, Ako knew she wasn’t always going to be taken as seriously as she felt. But if this guy though he could escape her ire by escalating this- that she’d fold if it came to blows, then he had another thing coming. 

“. . .Officer?” His accusation was so astoundingly far off the mark that she couldn’t help but blink, her confusion momentarily cutting through the tough front she’d been giving him. “Do I even look like a cop?!” She couldn’t help balling her outstretched hand into a fist and propping it against her hip with a huff. It wasn’t a rhetorical question; her uniform was accented with blue, but it was undeniably that of a student’s! 

It’s been quiet since she got here. She was kinda expecting some monstrostiy to come looking for dinner right about now, cause that’s how her luck worked. Dump her in some unfamiliar place after a shitstorm of events, and follow it with another sucker punch full of danger. Instead, she’s only seen the occassional forest critter and possibly poisonous plant. 

It was peaceful. Tranquil even. Without any sort of activity whatsoever. Yeah. This isn’t boring at all. She could totally get used to th-

“HELLOOOO!”

Oh thank god! It’s a person, a girl from the sound of it. As long as she can be pointed to the nearest pocket of civilization and semi-tolerable companionship, she didn’t care if this person lacked any sort of self-preservation or even tried to backstab her afterwards.  

“HELLOO? I’M OVER HERE!” She yelled in the voice’s direction, hand waving as to be more visible. 

Ako jumped when she actually got a reply. She’d opened herself up to that possibility, but it still managed to surprise her! So it was a missing person, after all? The voice that met hers sounded younger than herself, making her wonder just what they’d been doing here in the first place. ‘I guess it’s a good thing there’s no enemies around. . .’

“OK! I’m on my way!” She yelled back, orienting herself towards the position she’d been called from. Her approach wouldn’t be hard to miss, as leaves and sticks were churned up beneath her school shoes as she dashed through the forest. Ako hopped over a torn up, felled tree with a little flourish while she waved aside the update that filtered through her HUD. Investigating the forest had changed to locating this missing person; she didn’t need to be told that! 

☠ - ‘Ooooh man! Already another big case in the works! Skull is about to be hitting the fast lane again baby!’ Vigor was high and that unrelenting need to proof himself even higher. Competitive spirit bled into this innate need to bull rush this system that devoured the weak and left secrecy as king, a driving force that revealed exactly why Ryuji came to be as headstrong as he was. The goal was clear, make a beeline through these people, grab some supplies seeing how food was actual magic filled potions all this time–

Then meet with the others!

Too damn bad life on the other hand had no intentions of causing that to be a reality.

Being thoroughly prepared for another merry afternoon of Phantom Thieving had left him ill prepared. Normally thanks to his thuggish looks, the idea of being approached was a next to none, a hurtful thought soon turned into a proper advantage. This time however? That abrupt feeling of a hand clasping upon his shoulder as within moments he was seized, nearly making his heart buck kick his damn ribcage as startled thoughts aligned with a clenched fist. Those brown eyes darted downward, catching that bright reflection of hair as an equally determined voice belted it’s presence above the mutterings, leaving them face to face as that once surprised look eased to narrowed eyes. “Oi oi!”

”Gettin’ away? Aren’t you talkin’ to model citizen material here?” None the less that already caused a small swell of panic to bloom. What in the hell was this about!? This person couldn’t of..

Wait- there’s no damn way! ..Could there?”

That stereotypical drawl of a delinquent was sealing the deal within Ako’s suspicious mind. There was no doubt; this was the guy she’d been chasing down! “Model citizen!?” She scoffed at the idea with incredulity, her excited expression at having caught him rapidly shifting into an angry frown. “Don’t even try to act innocent!” 

The hand at the boy’s shoulder tightened its grip and twisted slightly, clutching the material of his shirt to further ensnare him in this confrontation. Her free hand jutted out expectantly, her open half-gloved palm awaiting his compliance. “Unlock your phone and hand it over. . .!” She demanded, her darkened expression telling that she wasn’t open to any protests at this time. 

A sea of bodies cascaded through Shibuya Crossing at all times, coalescing into a miraculous feat of silent synchronicity. It’d be awe inspiring, if it weren’t so frustrating! A lone figure moved against the coordinated crowd, a haphazard scramble of movement befitting the location. Each hurried bump or jostle into her fellow pedestrians was followed by a litany of “Excuse me!”’s and “Sorry!”’s, though it wasn’t such an affront that it’d draw anyone out of their busy reverie. Just as the faceless strangers didn’t have the time to stop, neither did she; Kiryu Ako was a girl on a mission!

