eswareinmal | Meanwhile, in the Two Faced Forest....

Meanwhile, in the Two Faced Forest....

Characters: Any hero brave enough to walk into the utterly normal looking woods.
Open? Yep
Where: The Two Faced Forest ~~(tm)~~
When: Whenever you'd like, I've got all day here.
What: Time to get hero-ing, oh heros.

The Two Faced Forest isn't far at all from the walls of the Kingdom's capital, something that vexes many of the locals. You see, there's a witch in those woods, a horrible creature who lures children to her gingerbread home and eats them!

...not that anyone's ever lost a child that way. They've all taught their children to be cunning and crafty, you see, so their children won't be caught and eaten so easily! It's just all the other children that they worry about! Especially now that the Cruel and Terrible Witch has a horrible Dark Mastermind at her disposal; a dark cloaked figure who commands terrible minions of unspeakable horrors! And what's worse, they gossip so loudly whenever a Hero is near so they're sure to overhear, this horrible figure was once a Hero whom the Witch ensnared and corrupted! Surely someone can do something about this terrible situation! A line delivered over and over with such a complete lack of subtlety that many a hero will find themselves being outright stared at with expressions varying from moon stuck smiles (the younger lads and lasses of the town) to expectant annoyance (the older grannies and gumps who want to see some proper hero action before they die already, so get on with it, would ya?)

The Forest (the capital letter is very important, you see) itself... is honestly very unremarkable. There's trees, there's rocks, there's birds, there's squirrels (you can even bless them, if you're of a hero class that's so inclined), and deep in the heart of the woods, there's a cottage that's made entirely of gingerbread, complete with piped icing shutters and decorations. Around this cottage is a gingerbread fence with the piped icing reading: "Private Property. No Solicitors."

... so maybe it's not entirely unremarkable.

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Garren all but squeaked, hiding behind his Slammer's hair with a small whimper.

Tachibana's own expression was only shocked for the barest of moment before his lip curled, posture shifting even more as his fists clenched.

"You..." The word was a curse, all but snarled. "Get down here and show yourself properly, Isaka!"

That reaction tells him one thing, at least. This Tachibana knows who he (or his past self, at least) is. That's a start for negotiations that he'll just have to accept. And maybe this Tachibana will be still too disoriented from arriving in this strange place to put up much of a fight.

He leaps from the branch and with but the lightest bit of telekinesis to guide himself, he lands neatly on the path before Tachibana and Garren. "I prefer 'Jack', if you don't mind." He readjusts his glasses, then lets his hands drop to his sides, palms flat, hopefully signifying that he's not looking for a fight just yet. "Where are you from? When are you from? You are Sakuya Tachibana, aren't you?"

There's a deep, visceral reaction at the sight, every inch of Tachibana tensing even further with a deep anger and loathing laced with the barest hint of fear.

But the words made him pause, frown shifting from the one that was a warning of impending ass kicking to one of almost annoyed confusion.

"Jack?" he repeated, eyebrow raising. "... Hajime's cousin Jack?"

The look that Tachibana is giving him is so, so familiar. Uncomfortably familiar. He does not like being reminded that he was once a creature that could provoke reactions like that in people. He doesn't like being regarded like that. So he tries to hold an impassive expression, betraying no emotion, unaware that he's making himself all the more Isaka-like....

Until Tachibana blurts something about his cousin. Something that acknowledges him as Hajime's cousin. "...yes!" And now his expression is one of open, naked shock. "That's... that's the Hajime that you're looking for?"

Tachibana lets out a loud, almost frustrated curse, looking even more like he wants to punch something; but the tension is mostly gone, replaced by a deep tiredness that shows the extra 10 years clearly in his face.

"He has all his memories now. But yes. That fucking idiot who ran off into this goddamned forest the second he heard there was something to fight in it."

There's a very deep scowl before he turns to half glare at Isa-- Jack. "...How much of that bastard's come back to you?" he demanded.

All his memories. And... oh. Oh. Jack groans and brings a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling an unpleasant aching behind the eyes. "He ran off into the forest after me, is what he just did. Ugh..." Tachibana's question does need answering, though. He lets his hand lower somewhat. Does... this mean that they're not going to end up throwing down? Why does that feel the slightest twinge disappointing? "...enough of him's come back that if Hajime can sense other Undead? Then he's going to be able to pick up on me."

