04--video

[shatterings]

[ The video flickers on and Naminé's looking incredibly unsettled. She's quiet for a while until she opens the door of her room. There, standing in the hallway, are two Meowstics--one female, one male--and a lone Espurr. Kind of like this, with the Espurr right in the middle. Standing. Staring.

Quietly, Naminé turns the camera toward herself. ]

When we woke up, we found them like this. I... I'm not sure why they're doing this.

... Is this normal?

Comments

[video]

[shatterings]

I'm not sure... I've never really dealt with cats before.

[video]

[stocksavvy]

They are truly bizarre creatures! We tend to avoid them in my town. Oh, they are really just more trouble than they're worth.

Now, when you begin to replace them with superior bio-mechanical models, well! That's just the better way to go, honestly!

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

You can find those kinds of stories in movies and books~

[Video]

[shatterings]

I haven't seen many movies... and the books I've read didn't have anything like love.

[video]

[shatterings]

Are cats really that troublesome? They don't seem that way to me...

... Bio-mechanical models?

[ what. ]

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

If I find some, do you want to read them?

[Video]

[shatterings]

Oh! Um, I would like that a lot. Thank you, Rise.

[video]

[stocksavvy]

Absolutely! With all their fur, their loving yet aloof attitude, their laziness... such odd, odd creatures.

Oh, yes! [She claps her hands together, beaming.] We call them StrexPets^TM! We soon hope to have one in every home! They are the pets of the future. They make hardly any mess, are hypoallergenic, and can be trained to perform whatever task you may need!

[The slight smell of singed flesh and oil come free of charge!]

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

And if you ever need advice on boys, I'm the right girl for that!

[video]

[shatterings]

I suppose so... Hope and Ellie don't seem too aloof. [ But maybe her Meowstics are just weird.

Strex? So she's from Kevin's world, then. ]

That doesn't sound too bad... [ There must be a catch...! ] Are there any... downsides to them?

[Video]

[shatterings]

I-I'm not sure there are any I like right now...

[ That's definitely not entirely truthful, but Naminé doesn't want to get her hopes up. ]

[video]

[stocksavvy]

Perhaps they are! They could very well be different. Just another downside to biological lifeforms as companions. So unpredictable.

Absolutely none! [Said with a cheery smile.] We haven't had a single complaint yet! We don't even have a complaint department!

[Just don't ask a certain Cecil G. Palmer.]

[video]

[shatterings]

Well... unpredictable isn't always a bad thing, is it?

[ She can't exactly argue with that. Probably. ] They must be very successful, then. Are there... other things you make?

[video]

[stocksavvy]

Oh, of course it is. [Lauren tsks, and shakes her head.] Why waste time with the unpredictable when you ensure success by repeating what has been successful before? Of course, there may be a time and place for trying new things... but always after careful calculation and a guarantee of success!

They are! We at StrexCorp strive for the betterment of life of all our residents and workers in the Greater Desert Bluffs Metropolitan Area. We own grocery stores, supermarkets, pony petting stations, the tourism board...

Everything we do is for the good of the people, and for the good of our company.

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

That's okay! Though if you like girls, you might want to ask someone else.

[Private Video]

[bylight]

Are you surprised?

[video]

[shatterings]

[ It does make sense, but... ]

Does that get... boring, after a while? [ It seems like it should; Riku and her friends seemed to enjoy being surprised every so often. ]

It sounds like you have a lot of responsibility. Pony petting stations? [ In a... desert? ]

[Video]

[shatterings]

... That's possible?

[ hello Rise you've made friends with a girl who knows exactly zero things about sexuality. ]

[Private Video]

[shatterings]

A little bit at first, I think...

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

Eh? You didn't know that? You can be in love with either or, or both. There's a lot of different types of love. But you don't need to be in love to want to do things like having sex.

[Video]

[shatterings]

[ YOU JUST GET THIS FACE, RISE. ]

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

[Oh shi-]

Did I say something wrong?

[Video]

[shatterings]

O-oh, no! I-I just... I've never met someone who spoke so... bluntly about, um... something like that.

[Video]

[dangerousidol]

Really? I don't see anything wrong with talking about it. It's just sex. Everyone does it eventually. Well, maybe not everyone.

[Consider the asexuals and priests.]

[Private Video]

[bylight]

Mm. I still don't trust all of the 'nice' people. Some of them seem like they have something up their sleeve.