six (video) ♞ ❝today, it's up to me and you.❞

[limitstorm]

[ loading, loading, loading--

click. when the camera turns on, it shows a wall of lobby of the transports' housing, and Riku--that guy that's been gone for a couple of days, completely scarce--and he looks notably different. for one, his hair's cut, and two... he just carries himself differently.

he's up against the wall, looking to be pinning a long piece (and wide; it's almost as tall as him and spans a lot of the wall) of paper to it. a few things are already drawn; spherical shapes and some rectangles with landscapes drawn in them, with a name above them with some writing underneath.

and he seems to be talking to someone off-camera. ]

Stellaluna.

[ flapflapflap ]

You know... that fruit's fake.

[ flapflapflap SCREE 8(

to which he just laughs, and a large multicolored bat comes into frame, speeding straight at him. he's almost bowled over as the bat nuzzles against him, and he takes a moment to calm her down before moving over to the tablet, to find it's already recording. ]

Looks like it's finally on.

It's been a few months since I've been here, but it looks like it was just a few days here. [ he shakes his head, and runs a hand through his hair. ] Time travel...

A lot of people have friends, maybe even family here--but the number of worlds that're represented here is still huge.

So it'd do some good to start plotting out how many worlds there are between all of us, and anything from our homeworlds that might be worth something. I've already got the worlds I've been to drawn up here, and my homeworld, too. If you wanna add to it, it's down in the lobby of the housing building.

Comments

1/2

[gentle]

[that creature...it looks like a woobat.]

She's so beautiful...

action;

[ex_symbioses706]

[ so ranka was walking in back into the apartment, carrying a bag full of a couple of things she'd gone out to pick up - which gets promptly dropped when she sees someone familiar (and with a giant bat thing) in the lobby. ]

Riku!

action;

[limitstorm]

[ oh whoa

by the way ranka reacts, riku is starting to wonder if his calculations were wrong...

stellaluna, however, rapidly goes over to ranka and starts flapping about her, as he walks over. so casual. ]

Hey, Ranka.

2/2

[gentle]

[--oh, that's right, this human was talking about something or other, wasn't he?]

You say you have been to multiple worlds? Could it be that charting the various worlds represented in this place holds the key to finding a way out of here?

action;

[revelation]

( oh boy, guess who is zooming to that lobby?

there will be one pink haired magical girl practically hopping down those last few steps. )

Riku, welcome back! ( stellaluna is getting a big smile too. ) And hello to you too.

action;

[limitstorm]

[ oh hey, kiddo, he missed you. he's honestly surprised that so many people are surprised and happy to see him back.

and what's more, he can fully enjoy it now without feeling too guilty. ]

Hey, Madoka. [ Stellaluna gets to her before him, settling on her shoulder. ] Looks like she likes you.

[limitstorm]

Probably not. There's no gateways to or from this world... but it'll help us if the United Earth gets to our worlds. [ stellaluna perches on his shoulder, and he gives her a smile before looking back to n. ] I think she's flattered.

action;

[revelation]

How was home? And that's good because I'm pretty sure I like her too! ( she giggles, raising her hand toward her but pauses with a curious glance back. ) Is it okay for me to pet her?

action

[rota]

[... Oh my god it's so cute 8'( It may be a giant bat and looks like a Shadow but it's so cute.

Not that she's tempted to touch it (well, she is but that's not the point) but she's not going to do anything around.]

Welcome back, I suppose. [Even though she didn't exactly notice...]

voice

[firstroar]

[well ok colorful animal mascots.........but Blue's attention is more focused on that map.]

Worlds between each other. You believe there is some level of...proximity? Sharing similar space?

action;

[ex_symbioses706]

[ she coos at the bat, but - first thing's first. got to leap at riku with a pleased hug. ]

You're back!

[gentle]

I see... Of course it wouldn't be that simple.

[dAMNIT!!!]

But still, your skills and experiences are very impressive in their own right. I hardly know anything about my own world, so to have seen many worlds before this one... It must be amazing.

