Lost and Found

[chalicejoker]

[There's images with this; Hajime is using Sensory Livestreaming to show off a weird playing card in his hand.]

Quick question--has anyone seen anything sort of like this, except it's the Ace of Diamonds? Has a stag beetle instead of a mantis.

Someone lost his.

Comments

[chalicejoker]

Don't call me that!

[justakamenthief]

It's what you are. No use in denying it.

[chalicejoker]

The hell do you know?

I'm more than that.

[justakamenthief]

Remember: I've lived under your kind: You don't understand us, and you never WILL.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Hajime's kind is human. Remember that.

[justakamenthief]

[A new voice. And judging by the familiarity...]

Garren, I presume?

Human? No...he's a monster. I've SEEN the type of human you think he is...and he's nowhere near them.

[He's camped outside of Wataru's house a number of times, thinking of stealing the Bloody Rose.]

[triggerhappytraitor]

You know nothing about Hajime, so shut up.

[justakamenthief]

A Joker decided to take over my world. I know EVERYTHING about them. They manipulate, destroy and rule. Nothing else.

[uzoda]

And another Joker saved it. Don't talk about him like it's the same thing!

[justakamenthief]

[The guy from the shooting gallery? Now he realizes why he seemed familiar...]

And now Blade. I should've realized it was you sooner. I would thank you for the help again...but now...I'm not feeling as nice.

And...just so you know...Decade saved my world. So I don't feel any need to believe you.

[As much as he HATES to admit this.]

[uzoda]

Whatever happened in your world doesn't change a thing about what happened in ours!

What is it with you people from other worlds, thinking we're all some kind of tyrants, or monsters or... whatever?!

[justakamenthief]

Just like you treated Decade like a pariah? Trying your best to kill him? Calling him 'The Devil'? Sorry if I find that a bit hypocritical of you.

[uzoda]

What in the... you're going on about the same things she did! What in the heck, seriously, I'm not the guy you think I am!

[He's still angry, but now there's a kind of whiny tone to it.]

[justakamenthief]

'She'?

...I see you've met Natsumi.

[He shakes that off.]

I remember your face. Every word you said to us before you knocked him off that overpass. DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME!

[chalicejoker]

Kenzaki would never do anything like that!

I'm not a monster, but I'd sure as hell be one before he was.

[summerorange]

Hajime-san's right!

[whoops; guess who's been listening in for a while?]

Kenzaki-san...the one that's Travelling with us...he's not the same Blade that came after us, Daiki. He's a counterpart of that person, much like my counterpart in that one world...

And besides! Neither of them are like the one that had taken over your world before you and Tsukasa destroyed it! AS far as I can tell, they're not evil threats. They're fellow Riders. Allies...

[justakamenthief]

Jokers are no allies of mine! You saw how Fourteen manipulated Junichi! He's now just as much of a monster as any of them!

[summerorange]

[There's a vague sense of "emotional pain" from her part of the Network for a brief moment.]

...You're still upset about your brother...aren't you?

[She understands why he would be. She really does. That pain she's feeling is sympathy pain. However, she can't let herself linger in it for very long.]

But still...! They're nothing like Fourteen. I would've noticed something by now if they were. So would've Kivaara.

[justakamenthief]

So...you're out to betray me too. Just like HIM.

[summerorange]

No one is out to betray you! I'm trying to help you!

[justakamenthief]

You're all talk! I never should have trusted any of you!

[You can probably feel the conflicting vibrations of despair and anger.]

You all lie. Just like Junichi...just like Tsukasa...I should have just let Fourze and the Go-Busters kill me in Big Machine! That way I couldn't be betrayed anymore!

[summerorange]

[Oh, she's picking up those feelings, alright. And he's getting back a stew of confusion, frustration, and alarm in return.]

Don't say things like that! I'd never do that to you! Don't say that you want to die! I don't want to see any of you die anymore!

[And there's that spike of grief on top of all that. To hear that so soon after the Rider Wars, in her case...

Meanwhile, seeing the look on Natsumi's face, Kivaara's gently prying her partner for what's going on. Only, she gets the quick and simple response of "It's Daiki, he's..." And that's all the tiny Kivat needs to hear, before fluttering off in search of a certain someone.]

[justakamenthief]

Feh...

...

You REALLY want to know what Tsukasa did to me? He decided no one should've been in on his little plan. Even someone who considered him his closest friend. So...I tried to show him how bad it could have gotten. I stole Dai Shocker and Zangyack's Big Machine and tried to wipe everyone out. Just to teach that sorry backstabber a damn lesson! THAT'S the depth of his betrayal! He's as bad as them!

[Radiation of hate to Kenzaki and Hajime]

And all of you have been fooled. You still follow him around. You still worship the ground he walks on...

[And I'm not sure who he's talking about right now...Tsukasa...or Fourteen.]

[summerorange]

[There's stunned silence on her end for several long moments...

Until there's a growing roar of confusion and fury pouring out.]

And how did that ever resolve things between you two?! You didn't have to sink to that level! You...you could've just walked away! Or...or just punch him! I would understand it, just once, after what you've told me before!

And when the Hell did I ever worship that jerk in any manner, anyway?!

[And let's hope that Daiki doesn't spot that little white bat in the distance before she goes fluttering back to her human partner...]

[justakamenthief]

You don't see it? He could've gotten everyone killed in his rushed, barely thought-out dabblings. Just one slip would've done it.

Oh please. Don't you think for a moment I didn't see what was happening between you two. It's kind of disgusting, really.

[Spike of green

and nope...he's too wrapped up in potential Phantom-dom to notice...]