01 | Video

[virusbusting]

[Right from the start, this video feed is very shaky. Not wildly, but like someone's pressed 'record' and forgot it. After a few seconds of swinging, a hanging ceiling light comes into focus, only to swing away as the device is once again moved.]

C'mon, stay up! ...Hah, there!

[It stops once again, this time showing a boy's face. It might look familiar to some, even if the eyes are the wrong color, or the design on the headband wrapped around his forehead might even be recognizable.

If not, nothing wrong with that. He looks happy at getting his phone to stay up.]

Hi! This is recording, right? The guy that gave it to me sorta explained it...he said if I asked around the network, I'd find more answers, so here I am. [A pause.]

Um...I'm Lan Hikari and I'm new to the country...or this part of the country, anyway. I have no idea what I'm doing here and could use some help with...anything. Like getting home. Or getting ahold of my mom or dad so they know I'm okay.

Or fixing this. [He retrieves an offscreen object, bringing a second device into the camera's view.] It got busted somehow, and last time I tried to fix it...

[It turned out badly. But he'll just imply that for now, shrugging before ending the video feed.]

Comments

[megabytes]

[He was gonna say "perfect" but "better" works too.]

Yeah. Yeah, w-we're together. [Don't mind him, just hugging a bit tighter.] We're together, a-and I'm not...I'm not g-gonna let anything change that. N-not ever.

[virusbusting]

I...I won't be around much longer...if you crush all the air outta me...

[How are you even capable of hugging tighter?]

[megabytes]

[Well, that gets him to stop hugging so tightly - and to stop hugging period. He yanks his arms away from Lan almost immediately and pulls away, as far as he can get.

He hurt his brother. He hurt his baby brother.]

Sorry! [He sounds just as scared and upset as he looks.] I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!

[virusbusting]

[He didn't hurt anyone, Lan's just fine. And slightly confused because he really is just fine, aside from being slightly squished.]

What the--hey, it's fine! You were just squeezing too tightly is all!

[megabytes]

Sorry! Sorry, I wasn't trying to...

[Sorry, Lan. He's had enough bad experiences to be incredibly wary about hurting you. Especially with the whole "stronger than he looks" thing he has going on. It might not be super strength, but it's still enough to make moments like this scary for him.

From overjoyed at being able to make physical contact with his brother to terrified of it in just a few minutes - it'd probably be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.]

[virusbusting]

Stop saying sorry, I'm not gonna die from a hug, I was only joking...

[He'll have to remember to...maybe do that less, if Megaman's going to be that sensitive to it.]

Really, I swear I'll be fine.

[megabytes]

[Listen, you humans are so squishy and fragile compared to navis, he'd have to be crazy to not worry about this.]

Sorry. I just...you're sure?

[virusbusting]

I broke my arm once, remember? That hurt, your hug was just kinda uncomfortable.

[Clearly this means you should ban him from rollerblades.]

[megabytes]

Don't remind me.

[He has access to a physical body now, he could totally ban rollerblades and make it stick this time. Don't tempt him.

He sighs, then moves just close enough to lean up against Lan. Very tentatively. He's gonna be cautious about physical contact for a while, no matter what.]

...as long as you're sure.

[virusbusting]

A hundred percent.

[Leaning is good and safe, he can deal with that. Hopefully Mega can deal with him moving slightly to grab his info folder off of the nearby table to hold in front of his brother, pointing to his name and assigned housing on the front.]

Hey, you should help me find this address. I think it's in this city, and you've been here longer, you probably know where it is better than me.

[megabytes]

[Leaning is very safe. So is doing things to help Lan - safe, and normal, and something he's been missing for a very long time. He tilts his head to get a better look at the housing info, and his face lights right up.]

That's where I live!

[virusbusting]

Really? Even better!

[Totally better than living with total strangers. Well, not that that's a horrible thing depending on the strangers, but the more familiar things the better.]

[megabytes]

The best!

[Lan you have no idea. Your brother has been the only person there for who knows how long, for the love of god make sure he's taking care of himself.]

Want me to take you there?

[virusbusting]

Yeah. Are you going to go back in the phone or...?

[He doesn't know what Mega would prefer to do.

And he'll try. He'll at least get him to eat properly, maybe.]

[megabytes]

No, I should probably just walk you there.

[Yes good. Also Lan should probably be prepared to not have a bed to himself for a while.]

[virusbusting]

[He'll get used to it eventually. As long as someone doesn't sleep with their helmet on. That's getting vetoed very quickly.]

Okay. Lemme grab my stuff and we can go.

[Namely the PET and his folder.]