Planeocracy

Another with two names? Could you not simply choose one? I apologize for the ignorance, Sir Haseo, but what, precisely, is a 'video game'?

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It's a... oh geeze, ummm... you're probably... actually from some...

Nevermind.

A video game is a game you play with other images that represent you. Kind of like these hologram things they gave us.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ah! Like the simulation room, you mean? That seems a tad on the important side to be considered a game, though. I suppose it might relieve boredom . . . But surely there are better things to do with your time?

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Well, uh, games tend to not be quite as serious as the simulation room. They're things you can just sit down and play for fun.

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Ah. I do not believe I have any time for fun . . .

Your life seems unfortunately aimless, even for a youth. Do you not assist your father in the fields? Or, should he be a merchant, with his wares? And even should he be a nobleman, has he not enrolled you in school?

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Not a lot of people farm anymore. Or sell stuff. We don't need a lot of farmers to feed everyone. I go to school and work at a grocery store, but I'm not working all the time, and it's nice to have something to do on my day off.

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Indeed? How remarkable! . . . A day off . . . Your world must be wonderfully advanced. Perhaps . . . would you say it has attained peace?

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Kinda? There haven't been any big wars recently, but there's a lot of cybercrime.

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Ah. So even in a time of such ease, there is war and crime. I suppose such a problem will never be resolved.

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Probably not.

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Mm.

. . .

I have been amiss, Sir Haseo. My apologies -- My name is Lachesis, of House Nodion of the Kingdom of Agustria.

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Nice to meet you. You can call me Ryou, I guess. Haseo is just the name of my character.

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Character . . . ? Hm. Perhaps I begin to understand. These video games -- Are they very much like performing a role?

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Something like that.

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Then it seems to be theater. With simulations to allow the world to be portrayed more realistically.

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...Huh?

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What?

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I don't really understand... What's an 'online video game'?

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It's a... game... you play with virtual images, like the holograms here.

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...

[Does not compute.]

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OK, do you know what games are, at least?

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Those are things you play, like tag, right?

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Something about the way she said that worries me.

Yeah, like that. Only, we play it with fake characters, like this.

*he activates the holographic image on his PDA and sends it to her*

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[She stares at the hologram, trying to make sense of all of this.]

So... you play with moving pictures?

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Something like that, yeah.

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...

[She... still doesn't really get it, but...]

So... now you're some kind of character?

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Yeah...

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What kind of character?

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I'm an Adept Rogue. We can use a lot of different weapons and spells.

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