He didn't whether if he should groan in annoyance or just sigh in dismay. Regardless, all he felt from this was more worry about Niko's well-being when it came to her social life. This even supported when she explained that she was not good when she was under pressure. This made him lower his suspicions down for a while just to comfort the nervous woman as he slowly placed his hand over her shoulder. "From your tone of voice, I guess you're not the type to shop due to your shyness, huh?" Unlike before, he didn't bother to fake his tone of worry. In fact, his feelings were genuine over comforting his former student. "That's alright. Just try not to force yourself if you don't want to."
Niko couldn't help but grind her teeth as she glared back at the store. While her expression mainly consisted of discomfort, laced with bad memories of poor experiences from the past, there was a hint of anger within her. Not only with the establishment, of course, but with herself, for creating such a situation. Her standards were much higher than that, after all. Standards no one could realistically meet for herself. "Yeah, I don't really come here often." Her voice trailed on, as she walked over to the railing. Being on the second story of the two story mall, she leaned her elbows onto the rail, peering down towards the people that walked below. "Ever actually." She corrected herself. "My second time ever. Hard to believe I live so close." After that recent, previous experience in the store, it wouldn't be too hard to assume she would be even further deterred from leaving her recluse abode. Eleanor, her character within the game, always felt so much more controlled and less fearful. So much more comfortable with interactions than herself. Niko wondered why it was so different in real life.
Just the sight of her recluse state made him feel there was something more to her current problem. He already dealt with students with this similar issue, but he didn't meet anyone like Niko who just unable to talk to anyone except the faculty, even the store employees. "Why do you want to enter there anyway? Are you interested in an item you like?" Armand didn't like to barge into other people's problems, but just for the sake of easing his worries, he decided to try to give her some advice. He even joined her by leaning on the rail with his arms as he looked through the whole mall interior. "Did you do anything to ease your reclusive nature?"
Niko shrugged, flopping her head to the side in discomfort. "I liked the hat." She jabbed a thumb behind her, pointing towards the still visible mannequin flaunting itself behind the protective glass. "Not like I can afford anything in there though." She chuckled awkwardly, ending in a sigh. "Ease?" She whispered the word, analyzing it in her head. "I more found ways to... Sustain it. I don't really get out much." Her skin, being rather pale, was a good example of that. Most of her manners were quite... Rigid, as well. "And eh..." "I game a bit." Niko spoke with shame. Keeping her head low, as well as her voice. Gaming. It was something she saw a little regret in, seeing as it was not a very productive thing to spend her time doing. Being productive was something her family had always taught her. Being productive had given her the opportunity to come to the states. Part of herself felt as though she was wasting that opportunity. She certainly wasn't a happy young woman.
Guess he found a reason behind how she wanted to force herself into the store. He can't blame her for liking the hat, though. He knew some girls liked a certain clothing whenever they passed through a store. He wanted to try buying it for her, but he might be worried not only about his current budget, but how her mental state reacted to this. When she mentioned the word "game", Armand might have some idea at what she meant. "You mean you played video games, huh? I guess that's another way to meet new friends without your social issues." Sure, there was a worry of internet safety, but he felt she might be better there since most users there are anonymous. "What kind of games are you playing there anyway?"
"Ehh..." Still rather ashamed about the idea of being considered a 'gamer', Niko was hesitant to explain further on the topic, though with enough silence passing by, she reluctantly continued. "A bit of online chess to pass the time... And some... Terra game." She rubbed the back of her neck, wondering just how much she sounded like her younger brother still in Japan. She imagined her family's ridicule in response if she ever tried to explain the hobby to them. She imagined her old school friends, and how they would have teased her for such a pastime. It was a difficult task to keep herself from contributing to the mental insults that rang in her mind. Anxiously, and somewhat on instinct, she glared around to make sure there wasn't anyone around to glare at her in judgement upon speaking the phrase. Certainly, her paranoia go the better of her more often than not.
If he can guess, that means she has some time in her hands outside of her part-time jobs. Though, he preferred playing chess in real life rather in a video game. But just as he can try to change the subject, his eyes widened once he heard the words "Terra" and "game" together. The only game he knew that was related to those words is Terrasphere and from what he knew, it wasn't supposed to be known to the public. Does it mean that Niko somehow has a copy of that strange VRMMO as well? He can't risk himself without some evidence, so he had to play coy for now. "Terra game? What is it about?"
Niko didn't know exactly how much there was to tell. She didn't know exactly how popular the game was. The email she had gotten about it did not even seem that legitimate at first. Perhaps the game was illegal or something... Regardless, it wasn't like she was speaking with a cop. She figured no harm could come from explaining a little more. "Some virtual reality game. Probably not that safe." Niko explained, glaring briefly to make eye contact with the other. "It's interesting though." She didn't bother how she got her hands on the equipment. That was an entirely different, entirely complicated story that she was not prepared to tell at the time. Another pack of kids coming through, laughing and shouting about this and that. A cold shiver shot through Niko, as she glared back at them uncomfortably. This was not her natural habitat, that was for sure, but she was trying to reach out, at least.
Yup, that definitely sounded like Terrasphere. And he had to agree about the part about the lack of safety regarding virtual reality games. He did read some articles related to it after he played Terrasphere for a while, which he learned how the popularity of the VR technology waned in the US all because of this Sword Art Online incident. This made him guessed the reason behind the VRMMO's secrecy. "Well, DVRS has a lot of strict laws about those virtual reality games. So if I were you, you have to be careful when you're using VR." He might try to follow that advice for himself though. He already bought the equipment for it and he didn't want to get trouble just by using it in public. "More importantly, where did you get that Terra game? I guess you bought it through those video game stores."
Niko shook her head. She had not obtained the files for the game through most regular means, having interacted and come upon them only after having been emailed about them upon the game's... Not so well marketed release. "I got an email a while back. Looked kind of sketch, but I downloaded it through that." With a shrug, Niko had to reveal that she really knew little further on the topic. The game, after getting her hands on the equipment, through some shadier means, had turned out to be quite the pastime. It was certainly something that had become a part of her important, daily routine. And it was fun! Glancing back towards the hat, still upon the mannequin, the garment was perhaps the best, though most unintentional, hint towards her virtual persona. The hat, nearly identical to Eleanor's, was mere feet away. And Niko continued to take glances back towards it, every few moments.
"I see. Still, it did come from an email, so you have to be wary of playing that game. So you might use some anti-malware to scan the game before you have to use it." Of course, that advice wasn't just for Niko. He also had to do the same procedure when he first installed Terrasphere into his new VR console. "Besides, there are also reports of trojan viruses around the internet lately." However, their conversation about the 'mysterious VRMMO' was interrupted for a moment when he saw Niko stared at the hat once more. Just a sight of this was enough for Armand to help her out a bit. Though another part of him just wanted to curse himself for having a kind heart to anyone around him. "If you like, I can help you buy that hat. Is there anything special about it for you?"
"I know my way around a CPU better than I know my way around people." Niko sighed, raising a hand to rub the back of her neck awkwardly. As much as the statement was somewhat of a boast, she had not intended it that way. In fact, it was a sort of insult to herself. Perhaps if she had spent less time 'practicing' alone with her computer in her room when she was younger, she would not have ended up so socially isolated... But there was a lot of factors involved in her predicament. A lot of things that had come together to place her in that sticky situation. "Oh, you don't have to do that!" She quickly countered as the man offered to purchase her the accessory. It was part of her nature to reject generosity. In her youth, after all, that had been a rather large part of her 'training'. Humility. Respect. Silence. These were only a few of the mantras repeated to her thoroughly throughout her childhood. "It's far too expensive to be worth it, really!" In a gesture to wave off the kind notion, she raised her hand, wafting it to the side, before returning it to the rail. Staring back down at her hands, she noticed that the positioning of her palm was somewhat closer to his than she had previously placed it. In a blatant motion, regardless of how subtle she had tried to make it she slid her hand further away from his. "It's silly, trust me." Niko changed the subject as quickly as possible, shaking her head. "Just..." As much as she wanted to explain, it felt stupid to her. There was still that voice in the back of her head, nagging her, and making fun of her every time she went to say something. These were the actions that got her joked about in school, and by her family, and throughout her childhood. It was hard for her to just explain them, but... She had to reach out. She was like an elephant who indulged far too much into the watering hole and found herself without balance. Slipping, she had fallen within, though no longer a representation of youth, she was ridiculed for her weakness, as she struggled to free herself from the grasps of technological addiction. The memories haunted her still, and secretly, it was one of the large factors that contributed to her 'running' to the states when she was able to. "It reminds me of the game." She sighed, her cheeks pink with embarrassment and self-despise. "My character has a hat. A lot like that one, actually." Niko gestured towards her own head, a small manner that was often taught to those learning English to help teach them the word, before pointing back towards the hat at the store. Finally, she shrugged shaking her head at him, providing a longer than usual strain of eye contact. "It's not that important, you don't have to spend all of that money on me."
That might explain her curiosity for that hat at the store. While he wasn't sure if she was playing Terrasphere or not, he had a feeling that she really has some kind of comfort as her character that she mentioned. Well, it might not be a surprise if he encountered her in some form very soon. Still, he wanted to do something to make her feel better from her social anxieties. "Alright, I'm just trying to help you cheer up a bit." He sighed as he shrugged and shifted his eyes to Niko. For some reason, the more he talked to her, the more he started to lose his suspicions over her. Maybe being her former professor did make him know more about her. Guess he might try to open up to her more if he meets her again in the near future. As for the game, Verity was still worried despite her assurances of her security. A game was just a game, so he hoped that she won't take it very seriously. "Anyways, even if this Terra game managed to help your social issues a little bit, you have to limit your playtime. There are still some adverse effects when playing a virtual game for too long and you have to focus more on real life."
"Thanks." Niko gave the flash of a smile, looking back to Verity. Even though she felt little comfort from his efforts, it she would not be seen as less than grateful for any attempts made to help her in any way. The kindness of others was a powerful, valuable thing, and she would not squander it. "I know." She began, looking away, as the subject changed to something that she held a bit more insecurity about. "I usually limit my time on it. I never skip work, and I work about every day." While it was a sideline comment, and she often never mentioned her work to anyone, it was a hint towards her life and ethics. "Haven't missed a day since I started." Another detail, added merely to fill the space, though it wasn't a lie. She hadn't missed a single day. If it snowed, she showed up and cleaned while no one was around. If there was a thunderstorm, she got out her umbrella. If a sickness managed to get through the wall of cleanliness that was her apartment, she put on a dusk mask and showed up anyways. It was a wonder that she had not gotten some kind of promotion or award of some kind, although, she really didn't know the kind of 'initiative' that was required to get those sorts of things in modern work places. Niko was content with her status, her pay, and most things. Perhaps happy would be an overstatement, but content was the perfect word. A humble lifestyle, living in a one room apartment with only a few supplies. The apartment she purchased had been a cheap one, as it had no shelves or tabletops. Instead, she kept things where they were upon moving, having a wall with cardboard boxes organizing the things she owned. From hygiene to the equipment she used for Terrasphere, there was a cardboard box labeled and full of the required supplies and objects. It was a place that no one ventured. Other than Niko, of course. It was her castle. Her hideaway. No one had been inside other than her since her moving, and she did not expect anyone to anytime soon. "Sorry if I was a bother." She bowed her torso down to Verity, taking a step away. Flickering a brief instance of eye contact up to him, it was the least she could offer in terms of normal interaction. "Thank you for talking with me. I think I've got somewhere to be, so I will be off. See you around, Mister Verity." With her hands shoved in her sweatpants pockets, Niko was off, walking quickly and quietly, with her head lowered, through the packed mall. As she did so, the packs and flocks of younger people often would slow, pause, or even stop completely to gawk or even joke about the obviously socially deficient girl. She hadn't even remembered to ask for contact information with the man. She would only realize it upon reaching home. There was no way for Niko to contact him if she wanted to speak with him again, or anything else. With a sigh, she felt as though it was another social situation, with the possibility of friendship, crushed by her insolence and mistakes. Back to the boxes she went, to grab her toothbrush. She remembered somethings, as she brushed her teeth in her minuscule bathroom. There was a very specific reason she often stayed away from those places. Those 'social' nests, full of festering bullying and isolation. It reminded her of home. Something subtle in the back of her mind that she despised. A distant memory that drew discomfort to the surface of her skin like pins and needles. In her exit, she was expeditious. -Exit Thread-
"Okay. I'll see you around then. Just be careful online." Verity waved goodbye to his former student as he watched her walked away from him. Like her, he often focused on his work first before the game and he had to set a 1-hour limit for his playtime. Though with his lack of knowledge about VRMMOs and role-playing video games themselves, he has difficulties in balancing his real and online lives together. But whether if this "Terra game" that Niko mentioned was actually Terrasphere, he had a feeling that there might be a chance for him and her to meet each other again in the virtual world. For now, he'll just pray that she might able to conquer her social anxieties very soon as he headed home to rest. [Exit Thread]
