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[avantguard]

Leave a message for Aki @ forestcovered

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[avantguard]

I'm sorry to hear that. [Hopefully it was just of old age and not... something... else.]

And your real mother?

[redsea]

[ It definitely was Something Else. ]

My real mother isn't with us any more. She died when I was very young.

[ Yet she smiles. ]

But it's alright. I have all my brothers. [ What about your sisters, Peach... ] What about you, Aki?

[avantguard]

[Did she also die of Something Else?

Aki smiles too, albeit sadly, for Peach's sake.]

I have my brothers too.

[pause]

Ah, brother! I mean! Actually, I imagine he'll be pretty angry with me when I finally meet up with him again.

[redsea]

[ MAYBE. We don't know. Meanwhile, Peach doesn't think anything of Aki's slip-up. She merely cants her head to the side in curiosity. ]

How come? Did something happen?

[avantguard]

[She hasn't really talked about SAO that much to others. Maybe briefly, even with Peach.]

His little sister stole his video game for two years while he was overseas.

[redsea]

Video game...? [ Is it a good thing or a bad thing she doesn't know what that means? ]

[avantguard]

[Even if she had absolutely zero experience before playing SAO, she knew what a video game was so she's a bit shocked that she sounds confused.]

Could it be you... don't know what a video game is?

[She didn't know what IRL was either, things are making more sense.]

[redsea]

[ She shakes her head. ]

I do not. [ Then, cautiously: ] What is a video game, Aki? Is it something from your world?

[avantguard]

Yes.

[How does she even explain it simply and concisely without going into technical things? Or genres? Or platforms...

Aki clears her throat.]

A video game is an electronic game that can be played on a video device like a television. The game is usually controlled with a user interface by the player to interact with the game. In my world, that interface was called a NerveGear and the video game was called... Sword Art Online.

It's where I learned to wield a sword.

1/2

[redsea]

[ Electronic? Which means they run on electricity... right? Video? The more Aki explains, the less it makes sense. But she wants Aki to like her, so. ]

I don't understand it very well, but it sounds amazing!

[redsea]

But you cannot fight without holding back in a game. [ So where does Aki truly fight, and for what purpose? ]

[avantguard]

[Honestly, she's not too disappointed Peach doesn't understand. It wasn't something that could be understood without experiencing it really. It wasn't necessary to understand for Aki to like Peach anyway.

Her smile falters a little.]

I said Sword Art Online was a game but it wasn't really something that was played for fun.

[Definitely not the fighting part of it.]

Trust me. I didn't hold back at all in there.

[Ask Jin.]

[redsea]

[ Curious. Peach doesn't ask more about it, though. That can wait. They were having a sleepover! ]

Well, at least it's all over now, right?

[ They should be in front of her room now. Peach looks at Aki from behind before opening the door. ]

[avantguard]

[FOR NOW.

She smiles, loosening up again.]

Mn.

[Aki bows with her arms full of the futon and nearly topples over, quickly straightening herself out before she faceplants.

And then she shoots Peach an embarrassed smile.]

P-Pardon the intrusion.

[Just going to walk in here as GRACEFULLY as she can now, ducking her head.]