1st VHS

[ai_can_cook]

Who: Ai Amano, anybody else.
When: May 28th, evening
Where: Park. Or wherever.
Style: Whichever. I can roll with whichever.
Status: OPEN


Is this where Video Girls went when their playback ended?

It wasn't what she expected, but she supposed it was better than Hell. Or nothingness. Unless this was just a precursor.

Still, taking a deep breath, Ai relished this experience. Leaning against a tree, this place sort of reminded her of the park where she and Natsumi camped out a bit - It wasn't the same, no, but it was a park. It brought back memories.

Memories. Most Video Girls didn't get to keep their memories. It was just another piece of proof that Ai was defective. She was given over a year of playback time in the end, something that no Video Girl was ever given. Still, she regretted none of it.

Wiping away a tear, she found out that she was smiling.

Kicking a pebble a few meters away, Ai continued smiling. Even if this was a strange, new place, she was alive and it was best to relish that experience, right?

Comments

[sylphauxiliatrix]

[Kanaya was out for an evening stroll, looking to clear her mind and maybe work out a different way of handling her current project. She didn't go into the park often, but it was a nice quiet place to do some thinking in. She didn't normally run into too many people here, figuratively speaking. Literally, however, she just managed to do so, swinging around a tree and stumbling in to a girl she did't realize was there.]

Oh I am so sorry are you alright?

[ai_can_cook]

[Oh, hey, she's never seen someone like this before. Ai just stares at her dumbfoundedly, but quickly regains her composure as she grins like mad.]

Oh, hey!

Yeah, no problem!

Hey, you been here a while? I just sort of popped into here myself.

[spiria]

[ Kohaku had found herself just roaming around at random intervals when she got bored and a bit stir crazy inside of the apartment. She was used to moving around, and the general peace that Vatheon provided (when there wasn't some curse making things crazy or some kraken trying to attack the place, anyway) tended to bore her pretty quickly at times.

Today was one of those days where she just needed to get out for a while. During her little outing, she'd come to the park, which was one of the places she frequented during these little periods of restlessness. She usually saw a fair amount of people here, all doing the same thing she was, she figured.

Something about that girl against that tree pinged her, though ... and she had looked her way just in time to see her wipe away that tear and smile. She seemed ... relieved. Happy, obviously. It was a reaction she hadn't seen in quite some time, and something about it had her wanting to talk to her and comment on it.

Besides, she'd never seen this girl before. May as well say hello, right? New friends were always nice. ]

Did something good happen?

[ai_can_cook]

Hey there!

[Ai beams]

Well, as good as it gets! After looking death straight in the eye, I have to say that this park is a godsend!

[Ai salutes the girl]

Name's Ai Amano, and I'm new here! What's your name?

[spiria]

[ So this girl is new? Huh ... most new people start out in the plaza. This is a refreshing change. Kohaku smiles and waves a little in response to her salute. ]

Kohaku Hearts! It's nice to meet you, Ai! Has anyone told you about this place yet?

[ai_can_cook]

No, actually - I was just wandering around.

[Come to think of it, it nobody did. She passed several people on the street, but Ai didn't want to attract weird attention to herself by acting like a total n00b. Thankfully, this lady seemed nice enough.]

I didn't really see a welcoming committee, so I decided to go sightseeing on my own! Or was that a total faux pas on my part?

[nervous laughter]

[sylphauxiliatrix]

Oh, you're a new arrival then! Yes, I've been here for a few months now. Have you met the welcoming committee or read the brochure yet? Either way I can answer any questions you have and bring you up to speed on the situation here. I'm Kanaya.

[She offers a glowing hand in what seems to be a fairly universal greeting around here. Yup, her appearance is rather unique. Glowing white skin, red and orange horns, fanged mouth, glowing yellow eyes... Even in her home reality there isn't anybody quite like her.]

[ai_can_cook]

Oh, that's what they were?

[nervous laughter, but Ai brushes it off]

Reading was never one of my strong points, anyway, but I guess I really should take a gander, huh?

[Ai reaches into her pocket and takes out a wrinkled brochure. Oops.]

And here I just thought they were trying to sell me something.

Nice to meet you, Kanaya! Ai Amano, at your service!

[spiria]

Well, if you generally stay in the Plaza, someone's bound to come along and give you a towel and a general idea of what's going on around here ... but I guess this works, too.

[ There's a smile here, and a bit of laughing with Ai. ]

Welcome to Vatheon! I've been here for a while, so I'll try to answer any questions you have.

[sylphauxiliatrix]

It's nice to meet you as well. The brochures are will give you the general idea of what's going on. There's a lot of information to process so I suggest you read it carefully. It may seem difficult to believe but the information is accurate. How long have you been here?

[ai_can_cook]

[Well, now Ai just felt foolish. Brushing it off, not necessarily bluffing her way through, Ai was just grateful that friendly people existed here. Much better than the video rental place, that's for sure.]

Well, is there any place or people I should avoid, Kohaku?

[Yeah, Ai, that's what to focus on.]

[ai_can_cook]

Can't be more than an hour.

[Ai shrugs]

I popped out of a video casette, so I think I'm pretty open to believing almost anything, really.

[prominence_glow]

[Things could... definitely have gone better this past weekend. Honestly, Lea isn't sure how to deal with it. It's like his romance life is just jinxed, or something. ]

[So he does what's pretty much become habit: take Arden for a walk. The little Espeon is more than happy to be paid attention to after so long, and Lea finds himself running after him more than once.]

[That includes the time Arden bounds over to Ai to pounce onto her shoes.]