Aw, jeez. What was it about being a Hero that meant she got stuck with the most mysterious quests? Even in an unfamiliar realm, Ako couldn’t help but slump her shoulders. Vigilance was important, but she’d been tromping around the woods without so much as a random encounter; at this point she wondered if there were even any monsters lurking around at all! 

She trusted her Boss’ insights, but getting told to ‘investigate’ some forest she’d never been to was just plain vague! Or, maybe she had been here? Ako tapped her chin in ponderous thought. They all kind of looked the same, didn’t they? But what was she looking for? Some beast on a rampage, a missing person, or a hidden dungeon? 

if you have an inventory, do you think you might be in the digital world ?

both, it depends, I mostly make them to learn and for personal use

I do, I do it where I live in the physical realm because it would be hard to explain if someone who didn’t know saw me jump out out of a computer or phone

It seems awfully physical to me. . . Not to mention I’ve kinda passed through a space that qualifies as “digital”. Or at least, through a machine to get somewhere else. But I own video games and I’ve never been “in” one! 

Hehe, fair enough! I only asked because buying potions from someone online just feels like the right choice here. If you’re ever in the market to sell, of course! 

‘HERE.’—

“City Precinct 17.” He answers after a moment’s delay, reciting the information that now surges across his mind. “Residential Quarter, eastern side.” Bland as they may seem, the designations provide him with a considerable amount of information; in all likelihood, however, they mean nothing to the girl, given her current state of bewilderment.

“Public transport. No destination called. ‘Median Town.’”  Whatever station she may be thinking of, it is most certainly not one in this place, unless she wishes to ride the monorail to some other shady, backwater corner of the city. Quite an unfortunate situation for her, all things considered.

“Where. Will you. Go?”

“Oh, wow. . .” Her hand refused to still as she slotted the curve of her jawline between a thumb and forefinger. The naming schema was decidedly foreign, but gave context to the man she was speaking to. Though it was hardly a grand revelation that someone who hailed from here was more at home than she was, just passing though. 

His question gave her pause as she weighed her options. Ultimately, she decided that her curiosity outweighed any urgency she had over returning home. She was lackadaisically confident she’d find her way back, somehow. “Well, I probably shouldn’t skulk around other people’s homes if I don’t have any business here. . .” That’d be asking for trouble anywhere. 

you have an inventory ? how ?

I’m good at both along with potion making too, I used to be pretty bad at cooking but I improved with experience

to travel into the digital world again I need to be near a computer or other device, it works as a door into the space

Well, I don’t think I did anything special to get it. As far as I know, I’ve always had one! It’d be stranger to not have one, where I’m from. 

Do you make your potions for fun, or do you sell them, too?

“Oh, we do um, both table top games, stuff like uh, V-Vampire the Masquerade, Dungeons and, and Dragons, board games like Catan, and uh, and uh, and v-videogames,” Russell said, “We, we encourage people to play to-together or, against each other. Some, some play a solo round and people like, like to watch.” 

It seemed that he was glad to be able to explain that. It usually got a few more people in. 

“And uh, well, some don’t, don’t even come for the, for the games, ehe, they just, just come for the, for the food and drink, and that’s good too,” he added. It wasn’t long before he came to a stop outside the apartment building, “You, you want to come in? My, my one’s on the, on the, on the third floor.” 

He knew he wouldn’t take too long to get changed and rinse his hair off, but he still felt it would be rude to just leave the lady outside after she had been kind enough to offer him help.

“Oh, Dungeons and Dragons!” Ako slapped a fist into her palm in realization, though she saved it until after she’d gotten the full rundown. “For some reason, people have been telling me about that one a lot.” 

She craned her neck to gaze up at the structure of the apartment, admiring the architecture for its differences to what she was used to back home. Blinking, she looked back down at him after his question. “Sure!” She chirped. “Steps won’t beat me; I’m used to running up and down the ones at my dormitory.” 

Hands folding politely behind her back, Ako would fall into step behind him for whatever the upwards trek to his apartment looked like. She... probably shouldn’t have agreed to follow a stranger so easily, but the guy had a pretty gentle air about him, so she wasn’t worried. 

Chocolate is good.