∞ 1 // ϟ 1

[cpt_ressentiment]

[It's been a full day, and Yosuke just can't get his mind off of that strange shop he nosily poked his head into yesterday afternoon. More importantly, he can't get over where he seemed to end up: space. Or, well, was it space? It sure looked like space, but it felt... real. But then he was back home, and everything was almost dream-like, but... the more he thinks about it, the weirder it all seems, and he's not really sure he likes the fact that he's wondering what's real and what isn't. Especially with everything involving the TVs and that other world going on...

He's on his bike, riding to school, headphones on and tuning out the rest of the world in favor of his own thoughts. Then, he swears that the next second, he's back in space.]

Oh man, it really is real! --Whoa - !!

[And then he loses all sense of balance, his bike smacks right into a hat stand. In space. Yep.

He's thrown, right over the handlebars, leaving bike and hat rack a few rolls behind as he lies on the plane floor and stares up at the stars. It takes a few seconds, but he picks himself up, groaning and rubbing at the side of his head as he pulls his headphones down to rest around his neck.]

Owww... Geez, that hurt.

[ meanwhile, someone is minding his own business …

someone else from inaba has arrived on the plane at exactly the same time, yet somehow manages not to make such an entrance. ( we don't all have the flair for drama like some people … )

out of reflex, yu reaches into his pocket to take out the glasses teddie had given him, puts them on. just in case it is a part of the tv world, and things become clearer. they … don't, but it was still worth a shot, and he doesn't think anyone can blame him for trying. things have recently gotten really strange for him, and he doesn't take anything for granted.

he's about to start walking again when something whizzes by him – was that a bike? – and he stops right where he is. yep, that was a bike. and the figure on it looks familiar. oh, for the love of – ]

Yosuke – ?!

[ it's like their first meeting all over again. although, this time, there aren't any trash cans involved that he can see. just a hat rack in the middle of space and nowhere at all and what in the world is going on, here. but if yosuke is here, that has to mean something, right? of course it does. which means he's making his way over to his sprawled-over-the-handlebars-of-his-bike friend, somehow managing to look both slightly exasperated and completely deadpan. ] If I see you crash this bike again, I'm going to buy you a helmet. Third time is not the charm, unless you're purposely trying to give yourself a concussion.

((OoC: Yosuke and Yu, for reference~ replies can come from either. or both.))

Comments

[cpt_ressentiment]

[He blinks when he sees Yu. He wasn't expecting to see anyone he knew in this place, but... somehow, it kind of makes sense that he did see someone. And it makes even more sense, somehow, that it's Yu. Not that he's complaining, he honestly would rather not deal with ~suddenly space~ alone...

He sighs heavily, winces as he runs a hand through his hair.] Dude, it's not like I'm doing it on purpose! And I'm not gonna wear a helmet. It's just a bike, not a motorcycle.

[But by the end of his griping, he is smiling. It's good to have him around. But then he glances at their surroundings again, and the thoughtful frown returns.]

So you ended up here too, huh? Isn't it really freaky?

[tayori]

[ that makes two of them, clearly. really, if he was meant to see anyone in this place upon his arrival, he's glad it's yosuke – because it's someone he knows, and he doesn't immediately have to feel on-edge about being somewhere he's pretty sure he doesn't belong.

he can only give a grin back when the other finishes his moaning and groaning. ] Blunt force trauma doesn't follow a speed limit. You're still going to hurt yourself if you aren't careful.

[ he only speaks the truth! and he cares, so if he has to get you one of those special helmets … then you bet your ass he's going to.

he nods. ] Do you think it's somehow connected to the world inside the TV? That would at least make a little bit of sense, wouldn't it?

[ in his mind it does, anyway. :| ]

[cpt_ressentiment]

[He doesn't need a helmet jdfkla

But the conversation's carrying on, so he goes along with it. He crosses his arms, shakes his head.]

I don't know, man. I mean, yeah, it would make at least some sense... but if it is, then where's Teddie? Or Chie? And what about that weird store?

[He notice that Yu has his glasses on, too. Maybe...?] Hey, what about those? [He nods.] Are they doing anything? I mean, not that it's foggy here, but...

[He's reaching for his anyway, just in case...]

[tayori]

[ yes he does. :|

and somehow, yu hadn't really thought about that; if this is connected to the tv world, they should be here somewhere. right? maybe if they start looking around, they'll find them, and they can start figuring this out together.

you know, as a team.

he shakes his head, though. he'd put on the glasses just as a precaution, but for once, they aren't helping him see anything more clearly. they're just. functioning as they would in the real world. ] They aren't. I thought they might, but since they're turning out to be pretty useless … [ he reaches to take them off, puts them back in his pocket. ]

We should look for the others. Because if they're here, once we're all together, we might be able to figure out why we're here.

[ lookit you go, kid. ]

[cpt_ressentiment]

[Yep, a team. They're gonna need a team for this, he's pretty sure... assuming it even has anything to do with the TV world after all.]

That's too bad. [He doesn't even bother with his glasses after all, then. He crosses his arms. Back to the drawing board...] But yeah, let's look for them. As weird as this place is, I think that bear will fit right in. But... what if they're not here?

[grip_on_reality]

[the experiment on Menzies has recently ended, which...may or may not be a good thing from Yu and Yosuke's point of view. in any case, she's back to her usual business-like apparel, and she's out on the Plane looking for a few particular people when she sees--or rather, mostly hears--a spectacular crash instead. apparently someone thought riding a bike in the fog was a good idea]

[she's not impressed by this mystery person's logic, but she immediately jogs over anyway, wanting to make sure he's all right. as she gets closer, she sees him talking to his friend, which is a good sign at least. but she can also see how young the two are now. more kids on the Plane! just what she wanted. she crosses her arms over her chest]

Oi, you! What do you think you're trying to do in this fog?

[cpt_ressentiment]

[He looks up when he hears the woman approach, squinting through the fog to try and get a better look. But when she's finally close enough to see properly, he stands a little bit straighter, eyes a little bit wide - wow, way to be abrupt.]

H-Hey, I didn't know there would be fog! [He sighs.] And we're trying to figure out what's going on. Why we're here. [... He squints at her again.] Do you know?

[tayori]

[ well at least someone here has a sort of take-charge attitude, even if she is a bit abrupt about it. they really hadn't known about the fog, though it does still have him thinking that it has something to do with the tv world, and now they just need to find a way to figure out how it correlates.

because he's convinced that it does.

yu blinks in the woman's direction as she approaches, looking briefly to yosuke before he offers his own reply. ]

Is the fog a normal thing, here? [ because he needs to know if it stays around all the time or not … that will at least get the ball rolling in one direction or the other. ]

[grip_on_reality]

[she scoffs, not letting up] And that explains why you didn't stop and just rode blindly through it how?

[but when they start asking questions--and specifically questions that mark them out very new--she relaxes her posture just a bit] Just arrived, 'ave you? Well, we're not far from the brochures. Let's get one, and I can explain from there. [and she gestures in the direction she means to go before starting off, assuming they'll follow]

[at the question about the fog, she makes a face] Ah, no. That's just appeared recently. [she pauses, debating what to say now and what to wait on the brochures before addressing] Odd things 'appen 'ere often. You probably got that idea when you got pulled 'ere from your worlds without much explanation.

[cpt_ressentiment]

[And he scoffs in return!] Because I didn't think I would actually show up here at all, much less with the bike? And I'm pretty sure it only took me a few seconds to crash. That's not exactly riding blindly. Seriously, I just got here, what are you getting onto me for?

[But then she's talking to Yu, so he takes a second to breathe a little bit, try to keep himself from getting too agitated too quickly. ... And while he's not sure he really wants to follow this snappish lady, at least she knows something about this place, so it's probably in their best interests. Still, he looks over to Yu, deferring to him. If he goes, Yosuke'll follow.]

[behisequal]

[There are some days where he doesn't even have to try to trick someone. Today is one of those days. Were he truly in a playful mood, he may have taken the trick even further in some way.

But his tricks are leaning towards the malicious side. He grows impatient waiting for those who run things on the Plane to notice something is amiss.]

A helmet may not be as helpful as you may hope, not here. [As he talks, the fog begins to thicken around them.] This realm is hazardous; you may wish to walk rather than ride such a contraption.

