Hajime Aikawa (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chalicejoker) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
eswareinmal2018-10-12 09:51 pm
chalicejoker) wrote in eswareinmal2018-10-12 09:51 pm
Invasion of the Bugmen
Characters: Hajime, Ryo, Tachibana, and whomever the heck else.
Open? Yep!
Where: The Castle
When: Right after Hajime arrives
What: One very confused new hero and one very excited sidekick.
Well, then. This was not Hajime's bedroom in the restaurant. Not by a long shot. And he certainly hadn't gone to sleep in any sort of heavy black plate armor. It was pretty ornate, with some kind of stylized heart motif and dull accents in red, green, and gold throughout. There was a matching helmet with a heart motif sitting on the bedside table, which Hajime was pointedly trying to ignore. There was even a stylized belt worked into the design, one that mimicked the Undead belt Hajime was prone to summoning whenever he felt threatened. Like now. He was kind of surprised he hadn't managed it now, because he was waking up in a strange bed in some kind of strange castle...Traveling gave a guy a bit more experience with waking up in weird surroundings.
"Ah! Lord of the Bugmen! You're awake!" One of the people surrounding the bed, the one that Hajime thought was dressed in the most overdone of the overdone courtly medieval fashions rushed forward, while the others all got excited among themselves.
"...aaa! Strange people!" Next to him, Ryo woke up as well, wearing a little ruffled collar and a small hat with a very fancy feather sticking out of it. "Nice hat though!"
"The Steward of the Bugmen awakens as well!"
"Hello!" Ryo had no idea what was going on, but that was no reason to be rude.
"My lord, we are so very glad you have chosen to journey here all the way from the fabled Kingdom of the Bugmen in order to aid us in our time of need." The courtier went on talking to Hajime as though this was all perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
Indeed, all that conviction and all the weirdness going on here as he was ushered out of the bedroom was starting to make his head spin. "...what." It wasn't a question. It was about as much a statement as he could manage right now. Ryo was clinging to his shoulder, looking quite interested at everything.
As the little group made its way into the hallway, another courtier came rushing up. "M'lord, they're ready to present you at court now."
"What?" That time, the word actually was a question, even as Hajime found himself ushered out into the hall and towards a flight of stairs, and these people were not taking no for an answer. Someone passed him the helmet he'd tried to leave behind in the bedroom, and he took it because he didn't know what else he was supposed to do with it.
But at least he was getting some answers. Kind of. "They're going to present you to the King, of course! The King and his most trusted advisors!"
"Presented at Court! It's a great honor!"
"But an appropriate one for the mighty Lord of the Bugmen! And Steward!"
It was at this point that Hajime began having even more regrets over the way that Lord of the Bugmen joke had kind of gotten away from him. He glanced over at a mirror they were passing in the hall. No, still human. He was retaining his lordship even in humanity while wondering what was even going on. He was still thoroughly confused by the whole thing, even as everyone else around him seemed thrilled by his presence. There was a whole lot of bowing and curtsying going on, which made it all the weirder. The strange little procession soon led to a pair of ornate gold doors, which were pushed open ahead of Hajime's entrance into the room.
"Now presenting the Cursed Knight, the Wild Card of New Jersey, the Scourge of the Battlefield, Rider of the Kamen of Chalice, Viscount of the Suit of Cups, the noble and mighty Lord of the Bugmen! And on his shoulder, the bearer of the Questing Spirit and Accomplished Shapeshifter, Steward of the Bugmen!" Cue trumpets, cue everyone turning to look at Hajime and Ryo as they were supposed to walk all the way down that carpet to the King to be presented. (Hajime walked, Ryo rode on his shoulder and waved at people.)
Hajime still had his helmet tucked under one arm, but he was seriously considering putting it back on if only to try to hide. There was certainly an irritated twitch when he heard the herald call out "wild card" as part of his ridiculous announcement, and for a moment, he strongly considered clubbing the guy with that fancy helmet. But he didn't do anything, because the spectacle of it all was just a little bit overwhelming, and he'd never liked having everyone's attention on him like this.