Arden! Arden, quit it!

[Immediately, Lea runs over to try and grab at the Espeon.]

[ai_can_cook]

Aa, how cute!

[Ai kneels down, petting the cute pokemon. She had never seen one before, but it didn't seem dangerous.]

There's no need - the cutie's not a bother at all!

[standing up, Ai beamed at Lea and hands out her hand for a handshake]

Hey there! Ai Amano, at your service! What's your name, and your partner's?

[prominence_glow]

[Yes, give Arden all the pets, he demands it. Ai has now acquired one fuzzy Espeon happily butting up into her hand. Lea manages to look only slightly embarrassed at Arden's antics but then he gives his best grin and reaches for Ai's hand.]

It's Lea! Well, my name is Lea. The little furball who you've just given free reign of your shoelaces to is named Arden. Out for a walk?

[ai_can_cook]

[Picking up the pokemon, Ai rubs underneath its chin after shaking hands with Lea.]

I've never seen an animal like this! This place is nothing short of amazing!

But yeah, just walking around, soaking up the vibes, getting used to the place. I've never seen anything like it!

[Ai blushes a bit]

Oh, gawd, I must sound like some sort of back-country hick!

[prominence_glow]

[There's just a laugh, although it's more friendly and open than anything.]

Listen, everyone pretty much reacts the same way! Vat is weiiiiird like that, but pretty cool sometimes too. Arden's what people call an Espeon! I adopted him while I've been here.

If you need a guide, I'm your guy! I've been trying to preoccupy myself anyway, heh.

[ai_can_cook]

An Espeon! How cool! I should look into adopting one myself!

[giggle]

Well, I know there are places to stay and everybody's been really friendly so far, but is there any dangerous place or people I should avoid?

[prominence_glow]

If anyone breeds any more of them, I'll let you know! They don't exactly start off as Espeons, 'tho.

[He's about to go into a small fluffy critter babble when the next question comes up and Lea pauses. After a moment, he gives a dry grin.]

Well a lot of people can be dangerous, but if you're on the look out for those on the more douchebaggy end of the spectrum, I can kind of help you out there. Hold on- [He pulls his SFC out from his pocket and starts to flip through the list.]

lol I thought SFC stood for Super Famicom

[ai_can_cook]

Well, I'm not naive enough to not know that there are bad people out there, but I'm not going to let it get me down! I just want a heads up in case there's anybody notorious I'd better stay away from.

[Ai curiously looks over Lea's shoulder - after all, coming from the early nineties, she hasn't seen anything like this before.]

So, like, do people stay here out of their own free will, or are they stuck?

[Not that she cares either way - as long as she's not dead or in Hell, Ai wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.]

whoops forgot to not abbreviate it!

[prominence_glow]

There are a couple- like this guy. [He pauses to point to one name- The Grand Highblood.] He's pretty much a Grade A nutjob with a superiority complex and issues with violence. Meaning he likes doing it. If you see purple text on the network that switches from small words to BIG words, or some huge guy with an out of control hairjob and long curling horns, that's him.

[He scrolls through the list as he answers her next question.]

Pretty much everyone is stuck, although sometimes people are taken back. No one knows how, 'tho. Everything's one big fat mystery. Still, a lot of people have worse things to go back to, y'know? It's not too bad here. I mean, it still sucks, but hey.

[He falls quiet at that. He already knows what's waiting for him at home, after all.]

[ai_can_cook]

[Ai nods earnestly, in a matter-of-factly tone]

You got that right! I thought I was dead, and I wound up here! I know it's not Heaven, but it ain't so bad or different from where I came from, anyway.

[Ai makes mental notes about the Grand Highblood, all while still stroking the Espeon's fur.]

Thanks so much for doing this, Lea!

[hopefully most everybody was just as friendly and helpful]

[sylphauxiliatrix]

Oh, so you're quite new then. Alright,for now I think it would be best if I gave you the most immediately relevant points. Somewhere on your body should be a mark. It looks like this.

[ Kanaya turns around and bends her head downward, showing off the marking on her neck.]

If you show that to the locals, just about anything you could want to buy is free. This includes housing, so you might want to look for a place for the night at least. There's an area of shops called the Nostalgia district, where you can get goods from various worlds, including your own if there is anything you might specifically need. Those goods require starfish tokens, a currency that you may earn by doing work for the locals or other foreigners. Foreigners like you and I usually expect starfish tokens in exchange for goods and services, and that's the case with the shop I run.

[spiria]

[ ... Well.

That was not a question she was expecting at all. Most people would rather know where they are, what's going on, how they can get home, and all that jazz. Instead, this woman wanted to know what to avoid. This would take some thinking. ]

Places ... not that I can think of. I tend to stick around the plaza, the island, the park, and the residential districts, though. Every so often I'll venture out into other areas. I haven't really found many places within Vatheon that are all too bad.

[ None that have actually stuck around, anyway. There were some pretty scary places that had cropped up in her stay here thus far ... ]

As for people, there are a few grumpy ones. I tend to talk to them myself, though, so I would be doing that whole 'pot calling the kettle black' thing if I discouraged talking to them at all.

[ trollolololol ~ ]

sorry for the late

[ai_can_cook]

[whoa, brain overload! Ai does her best to keep up with the onslaught of information, though.]

So this place obviously runs on an aquatic theme, huh? Cool - I can roll with that. At least it's not an equestrian theme - those horses can poop.

[Ai hadn't checked to find any markings, but given that her usual outfit hid all of her skin aside from her hands and head, she made a mental note to check on it later]

What kind of shop do you run, Kanaya?