[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

[photonicfighter]

Oh.

[There's a brief silence as all of this processes. She has lost hope. She recognized Tachibana. This world must have had a Tachibana. So where was...]

Tachibana, where are you?

[It's gently insistent.]

[triggerhappytraitor]

Home.

The garage.

[photonicfighter]

I'm coming. Stay there, Tachibana.

[She can't teleport, so she needs to run, and across a fair bit of dream distance... but she's not at all out of breath once arriving. Rappy, however, flops into a feather, panting pile next to the doorway. She just strides forward without him. Now where is Tachibana in here?]

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[Sitting on the couch, elbows on his knees as he holds his head up with his hands.

Garren makes a small alarmed sound, rushing over to Rappy's side in concern]]

[photonicfighter]

[Rappy waves a wing dismissively at Garren's concern, which ends up being kind of weak and wobbly and more of patting motion against the little pog's helmet.] I'm okay, pii.... go see your partner, pii....

[Dakki moves to the couch, then quietly sits down beside him, placing a hand atop one of his.] I'm here. It's alright. [And then, after an uncertain pause,] ...can I get you anything?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[Garren is going to do his best to help Rappy up and over to where the two Slammers are talking]]

[[Tachibana glances down at the hand in something bordering confusion before shaking his head, shifting to lean back against the couch.]]

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?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

"...if I can even figure out how to plan something like this," Tachibana sighed again, shaking his head. Planning... was not his area of strength. At all.

(Garren, meanwhile, is going to climb up and try and find a way to join in the group snug)