Archive of Our Own

Coin Operated Viewer - This coin operated viewer is facing the southwest, its body full of fossilized bubblegum and crude vandalism. It’s facing the ocean, the grey waves lapping at the manmade cliffside where you and Kim stand on. It’s positioned on a fence post. There’s the occasional sticker standing out from the metal box, most of them being worn away by time and oils from the skin.

Perception (Sight) [Easy: Failure] - The surface of the viewer is too filled with old bubblegum to make out any shapes of the stickers. A shame.

Conceptualization [Easy: Success] - A shame. You can tell that these stickers are hand made, created with love and care.

You - Look Inside. [Cost: 0.10 r ]

Coin Operated Viewer - You insert a coin into the machine, hearing the satisfying klunk as the machine’s lens blink open. You stick your face against the lens, eager to see the view.

Perception (Sight) [Easy: Failure] - What the hell? You can’t see anything, there’s this big black blob on the lens, blocking your vision.

Inland Empire - You should wipe it off. Nothing deserves to be unusable.

Authority - And it stole your money, that’s just not fair.

Interfacing [Easy: Success] - If you wipe it off fast enough, you’ll have just enough time to catch a glimpse of the coastline.

1. Interfacing - Medium 11] Wipe off the black blob.
2. Resign to your fate of wasting 0.10 Reál on a unusable coin operated viewer.
   
3. Move the viewer closer to you.

You - You wrench the viewer as close to you as possible. It’s pivoted at an awkward angle, looking at the setting sun to the west. It’s easier to reach, though the lens are positioned in a way that you have to crane your body over the fence to wipe it.

Kim Kitsuragi - Kim glances up from his notebook, in which he’s been reviewing since you took interest in the viewer. “I don’t believe that’s how you used a viewer, Detective.” He says, his eyebrow quirking.

Empathy [Medium: Success] - He has a subtle smile on his lips. He’s amused by most of your antics, and this is no exception.

You - “I know, there’s just some graffito on it. I want to get a better look at it.”

Kim Kitsuragi - He nods. “Be careful then, I don’t want to learn the hard way that you don’t remember how to swim.”

You - You nod back and turn your attention back to the viewer.

1. [Interfacing - Medium 11] Wipe off the black blob.
+2: Easier to Reach
2. Resign to your fate of wasting 0.10 Reál on a unusable coin operated viewer.
   
3. Move the viewer closer to you.

FAILURE

You - You lean over the fence, feeling your body weight wobble on the rails. You take out Kim’s lended handkerchief and start wiping at the lens, but your angle’s all wrong. You shift your position, leaning more onto the fence as you reach for the graffito.

Interfacing - Almost……. Almost………….

You - Almost isn’t enough, you can’t reach it.

Half Light - Tick tock, time is running out. At this rate, you won’t even get to finish cleaning the graffito before the viewer snaps shut.

1. Fuck it, lets get risky.

Interfacing - You put more of your weight on the iron fence as you wrench yourself closer to the viewer. As you lift your hand up you feel a sudden shift.

Half Light [Godly: Failed] - Uh oh.

You - A shout rings out. You tumble over the rails, spinning through the air as you hurdle to the ocean. You barely have enough time to gasp for air before you splash into the waves. For a second, you see the the blurry dark water envelop you before you instinctively close your eyes. Your clothes weightlessly sway around your body, floating up as you’re pushed down. Your hair fans around you like a halo. Panic gurgles in your chest as a flurry of bubbles erupt from your nose.

Physical Instrument [Trivial: Success] - Your body moves before you can react to the situation. Your legs kick up as your arms move in tandem. After a second you break into the surface of the ocean.

Inland Empire - A rush of cold air bites at your face, your halo flattening and sticking to the back of your neck. The waves pushes you gently, urging you to get back onto the shore. It seems like she wants you to get back onto the coast just as much as you want to return.

You - You feel someone wrap their arms around you, slipping underneath your underarm and crossing over your chest.

Kim Kitsuragi - “I got you,” He says, slightly panting. “Don’t-. I just. I got you. It’s me, I got you. You’re not going to drown, I got you.” He sounds slightly panicked.

Empathy [Formidable: Success] - It’s because he is. Extremely so. He’s saying that more to soothe himself than to soothe you.

1. “I know how to swim, Kim.”
2. Look around.
3. Say nothing.

You - You look around. You’re about 10 feet away from the wall you fell from, the fence being unchanged by your tumble (that bastard). Kim has his arms wrapped around you in a protective grasp, trying to support both his weight and yours against the flowing tides. His glasses are off, so is his jacket, he must’ve taken it off before he jumped in. You feel his legs accidentally knock against yours every so often, pushing you two towards the shore. The occasional frittte bottle bobs by you two, and you have to suppress the urge to pick it up and stick it into your paper bag.

You -You realize you’re still holding onto Kim’s handkerchief. You put it back into your pockets.

1. “I know how to swim, Kim.”
2. Look around.
3. Say nothing.

Kim Kitsuragi - “Oh.” He slowly untangles his arms from yours, his ears burning. “I didn’t know.”

1. “It’s fine, I didn’t know either.”

Kim Kitsuragi - “Let’s just get back on shore.”

You - The two of you paddle to shore, Kim trailing behind you, silent the entire time.

You - The two of you arrive back at the coin operated viewer, taking off wet shirts and jackets and wringing out wet hair.

Shivers - A cold breeze blows through your wet clothes. You shiver to yourself.

Volition - While wringing your hair out, you feel your fingers comb through your knots, smoothing them out. It feels…… Nice. Soft, even, underneath the crunch of sea salt. You should do that more. Combing your hair out I mean, not jumping into the ocean.

[ +1 Morale ]

Kim Kitsuragi - Kim shrugs his orange bomber jacket back on, his hands slipping into his pockets. “We should call it a day soon,” He fetches out a cigarette and puts it between his teeth, lighting it. “I’d rather not walk around with wet clothes.”

Empathy - Especially in the cold, he thinks. One smoke isn’t going to warm himself in the Revacholian winters.

Electrochemistry - Hey, you should ask him to share that cig. Better yet, ask him for a new one, or his whole pack. You should smoke them all right now, that’ll certainly warm you up.

1. ”Hey, can I have a cigarette?”
2. “You didn’t have to do that.”
3. “Why didn’t you let me drown?”
4. ”At least now I know I can swim.” (Leave)

Kim Kitsuragi - “I know.” He takes off his glasses and cleans them. “It’s unbefitting of a RCM officer to ignore someone who’s unsure of their swimming capabilities in the middle of the ocean, especially if they’re another officer.”

Esprit de Corps [Medium: Success] - There’s a tightness to his words. An air of professionalism. Although that is the truth, that’s not the full story. Underneath it all, you can hear the true intentions with his statement: He just doesn’t want to see another partner die, especially if he can do something about it.

1. ”Hey, can I have one?”
2. “You didn’t have to do that.”
3. “Why didn’t you let me drown?”
4. ”At least now we know I can swim.” (Leave)

Kim Kitsuragi - He cracks a weary smile. “We learn something new everyday. Let’s go detective, before you fall into the ocean again.”