03 | Video

[blahblahblah]

[The feed clicks on to a very somber-looking Rita. She opens her mouth to say something, but shakes her head, remaining silent for several more seconds. Eventually, she sighs and starts:]

I'm... not that good with stuff like this. I've been avoiding people for the last few weeks because I didn't want to deal with it, and I know now's not really a good time, what with all the new people. But... there's no way around it now.

[She looks right at the camera, and if you're looking closely, it's like her eyes are... out of focus. Is something wrong?]

I can't really see anymore, after I got too close to a bomb few weeks back. Anything really close, I can work with - I can still use this thing, at least. But anything much further than that, it gets blurry real quick, and at distances it's like nothing stands still. So... I'm pretty much useless for what I'm good at, right now. I'm not really... coping with it very well, and I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'll be good for like this. Maybe research, I guess, or spellwork. But I don't think I can fight like this. Before anyone asks, I tried glasses; they almost worked for a minute or three, until I got a horrible headache I couldn't function through. So that's a thing. Uh... so, I guess I'm looking for work that doesn't require me to actually be able to function.

[A long moment passes, the girl having a look of being totally lost for a second, before Rita throws up her hands, reaching to stop the video feed.]

I don't even know why I did this. Dammit.

Comments

Private

[have_hat_will_travel]

... Rita? I've... I've tried to avoid actively speaking with you on this for a couple different reasons. But there's a very simple reason you did what you did.

I should know, because it's the same reason I took my course in life.

[locked]

[blahblahblah]

What, shooting down a bomb? Or trying to be open about basically being deadweight for the rest of my life? What the hell could you possibly know about-

[Rita visibly stops herself before she can dig herself a hole with one of the only people she's close to here, Yuri excepted.]

Sorry. Uh... what reason would that be?

Re: [locked]

[have_hat_will_travel]

... You acted out of Pride.

You insisted you could break more bombs, because you could and had just proven it on the first, and thus let yourself get too close to them in the attempt.

Even one moment of that, unchecked, can do things you don't want to imagine it could do. I should know.

[locked]

[blahblahblah]

Of course I acted out of damned pride! It's the only thing I've got! I-

[She pauses to force the snarl out of her voice; she's mostly successful.]

The only thing that made me worth a damn at home was that I made a name for myself as the best damned researcher in Aspio, and I used that pride to carry myself through the days, no matter what happened! Sure, there was something about getting close to the others, but I don't have them here, Yuri aside. I've just got myself, and knowing that I'm the best at what I do. And now I'm nothing, because I can't see five feet in front of my damned face-!

[She won't cry. She refuses to cry. Probably won't stop her in a minute or two, but she's going to deal with that later. Either way, she can't face Pidonus now.]

Go ahead. Tell me I'm reckless. Tell me I'm a damned fool and I should have expected my life to catch up with me.

Re: [locked]

[have_hat_will_travel]

No.

Because that'd be wrong too.

Your Pride led to one critical mistake at one moment, yes. But it also saved several lives and a fair amount of damage by stopping one of the bombs.

And you've already pointed out that you can still be useful. And I suspect there are those who could help you around here. You've implicitly asked already, after all.

1/3

[maddeninghatter]

[ Rita might be aware of a click-click-click-click. As if someone's starting to reply and then shutting off the feed straight away.

Click click.

There's something he could say, something like, "It's not as bad as all that." Or perhaps - "It is that bad, but you get used to it after a while."

That's something, but it isn't the right thing, maybe. Maybe words of empathy are what's needed: "It's okay to be useless. It's okay to be good for nothing, for a while." ]

2/3

[maddeninghatter]

[ Click. A longish pause. And then: ]

3/3

[maddeninghatter]

Kill yourself!

[blahblahblah]

How dare you!? Even if I can't see, I'm still good for something! I oughta...

[She devolves into vague threats, barely audible but still sounding menacing.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He gets that a lot. Amazingly. ]

Is that sooooooo? But you sounded so very despairing just now.

[ voice forever ]

[interspace]

If corrective glasses don't work, have you thought about some kind of video interface? Like... I don't know. It's probably not a great idea to have a screen on your face all the time, but cameras aren't near-sighted. And you'd probably lose out on some depth perception, too.

