video | un: furuderika

[miiraculous]

 [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.

Comments

[schoolingfish]

I'll be fine. I do it all the time!

But...you probably shouldn't.

[Because it definitely is dangerous. Honestly, even to him with all the weird stuff in this place it's nowhere near as safe as the Ligurian Sea, but at least he has gills and fins when he's in water so can manage well enough. She, on the other had...he doesn't want to play off the danger too much and have her think it's safe for humans.]

[miiraculous]

Then why is it okay for you? Are you an especially strong swimmer..?

[Because even then, he looks rather young. Her words don't come from a place of doubt, but concern; Rika can't imagine that it's a good idea for either of them to be swimming, even if he were a good swimmer.]

[schoolingfish]

Oh, yeah. I'm an amazing swimmer! I've been swimming constantly my entire life.

[miiraculous]

Mii. Even so...

Our game board would be built on sad foundation if someone got hurt making it. Perhaps we can find the wood on shore..? I wonder if we can find seashells to use as game pieces as well.

[schoolingfish]

Believe me, I can definitely handle the ocean. But we can look for wood on the shore if that makes you feel better.

[miiraculous]

[She hesitates slightly;]

... No. I do not wish to doubt your abilities. If you are sure, then I simply ask that I be allowed to repay your efforts and skill somehow.

Do you have a favorite food? I could cook in exchange for your help, sir.

[schoolingfish]

I really like trenette al pesto, but I also really like all kinds of sweets. We didn't have anything that was really sweet where I grew up, so any kind of dessert is really special to me.

[miiraculous]

There were no sweets in your hometown? How come? Did the candyman not know where you lived?

[Even Hinamizawa has sweets and that's in the middle of nowhere.]

[schoolingfish]

[What's a candyman? It doesn't matter. Luca knows the answer.]

No, he definitely would have no way of knowing where we lived, or getting there even if he did know.