dear_mun | Voice Testing because the mun is weak...

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

[Kai tells himself that a lot. It doesn't help much these days.]

[Kirito can't help but smirk at that. After all, since he's from an MMORPG world, that's quite literally true.]

Yes. Though the rules of these games are a lot different from what I'm used to. Most of them don't seem to have the usual sets of rules for leveling up or even set game mechanics. It makes me wonder how these mundanes makes sense of it all.

Mine just tossed leveling up out the window at the start to make it easier on herself. Works for me, actually.

[Plus it lets him learn magic at a faster pace. He's been taking advantage of that lately.]

I'm Kai.

No leveling up? Then how do you get stronger in those games??

[...someone's really not going to deal with the idea of freeform RPG, or for that matter things taking place in the "real world", all that well.]

Kirito. It's... nice to meet you.

In my game I just study a lot and practice my spells. Whenever I can, lately. I've kind of...made a couple enemies. One of them's really someone I shouldn't have. [There's probably going to be blood at some point.] And I really should find someone to spar with, but I've been putting it off. I'm more used to hitting monsters.

[Ahaha, poor Kirito. Kai wishes him luck.] You too. You'll get used to it, if you go somewhere.

Ah, so it's more of a skill improvement system, then. Interesting. [He pauses, and can't help but a few of the PKs and orange players he's run afoul of himself.] You'll have enemies no matter what you do. It's best to be as strong as possible when they come after you. Are there no other fighters you can spar with, or do you have trouble trusting them?

I hope so... some of these games sound interesting, but I have a lot to do in my own world, as well.

[Kai lets out a sharp laugh.]

At least it wasn't exactly personal back home. I'm not making things easy on myself by antagonizing this guy. He's over three-thousand years old and could wipe the floor with me if he wanted to - and I know he does - but I can't seem to help myself sometimes. [Too much like his mom for sure.] I think the only reason we haven't gotten into it yet is because there's a girl in the way.

[Kai bites his lip at the question, thinking a moment.] Well, there's a couple, but they're usually busy...and I haven't exactly met them yet. Just know of them through a friend. Something else I need to get around to. [Because really, Henry and Jack could probably help a lot with swordplay.]

I guess the games aren't bad, but going home again would be nice...What've you got to deal with?

Three thousand years old. That would be a problem, but I'm certain he has a weakness, if it comes down to that. Maybe it's better to ease up on actively causing problems, though. Better to be safe than sorry.

A girl... I think I've managed to make an enemy over a girl. [He suddenly looks a little flustered. N-not like that, of course! It was just that she'd maxed out her cooking skill.

If you're making enemies, it's best to find as many allies as possible. It's true where I'm from, and I'm sure it applies elsewhere, there's a limit to what you can do on your own. The trick with people is reading your opponent. Monsters usually follow a set pattern, but people are more random. You have to watch them carefully during a duel.

Trying to survive, and working toward clearing the 100th floor in the game. [It takes him a moment to realize how strange that must sound to an outsider.] I was trapped, with ten thousand other players, in an online game, unable to log out until the game is cleared. It's... been almost two years since the game started, now...

Yeah, he does, kind of. He's trapped in a Ring he wears around his host's neck [And Kai holds his hands over his chest in the shape of a large circle] but...it's complicated. It's not as easy as just throwing the Ring into a pit or something. [The fact the Creeper's host is also the kid Kai decided to adopt as a brother? Yeah.]

I'd really like to stop pissing him off, but he just rubs me the wrong way on so many levels. [Self-control. He has this, really.]

[Kai suddenly cracks a grin at Kirito's flustering.] Are you sure it's not like that? You know, the girl I mentioned, she'd make a really good ally for reasons I can't get into, but- [But he's in love with her and she's got feelings for the Creeper with no clue what he's really like and complicated doesn't begin to cover it.] But I should find some allies. Bakura can summon monsters out of cards. Ended up beating my door in with one.

[Well, maybe not that weird, but still...] Two years like that? How do you stay sane? Hell, what about your body?

Don't forget to hold onto hope.

