stonebones | no. 001 [video from new bark town.]

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no. 001 [video from new bark town.]

[A Sableye isn't exactly the first thing most people want to see when they check the network, with its gleaming eyes and wide, sharp smile. This one doesn't seem intent on being creepy or mischievous today, though. Even for those that don't speak pokémon, the raspy growls have the characteristic lilt of a genuine question.]

Hey! How do I get my trainer to trust me? I'm trying to show him around, but...

[He moves the video over to a young boy who's frowning and feeling his way along the outer wall of Mom's house. He's got what appears to be a makeshift blindfold on, if the frayed edges are any indication, and quite the unusual ensemble...

As the video bounces closer in, Emil's frown deepens and he waves as if to shoo the creature off.]

He keeps doing that!

[At least Emil seems satisfied with the distance the Sableye had retreated to again, exhaling out a sigh and going back to his slow mapping out of the area.]

I hope I find the others soon... Where is this, anyway?

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[Ah. He figured that wouldn't work. Kaneki shifts the Gear in his hands, fiddling with the settings while telling his Yanma to say something else.]

Oh- okay...he says stay where you are!

[As he says that, Kaneki switches from video to audio and calls out as loud as he can without yelling, hoping that the Sableye is close enough so he can be heard.]

Hello? Can you hear me?

[Emil freezes at that, pausing to tilt his head in the direction of the voice. It...was in the same direction as that creature, but... Well, communication from that would have been impossible, right?]

I can hear you. [He leaves the wall, but doesn't stray too far. Normally he was pretty good at these things, but...] Where are you?

[He's unsure whether or not this person is familiar with technology like the Gear...and if he had to guess, he'd say probably not. That's going to make this tricky.]

I'm...I'm not quite where you are, right now. But I can hear you, too.

There's something that keeps trying to get closer to you. It won't hurt you.

Oh... Yes, I couldn't hear your footsteps before.

[His frown deepens, but at least he's focused in on the voice. Definitely in the creature's direction, including how low it was to the ground.]

...It's a Shade. I've -- I've seen them do terrible things.

[A Shade...? That's...probably not good.]

I see. The creature with you is...similar, but they won't hurt you. I know it's probably hard to believe just what a voice is telling you...and you don't have to.

[He takes a slow breath before continuing.]

You're not in the same area you were before. This is an entirely different world from your own.

[He's silent for a few moments, then crouches down and reaches a hand out, holding his breath. When the Sableye crawls over and continues to be docile, Emil exhales in relief. He wasn't going to let his guard down completely, but...at least this person seemed right about that for now.]

Another world... [It wasn't that hard to believe. Things were already pretty messed up from what they were supposed to be, and there was something like a memory buried deep that made it even easier to accept.

He pulls a face when his fingers make contact with the Sableye's skin, quickly moving them to take the device instead of lingering. The thing still gave him the creeps, but already the boy's tone is more sociable.] Ah, there. Your voice is from this, right? My name's Emil.

That's right. That creature is called a Sableye...it started a recording and I saw you, so I thought you might need some help.

[If he's picked up the Gear, then that means he's allowed the Sableye to get close, so that's good. He wouldn't want to see this boy trying to make it through an unfamiliar area alone like he is.]

I'm Kaneki.

[Oof, that is...a lot of buttons there.]

Oh. Thank you. [It's sincere, but Emil's gone back to looking concerned.] Are you...still able to see me?

I can, yes. I think it's still set that way.

[He wonders for a very brief moment if he should switch back to video, too, until he remembers that it probably won't matter anyway.]

There are settings that can turn that off, though.

[He heaves a sigh of relief.]

I need you to tell me how to turn it off. A-and make it so it - stop that!

[Apparently the Sableye is getting grabby, with how he pulls the 'gear sharply.]

Is there a way to make it like... [Augh, his head. There was something he was thinking of, wasn't there? What was the word...] Um... Well, like how yours is, I guess? But stuck that way.

I don't think there's a way to make it stay on audio permanently, but...as long as you have it switched to that, it should stay that way unless it's switched back to video.

[He looks down at his own Gear as he talks, running his fingers along the face so he can feel the buttons. There are buttons for pretty much everything here, as well as a switch for shifting between video and audio.]

There should be a switch on the...right side of it. Yours is on video right now, so it's probably pushed down. If you push it up, it will turn off and go to Audio only instead.

[He knows there are probably internal settings that could potentially make more permanent changes like that, but honestly he's never really messed with them too much.]

[Emil gets a look of concentration on his face before -- blip! Off he goes.]

And you can really still hear me...?

[It's quieter, almost like he's addressing himself just in case there really is no one there anymore.]

Mhm, I can still hear you just fine, Emil-san.

Okay!

[And though there's no visual aid this time, it's pretty clear he's addressing the Sableye, especially with how the creature groans.]

No touching this switch. Do you understand? [Once he's sure that's settled...] Does this...happen a lot, in this world? People coming in from other places?

It does, yes. It happens pretty regularly, actually. Sometimes a lot of people come here all at once, and sometimes it's not very many.

[He's seen quite a few new people this week, though.]

We don't really...know why or how, though.

I see... I guess that's just how magic works everywhere, then.

I was with some friends before I woke up here, but I haven't heard them at all since.

[And Kainé would be pretty hard to miss, he's guessing...]

It's possible they could be here, too, but...it's more likely they probably aren't.

[He feels like it was coincidence, in his case. After all, Tsukiyama and Banjou were here before he ever arrived, and then Chie showed up a few months later.]

We do know that time stands still for some reason back home while you're here, though, so you won't have to worry about being missed.

Oh, so...those three are back home...

[After all, it seems odd that they would have arrived at a different time. They'd been together for what seemed like so long... Emil's silent a moment, but the tone that follows is surprisingly optimistic.]

Well, that's good. Who knows what kind of trouble they'd get into if I wasn't there to stop them! It works out better this way, I think.

[It's good to hear that he doesn't seem too worried. A lot of people can't say they've reacted the same.]

I know what you mean.

[He has a friend back home who is very much like that, after all.]

I saw that you were outside. The town you're in right now is called New Bark, but there isn't anywhere for trainers to stay there, not counting that woman's house. The next town is about three days away.

[He really wants to ask Emil if he thinks he's going to be okay on his own, but just...asking something like that feels rude. But he doesn't see anything wrong with letting him know.]

[He nods slowly before he remembers that it's the device he's "talking" to and he disabled the ability for it to see him. Whoops.]

So I'll be camping, then. [Pause.] If you're...sure about this Sha -- ...Sableye, then maybe it won't be so bad.

[There's a note of something like triumph from the pokémon before Emil speaks again.]

So trainers... Is that what they call people like me? From other worlds?

I am. I've never owned one, but I know some people who have...as well as someone who visited a place they live, recently. They actually seem pretty docile.

That's right. You could be a breeder, too, but everyone here is expected to own and care for creatures called Pokemon, as trainers. Your Sableye is one.

Mmn.

[He couldn't exactly argue, since the worst thing the creature had done so far was try to steal his things. No mauling at all.]

It's mine, then. [More confirming with himself than anything.] I...have a pet Shade.

[What the heck.]

Is that why I'm here?

Nobody really knows the exact reason why we're here, but...yes. People who come here usually get Pokemon and train them to battle one another, or sometimes they breed them instead.

[He pauses, realizing just how...strange this probably sounds.]

You don't have to, but that's usually what people end up doing.

[That definitely sounds strange, and considering how odd the Nier world is, that's saying something.]

...It's really different from anything I've done before. [But if that's what he was supposed to do... Maybe it would let him go home faster.] This Shade doesn't seem so bad, though. Maybe I'll be like everyone else here.

I doubt you'll have any problems with him.

[Somehow Kaneki feels like he can say this with full confidence, even though his first few Pokemon seemed to hate him. Then again, he's never had great luck with these things...]

You'll need him because sometimes wild Pokemon will attack on the routes, so it's dangerous to go without at least one Pokemon with you.

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