[cpt_ressentiment]

[Sorry, Loki. A pair of newbies probably aren't going to help you get the attention of the people who run this place. They don't even really get it, yet.]

Yeah, you don't have to worry about that much. I won't be wearing a helmet. Really. I don't need one.

[The fog is getting thicker, though, and that makes him incredibly uneasy. If Yu hadn't already determined that the glasses don't do a bit of good, he'd be reaching for his own by now. As it is, he simply keeps his arms crossed, tries to pretend it's not bothering him as much as it is.]

And uh, would you believe I didn't think it'd come with me? [Beat.] I didn't really think I'd even end up here at all, anyway. What exactly is going on? Do you know?

[tayori]

[ yeah ... they're still too busy trying to figure out what's going on to notice if things are amiss or not -- not to mention they wouldn't even know in the first place.

yu is just standing off to the side, watching loki out of the corner of his eye and still keeping yosuke within his peripheral vision. there's something that feels vaguely off about this whole ordeal, but he can't quite put his finger on what just yet. ]

That thing is dangerous for him even when he knows where he's going. [ ha waves a hand a bit dismissively, still grinning a bit. sorry, yosuke ... sometimes, you're fun to mess with. ]

[behisequal]

[Loki is beyond caring who gets caught in the crossfire now. But he's put into the perfect position to tell a few...exaggerated truths.]

You may regret your words someday, my young friend. If that is a danger to him in your realm, you may wish for it to remain there, unless you wish to see what its presence may be used for against you here.

What you see around you is not the Plane of Astral's natural state of being. It is ever-changing, deceiving, and you two, myself and so many like us are only kindling for the fire they call "the Machine". You may as well run now or you may suffer the inevitable changes that afflict us all. Not even in death will you be able to escape it.

That is exactly what is "going on".

[cpt_ressentiment]

[He's about to defend himself against Yu, but then Loki starts talking. ... And wow, he talks a lot. And... strangely.]

... Is this some sort of... I don't know, show? [Because you sound like an overblown actor.] Because that sounds like something straight out of a creepy story.

we can pretend this is a little bit later like maybe Yu and Yosuke split up idk

[deviances]

[It's probably a good thing Eithan wasn't around for the bike crash. He would have just laughed his ass off. Sure, he'd also make sure everyone was okay, but... yeah, no, laughter first.

But, that's neither here nor there.

Eithan's meandering through the fog, trying to ignore the annoying sounds of dripping water and his sister whining about the state of her clothes. As irritating as they both are... it's still preferable to being home right now. Probably saying something. dfsjkal

But he latches onto the distraction when he sees someone he hasn't seen here before - and from the looks of it, it's someone new. It's pretty easy to spot someone who's here for the first time. Even if they're not outwardly shocked, there's a sort of intrinsic hesitation or awe that seems to show through. So, with a smile, Eithan makes his way over - hopefully to help.]

Hey, man. You okay there?

[Dear goddess please help him take his mind off of whatever is making him hear things.]

works for me!

[tayori]

[ anyone would have found that amusing. ( not that yu will ever admit it, but he'd gotten a fair bit of amusement out of seeing it for the first time himself, even if he had made up for it by stopping to help him up. )

he and yosuke have gone separate ways for the moment – agreeing to attempt to meet back up close to where they'd been in a little bit with a report on anything they'd found – and though he hasn't found anything just yet, he hasn't quite given up. there's got to be something around here that will tell him something that the brochures hadn't, right?

ahh, hopefully optimistic. nanako would be proud of him, he's sure.

he sees a flash of red through the fog, and at eithan's approach, he offers up a friendly half-smile. ] That depends on your definition of 'okay'. I haven't run into anything dangerous, yet, which I guess is a plus.

[ listen to you. aren't you funny. ]

[deviances]

[Stopping to help is all that matters. It also means being amused over it at all is totally forgiven. At least, that's the kind of philosophy Eithan operates under all the time~ So maybe he's biased.

He returns the smile with one of his own - small, but friendly. Willing to help.]

Yeah, I'd call that a plus. Especially here. [Shrug] Haven't seen you around before. Did you just show up?

[tayori]

[ you really are going to remind him of yosuke if you keep going like this, eithan.

that small smile is definitely reassuring, and he nods at the question. ] Yeah. My friend and I showed up around the same time. He crashed his bike into a hat rack … [ just go around telling everyone about your partner's little fumble, sir … some friend you are. ]

I'm Yu.

[deviances]

[Immature? Check. Impulsive? Check. At least they're not both fire-aligned...]

Seriously? [He laughs a little.] Awesome. 's he okay? But man, lucky you, showin' up with someone you know already. I'm the only one from my world. 's kinda... eerie.

Eithan. Been comin' here for a long time now. [He sounds so thrilled fjsdklaj] It can get kinda weird here, so... if you need somethin', I can help. Anytime.

same goes here!

[decrypts]

[ fog.

wyoming's jokes.

fog and wyoming's jokes.

it's still a wonder that he doesn't drop back to the mother of invention and wait this whole thing out, but surprisingly enough … being here is still better than being there right now. even if he has a pounding headache and his eye is bothering him. sigh.

he's already run into south in this mess, and he all but rams right into yosuke because he'd come up on his bad side – no fault of your own, man, seriously – and he reaches out to brace a hand against a slender shoulder to steady them both, already mumbling an apology as he works himself back to being able to keep his equilibrium in check. ] Damn, sorry – this fog's playing hell with my depth perception, and it's already bad enough – hey, never seen you before. New?

[ knock, knock.

SHUT THE FUCK UP, WYOMING, OH MY GOD ASDLKHG ]

aye aye! o7

[cpt_ressentiment]

[The fact that Yosuke hears absolutely nothing in this fog is.. actually pretty telling. Because the silence is pretty deafening, and it makes him twitch, especially as he's stuck here in ~fake outer space~ with no idea what's really going on. Way to hit home, silence. Way to hit home.

Yosuke stumbles a bit when the older man runs into him, but manages not to fall over - the hand on his shoulder helps. He offers up an apologetic smile, shakes his head.]

Don't worry about it. It's not your fault that this fog keeps anyone from seeing more than a foot in front of them...

Huh? Oh, yeah. I am, I guess. [He laughs, just faintly.] I'm still getting used to things. I'm Yosuke.

[decrypts]

[ you lucky little shit. he would much rather have creepy, deafening silence than this bullshit right here. ( again. he could just go back to the ship and wait out whatever it is, but … well. sometimes, he's either not that bright or too damn stubborn. who knows which it is this time around. )

but oh, for real, legit new meat on the plane, huh … he still hasn't quite figured out if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but with all the nonsense with the fog and the mysteriously-appearing water at the beach lately, he's gonna hedge a bet that it's not the best for new kids to show up.

still, he's smiling, because being in a place like this for the first time is kind of jarring, and he may as well be the plane's resident welcoming committee. to a certain extent. ] Interesting name. [ and he holds a hand out, ready for the kid to shake, because why not! ] York. Which probably sounds just as weird, but it's what I'm used to. How much of the place have you seen already?

[cpt_ressentiment]

[While silence is probably better than what the rest of you are hearing, he's pretty twitchy about it. It's so quiet, it's really annoying. He hates silence, honestly.

He appreciates this welcoming committee of sorts. Before this, it was that abrasive detective lady, after all. He'll take anyone friendly over her any day.]

Yeah, it's weirder than my name. [But he's grinning~ and he shakes York's hand.] Nice to meet you. I really haven't seen much of anything. Just a brochure. And a hat rack. So, what else is there?

[decrypts]

[ really. let him give you some of these jokes. you'll get tired of them pretty quickly and probably want the silence back. hnnngh they're so horrible asdlkhdfg woe woe woe.

abrasive detective lady, you say? you should mention her. he can tell you about the fact that she calls him everything under the sun except his given name. ] S'a codename. My real name is actually pretty boring. [ shrug! ] … A hat rack? In the middle of the Plane? Can't say I'm surprised, but it's somethin' I haven't seen yet. [ and he chuckles. ]

There's a bar that magically restocks itself, a waterless beach … though I hear there's water there now, for some reason? A giant-ass mansion, a library that currently doesn't have any words in it … the Coliseum … [ all kinds of shit, really. ]