Function \\ One

[coiledheart.livejournal.com]

[And suddenly, there is a Haraken, wearing a set of the by-now-familiar cyberglasses. The only indication that he's alarmed by this situation is the fact that his eyebrows go up. He pauses. Looks around. Pauses again.]

[He lifts up the glasses.] Ah... So it isn't...? [Blink. He resettles his glasses and calls up a set of floating blue screens around himself. Quietly, trailing off as he starts tapping away at the screens:] But it still seems to be functioning...

Comments

[didorothy]

[Sam can see the unhappy ending coming]

You don't have to tell me if you don't want. But I'm listening.

[coiledheart.livejournal.com]

Cybernavi malfunction. Oba-san said it was probably an Illegal, but the police don't think they're real. They're just urban legends. And cybernavi don't malfunction. But it did. And she... [Tired, tired face.] I was supposed to be there too. But we fought. And I wasn't.

[didorothy]

[gently]

You couldn't have known.

[he holds back on asking exactly what happened to her - Haraken is just a kid and Sam isn't going to pry]

[coiledheart.livejournal.com]

But I shoud've gone with her anyway. [He rubs his head.] That crossing... [Shrugs and stares at nothing in particular again.] So Fumie and Yasako are helping me now.

[didorothy]

That's the research.

[coiledheart.livejournal.com]

Illegals. Urban legends. [Nod.] The other side. [Frowning at the plane's not!floor.]

[didorothy]

And you're being careful? Yasako came here the other day panicking about her little sister. I don't want any of you kids getting hurt.

[more hurt, Sam thinks, than they are. He's known Fumie long enough to know about her difficulties facing death. Kanna's fate is even more troubling.]

[coiledheart.livejournal.com]

[Not looking at Sam. Obvious Haraken is SO NOT OBVIOUS, REALLY.] Yes.

[didorothy]

[Sam frowns]

If you need any help, you can come here. I might not be able to help you, but there are people here who probably can.

[coiledheart.livejournal.com]

We're okay. And I'll be careful. Oba-san would take my glasses away again otherwise.