Funny, that ache is still behind his eyes...

"I didn't ask how Undead you were, I asked how much of that bastard has come back," Tachibana repeated with a dark glare. One that made it very clear that a throwdown was not entirely off the table.

There's a sort of clanking and rustling in the distance that is rapidly growing louder; Hajime's still wearing that stupid armor and he's not exactly being subtle. He'd also just managed to get momentarily distracted by some sort of bridge troll that wasn't much taller than Ryo, which had gotten Rider Kicked into submission. It wasn't enough of a fight to put him in a good mood--not when he could still tell there was something better out there to fight.

He burst through the bushes and first spotted Tachibana, saying, "Alright, look, I'm--" and then trailed off when he spotted his cousin. "...Jack? Is that really you?"

Jack is absolutely about to answer that question, because wow does he ever have some feelings to share about the guy that he once was, but... but then there's clanking. So much clanking. He grimaces, he lets out a sigh that holds a slight hint of a growl, he turns and assumes a defensive stance, and it's just in time for Hajime to come barreling out of the bushes.

"...yes." And Hajime managed to stop himself. He is not getting immediately assaulted upon contact. What is this incredible miracle? "Yes! It's me, yes, oh god, finally, it's actually you that I run into!" He's so excited, so relieved, that Tachibana is momentarily forgotten.

Really, if there were no witnesses, Jack might have found himself getting assaulted with a bit of overexcited hugging. "I...I can't believe you're here!" Or anywhere, really. Kind of hard to be places when you're dying and got sealed into a card as a last-ditch panic response.

Ryo is still perched on Hajime's shoulder, still wearing his fancy hat with the feather and little ruffled collar. (He liked it, why take it off?) "Ah! Hajime talk about you! Tried to win valence for you! Hello!"

Tachibana, meanwhile, stands stony faced to the side, arms crossed and expression deeply unhappy. But he's not going to be such an ass to interrupt their reunion...

...and it was just surreal (and deeply uncomfortable) seeing and hearing Isaka's face and voice having genuine emotion behind them. Even having seen Hajime's memories of his cousin... it was entirely different seeing that cousin in person.

Garren, slightly emboldened by Ryo's cheer, has peeked out from behind his Slammer's hair, posture still rather unsure, but now curious.

Jack gives a bit of a start when he takes notice of Ryo, there. How could he have missed the fancily-dressed mantis? "...hello! He has, has he?" He gives a bit of a wave, uncertain but used to interacting with small, cute, dubiously-dialoguing creatures. But then he turns his gaze back to Hajime, tone curious. "Valence?"

...but aah, maybe that's not important. He gives a careless, dismissive wave of his hand. "Bah, well, whatever... It really is you, isn't it? Not the guy from before, but you, right?" And of course he'll understand, right. Because that's his Hajime over there.

"Big magic wishing power! Very important in Questing Country! Lots of competition! Came very close, but looks like won anyway!" This all makes perfect sense to Ryo, and he seems very pleased with everything.

"Of course it's me." Hajime scowls.

"One and only! Accept no substitutes!" Ryo can't help but cut in there.

"Who else would it be?" Hajime frowns. But he's encountered people who weren't who he thought they should be... "...you didn't run into...me before the, uh...like me from my first life?"

There is absolutely no way to make that sound right, and he now hates this conversation.

It's a good thing this all makes perfect sense to Ryo, because it doesn't make much at all to Jack. He's just going to nod and give an absent "uh huh" and make a point to ask Hajime more about it later.

"Actually... yeah, I did. This isn't the first weird place I've ended up and... and it sounds like it's not the first weird place you've ended up." And he picks this moment to look back over his shoulder at Tachibana, expression curious. "...or you, either?"

Tachibana's expression is still very annoyed and cold, reflex glaring back at Jack. "Hajime and I spent time in the same place, before arriving here," he returned, voice clipped.

Garren nodded, before starting to sign rapidly in explanation

...not that Jack could make any sense of it.

"Don't think too hard on the logistics or timeline of it," Hajime says, "I don't really get how that happened either. But we were...in sort of a world between worlds and would then sometimes get spat out into other worlds to do some vague and nebulous task and..." He trails off and winces. "Anyway, I tried to punch one of the beings behind it but he threw a ceiling at me so I'm still pissed I didn't get a rematch to stop things before whatever this is happened."

That's... about the level of response that he was expecting to get from Tachibana. Sure, he'd hoped for something better, but short answers and a glare really were more realistic. His curious look does still linger, though, watching as Garren signs. No, he can't make sense of it, but there's obviously something being said. "...what's the little guy saying?" He shouldn't leave someone out of the conversation, should he?

Aah, but Hajime has more to add... "A world between worlds... I was scooped up into a little pocket universe for 'lost' people. I'd be surprise that we haven't somehow run into each other before now, but... it's a big multiverse, isn't it?" But he has to laugh at that last bit. "You tried to punch one of the things in charge? Of course you did..." Aaah, good old Hajime. So fighty.

A small huff escaped. "You had your rematch in Questing Country," he reminded Hajime with a faint, wry smile.

Jack gets a fresh scowl, but one that fades swiftly as Garren is mentioned. With a quick, curious glance, Garren gives the short-short version to his Slammer, who nods. "He was explaining the same thing Hajime said, and that he and Ryo came along too, from the worlds that they were in."

He paused. "And his name is Garren," he added, the pog nodding in agreement, outlining the Diamond on his chest with a pleased head tilt that made it clear he was smiling behind his unchanging mask.

"Something one-on-one and face-to-face," Hajime shot back at Tachibana. "None of that hiding behind everything else crap." ~~Final Destination, no items.~~

Ryo looks interested at that other world where Jack was and, with all the tact of a curious small child, loudly asks, "So did lost mean dead?" It's a valid question!

"Ryo!" Hajime immediately moves to shush the mantis.

"Garren?" Now there's a proper noun that he knows. Jack's brow furrows as he looks quickly between Garren and Tachibana, trying to draw some sort of conclusion. "So he's a tiny version of you? Sort of?" If his tone sounds a bit joking, well... oops. He let that slip. Tachibana's mood may be sour, but his really isn't.

"...dead?" Though it might sour if they stay on that topic. Jack pulls a face and shakes his head. "No! No, not... not really? Just that they'd been taken from their own world at least once, before landing there. Not quite sure how I fit into that, but..." He shrugs. He betrays no hint of his own horrible demise.

"...Something like that," Tachibana allowed as Garren nodded, again framing the diamond on his chest before making it bigger and moving it over to his Slammer, giving a double thumbs up before leaning in to nuzzle his helmet affectionately against his head. Despite himself, Tachibana couldn't help but soften at that, reaching out to put a hand on Garren's helmet, a soft, warm smile touching his face.

His eyebrow rose at the other conversation before he gave a small snort. "An Undead that was somehow reincarnated into another world. Even if that bastard hasn't completely taken you over..." He gave Jack a very pointed look.

Hajime's still shushing Ryo at this point. Tact, they've got to have a discussion about tact. Tact and not telling people they're supposed to be dead. As he shushes Ryo, he tries to use that as a distraction to cover his looking at his cards, and...

...the Jack of Diamonds is gone. Had it been there when he'd gotten here? He doesn't know.

Not that he can worry about this for long. "I keep telling you," Hajime insists, "he's my cousin. He's not going to get up to any of that crap." Which is one way to insist that Jack won't be murdering anyone. (See, Ryo? Tact. Even Hajime can manage that, sometimes, just as a stopped clock is right twice a day.)

Jack tenses even more when Tachibana tosses out his accusation. "He hasn't taken me over." And he sounds very offended at the allegation. He's just going to turn and take a step closer to Hajime, who he is very grateful is offering support for his assertion. "I remember who he was and what he did, but I am not him." And only has a portion of the Peacock Undead's power, but... now doesn't feel like the time to mention that.

"Before Hajime showed up, you were damned well acting like him," Tachibana countered with a glare. "And if you weren't trying to look like that bastard, why the hell are you wearing sunglasses in a goddamned forest?" he demanded.

"He's a freaking nerd," Hajime says, exasperated. "Doesn't have it in him to do...the sorts of things you're thinking of." There's a pause. "And he's enough of a nerd to think the shades just make him look cool."

"Wears his sunglasses at night," Ryo says solemnly. "Song about that! Very popular! Remember it from Jaunt where I was Noodle!"

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