*Toto smiles serenely.*

The fact that your mun is voice testing is very promising. I know you both can achieve what you desire.

Oh... I was about to suggest throwing it in lava. They did something similar in a movie once. It sounds like he's almost more of a monster than a person now, though. I wonder if you could somehow remove him from the ring... [He's lost in thought a moment, trying to approach it as though it were a quest, but then snaps out of it.] I'm sure you'll find a solution eventually. People like that eventually turn the wrong people against them.

N-no, it's nothing like that at all! Asuna had maxed out her cooking skill, and was the only one that could cook the meal, so we went to her home and split the meal, fifty fifty! [He said all of that way faster than he should have. What was that about allies? He needs to move on to talking about allies.] I'm sure there are people in your world who are willing to help those in need. Summoning monsters out of cards? That makes me glad there's no magic in SAO.

...we think our bodies were moved into hospitals and put on life support. As long as we don't die in game, they can keep our bodies alive. [He thinks.]

Sometimes hope is all we have, where I come from. [He actually smiles at that... it reminds him of a few people he's known in game.]

It does feel like, at least a little, that what I want and what my mun wants are two different things. Hopefully that will change as time goes on.

Yeah, pretty much. There are a few other people looking into it though, so maybe someday. I'd just like Ryou to have his life back. [And Bakura to have his own body so he can beat the crap out of him for all the pain and trouble he's caused.]

[Is Kai grinning again? Yep. Don't mind him Kirito, if he teases it means he's comfortable around you.] Okay, if you say so~ Must be nice knowing someone who can cook that well. I've been living off of sandwiches, hamburgers, soup...Junk out of the vending machines, stuff like that. Though when the building disappeared for a while, I was eating bear and rabbit. [Charred and sometimes slightly raw bear and rabbit. Kai might be an okay hunter, but he's not too good of a cook.]

[Ha, back to allies. Okay.] Yeah, there's some. I've just never been too much of a people person, so I don't tend to ask for help until I'm backed into a corner. [His eyes widen slightly at the mention of no magic, and he shakes his head.] There's tons of magic where I come from, and I'm glad I was able to keep it in game. It's like breathing to me, you know? [Kai raises a hand and a swirl of ice crystals form in his palm, taking the shape of a small sphere.] I can do a few other spells, but Blizzard's always been the easiest to control.

[Ugh, hospitals. Kai's never been fond of anything involving doctors, and it shows on his face.] If you're still alive after two years then probably, yeah- Wait, if you die in the game you're dead for real? How screwed up is that?

Ryou is the host, I take it? [It sounds like he knows whoever it is, and that makes him wince. It certainly complicates things.] I hope they'll find a way to end the curse... just keep looking for clues, and I'm sure you'll find a way.

She's an amazing cook, but that's to be expected with her skills maxed. Still, she managed to find a way to simulate food from the real world, which is even more impressive. Most of the food in game doesn't quite compare, and of course you eat all of that out of instinct. The NerveGear can simulate all of your senses, but it's not the same as eating real food. [Kirito hasn't really spent any time in game on his own cooking skill, and in real life...? Let's just say without his family, it would probably be a steady diet of ramen noodles.]

[He doesn't say anything, but nods at Kai's comment about not being much of a people person. It... hasn't gone well for him, when he's tried.] The focus on skills is what makes SAO so interesting to me... I'm not sure how well I'd do in a game with magic. [Still, that said, his eyes get wider as he watches the Blizzard spell take shape. That would actually be interesting to try, at some point...]

Very. I want to find out why Kayaba made the game to play out that way... too many people have died already... [He clinches his hand into a fist without realizing it.]

Yeah. He's my age, he's a good kid. [Kai smiles faintly at that; they still need to goof off and do the whole 'Mages and Warriors' thing sometime.] I just wish the way was easier to find.

Asuna sounds pretty smart, being able to do that with the food. [He tosses the sphere lightly in his hand, tilting his head curiously at the mention of the NerveGear.] NerveGear? You guys really have come a long way from joysticks and controllers, huh?

[Kai had 'school friends' back home, not 'hey come hang out on Saturday' friends. It's been kind of strange finally making real ones aside from 'Jem.]

So how good are you in that game? 'Really good' or 'Kick ass' good? [Kai frowns suddenly at the last, shaking his head. Wait, ten thousand players and-] ...How many? And you know... [It's not his place to say it, but the way Kirito looks right now reminds him of himself.] You can't save everybody. You can only do your best. A really good friend told me that once.

[He's still working on getting himself to believe it, though.]

It very well might. Or if not, there ought to be some way that the both of you can obtain your separate goals.

What sorts of things are the both of you looking for?

A way will present itself, in time. [It does sound eerily familiar, someone under the control of another, thinking it was far better than it really was... at least in his case, he learned the truth fairly early on.] Just don't give up on it. And remember, when that time does come, he'll probably need the people who helped him more than ever.

[Aaaand... he's going to, conveniently enough, not mention Asuna further. No matter what he tells himself, he does still get a little flustered at times when he thinks of her.] With the NerveGear, it really does feel like you're in another world. Once you're used to it, it's hard to go back to the old controllers.

I made it further than anyone else in the beta test! [The momentary surge of confidence dissipates after that next question.] ...we lost 2,000 in the first month. There have been less since, but still... [Silence for a moment, as he's lost in his own memories.] We even have players PKing in the game, despite what that means. I think the circumstances might have driven a few players mad.

[He can't fight back the smile, in this case.]

I want to escape a game, while my mun is debating putting me in a new one. Even if things are different in the new game, you can see how it's a little awkward.

I won't. I've got every intention of being there, Ryou's kind of like a kid brother. I'm an only child, so...it's nice. Even with the complications.

[And Kai'll just let the subject of Asuna drop, because yeah. He's suddenly thinking of Karasu again. Girls, geeze.] Wonder if they'll ever get around to inventing something like that back home. Though if you can actually trap people with it, maybe it'd be better if they didn't.

[Kirito sounds pretty proud of himself about the beta, and Kai smirks, but it fades quickly. Two thousand in a month.] That's... [He shakes his head, focusing on the unfamiliar term.] PKing?

It is nice, though they will drive you crazy sometimes. [And yes, girls. Why is it he has such a hard time dealing with them in real life, yet he's made friends with so many in the game?]

I'm sure they'll put failsafes in the next version. I hope, anyway. [What, would he seriously think about going into another game when/if he got out? Yes, of course he would.]

Player killing. While most of the guilds that have come together in the game work for everyone, a few are called orange guilds, who will attack and take advantage of other players. There are even a few red guilds... which take it that much further. I don't understand how those players even plan to escape. Maybe they don't.

What've you got, brothers or sisters? Both? [Kai'd probably be more social if he'd had some. Maybe.] Ha, it'd be good for business if they did. [Wait.] What, you'd do this again? I think I'd be headed as far away as I could get.

[Kai rolls his eyes at himself. Sure.] Okay, so probably not, but I'd be a little hesitant getting involved again.

Player killing. [What the hell, humanity.] Geeze, nice to know even in a virtual world, people can't behave themselves.

A sister. Though we're not as close as we used to be. She's not really the gamer type. [They're both doing surprisingly well here, given how neither of them are usually really social. Maybe that's the common ground?]

I've always been fascinated by games and computers. Just because of what's happened here, that doesn't mean they're all bad. Though maybe I'll feel different if... er, when I get out.

It happened in older games, maybe people just have a hard time changing their ways. Or maybe the games just show what the people really are, deep down inside.

That's kind of sad. Younger or older? The twelve year old that travels with me back home - 'Jem - she's never actually felt like a kid sister, though she sure acts like it. Pokes me awake with her fishing spear, when we're places that need it. [They are. The mun is highly amused.]

My favorites have always been arcade games. We never had a computer in the house. Or a console. [A sad, sad thing, that.] You'll get out. Got to be positive, right?

[Kai snorts a little at that. Yeah, he's seen what some people can be deep inside.] Maybe. It's never pleasant once it comes to light. [Still playing with that sphere, whoops. Kai closes his hand over it and melts it, then shakes some water drops off his palm.]