[permavid]

[blahblahblah]

Video... interface? That's like what these tablet things use, right? So you can see something without having to "see" it?

[A long pause.]

Maybe you could make a blastia - sorry, a device with a camera on the front, to use as some kind of goggles? Or maybe...

[Rita pulls her own goggles from a table next to her, giving them a pensive look.]

[interspace]

Yeah, exactly. You see what I'm getting at.

[ No, she is not going to apologize for the pun. She is, however, going to let her AI speak on this since he's got better words for it. ]

Your largest issue would be erasing the latency between the recording and what would be projected onto your goggles. Even small amounts of lag could cause large amounts of disorientation over time.

[blahblahblah]

[There's a long pause while Rita processes the foreign words - electronics aren't a thing where she comes from, nor is the concept of live video.]

So... I need to make sure it's as close to instant as possible, or else I'll try and move because of something that's not where I think it is? Hmm...

[Video//Private//Unhackable]

[feel_nevermore]

Have you tried seeing a doctor? Or anyone with healing abilities?

[video]

[blahblahblah]

Not really. I mean, what am I supposed to say? "Sorry, I kinda got too close to a bomb and now I can't see, what do I do?" That sounds stupid to me, let alone anyone else.

[video]

[feel_nevermore]

Not stupider than expecting your eyes to heal without asking anyone who could actually do something about it.

[blahblahblah]

Yeah, yeah, I know. I've been read that riot act already. And even then... I still don't know who to actually ask. I think I might put out a call on the network a little later, though.

I'm not really used to things being quite like this, honestly. Normally people just want me dead, and I get exposed to so many healing artes it ends up not really mattering.

video

[sceyence]

[Kenjirou looks at a loss for words for a moment. He wants to help. He very well could, given his relation to abilities related to eyes. Still, to disclose that information would bring a large number of questions he can't answer.]

...That's rough, kid. Maybe you just haven't gotten used to the glasses?

[blahblahblah]

Possibly, but... I dunno. Either way, I can't work with a headache, and if I can't work, I can't get closer to fixing this.

video

[vongola_x]

[Oh, no. He won't have this.]

It sounds like you've become near-sighted... I'd imagine part of your eye was damaged due to the sudden intense exposure of light from the bomb. [Which is leading up to...] If it's still damaged, a healer may be able to restore it to a better condition, if not completely.

[She really should have went to a healer when it first happened, as injuries always healed up better the faster they were dealt with, but... there was nothing for it now.]

Beyond that... have you tried contact lenses? I believe they're much of the same concept as glasses, though they're fitted directly onto your eyes. [He considers...] I think people get headaches from glasses if they're too strong for them, so that may be your problem.

[He gives a smile.] Sorry, I seemed to have rambled a bit, haven't I? Either way, I wouldn't lose hope; you still have many options to try.

[blahblahblah]

I don't think I explained myself properly. It wasn't the light of the bombs or anything that messed with my sight. One of the bombs was a chemical. I got too close, and... it's like my eyes are damaged, when they worked fine, but I can't find anything wrong.

I appreciate the advice, but... I think there's a deeper problem that has to get solved first.

[vongola_x]

A chemical? [did someone cast darkness or something on you rita...] I still imagine a healer could help with that. Or perhaps a doctor?

A deeper problem, hm? As much as I can appreciate the self-awareness, I have to disagree with you on that front. Any kind of injury is best treated as quickly as possible, and continuing to put it off will only make it more difficult to get rid of the damage.

It's not to say that you should disregard that problem, but your injury should be first priority.

[blahblahblah]

Maybe. I haven't really... asked. That, and I assumed that our dear friends in the UE would have used something we can't readily cure. I'll probably see someone about it sooner or later.

[Spoilers: the ever-stubborn Rita has no intention of seeing a doctor.]

video

[psych0p0mps]

[hi have a troll.]

Have you talked to the people at the hospital? That happened to me, too, and they didn't have much trouble fixing it once I asked them to.

[and her eyes are indeed looking a lot more focused and less irritated than they were a week ago! (the yellow sclera are normal.)]