[he returns the smile, though it's more directed at stellaluna, the expression warm and fond.]

Is she a friend you met during your travels?

action;

[limitstorm]

Home was...

[ full of dreams and time-travelling assholes who want vessels. ]

... interesting. [ he gives a nod. ] She'd like that. [ and watch Stellaluna sparkle and shimmer when that happens. ]

action

[limitstorm]

[ Stellaluna lets out a scree when she approaches, and Riku looks towards Naoto. ]

Hey. Thanks.

voice

[limitstorm]

There is. I don't know how many worlds're near here, or which ones they are--but all these worlds have to exist somewhere. They'd be near each other.

[ ... a pause, and then he sighs. ]

This map won't be accurate to what's near what, but it's a start.

action;

[limitstorm]

[ !

he catches her fairly easily, though he does exhale slightly in relief when he does. he'll give her a little spin as he holds her securely, pausing to actually speak. ]

Yeah... I am. Here to stay, as long as this world needs me.

[limitstorm]

[ uhhhh this is a case for modest and hard-on-himselfku ]

The really amazing one is my best friend. He's seen a lot more worlds than I have... your horizons are always wider than you think. Now you've got two worlds you've got to get to know--this world, and your homeworld.

[ ... and to explain this. ]

Ah--

Well. [ he looks towards Stellaluna as she nestles where she is. ] ... sort of.

video

[miiracles]

Ah...

[ Have one little girl peering into the screen. The bat's pretty cute. Rika was planning to avoid the network and continue moping around in her room, but that colorful bat manages to draw her to her tablet.

First the little blob creature from her roommate and now this. That's not the only thing that grabs her attention though... ]

You've traveled to other worlds before, besides this one and your own?

video

[limitstorm]

[ oh no, a little girl... hmm. he's surprised to hear her ask that, but just simply nods. ]

Yeah. I have for a few years, now.

action;

[ex_symbioses706]

[ it wasn't long, but in the aftermath of everything that'd been happening...well, it was hard not to worry. besides, his presence is reassuring, and it's after she's accepted his presence that she starts to notice things like - ]

And you cut your hair?

[ Goodbye long silver locks rip etc ]

video

[miiracles]

...um... [ It takes her a moment to ask her next question. She feels awkward, especially since her own world taught her to keep her mouth shut about this sort of thing or else the adults will think you're crazy! It shouldn't matter here though... ]

Has each world been different or, were there some out there that seemed exactly the same?

[gentle]

[N can certainly relate to that, if his wistful smile is any indicator.]

He sounds remarkable. It reminds me a bit of someone I know, though I only wish I could call them my best friend.

But thank you, for your encouragement.

[he's still not used to being at the receiving enc of suck positivity.

thankfully, the explanation seems to placate him enough. truthfully, he's a little too enamored with watching the bat creature fidget to press at an in-depth explanation.]

I see. You must meet so many wonderful creatures... Though, I cannot help but wonder what she is, exactly. She looks a little like a Pokemon, but not quite...

action;

[limitstorm]

Oh... yeah.

I did.

[ the start of new beginnings, etc ]

It was getting in the way of my training.

video

[limitstorm]

A lot of them are different, but... some seemed like they were pretty similar.

[ Sora's rundown of Space Paranoids and his time in The Grid--they both seemed so similar, Riku didn't know where one stopped and the other ended. ]

[limitstorm]

Someone you know, huh? [ an easy smile comes to his face. ] You might be more friends than you think. Sometimes it just hits you.

[ a tilt of his head. ] You're welcome.

[ riku's not good at receiving end, either. but he sure does know how to dole out positive words, even if he's harsh on himself. ]

I did meet a lot. It's too bad she's the only one that was able to come with me.

She's a Dream Eater. She's actually not even supposed to be able to exist here, but... I guess the Initiative let her. [ and riku pets her head affectionately. ]

I've never heard of Pokemon.