The Power of Love (I)
Kyonko: Why are we in a love hotel!?
Wait, no, I can answer that one myself.
Itsuko and I had been loitering around the school, avoiding the gazes of suspicious teachers and trying to think of something to do, when Nagato had suddenly appeared.
Yuuki: A way to contact our original universe has been discovered.
Kyonko: Nagato, just to be clear on what you mean, could you try reconstructing that sentence in the first person?
Yuuki: …I have discovered a way to contact our original universe.
Itsuko: How is that, exactly?
It turned out that Nagato needed an internet-capable computer, a monitor, speakers, and a few hours to set his system up.
Yuuki: A cable capable of connecting myself and the computer will also be needed.
Kyonko: …I don’t think we have cables capable of connecting between human beings and electronic devices, Nagato.
Itsuko: Ah, but Nagato-san isn’t human, is he? Will an ordinary crossover cable do?
Yuuki: ……That should be sufficient.
Kyonko: Um. Okay, so, I think Asahina-senpai had some money on him… will you go with him to buy one of those? Itsuko and I will try to find a computer within the school building, I guess…
Itsuko: We will meet up at our usual café near Kitaguchi Station this evening, then.
We did actually manage to find one, lonely, old computer, in a clubroom that was equally old, lonely, and deserted.
Kyonko: You think this thing’ll even work? For that matter, could you even get Internet on it if it did work?
Itsuko: Well, it is not plugged into the wall, but… all the proper cabling is here, and there’s even a router…
Kyonko: It still looks like it’s falling apart. And the monitor’s ancient, too… wouldn’t it be a better idea just to steal the one in the Brigade clubroom?
Itsuko: Ah, I do not think we should interfere too much with the denizens of this world.
Kyonko: So what, we’re following the Prime Directive now?
Itsuko: I’m serious. Please, if you meet any of our other selves, do not tell them who you are. We don’t want to overtly influence anything.
Kyonko: But… you already told this world’s version of your “Agency”.
Itsuko: That’s different. They know how to keep secrets.
Kyonko: …Okay, but… what about this old hunk of crap we’re about to steal?
Itsuko: This would fall under the, ah, Desperate Times Clause.
Kyonko: …Right.
We waited inside the room for school to end. No point in being caught in the rush to get to clubs.
Kyonko: …I was just thinking. Why are we even stealing this?
Itsuko: Hmm?
Kyonko: Couldn’t the Agency just… give you a brand-new computer?
Itsuko: …Well, I’ll put it this way. They don’t exactly trust me.
Kyonko: …Okay. Next question, why are we taking this outside of the school, anyway? Couldn’t we set up the system in here?
Itsuko: Nagato-san said he’d need several hours… The school closes eventually, does it not?
Kyonko: And we needed to go outside anyway for materials, so it’s easier this way?
Itsuko: Yes, and, besides, I’m constantly getting the distinct feeling that I’m being watched. …The after-school rush seems to have died down. Shall we go somewhere where eyes are not on us?
When we tried to transport the computer downstairs, one of my legs suddenly stopped working, and I dropped the massive CRT monitor I was carrying, smashing it into pieces.
Needless to say, a new plan had to be formulated.
We decided to steal an easier-to-carry monitor from the Computer Research Society.
Obviously we couldn’t just walk in and demand a monitor… knowing what happened in my world, I’m sure we’d resurface bad memories if we did so.
So instead we just walked in and said “hi”.
Itsuko’s only instructions to me beforehand were a) to slip away when they were distracted, and b) that she’d meet me at the school gate. That didn’t make much sense until after she went up to their President and whispered something in his ear that made his eyes bug out.
…I don’t want to know what she offered to do, but we led the entire club to the back of the school. Itsuko… I won’t say what she did to distract them, it’s too…. Argh… but it gave me the chance to run back to their clubroom.
---
IF MissingShoes = False AND Thief = True THEN
However, I managed to run into my male self along the way. And by “run into”, I mean literally.
However… rather than brushing me off like I thought he would, (given his earlier behavior, he actually helped me steal the monitor).
I only had to pay him seventy yen for it, too! …Although that was all the money I had, after buying lunch.
…The Computer Society, however, chased us all the way out of the school, to where Itsuko wasn’t waiting for me.
I told my other self he could go, but… for some reason, he stayed with me the whole way, and even carried the monitor all the way down the hill for me.
Hell, he even biked me all the way to the café where we had agreed to meet earlier.
We only managed to narrowly escape the wrath of the Computer Society President, but… it was actually a lot of fun, somehow.
…I laughed harder than I’d laughed in a long time. I’m kind of offended he never even asked for my name, though.
……Why did he help me? Is it only because I’m a girl?
Yeah, that has to be it, right? I’d certainly never help a person I barely knew.
But… that would mean I’m… attracted to myself…?
…ARGH.
Anyway!
---
IF MissingShoes = False AND Samaritan = False THEN
However, I managed to run into my male self along the way. And by “run into”, I mean literally.
Predictably, he just waved me off, leaving me on the ground. Asshole.
I managed to get the monitor to the front gate. Itsuko wasn’t there.
I managed to find her near the bottom of the hill, near the bike racks, waiting by a taxi.
Itsuko: I apologize. They became very angry with me, and I had to grab the computer, the peripherals, and run away.
Kyonko: It’s fine. …This your usual ride? This world’s version, I mean?
Itsuko: No, I’m afraid it is only an ordinary taxi.
Kyonko: Ordinary, huh?
---
ELSE
The operation was pulled off without a hitch. Unless you consider Itsuko not being at the meeting place a hitch.
I managed to find her near the bottom of the hill, near the bike racks, waiting by a taxi.
Itsuko: I apologize. They became very angry with me, and I had to grab the computer, the peripherals, and run away.
Kyonko: It’s fine. …This your usual ride? This world’s version, I mean?
Itsuko: No, I’m afraid it is only an ordinary taxi.
Kyonko: Ordinary, huh?
---
In this way, I arrived at the café. Asahina-senpai looked particularly glad to see me.
Itsuko: So, let’s see. Is this all the hardware you need, Nagato-san?
Yuuki: Sufficient.
Itsuko: Ah, good. I wouldn’t want to go back there for a while.
Asahina-senpai was hard at work peeling the covering off of one end of the yellow crossover cable, which had been cut for some reason.
Mitsuuru: How did you two get this, anyway? You said you found the, uh, box—
Itsuko: It is normally referred to as a “tower” I believe.
Mitsuuru: The box abandoned in an empty clubroom, but this screen looks brand new.
I buried my head in my hands.
Kyonko: I don’t want to talk about it. Please.
Itsuko: Yes, now, the question is, where are we going to set this up?
Mitsuuru: Yeah, that’s what I was wondering. We’re getting stares enough as it is, with you two lugging that stuff in here.
And you playing with some cable doesn’t look slightly odd, Asahina-senpai?
Kyonko: Um, well, we need somewhere with an outlet and an internet connection… somewhere that’s open right now and would put up with us for a few hours… I’d say a hotel, but they don’t let rooms hourly, and I don’t think we could afford a room anyway…
Itsuko’s smile suddenly grew very large.
Itsuko: I have a place in mind we could go to. But first, let’s get dinner. I hear this place serves wonderful pasta, and I believe Nagato-san still has some money left…
Nagato nods.
After a delicious meal, we made our way to Itsuko’s “place in mind”.
(I believe this is about where you came in.)
Mitsuuru: No.
Itsuko: But they have a discount for large groups! We’ll be able to afford renting a room for a few hours this way.
Mitsuuru: N-no, I am in no way going into a love hotel with you three. What if someone sees?
Itsuko: No one is going to care. No one on this side knows who we are, remember?
I had been unable to respond up until this point out of sheer shock.
Kyonko: I agree with Asahina-senpai! I’m not going in there. I refuse. I absolutely refuse.
Mitsuuru: Yes! Listen to her!
Itsuko: Oh? Can you think of anywhere else that rents by the hour, and has a discount rate?
Kyonko: Spuh. I. Fine.
H-how did you even know about this place?
Itsuko: I know lots of things. <3 Come on, don’t be shy. Desperate times, remember.
The receptionist, an older woman trying to look young, smiled at us knowingly when we entered. Don’t give me that look, you old hag.
This place is poorly-maintained and covered in cheap pink. Ugh. I don’t hate pink, but when every damn thing in the room is that color…
Itsuko managed to negotiate us a room for four hours (argh!) and we finally made it inside and somewhere relatively quiet.
Ugh. More pink. At least there’s a shower, which I’m starting to feel I need to get rid of an oncoming migrane. But, of course, the bathroom walls are transparent.
What a stereotypical love hotel. This could be part of a franchise.
Kyonko: Why are we in a love hotel!?
(No, this was where you came in.)
Itsuko and Mitsuuru were beginning to set up the computer.
Itsuko: Lucky for us, this place has an in-house internet connection. It’s mostly used for wireless connections, but simply plugging this into the phone jack should work.
Mitsuuru: …Um… what’s a phone jack?
Itsuko: Never you mind, I’ll do it all myself.
And, eventually, miraculously, the machine sputtered to life.
WxNDOWS 95.
What a piece of junk….
Itsuko: Internet is hooked up as well. So, ah, what are the plans for that crossover cable?
That’s what I was about to ask.
Nagato took the exposed of the cable and… rolling up his sleeve, he shoved it into his lower arm. Into the veins.
[Totally need a CG for this]
…
He held up the other end of the cable.
Yuuki: Plug this in.
I obliged him, plugging it into the router.
Mitsuuru: Okay. That was disgusting. That can’t possibly—
Yuuki: Connecting. Dialing… Dialing…
You run on dial-up?!
Itsuko: …Well, I never said it was a decent Internet connection.
Kyonko: Oh.
We waited for over three hours in that incredibly pink room, hearing Nagato's "dialing, dialing" over and over again. I thought I was going to go nuts.
And then, finally.
Yuuki: Connection established. Transference of data completed
Mitsuuru: ...Huh. I didn’t think that would ever work....
Yuuki: Displaying information onscreen.
Suddenly, the monitor displayed what looked to be the interior of a small, inexpensive apartment.
Displayed in the corner of the screen were, in Roman characters, “EMORI K.”
Kyonko: …We did it.
*KSSSSSSHHHHHHH*
2009-10-05, 19:21
I guess that laugh about Kyon and Green Girl can become my birthday present to you XD
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