Audience: Hikage

[gatonina]

Comments

[psychedelica]

... Huh?

[ gross, it's junpei. Somewhat warily, he reaches out to accept the box. ]

What is this?

[gatonina]

Cookies from a friend on the other side. Don't worry, I didn't do anything to them.

[psychedelica]

... Is that something I should be worried about?

[ he's peering inside to double check. they sure look like cookies... ]

Who sent these?

[gatonina]

No, but considering how much you like us I figured I should preemptively say so. [but there's a shrug.] Two guesses, man. Who do you think?

[psychedelica]

Belph and Stephanie don't cook.

[ ...... unless they do?? ]

[gatonina]

For all I know Belph had somebody else make them, but I got the sense he did it himself.

[psychedelica]

[ ok, that was literally his last guess, and he looks a little stunned. ]

... Are you serious?

[ HE'S LOOKING IN THE BOX AGAIN LIKE HE NEEDS TO DOUBLE CHECK THESE ARE ACTUALLY COOKIES ]

[gatonina]

Yeah. He asked me to deliver them, so I am.

[psychedelica]

[ he's going to try not to look too pleased about this... but he's obviously very pleased. Belph... ]

... Well, thanks, I guess. [ after a moment of consideration, he opts to just continue holding the tin in front of him - he doesn't want to tuck it under his arm and risk messing some of the cookies up. ] This works out fine. I wanted to ask you something, anyway.

[gatonina]

[that's fair. junpei just nods along.]

Well, you've got my attention. What is it?

[psychedelica]

Everyone else who was in our past world is asleep somewhere. You've said that. But as far as I can tell, you're only referring to participants. [ a beat. ] ... My little sister was there, at the very end, because I made a wish for her. Where is she?

[gatonina]

...I imagine she's waiting for you on the other end. Where was she before she came to rescue you?

[psychedelica]

... Dead. Like me. She was stuck in the place between life and death.

[gatonina]

Don't take this the wrong way, but does that mean there's a possibility of revival then? If it's between life and death.

[psychedelica]

[ that is a bit of a tender subject, but, miraculously, Hikage doesn't clam up about it - this discussion is too important for him to get overly emotional. ]

I'm here, aren't I? [ a beat. ] ... She's there because I tried to revive her. I just failed. But Tiger and Dragon brought her back for me after everything in the castle.

[crashout]

I see. [he seems to think that over.] Well...if your original hosts were able to bring her back, like I said, I imagine she's waiting for you where you were planning to go before you came here. History didn't get erased just because it got derailed.

[psychedelica]

... How certain are you?

[ he wears the face of a man afraid to hope for things. It's rarely worked out well for him. ]

[crashout]

...it's all dependent on your happy ending to tell you the truth. But when that's won and regained? One hundred percent.

[psychedelica]

[ ah. that's all he needs. He would fight tooth and nail for Steph and Belph, without question - but knowing his sister is waiting for him, he can fight for himself, too. There's a firming of resolve in his expression, and he holds the gift a little closer to his chest. ]

... I'll do anything you need me to.

[crashout]

...alright. [now they're in business.] You're still on my team, so you're not out of the running yet. Do what you can to gather and compile information on this side to get it over to the others. We need to secure a win no matter what it takes.

And start thinking of ways to handle a pink snake, I guess.

[psychedelica]

[ business is easier than pretending to be friends. He can work with this. ]

I'm guessing you don't think shooting it in the head will work.

[crashout]

Depends on if it only has one head. Not knowing what this thing'll look like also doesn't help our cause.

[psychedelica]

[ hmmm. ]

... I've dealt with things like this before. If it has a physical form, you should be able to kill it with weapons.

[ although those monsters he killed were truly just lost human souls. Would a monster made of all the negativity without the soul at its core function the same way? He's not sure. ]

[crashout]

Should being the operative word. No, see, what I'm worried about is that it'll manifest into something that knows how to dodge normal weapons somehow. Pit us against each other, stuff like that.

We should make sure everybody knows how to defend themselves though.

[psychedelica]

... Right. I suppose it's going to have human-like intelligence whenever it shows up.

[ how annoying! ]

The ones who can't fight seem to be in the minority.