Younger, by a year. [He hesitates a moment, before continuing.] She's... also not my real sister, but my cousin. She doesn't know, though. Things between us got more complicated as we got older. I'm going to change that, after I clear the game.

I missed out on the good days of arcades, or so I've been told by the old timers in some of the other games. [~~He'll leave out mentioning the time he was given an old SNES controller and asked how anyone could use such a limited control interface. That's just embarrassing.~~]

[He can't help but notice the sphere vanishing away.] But most of the players are good people. I've seen both sides, and there are a lot more who want to help out.

Family's still family, though. My dad, uncle, and aunt, they're not actually- but I've been with them since I was a kid. [He used to tell himself it was just until his mom came back. Now he's out looking himself.] I hope things work out for you.

You did miss out! Tetris! Pac-Man! [Whoops, his dorkiness is showing.] Uh. I think I got my fondness for those from my mom, she used to take me all the time when I was a kid. [Kai's gaze follows Kirito's and he grins sheepishly.] Fire. I usually either toss them away or just melt them...Been working on a shield spell and Cure magic too.

That's good. I think I just get tired of fighting, sometimes, and it seems like there's less good than there is, no matter where you end up.

It's... complicated. [While he wouldn't admit it out loud, he does feel a little betrayed that his aunt and uncle never told him the truth.] Thank you. And for you as well!

I've heard of those two, though I've never actually played them. They were really... two dimensional. [~~Darn kids and their immersive gaming worlds.~~] Say, you might know this... is it true there used to be games that were just text? One of the other players told me the first game he played he had to type in commands like "GO WEST" and "PICK UP ROCK", but I'm not sure I believe him...

Cure magic would be helpful in a world like Aincrad! But I think that's why Kayaba didn't put magic into the game. My mun has said there are some games I could venture to where I could learn magic. It could be interesting!

That's because the jerks are louder. That's true in game and in the real world.

[Kai gives a sigh and runs his hand through his hair.] Family's always complicated. You should've met my mom, she's really- It's worth it though, in the end. [He shakes his head and gives a sharp laugh at the two-dimensional comment. So true.] Now I'm feeling old! I never actually played anything that was completely text, but there was Oregon Trail. Did that a lot at a classmate's house while we were supposed to be working on a project. [Grade school, good times.]

You get to play a wagon leader taking his party from Missouri to Oregon in a covered wagon in the late eighteen hundreds. Got to make sure you get enough supplies before you go, leave at the right time of year...It's kind of fun, but I never beat it. Kept fording the river at the wrong time and losing my oxen. [And ninety percent of his supplies.]

I guess I can see why he did that. Not having a way to magically heal yourself makes you think twice before doing stuff, sometimes. Though with the trouble I get myself into these days, it's safer to know it. [Kai grins.] I think there's one someplace where you can go to school and learn to be a wizard. It's been a while since my mun looked at actual games, though. She found the place I'm at, and she's happy there.

[Ha, give him a second here. He's just...going to try not to cackle at that.] That certainly fits Bakura!

I actually met a player in the game who reminded me of her; it made me rethink how I treated her previously. [And the more he thinks about it, Suguha isn't at fault for any of it. For that matter, she might not really know the truth yet, herself.]

Oh, it sounds kind of like a resource management game! I was never really good at those. Though I really liked Minecraft when I was little... that was one of my first online games, too. [He grins a little, thinking about it.] I'll have to try and find that game on a nostalgia site when I get free of the game, though. It could be interesting!

I think a few of the players were too used to that from other games. That's why... [Right, time to think of something else.] A school for wizards? That could be interesting. My mun's only really even been in one game, though I think he's looking at a few different ones. Even though he thought he was done. ...he keeps saying "I thought I was done, but they keep pulling me back in" and laughing a lot. Muns are weird.

[He grins.] I was thinking of a specific player I know in my game, as well. Though I think Kuradeel is just doing what he thinks is right, and I should give him a second chance. Maybe he's not a bad guy... certainly nothing like this Bakura person.

At least you'll have another chance, when you get out.

Nostalgia site. I just turned eighteen [Friday, actually] and now I really do feel ancient!

[Kai frowns a little as Kirito trails off, but doesn't pursue it. They've managed to not completely depress themselves yet, so.]

Looks like the game she was thinking of closed in September. There's tons out there though, yours'll probably end up picking the perfect one...you know, where they do the evil villain laugh. Mine's been doing that since you suggested I find someone I trusted to spar with. She's already got me in a thread with Jack so he can teach me how to uh...channel my temper. [Because if he keeps pissing off Bakura, he's not going to live to see nineteen.] I froze one of Bakura's monsters and used a portal to drop it on him. It was self-defense, he shouldn't have sent it into my room! [Through Kai's own portal, which he'd accidentally left open. Whoops.] Plus I'll be learning how to fight better, too.

What's this Kuradeel done so far?

[Well, to be fair, Kirito's canon is set about ten years in the future. ~~Don't blame him, blame the weirdness of the space-time continuum.~~] I just realized, I must've missed at least one birthday already. Maybe two.

I keep hearing that muns can be evil, but I'm not sure I've really seen too much of that so far. Hearing about all that does make me a bit worried. [He quirks an eyebrow as he listens to everything Kai's been through.] Just try to remember what one of the players in SAO said once, "Clarity of thought before rashness of action." But he kept laughing every time he said it, so I think maybe he took it from somewhere. But aren't there some kind of safe zones in the game you're in?

We had a duel once. He was assigned to protect Asuna, but it felt like he was being a little controlling. But I suppose he thought he was just doing his job, too.

[No good, he feels old. At least until he ends up doing something almost predictably childish; pillow forts, anyone?] That sucks. Too busy surviving to keep track, I guess. [He knows what that's like, though he managed the last two by keeping track of when his mom's birthday was - a month earlier than his.] Make sure you get yourself something. Like a two-dimensional nostalgia game. [So much snickering.]

Well, you're pretty lucky then. I don't know if the amount of what they put us through means if they like us more or less. She claims I'm one of her favorites, but I get stuff like an impromptu camping trip with the Creeper, his boyfriend, and the girl I lo- er... [Blush what blush just ignore that.] -and Karasu, while she never does anything awful to another of her favorites. I think the worst thing that ever happened to that kid was getting stranded on an unfamiliar world for two days, and he even had his best friend with him.

Yeah, I think that's what Jack's going to be trying for. If we work out a truce with Bakura it'd be kind of awesome if I wasn't the one that broke it. [Safe zones...he wishes.] Um, my room probably counts as one? When I'm not leaving ways in, anyway. But not really. I guess guys can go overboard when they're trying to protect a girl, especially if they think she can't take care of herself- Is she as good a fighter as she is a cook? 'Cause if she is and Kuradeel's still being weird over it, I'd be a little worried. [Or a lot.]

[Kirito has his moments, too. They come in the form of things like really bad pranks.] The game keeps track of the date, but still... it's easy to lose track. [And, to be fair, there was a point when he didn't care too much about... well, anything.] I wonder if they had an arcade sim for the NerveGear. Then you could simulate the entire experience... [Someone might be missing the point.]

[And there's just a knowing smirk when he almost mentions the girl. He understands.] I think I'm new enough I haven't gone through too much, thank goodness, but I'm being warned. Apparently I'm lucky I'm not in a game for some kind of "Christmas Carol" event that's going on right now. I honestly don't want to ask.

From everything you've said about this Bakura, I wouldn't trust a truce even if one was made. Don't break it yourself, of course, but I wouldn't expect him to honor it, either. [He nervously rubs the back of his neck.] Kuradeel is there on the orders of the guild they are both in. Asuna is its vice commander. Still, she's one of the best I've seen... maybe as impressive as her cooking. [Still, that Ragout Rabbit was an amazing accomplishment.]

[You know what's an awesome prank? While roleplaying that there are Ice Trolls in the hallway, attempting to make it snow as a warning of attack. Might've gone better if the ice sphere hadn't exploded into shards instead of flakes.]

[He's just going to stare for a second before grinning.] Yeah, you definitely need to play something that's not so immersive. [Kai catches that smirk and coughs. Damn it. Events, right.] We've got one that just started, Home for Christmas. Parts of the school turn into the worst part of our homeworlds. My mun's making me relive the day mine was destroyed. [Kai doesn't even have words for how that feels, so he just moves on to the subject of the Creeper. Less traumatizing.]

Me neither, but he's got one with Jack's group and it's holding so far. Still, they're actually a threat to him if it breaks, I'm just a pain in his ass. [He'll pretend he's not proud of that on some level.]

Orders...glad I pretty much do things on my own. Vice commander, huh? Guess they'd want to protect their higher-ranking officers. I'd go with what your gut says about him, though. Maybe? It'd probably be a bad thing to ever tell her that.

[That sounds... messy. Though if his own situation wasn't so dire, it's the kind of thing he might be tempted to try.]

I keep thinking I'd like to try kendo again, when I get out. Just to see if anything I've learned carries over. [There are other voices in the mun's head that are screaming bloody murder about events, but Kirito is still a bit wary of them.] Y-your world was destroyed? I'm sorry to hear that. [Christmas is still a bit of a sore subject for him, so he's perfectly fine with moving past it.]

At least he respects this Jack person. He must be very powerful, if that's the case. [He grins a little.] Sometimes the smaller threats grow into the largest over time.

That sort of thing is why I never have any interest in joining a guild, especially the higher ranking ones. I think some of them are more interested in accomplishing a mission, and forget that the soldiers under them are still real people. [He laughs nervously at that.] Oh, I'd never say as much to her. That might get me into a duel, and I don't think I'd have much of a chance. [Mainly because he wouldn't fight her, but will he admit that? No, of course not!]

[Very. Also awkward because he and Tadakuni were draped in sheet-cloaks and had their arms full of stolen couch cushions for the fort. Kai'd do it again, no problem.]

Kendo sounds fun. [He laughs, rubbing the back of his head.] Well, fighting when you're not actually in danger sounds fun. I really do take after my mom. There used to be a lot of play fights with wooden swords when I was little. Not with her, but my dad and uncle. Maybe they'll be impressed with what I've learned...not that I need to impress them! [Because he really doesn't. They'd just be happy he was still breathing. Kai makes a small face at that thought before continuing.] Yeah, it kind of wasn't supposed to happen again. I mean, it was the first time for my world, I think. But it had happened other places, before I was born. [He shrugs. History always repeats.]

Jack's a soldier from the fifteenth century that serves under a king, plus he can summon monsters from cards too, so. [Kai returns the grin, shoving his hands in his pockets.] I should learn not to brag about it so I can surprise Bakura when I finally am one. [He's kidding, he'll behave.]

Maybe they forget since they're in the mindset that it's just a game? Even though it's serious. Plus, if they're really focused on getting out of there, I can see just being willing to sacrifice whoever you need to. [Ugh.]

[Have raised eyebrows directed your way, Kirito.] So either she could whip your butt, or... [Yeah, Kai's not sure he'd want to fight a girl he liked either.]

[In real life, Kirito's always been a bit of a loner, so he's missed out on opportunities like that. ~~Mun is cackling because whenever the time comes to app into a game, THAT WILL CHANGE. Whether he likes it or not.~~]

My grandfather was passionate about it. I was, for a little while, too... but things changed. Did your father and uncle have any formal training, or was it just a game? I think Sugu and I started that way. [He's hesitant to ask, given he can see the kind of reaction the subject is prompted. Still, it's better to know the level of threats he might have to face.] Is there something that can destroy multiple worlds, then...?

Oh, so he's a knight! It reminds me of a few players I've met in SAO. If he's able to gather forces together, he's probably something of a born leader, as well. [He chuckles.] It's never a good idea to show the full limits of your power. I always try to hold something back in reserve, just in case.

I understand their focus... who knows what's happening in the world outside the game? But still, none of us are trained soldiers. Most are teenagers or younger. There has to be a balance. But once you start treating lives as assets to be wagered...

N-no! Well... maybe. It would be close. Close enough that any hesitation on either of our parts could be a deciding factor. [She's just a friend. Honest. Honest!]

[Before the game, Kai had all his fort-building times with his uncle. It's a little odd these days goofing off with someone his age. ~~Bwahahahaha- er. Poor Kirito.~~]

My mom was intent on turning me into my dad, I think. She's the one who got him to give me a toy sword when I was just a toddler. Not like I could do anything with it besides accidentally swat people in the face. [Thanks mom.] Just a game when they were kids themselves, and things ended up serious later.

[Kai pauses at that question.] Back in my universe, yeah. They're called Heartless. [The current Event's weighing on him, especially since he's having to look after Bakura in it. They might be enemies, but Kai can't let anything happen to him. Even if Ryou wasn't in the equation.]

When the Darkness in a person's Heart consumes them, they become these things. [He demonstrates by kneeling and using the trick he'd shown Jack with: reaching out a finger, Kai traces the outline of a Heartless Shadow on the ground, in ice.] They're black with big yellow eyes - this kind, anyway - and all they do is consume Hearts to make more of themselves.

[Kai taps one of the claws sharply and the drawing shatters. He gets back to his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets again.] Jack used the term soldier, but knight was my first thought too. [Right now the only thing Kai's been keeping in reserve has been a Keyblade to Bakura's face.] I'll keep that in mind.

[He just has to shake his head at that.] Wasn't there any way to keep kids under a certain age from signing up? I mean, if this Kayaba guy made the game so dangerous, why would you want- [He can't even find the words for what he means. He shifts focus to the last and just smirks.] It'd be a whole lot easier if you didn't like her, huh.

[It's always interesting when they get to interact with people they wouldn't, otherwise... it turns out one of Kirito's best friends in game OWNS A BAR in the real world. This probably won't end well...]

I think I can understand that. My aunt says I get my interest in computers from my birth parents, which is why she never really says much about how much time I spend in the games. [He smiles and laughs a little at the visual of that.] At least you can get away with that when you're a kid! And I bet your father's proud. Sometimes I wish my grandfather could see how good of a swordsman I've become, even if it's just in the game.

[His eyes go wide at the sight of the Heartless. It reminds him a little of some of the rumored monsters in the highest levels of Aincrad.] It sounds almost like a zombie, but even worse. I can understand why you wouldn't want even Bakura to be taken by them. Can you cure people who've been infected?

I think some people don't want to claim a title like knight, thinking it's too grandiose. Sort of like people hating being called a hero, just on a smaller scale.

No one knew he was going to make the game into what it was. It should have been perfectly safe for some children. Though I've seen some who should have been too young for the NerveGear. [If he ever got to confront Kayaba, that's probably one of the first questions he'd ask, though. Why he would subject young kids to that kind of horror.]

She's one of the people I've known longest in game. I wouldn't want to hurt her, of course! And... when we first met, she opened up to me. Just a little. It's not very common in online gaming. [You know the four stages of grief? There's something similar when you're in love, and Kirito is probably at the equivalent of bargaining right now.]

[Ha, most likely not.]

I think I got my mom's sense of humor, or at least a milder version of it...among other things. [Silver hair, tendency to favor ice magic over anything else, ability to wield Darkness...yep, he's his mom's son all right.] Yeah, 'cause it was cute! They have pictures. [Well, had pictures. But he supposes once things get fixed, those'll be back too. Light forbid.]

[Kai smiles faintly at that.] Yeah, I think he will be. Especially with how I've been trying to deal with the Heartless thing. [He doesn't mean what he's doing now, it's more an unintentional reference to something that happened in game last month. Stupid Thief King.] Hey, if your skills carry over, maybe you can show your grandfather.

Ugh, way worse than zombies. I wouldn't feel bad about having to kill those, you know? Hurts like hell when they get their claws in, too. [Infected...what a way to put it. It's pretty accurate, though. Kai looks away at the question, frowning before he shrugs. He thinks so. He just...never asked. And now he's not sure if he wants to know. So, he'll just move on.]

I wouldn't mind being a knight. [He manages a grin. It'd be kind of neat.] Ryou called me a hero once and I got all flustered. I don't think of myself as one. It's just strange.

...Kind of makes me want to keep any kids I end up having away from video games, period. I mean, if we end up with technology like yours. [Oh geeze, kids of his own someday, he'll just die a little inside now how would he even-]

I've known Karasu for almost four months. I don't think we started getting comfortable with each other for a while, though. I mean, I almost popped her stitches. [Wait, that sounds bad.] She was hurt before she showed up at the school, and got stitches and she was wandering around and I bumped into her like an idiot- [Rambling, Kai.] But. Um.

[Damn it.]

I wonder if I inherited anything else from my parents? I really don't know much about them. [He shudders a bit at that.] They always have pictures, don't they? Whether you want them to or not... my aunt and uncle are really bad about that.

It sounds like you're doing a lot of good where you are right now. [He frowns a little at that.] I wish I could, but... my grandfather passed away. That was right about the time I got more into online gaming.

I guess not, though I never really got into the zombie games. [He kept thinking about who those people were in their former lives. And then he'd get swarmed, and the other gamers he played with got irritated with him. Kind of embarrassing, in retrospect. And he's pretty good at reading that kind of body language, so he just moves on.]

I'm not sure I'd want to be a knight, at least not if it involved wearing all that armor. Way too limiting. [He smiles at that.] I know a few people who think the same thing. Then again, in my experience, the people who claim to be heroes rarely live up to the title.

I'm sure it would be safe. What are the chances someone else would come along and do something like this again? [~~And the mun cackles, not just because of Kirito's future canon, but because "stuck in a video game" is becoming an entire genre of anime now.~~ And kids? They're both too young to even think about that yet, right?]

[There was an eyebrow quirk at the "popped stitches" comment, but he smirks, which is holding back a little bit of laughter.] I can see how that might complicate things, if that's how you first met. But from the sound of it, it's gotten better. [He can't help himself here.] And hopefully they'll get even better for you.

You could ask your family? I mean, something like that, I'd really want to know, and you've got a right. [Somewhere deep inside, Kai'd like to know who his biological father is, but as far as he knows the only one with the information is his mom, and he won't be hearing it from her anytime soon.] Geeze, my mom took so many pictures when I was a kid, it's unbelievable. [He cracks an embarrassed grin.] Kind of making up for her own upbringing, I think. My grandparents...weren't the best people. [Understatement of the decade, right there.]

...Yeah, well only if you don't accidentally set a monster on someone. I kept it from doing any harm, though. [He's still kind of shocked about that. He winces suddenly, shaking his head. Ouch.] Sorry to hear that.

I played a couple games with zombies, but mostly just watched movies. Never really got too into them, I've got a thing about blood. Ugh. [Thank you for skipping past that Kirito, he appreciates it more than you know.]

Oh, no way on the armor. I mean, you've got to be quick when you fight, right? I'd probably fall over. My mun spent a while laughing over the idea of me being a Sorceress Knight because I was teaching Karasu magic...I think she likes her games too much. [Too true.] I don't think my dad and uncle ever claimed to be heroes, but I think they are. It fits them for sure.

[Ha, enjoy the raised eyebrows in your direction.] With the way some people can be? Wouldn't surprise me if somebody else thought of it. [Ahahaha. Way too young. Kai'll think seriously about kids when he's forty.] But at least where I'm at now, we don't really have- no, wait. There're televisions and someone found a game console somewhere, but no live programs, just tapes, and the internet doesn't work. Heck, the computers themselves don't work. Guess it's a good thing, for a while there I was looking after a ten year old. Geeze, talk about not being ready to be a responsible adult. [It was easier with 'Jem, somehow.]

[Kai's just going to facepalm now, peering at Kirito through his fingers. Oh Light.]
Yeah, well...it's getting there. I think. She's kind of got something for someone else though. ~~He really really wanted to punch Bakura in the face when she told him about that.~~ I mean, she likes me, and I was an idiot and told her how I felt, so. Maybe.

Voice Testing because the mun is weak...

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