[Private Level 2 to basically everyone Tachibana knows well]

[triggerhappytraitor]

Sayoko--

This world's Sayoko is here. Alive.

[[There might be a bit of a note of panic in his mental voice]]

She saw me. Recognized me...!

....and she's a Pillar.



[[Anyone who comes looking will find him in the garage, sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, Garren hovering worriedly at his side.]]

Comments

[summerorange]

And for her to be like that...

[She lets the implications hang in the air for several moments, feeling her own heart sink. It's Kivaara who eventually breaks the silence.]

No living counterpart~, then?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[He's unhappily silent a long moment.]]

I've always had an overlay in the worlds she's been alive....

[ninjayeehaw]

"Yeah, well. I don't reckon Kenzaki's gonna go helpin' y'all with that," he comments dryly. He'd only met the overlay briefly, but it had been memorable. "Which means y'all only got one option there."

[summerorange]

And you're still yourself in this world...

[A heavy pause, before she slowly sits next to her fellow Rider.]

Even if...if you two are from different worlds... wouldn't you both want to speak to each other? Just once?

[triggerhappytraitor]

Another long moment of quiet. "Kenzaki's overlay..." he trailed off a moment before giving a deep sigh. "He might explain. Likely will start yelling at me about things I should know," he added with a small, wry, if tired smile.

[ninjayeehaw]

"Don't sound any different from what y'all've told me 'bout the pair a' y'all back in yer world, then." He raises an eyebrow back at Tachibana. "Worst case scenario with him, he goes stormin' off an' y'all go back t'Sayoko anyhow."

[triggerhappytraitor]

"His overlays... are very much still him, in most ways," Tachibana nodded, leaning his head against the back of the couch to look up at the ceiling. There's still a very tight knot of emotion in his chest that he's trying to figure out how to undo, and for once, the restlessness that came with it isn't driving him back out into ill thought action.

[awondrousplace]

[There is only the smallest of moments before a soft knock comes on Tachibana's door.]

It is only me, Tachibana. I have brought some tea for you.

[As usual, Helena will refuse to take no for an answer.]

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[He looks up, blinking a few times before giving a small nod]]

...thank you.

[[and he looks about as shell shocked and rattled as he sounded on the network.]]

[chalicejoker]

Every so often.

["Planets have to be in alignment!" adds Ryo.]

[triggerhappytraitor]

Let's hope that they are, this time. [[and he finally is starting to relax]]

...Thank you.

[[The words are quiet and soft, but very genuine.]]

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[He looks horribly torn, lips pressed together as he tries not to fidget]]

...Wouldn't that just be more cruel...? To give her the illusion of something that isn't even the person she expects, only to just leave again...?

Eeeeh let's switch to prose

[photonicfighter]

Dakki catches his confusion, and her fingers curl atop his hand lightly, trying to be encouraging. "Just let me know if you do." And then, after a bit of uncertain silence, "...this isn't the first world she's been in. But... it's the first time you've been investigating when she's been here, isn't it?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

He nodded. "Every other time I was either infiltrated alongside her, or she had already been killed... or both," he sighed. "...and she was happy."

[photonicfighter]

"Oh..." That really covers the possibilities well. There's a bit more uncertain silence. "...what do you think you'll do? If she's not happy... there must be something that you can do?"

Rappy, having finally been helped to his feet and over in Tachibana's direction, flops against Tachibana's leg in an attempt at a comforting hug.

[triggerhappytraitor]

"...I don't know," Tachibana admitted with a deep sigh, almost distractedly reaching down to pat Rappy. "Is there anything I can do, without making things worse...?"

[photonicfighter]

Rappy peeps softly and looks up when Tachibana pets him. "...give her a hug, bwak? I bet she really needs a hug."

"Rappy." Dakki wants to scold him, but there's no force in her words. His intent is good, even if his execution is... Rappy-like.

"No, really... I mean... if she's seen you, she can't unsee you, so you can't just not try to help her."

[triggerhappytraitor]

The Pogemon's response gets a faint, tired huff. "Would she even want one, from an illusion of the person she's lost? And someone who's just going to leave again...."

[photonicfighter]

He has to think about it a moment, but just a moment. "...yeah!"

"He has a point... I would rather be sad, but know, than never really know and never really have any resolution. And it's not like we need to actually hide here. They already know what we travelers are, more or less."

[triggerhappytraitor]

"..I can't give her resolution. I'm not the person she know. I wouldn't know..." he trails off, shaking his head before letting out a deep sigh again.

"...I'm just being a coward again, aren't I...?"

[photonicfighter]

"You don't know that for sure, bwak! You've gotta try."

After that deep sigh, Dakki shifts and moves to wrap her arms gently around Tachibana. For a robot, she's very soft and human-like. It's a good hug. "You're scared. But you're not a coward, I don't think. You just want to do the right thing, right?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Running away makes me a coward," Tachibana corrected, even as the tension bleed out from his posture. Hugs still confused him, but he wasn't going to protest. Especially not from someone who was still sort of like a little sister to him.

[photonicfighter]

"A coward in the moment, maybe. But you're not a coward if you go back and try your best." He's still like a big brother to her, still someone to dote on and to worry over and to count on. What else can she do but be here, and hug him?

[triggerhappytraitor]

He nodded, tension continuing to slowly leach out of him. "...I just hope my best can be good enough..."

[photonicfighter]

"It absolutely can." One of Dakki's hands moves in small circles upon his back.

With things starting to feel more relaxed, Rappy hops up and settles next to Tachibana instead. Leg-hugs are a little bit undignified, after all. "Bwak... you've got time to come up with a plan, right?"