Open? Yep!
Where: The Castle
When: Right after Hajime arrives
What: One very confused new hero and one very excited sidekick.
Well, then. This was not Hajime's bedroom in the restaurant. Not by a long shot. And he certainly hadn't gone to sleep in any sort of heavy black plate armor. It was pretty ornate, with some kind of stylized heart motif and dull accents in red, green, and gold throughout. There was a matching helmet with a heart motif sitting on the bedside table, which Hajime was pointedly trying to ignore. There was even a stylized belt worked into the design, one that mimicked the Undead belt Hajime was prone to summoning whenever he felt threatened. Like now. He was kind of surprised he hadn't managed it now, because he was waking up in a strange bed in some kind of strange castle...Traveling gave a guy a bit more experience with waking up in weird surroundings.
"Ah! Lord of the Bugmen! You're awake!" One of the people surrounding the bed, the one that Hajime thought was dressed in the most overdone of the overdone courtly medieval fashions rushed forward, while the others all got excited among themselves.
"...aaa! Strange people!" Next to him, Ryo woke up as well, wearing a little ruffled collar and a small hat with a very fancy feather sticking out of it. "Nice hat though!"
"The Steward of the Bugmen awakens as well!"
"Hello!" Ryo had no idea what was going on, but that was no reason to be rude.
"My lord, we are so very glad you have chosen to journey here all the way from the fabled Kingdom of the Bugmen in order to aid us in our time of need." The courtier went on talking to Hajime as though this was all perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
Indeed, all that conviction and all the weirdness going on here as he was ushered out of the bedroom was starting to make his head spin. "...what." It wasn't a question. It was about as much a statement as he could manage right now. Ryo was clinging to his shoulder, looking quite interested at everything.
As the little group made its way into the hallway, another courtier came rushing up. "M'lord, they're ready to present you at court now."
"What?" That time, the word actually was a question, even as Hajime found himself ushered out into the hall and towards a flight of stairs, and these people were not taking no for an answer. Someone passed him the helmet he'd tried to leave behind in the bedroom, and he took it because he didn't know what else he was supposed to do with it.
But at least he was getting some answers. Kind of. "They're going to present you to the King, of course! The King and his most trusted advisors!"
"Presented at Court! It's a great honor!"
"But an appropriate one for the mighty Lord of the Bugmen! And Steward!"
It was at this point that Hajime began having even more regrets over the way that Lord of the Bugmen joke had kind of gotten away from him. He glanced over at a mirror they were passing in the hall. No, still human. He was retaining his lordship even in humanity while wondering what was even going on. He was still thoroughly confused by the whole thing, even as everyone else around him seemed thrilled by his presence. There was a whole lot of bowing and curtsying going on, which made it all the weirder. The strange little procession soon led to a pair of ornate gold doors, which were pushed open ahead of Hajime's entrance into the room.
"Now presenting the Cursed Knight, the Wild Card of New Jersey, the Scourge of the Battlefield, Rider of the Kamen of Chalice, Viscount of the Suit of Cups, the noble and mighty Lord of the Bugmen! And on his shoulder, the bearer of the Questing Spirit and Accomplished Shapeshifter, Steward of the Bugmen!" Cue trumpets, cue everyone turning to look at Hajime and Ryo as they were supposed to walk all the way down that carpet to the King to be presented. (Hajime walked, Ryo rode on his shoulder and waved at people.)
Hajime still had his helmet tucked under one arm, but he was seriously considering putting it back on if only to try to hide. There was certainly an irritated twitch when he heard the herald call out "wild card" as part of his ridiculous announcement, and for a moment, he strongly considered clubbing the guy with that fancy helmet. But he didn't do anything, because the spectacle of it all was just a little bit overwhelming, and he'd never liked having everyone's attention on him like this.
no subject
"Now Presenting the Grand Wizard of the Red Diamond, He who Carries the Light of the Sun, Master of Metals, Lord of Healing, and Appreciator of All Tastes! Accompanied by The Battler of Diamonds, Master of Signs, Canis Venerandum, who Fed the Thousands!"
With another Blatt! of the horns, the doors open, showing a slightly overwhelmed Tachibana in ridiculously ornate deep red and silver robes, decorated with large red diamond shapes and glittering red gems. On his shoulders, clinging tightly around the ridiculous floppy wizard hat that matched the impractical robes, was Garren, his armor having changed to a similar style that Hajime's had, only in the appropriate colors.
no subject
"You too, huh?" Hajime muttered. He didn't know whether or not to be relieved or alarmed.
no subject
"Any idea what the hell is going on?" He was pretty sure this wasn't Elsewhere, or that they hadn't somehow wound up on another Jaunt or Walkabout.. but ruling out what this wasn't wasn't at all helping in figuring out what it was..
no subject
"Is another adventure!" Ryo, at least, was far more willing to roll with it.
no subject
no subject
so business as usual for those then.no subject
It's Blade, in embellished armor not unlike Garren's, and once he's free from the throng he is leaping into the air, flashing into a Pogmentation-like imitation of Kenzaki's Jack Form, and flying right for his friend perched on Tachibana's shoulder.
"A-ah, hey, careful!" Kenzaki elbows through the crowd a few moments afterwards, one hand extending helplessly after the little Pog. A Kenzaki clad in ornate spade-adorned armor, a circlet on his brow (with a little upswept pointy part) rather than a full-on helmet.
no subject
Seconds after Garren's leap, Tachibana turned, eyes widening. "Kenzaki!"
And then he's all but running over, regardless of anyone in the way.
no subject
Hajime just stands there, stunned. He even drops the helmet he'd been carrying. "...Kenzaki?"
no subject
Kenzaki has a little more to say than that, thank goodness. "I thought you two would show up eventually! What a relief!" He grins to Tachibana, steps towards him and looks ready to move in for a hug or at least a brotherly shoulder pat... then pauses and stiffens and turns, hearing Hajime call his name.
"...Hajime." Oh, right, yes, that's... it's good that he's here, nothing but good.... but he's going to get mad very soon, isn't he? His wide grin takes on a bit of a grimace in anticipation of this.
no subject
"..Eventually?" he repeated. "You mean this is where...?"
no subject
He's thinking punch, anyway, there are several other less violent ideas that are occurring to him, too.
no subject
no subject
"So there's no connection between here and Liminal?" There was a touch of raising anxiety starting to grow, which was not at all helped by Hajime's hyper focus on sealing their reunion with a punch.
no subject
"The hell is even going on here, anyway?"
no subject
"Now presenting the Dragon Sage, Consort of Queen Azure, Line-Grandfather of the Indigo Cloud Court, and--"
--he stalks right out and grabs the herald by the throat before he can say more.
"Shut up," he growls, and one can probably guess why they're calling him "dragon sage", because that sure did sound dragony.
(A few people in here will probably know better why he's the "dragon sage", not that he will recognize them.)
The trumpets for him are a bit lackluster, probably because the trumpeter doesn't want to get nearly strangled, too.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
At least he manages to catch Hajime's attention as the armored man shoves past a couple of townspeople. "What--oh, hey." He's spotted Stone, doesn't realize that anything different is going on here.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
"Makes things exciting, I guess!" Ryo is willing to look on the bright side. "And can make friends all over again!"
no subject
no subject
"Is like a game!" Ryo adds. "Or a story! Heroes on quests!"
no subject
no subject
"Hajime likes wrecking bad things," Ryo chimes in.
no subject
no subject
"Fly up, drop Hajime on bad things," Ryo says.
no subject
no subject
Hajime shakes his head. "This place is messing with my powers and a flight-capable form isn't something I really want to play with right now." Will it turn him into a weird dragonfly thing? Will it give his armor wings? It's hard to say.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject