teaism | even if we must part again tomorrow

even if we must part again tomorrow

[Eichi has no idea how he got here. He was asleep in his bed in his apartment, the last he knew, but now he woke to blinding lights over him, a machine beeping alongside him. A medical bay of some sort, from what he can determine, and his heart begins to race as he sits up. Panic... there's panic, of course there is, because everyone is gone, and he doesn't know what this is. Another kidnapping? One more like the first?

Somehow, there are no needles, despite the fact that he's sure the monitors on the wall are showing his vitals. There is a bracelet over his wrist that he rips off, and that causes the machines to go into alert, warnings speaking over the speakers of the room. A staff member will be by to assist you shortly. Please remain where you are.

Of course he doesn't. His feet touch the ground, and he heads straight for what he can only assume is the door, but hit by a wave of dizziness, he stumbles and catches himself on the wall. Groggy... drowsy, even. Drugs? Something gets to the door before he does— a robot, though it's fairly close to looking human. It's the uncanny face and the vacant expression that gives it away. It tells Eichi to go back to the bed, so more medicine can be administered, and he shoves past it, yanking away from a metallic hand that tries to grab at his wrist, and runs down the curved hallway.

Honestly, he wouldn't have been able to make it far like this, anyway. He's in a medical gown of some sort, he's completely out of it at the moment, and running is taking too much out of him. Just a few steps, and he's out of breath, but he pushes, and pushes, right until he slams face first into someone else. A warm body. Someone human...?

He clutches at the arm of whoever it is tightly, but temporarily slumps as he loses consciousness there. He'll wake up in a bit, sorry about that.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Dodger hasn't exactly been harboring any fondness for the androids around here - especially after waking up in a similar way a week ago. He's never been good at moving past first impressions. He has, however, managed to map out the maintenance tunnels in the vicinity so that he can avoid them. And when one of them comes chasing after whoever just bumped into him, he's quick to teleport them both into a spot where they won't be found for a while.

Though, now there is the issue of him being alone to deal with a passed-out teenager in a hospital gown... there's something familiar about this, but scratching those itches in his brain really never does him any good. He focuses on the present instead, prodding the kid gently on his shoulder.]

Hey. You alright?

[Clearly not, Dodger, what kind of question is that.]

Ah...

[The prodding is enough to wake him, this time, and he strains to open his eyes, bringing a hand to his head as he blinks up at the stranger. Stranger...? There's something fuzzy and familiar about him, though...

But he can't stay on that for long, either. His gaze turns around them, and his stomach sinks a little. A completely different spot. Was he out for long? He completely missed that it was teleportation. He pushes himself up to create a small bit of distance, trying to get his bearings.]

Where are we?

[Given that they're in a narrow metal hallway that's just barely tall enough for them to stand and wide enough to sit comfortably, Dodger would assume it's a little obvious... but he guesses from the look of this kid that he isn't used to slumming it very often. As for what's beyond that, Dodger doesn't really have answers... given he also chose to skip orientation.]

Maintenance tunnel. [He replies simply, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and snapping his fingers to light one - he offers the pack to Eichi, although he really doubts he'll want one.] Not gonna pass out again, are you?

[Maintenance tunnel...? Eichi holds his palm up to refuse the cigarette offering, blinking a few times as he stares at the walls. His hand moves, touching to the metal, and he takes a shaky breath. Okay.]

I should be fine, though it seems as though I've been given some sort of a drug. Have you seen any other humans?

[They're the only ones, not that Eichi knows. On a "rescue flight" heading for some sort of space station, with a crew of robots. Now, an announcement plays over the intercom of the ship, stating that if any other passengers see a wandering medical patient, to alert the staff at once. It's automated, so it's not really taking into account that Dodger is the only one who'd hear that anyway.

Eichi looks to his company now.]

I'm sorry, but, you look a little familiar... Where were you, before this? Could it be possible that we know one another?

[Dodger shakes his head, putting the pack away without much of a fight. He has to have a time limit on smoking anyway, unless he wants the androids to notice the vents smoking.]

Unless a city under the ocean rings a bell, I doubt it.

[His reputation is unavoidable back home - if Eichi knew him from Boston, he'd be scrambling to get away from him as fast as he could. Still... it does make him curious, that they're both experiencing deja vu.]

Got a name? Might jog my memory.

A different one entirely, then.

[Just his world, or somewhere else? There's no way of knowing unless he asks, but he supposes it's rather pointless to right now. He covers a cough with his hand, irritated by the smoke but not wanting to comment on it, and then nods briefly.]

Eichi Tenshouin. I'm an idol, so it wouldn't surprise me to be recognized... but to recognize someone myself is a little more unique, you know? My head still feels a bit fuzzy, however. What's your name?

Not much into idols, but I might have seen you around.

[That does sort of explain it... if they knew each other from somewhere, he can't imagine a teen idol would know much about the criminal underbelly of Boston. And he can't imagine remembering too much about a celebrity.

That name, though... it's definitely familiar.]

Folks call me Dodger. [He takes another long drag from his cigarette, and lets the smoke spill out of his mouth while he speaks.] I did odd jobs back in Boston - confidential, boring stuff. Can't see how we'd end up brushing shoulders.

[Funny how he always defaults to covering up how shady his job is, when anyone can see from his face and general posture that he's from the wrong side of the tracks.]

Dodger-san...

[Why does that sound familiar? Maybe it's just that it's such an American word? It sounds like he's from there, too. Still.]

My family runs a huge financial conglomerate with reaches throughout the world, rather than just Japan, so if you truly do "confidential, boring stuff" then perhaps that may be how? I have to say, though, that you don't have the image of someone who fits into that sort of role.

[He'll just out and say it. He thinks Dodger would look incredibly out of place in a suit. At least with how he's holding himself.]

...In any case, can you recall how you arrived in this place? If you also have no memory, then it really must be some sort of kidnapping.

[He shrugs quietly. He really doesn't expect anyone to buy it - that's why Augustine does the talking and Dodger does the punching. ~~Joke's on you though, Eichi, he cleans up amazingly in a suit.~~]

Dunno, I woke up hooked up to some life support thing... I guess the plan was to keep us under until we got wherever we're going, but we woke up early.

[A little more complex than his experience at the Sphere, but he can't say he minds. It never rubbed him right, the way the council there acted like there was nothing wrong with being ripped out of his reality and expected to follow their rules.]

Chances are there's some clothes for you somewhere... if you wanna get out of the alter boy look.

[If he remembers correctly, going left in here will get them to a latch near the sleeping quarters. He'd found his own belongings in a locker, so it stands to reason there would be something for Tenshouin too.]

[Hmm. So the same way... but it's just them? He'll have to sneak back to sick bay to see if anyone else is there, but that puts him at risk of being put back under, right? Well. He'll worry about that shortly, but first—]

Of course I'd like to change. Where did you find yours? It's freezing... My other belongings are important, as well.

[He holds out his hand, suddenly, for a shake.]

At the very least, if we're in the same situation, then we should be comrades. You'll agree, won't you? It's not as if we have much choice.

Uhh... sure.

[He glances down at Eichi's hand, gears turning for a moment before he takes it.

There's something very familiar about the feeling, the slender and cold fingers and the elegant way that he holds himself even in this sorry state. There's a flash, for a moment, of this same man awkwardly taking his hand, leading him through a crowd of fans. His hands had been warmer then.. or maybe Dodger's had been colder.

Without meaning to, he's squeezed Eichi's hand a little hard than he meant to. He quickly releases it and gets to his feet, smoking a bit more pointedly as he leads Eichi down the tunnel.]

[A tight squeeze. Had he imagined it? He flexes and curls his fingers once he has his hand back, staring at the back of Dodger's head before he follows after him. Yes, even this angle looks familiar, somehow. The smell of those cigarettes, too. They're all horrible on his lungs, but these ones are different, aren't they?

He covers another cough, and thinks harder. Dodger... Dodger, Dodger. Learning how he knows this person might change if he trusts him or not, so it's important, right? Another announcement sounds out, this time about not leaving the medical facilities for their own health.]

You seem awfully familiar with these maintenance tunnels. How long have you been awake?

A few days.

[And that's really all he's going to explain about that. He doesn't trust robots at the best of times, so of course he's been hard at working figuring out how to move around the ship without anyone seeing him. He'd probably have done it anyway, to avoid humans seeing him.

The tunnel is starting to get hazy from the smoke, and he crushes what's left of his cigarette against the wall before letting it drop where it may. Eichi might notice there's a scattering of cigarette butts along the floor in here.]

Come on, it opens out over here.

[He hasn't actually used the tunnel entrances much, so he takes a moment to look it over before pulling a crank on the side. There's a sound like churning gears before the door pops open with a mechanical hiss, and he guides Eichi through into a clean, white room with lockers along one wall and an archway leading to the personal rooms. After the dim light of the tunnel, he has to take a moment to adjust to the brightness, and he covers his bad eye before the inevitable headache can set in.]

[After another cough, Eichi moves out and over to the lockers, peeking at each of them before he finds the one assigned to him. From there, it's not difficult to open it up and find his belongings inside. Clothes, his medication, and his cell phone— thank goodness.]

It's here! Ah, what a relief... Thank you, Jamie. [The name comes out like a muscle memory, and he doesn't even notice he's said it. He's busy putting his clothes over his arm, back to Dodger, gathering it all.]

Are there rooms where it's safe to change, or should I do it here? I don't want to be caught, you see, so...

[Jamie.

He hadn't said his name, he's sure of that... he stopped using his first name years ago, he really hates the sound of it. But this kid saying it pulls another echo, another time, into focus and Dodger responds almost numbly.]

Don't mention it...

[He reaches up and idly wipes the blood that's running down his nose... yeah, this is just like how it had been in the Sphere, meeting people some other version of him had met and battling to stay in the present around them.

He brushes past Eichi to his own locker, fishing out a bottle of glowing blue pills and taking one.]

The androids don't come into this area. Not as far as I can tell. [He glances at him.] And I don't want you running off while I'm not looking.

[Yes, because there's so many places to run to.]

Fufu... You're watching out for me, then? Thank you.

[He glances at those pills Dodger has, curious but silent for the moment, and then turns back to his locker. Well... if he has no choice. He shifts and lets the hospital gown drop away, focusing on getting dressed as quickly as possible.

Of course, there's still a handprint on his back. One he doesn't know of, or can't recall, or hasn't received yet...? Time is odd. Time makes no sense here. But he's pulling on his clothes, pants first.]

If that's the case, then I'd like to sneak back and see who else might be here. You don't mind, do you? Like a secret mission. ♪

[Dodger had a dry response lined up, but it leaves his mind when he sees that mark. The pills will be repressing his echoes for a while, but that doesn't mean he won't recognize his own mark on someone's skin. He's been marking people for years, and never run across something similar.

Without thinking he reaches out and brushes his fingers across the handprint, not particularly bothered by how low it is on Eichi's back.]

How'd you get this?

[Well, he's not unused to being touched, at this point, but it's still out of nowhere. It startles him, like a shiver, just as he's pulled his pants on, and he turns slightly to stare at Dodger, his own hand reaching back to touch where he had.]

Get what?

[His... ass? His lack of ass? This is probably the strangest question he's had yet.]

There's... [He drifts off, staring at Dodger's face, and he swears he can remember his warmth so much more than this, the greedy curl of fingers over that same spot, a sensitive sort of bruise. He lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. His head hurts... he's dizzy. What's going on, exactly...?]

[His hand shifts, moving to perfectly match the handprint. Definitely his. His skin pulses with heat for a moment - not enough to burn, but enough that it might jog Eichi's memory a bit better.]

We've definitely met.

[He removes his hand then, and turns his attention back to Eichi's face. He looks sick again...]

You alright?

[ It’s the heat that really does it. Just a small taste of it, but he remembers it vividly. Not like Asra’s magic, but something harsher. Distant, but so close... when was it? He’s sure he remembers it now, he realizes there must be a handprint on his back, but... that wasn’t there before. When did he get it? When did he forget?

He ignores that question, reaching to catch one of Dodger’s hands with his own, studying his face more. He’s paler, his heartbeat is shakier, but it’s important to push past this, right? ]

We’ve done more than meet, haven’t we? [ How could these memories be so faint? He’s never been the one to forget before. Or has he? ] How could that be... I’m having difficult recalling clearly.

[Dodger is silent for a moment, watching him carefully. A part of him regrets taking his medication, but he can only go so far down that road before he'll need proper medical attention. And anyway, he doesn't like the idea of being the only one that remembers.]

I didn't put that mark on you. Some other.. version of me, did. The one that met you. [He hesitates before elaborating.] It happened before.. somewhere else. I knew someone that met me in another world. Whenever I touched him, I remembered him a little better.

[The memories he got from this kid are much more pleasant... almost cute. With Ivar he'd remembered being tortured, pinned down and humiliated. It had been a rush, but he'd hate to be trapped alone with someone like that.]

I guess it doesn't matter. If you don't remember either.

What are you saying? Of course it matters. Some other version, but you still remember? So isn't it the same as yourself?

[He huffs a little, squeezing that hand before he drops it so that he can finish putting on his clothes. Button his pants, grab his shirt—]

This is the fifth time I've been kidnapped already, though I'll call it the third time I've switched worlds that I can recall. There have been countless people who have forgotten me, so I won't settle for forgetting something myself. It's there, in pieces, so over time, we can—

[Well, he was going to continue his little speech, but something hits the side of the ship and jolts everything pretty roughly.]

[The blow to the ship makes Dodger immediately enter panic mode, and he disappears in a flash of sparks and a loud pop. He reappears a moment later, pressed against the wall until the ship steadies itself. It's another moment before he catches his breath, and checks to see if Eichi is alright.]

...Think we should be worried about that?

[He'd rather not go snooping around when it seems like they have a lot to discuss, but... he also isn't going to argue if Eichi wants to.]

[Eichi stumbles, and he can't catch himself on Dodger, so he catches himself on another locker. By the time Dodger reappears, Eichi is reading to pull his shirt on and button it up, shoving his phone and meds into his pockets.]

It would be foolish to ignore it. Are you alright? That sort of magic you're using... I vaguely recall it.

[It's different from Asra's, too. Is it still magic? It has to be, right? There's another loud noise, this one more like a piece of the ship moving, far away, and faint rumbles that follow. Something is happening, but there are no alarms, no announcements. And apparently this is a ship of some sort, not a building? Ugh.]

If you know the layout by now, where can we figure out what happened? Do you have a guess?

[He swears under his breath, shaking his head to clear it.]

It's not magic.

[It's really just splitting hairs, but he wants to make that point clear.

He glances around, gears turning in his head as his expression seems to sharpen.]

The other announcements were automated, so they must not be prepared for this... There's a hallway through there, we might be able to see what's going on through the windows, but the cockpit's bound to be crawling with androids.

[Probably not steering the ship, but definitely encouraging passengers not to go fucking around in there.]

It's not?

[He looks over at that... but he'll have to ask for the details later. Hmm. He glances down after his shirt is buttoned, pulling his phone from his pocket. Without lifting it, or touching a button, the screen turns on to show the battery, and Eichi blinks. Okay, so he still has his electricity.]

I have an idea to deal with some of them, if that's the case, at least. I may be frail, but I can manage a few things.

[He slides his phone away.]

Shall we?

[He's silent for a moment, still a bit annoyed that there are things to focus on aside from possibly knowing each other. More than that, it bothers him that he's got incentive to keep the kid alive, rather than blowing on ahead. Which means... walking through doors. Ugh.

He does notice Eichi's phone reacting to him, but he files it away for now. Probably some weird mutation... or magic.]

Come on.

[The doors here have touch screen panels instead of door knobs, which is just plain annoying to the old soul that Dodger is. The door slides aside and reveals a curved hallways along the side of the ship, with a large window pointed out into space.]

Do you have a plan for what we do, if it's something serious?

[Because his plan is to hide and wait for death. He really doubts there's much he can do against a space collision.]

I always have a plan. Though, of course, it will depend on what we find...

[He'll work it out. After he's popped a pill of his own medication and made sure his phone and meds are securely tucked away, he moves after Dodger, eyes taking in everything he can. High tech, most likely a spaceship, from how it all looks...

There are more sounds in the distance, though it's unclear what they are. Things moving, things creaking... Is it ship damage? Someone boarding? It's still unclear.]

Have you heard anything about where we've been headed this whole time?

[Dodger has a sneaking suspicion that Eichi doesn't have a plan at all, but he pushes the thought away. This is already making him nervous enough, and he'd rather just focus on the present.]

Information implies choice. [There's a pause before he elaborates, as he just looks around on high alert.] If they were announcing it, that'd sorta... tell us we could choose to stop there or keep going somewhere else - like a bus system.

[Does the kid even know what buses are? He doesn't like dealing with rich folks often.]

Once we get into the cockpit, we'll probably be able to find information. They speak English, so we've got that going for us. [Dodger hasn't figured out that they're being translated universally.] All I know for now is that we got three days before arrival...

[He trails off, but he isn't sure if he should bring his thought to the table. They have three days left unless the ship is getting damaged... then what, how long can they survive here if it breaks down?]

...I'm capable of conversational English, but that's not what I'm speaking now, you know? It's Japanese. Something must be translating for us.

[Huh. In the ship? On their person? Now he's concerned about that, but he doesn't stop walking or slow his steps. He stares ahead, thinking... continuing that train of thought even if Dodger doesn't. They need to focus.]

I believe you should leave the speaking to me. If that falls through, then I'll give a signal to try a different approach... It should be pretty clear from my actions what to do. This is assuming there's someone to greet us at all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

even if we must part again tomorrow

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject