1

[looselips]

Characters: Shinji Matou & OPEN
Setting: Dormitory Floor 2; Cafeteria; Library
Format: Action preferred, but I'll try to match.
Summary: Shinji tries to puzzle out his situation.
Warnings: Man idk, I'll update this as things come up.

dormitory
[There is a small, (probably) unfamiliar child in the dormitory today. He doesn't seem as frightened or upset as a child perhaps should be after waking up in a strange place and being informed that his world has been destroyed. Instead, he's seated in front of one of the network terminals, his heels resting on the stool's legs.]

[It's hard to say what he's doing. He isn't touching the device at all, only staring at it really, really intently. Then, abruptly, he makes a noise of frustration and kicks it.]

—Ouch!

[Oops. He must have kicked it too hard, or hit his leg on it as he did so, as he immediately reaches down to cradle his knee.]

[This isn't the first terminal he has tried to do...whatever it is he's trying to, and it probably won't be the last. He might even venture to the first and third floor dormitories to see if he has better luck there.]

cafeteria
[So, after completely failing at what he wanted to do, Shinji has gone to the cafeteria. Maybe things will go better if he has a little food in his stomach? Maybe. Being in a less irritable mood should definitely help, at least.]

[Except the only thing he's given to eat is plain oatmeal. Obviously, this offends his eight-year-old culinary sensibilities. He hasn't touched it yet, and is instead just glaring at it like it's the source of all his problems where he sits at one of the tables.]

library
[...Yep, he's right back to his fruitless efforts with the terminals. This kid is tenacious, even if only in the way a small, loud terrier might be.]

Comments

[looselips]

If you say something about empathy or manners or whatever else you think I should feel guilty about, I'm going to spit in your eye.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko couldn't help but chuckle at that.]

I guess this is something that you've heard before, huh? However, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I'm trying to prove my point.

[looselips]

They're two totally different things. [He informs her loftily.] I can have those things and not use them. They'll never be able to have what I do at all.

[tohko_amano]

I don't see why you choose to not use them or develop them then. And while they may not be able to work with computers as well as you, they're probably able to do something else much better than you can.

So, in that way, you're equals.

[looselips]

It's not just "being able to work with computers," you bimbo. Most people aren't even worth the effort it takes to be nice to them.

[tohko_amano]

[Kid, do you want to get smacked again?]


My name isn't 'bimbo'! I'm Tohko Amano, the book girl! It's not hard to get it right. And you shouldn't base whether or not you should be nice to someone on their abilities. That's pretty cruel.

[looselips]

What, is "book girl" part of your name or something? That's a pretty lame title, so I'd see if I could get it changed if I were you.

[He's dropping the other topic entirely, because she's obviously an idiot who doesn't get it.]

[tohko_amano]

It's not part of my name! It's just my title! And it's not a lame title. It suits me pretty well. I wouldn't want it changed.

[looselips]

Yeah, I guess it does. You're just as much of a boring loser as I'd expect someone with that title to be.

[tohko_amano]

[That earns you another smack on the head. You do not insult her title or the fact that she holds it.]

I am not boring or a loser! Books are wonderful things, full of hope, fights, chases, escapes, miracles, darkness, depression, and light! They're not boring at all!

[looselips]

[GDIT, lady. He rubs his head again.]

Yeah, you're right. I'll take it back. [He waits just long enough for someone to think, "Wait, really?" before continuing.] Books aren't boring — but the kind of person that would use "book girl" as their title definitely is.

[tohko_amano]

How so?

[No, really. She's puzzled about that.]

[looselips]

There's really nothing more interesting about you than the fact that you like books?

[tohko_amano]

No. There are a lot of other interesting things about me. However, in my universe, I know more about and love books more than anyone else, so I hold the title of book girl!

[looselips]

[...]

Nerd.

[This is probably glaringly hypocritical, but does Shinji care? No.]

[tohko_amano]

[And that..only makes Tohko chuckle.]

Says the person who can use computers better than anyone else his age.

[That's..a guess on her part.]

[looselips]

[Shinji is torn. On the one hand, he doesn't want to give her any reason to refute her geekdom. On the other, it's a chance to brag.]

It's different if you're actually doing something useful. [That's his excuse and he's sticking to it.] "Better than anyone else my age"? Try better than anyone else, period.

[He's a notorious freelance hacker, you know!]

[tohko_amano]

And books can be pretty useful too. Don't you know that books can save people?

[After all, she saved someone with books in her world.]

I'm not sure about that..but you are pretty good with computers, which is something that some people might see as 'geeky'. Not that I really care, but I don't think you have any right to call me a nerd when you might be called one as well. Or do you enjoy being a kettle and calling the pot black?

[looselips]

If you're going to say something about saving lives by imparting useful knowledge blah blah blah, you can save your breath.

[He has no trouble sounding dismissive. Again, he finds himself torn between telling the truth and keeping his online identity a secret, but maybe it doesn't really matter here.]

Look, when you reach a certain level of skill, you transcend geekdom. That's all there is to it.

[tohko_amano]

Well..I'm not sure if you always have to use useful knowledge..but books can save lives. I would know.

[And Tohko is still smiling..but for people who are good at reading smiles, it looks a bit sad.]

No..I think you're still part of it. You're just a bit more skilled than the others.

[looselips]

I told you, it's more than a bit! [Yeah sorry Tohko, he doesn't care about whatever points you were getting at. None of them.] Sheesh, can't you recognize talent when you see it? I'll cut you some slack this time, but eff-why-eye, I'm the number-one hacker in all of Japan.

[If this is an exaggeration, it's honestly only a small one.]

[tohko_amano]

You may be the number one hacker in Japan..but that title will be pretty useless unless you can be the number one hacker here.

[looselips]

[...Huff.]

Well, what do you know. Even you can say something insightful from time to time, I guess. [Because she is right.] Don't worry, though. I intend to be.

[tohko_amano]

I manage to say a lot of insightful things. However, if you intend to be, you might want to start finding out who does have the most experience with the network here and learn from them.

[looselips]

Screw that. [He rolls his eyes.] I can figure it out on my own.