deernet | video | un: furuderika

[Near the end of the month, after playing Jumanji more times than she cared to, Rika is able to face some realities. Those being that her house is more empty than before and that she's feeling lonely. She's never lost a friend in the way that she has lost Rena. There's no way to flip a switch and have her back, and that has been weighing heavily on Rika's mind.

And yet, the matter for which she makes a network call is rather childish and unimportant in comparison.]

Is the Trench always like this..? I never expected that a game board would be so mean... Games are supposed to be fun, not like that.

[She sounds more disappointed than traumatized. Perhaps a sign of maturity? Or being numb to so much suffering.]

Where I am from, my friends and I had a club where we played games together. Games let us leave our troubles behind for a few hours and spend time together, in a piece of the world where everything was fun. It makes me sad to think that games might have been ruined for the people here, because one of them was naughty. So I...

[Rika's voice trails off. She briefly imagines a cheerful Rena and how she would react to this. As part of her grieving, Rika tries to follow in the imaginary Rena's footsteps. This is more proactive than Rika's used to, so she can't help but sound uncertain.]

I want to make a game board that isn't mean and play it with everyone here. Does anyone know where I can find some paint? And a biiig piece of wood, or something similar, for the board? I've never tried this before, but... I would quite like to try. I do not wish for the fun of games to be taken away too.

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Kokichi..?

[He's an older boy, which adds to her hesitance. The Trench has reminded Rika that she's not used to making new friends. The closet she has to that is Keiichi and he isn't new to her anymore.

The offer is tempting. Enough for Rika to leave her comfort zone, if only enough to put her toe out of the unspoken line.]

Do you really know how to make games? I must admit, I am at a loss. I have never attempted this sort of thing before, but... I agree. Having something fun... might help.

[Those words do spark some excitement in her. "Helping." Can she really help?]

[There we go! He's beaming as he flicks up the front of his hat, an idle gesture he's taken a habit of doing now when he's gotten excited.]

I do, actually! I've got loooooads of experience. All we gotta do is start from a little concept, and build up from there!

[He splays his arms out, explaining.]

We'll need those materials you mentioned, obviously. And maybe some things to use as pieces. Anything will do, in a pinch. Buttons. Coins. Shiny stones. Anything that feels like a piece can be, as long as it fits on a board. Once we get that, we can buckle down with theme ideas and rules!

[His excitement is contagious. Rika can't help but smile more as she imagines what kind of game they could make. Collecting game pieces sounds like it could be fun and she does like crafting.

The smile naturally finds a place on her face.]

I would very much appreciate the guidance, sir!

[Ah- She almost forgot her manners;] My name is Furude Rika. It is nice to meet you!

Nee-hee-hee. Just Kokichi-kun is fine, if you want. [It's been a while since someone's called him 'sir'. Yep, this is exactly the kind of kid he would've opted to try to recruit into DICE. She's shy and small, but she's got enthusiasm. He's just gotta harness it the right way.] It's nice to meet you, too, Rika-chan!

We'll have to work together on this, but you seem like a smart kid. So it'll be a fun project! If we can get a couple of others in, too, even better. The best games are the ones you not only play with other people, but make with 'em, too! That way we all get fun ideas....only if we both trust 'em, though.

Once other people give us an idea of where to get the materials, we can meet up at the library. There's some nice big tables there, and books are great for ideas.

Sound like a plan?

Yes! That sounds very reasonable!

[Finding other people, too... Rika hadn't thought much of it before, but she hasn't been making many friends here. Mostly because she isn't sure how. Also, because she was quite content with Satoko and Rena.]

Have you made many games in the past? You sound like an expert, Kokichi!

[Seeing as she's a kid, explaining DICE to her without putting on airs is easier. He swaps the messages to private and then speaks.]

Wee~eeell, it's a little bit of a secret, so don't tell anyone, but I actually was the leader of a secret organization called DICE back at home. We were kind of like a games club, too. Any kid who didn't really have a place to go home to or needed an escape, we were the ones to be there for 'em.

All together, we played games across the big city we were in. We also got back sometimes at the greedy adults who did wrong, but that was a side project, and one of our biggest rules was 'no violence'...still, that's kinda where I got a reputation for being an 'evil leader'.

[Air quotes.]

So I just kinda let adults think what they wanted. Point was we were all safe and had fun. That was why I wanted to make toys and games here even before this. Kids deserve to feel happy and safe, especially when they're in new places.

[Rika absorbs the story rather easily. His DICE sounds a lot like Mion's Games Club, right down to the reason that it was founded. Her smile becomes fond and her tone takes on a more mature air;]

You would have gotten along well with our club leader, Mi. We also used our club to be stay together longer after school.

[Which is part of why it feels strange to consider a club without her friends. What made it so special wasn't the games, but the treasured people who she played with.]

[Kokichi notes how Rika's tone takes on a bit more maturity - but it doesn't surprise him, not entirely. She had a fairly eloquent way of speaking even without.]

Really? ...I wish I coulda done the same, when I went to school. But, eh. That was more complicated.

[He shrugs it off.]

But I'm glad to hear it. I think kids in Trench could use something like that, too. It might not be the same as your old club, but I think one of the ideas here is to make new friends, so...what better way to do it, I think.

I was already considering starting my own game and toy-making business and maybe taking prototypes to the orphanage to test 'em out and maybe give some for free to kids who couldn't afford it...and sell to parents to the kids of the ones who can, so this is just kind of all tying into that. So. Thanks for helping me out here, Rika-chan.

It is Kokichi who deserves the gratitude. I would not know what to do without your help. Making things like this is very new to me.

[She notes the mention of the orphanage, remembering that she herself is technically an orphan as well. Odd that she needs the reminder, but having parents is such a far off memory now.]

I think that is a wonderful idea. You have plenty of kindness to share!

Aww. Hey, don't sweat it. We're both helping each other here. What did you do in your club back home, then?

[It's also...very odd, having someone call him kind. He's pretty used to being the villain by this point, so everyone's niceness around here is very striking. It's nice.]

Just don't let any of my classmates know, if they show up. They think I've gone soft.

Is that a bad thing? Turtles are both hard and soft, and they also live longer lives than most. Being both must surely be a good thing.

[She briskly moves on;]

We played foreign games that our club leader, Mi, imported. After school and during PE, we'd play all sorts of things together. All that mattered was having fun... and winning~.

[Turtles...is he like a turtle? He's always rationalized himself as a raccoon, or maybe a rat. His Omen, Kidd, lets out a small chitter.

But he listens, nodding along.]

Ahh, so American games, I suppose. Monopoly...Risk....I looove Risk. [A game about conquering territories favored by the Ultimate Supreme Leader? How shocking.] But that's something I can definitely agree with.

Did you put any stakes on it~? DICE and I would sometimes put candy up as bets.

Yes! We bet our pride and punish the losers accordingly~! Losing is not an option in Hinamizawa~!

....Should we carry that over then, too? Neeheehee....

I'll make a note of it, if so. Then I can start going into the material-gathering phase. It'll take a bit, but we'll message to make sure everything gets gathered.

Double-check before meeting one.

video | un: furuderika

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