001

[aphorise]

Characters: aphorise and vatheon
Location: Plaza
Time: April 8, early evening
Style: Either
Status: Open

[The plaza is quiet today -- as quiet as it can be, anyway, given the current situation. Of course, that means something should break the momentary peace which has settled after this long, long week.

That something is an alvarezsaurus who bursts into the

Comments

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Well, that's a pretty dramatic way to make an entrance. The actual sight of seeing someone ride a dinosaur is not so unusual after the past week, but the speed of the creature is, not to mention the way this new arrival rides. It demonstrates some incredible balance.]

[Mitsuhide's gaze flickers to the man's helmet. It's... familiar, sort of. He thinks for a moment before calling out.]

I'm afraid that searching for a way out will prove fruitless, if that's what you are doing. There are none to be found, my Lord.

[aphorise]

Aah?

[He turns his head, spotting the source of the voice, while the dinosaur stays put. Does this man know who he is, or is the type to address everyone as "lord"? Either way, there's nothing telling on this man. Masamune has no clue who this is, so for now he assumes the former. He smirks.]

I wouldn't dream of leaving yet. The exit's my second priority.

[wavesoakedlegs]

It is not worth considering it any sort of priority, at least not right now. The powers that brought us here do not give us any opportunity to return home by our own will; we leave when they choose.

[Mitsuhide takes a closer look. The eyepatch, the crescent helmet... together, very iconic. It's not the Date Masamune he knows of, but surely a Masamune. He is definitely older than the one just coming to power back in his world, but that means little in Vatheon.]

You are dokuganryū, I believe?

[aphorise]

[His eye narrows at the explanation. However, he momentarily puts his thoughts on the matter to a side, instead focusing on the second matter at hand. Masamune doesn't give the question a straight answer, as his own should be affirmation enough.]

Who's asking?

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Mitsuhide does indeed understand that such is a yes. There is a moment of hesitation before he replies with his own name, however.]

[He's heard of a few different versions of Akechi Mitsuhide, most not too far from himself. But there was one very different one. One the exact opposite of himself. It's made him wary when making introductions to other samurai; memories of meeting Ranmaru and Kenshin flit through his mind.]

I am not the one you may know of, but... nevertheless.

[He won't lie about who he is, though. Not anymore. His Lord Motochika made sure of that.]

I am Akechi Mitsuhide, Lord Masamune.

[aphorise]

[Masamune's eye instantly narrows. For a second, there is a look of contempt on his face as the name stirs unpleasant memories and feelings. he repeats the name, slowly and questioningly.]

Akechi . . . Mitsuhide?

[He descends from his mount without his usual flair. His posture is tense, though not as stiff as it would have been had he met the "real" Mitsuhide. Does this man shares the same name by sheer coincidence, or is this supposed to be something different? Something sick? When Masamune speaks, he does so lowly.]

You're right. I know somebody else with that name.

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Masamune's reaction confirms that the Mitsuhide this Masamune is familiar with is, at the very least, closer to the one Lord Kenshin knew from his world. Mitsuhide sighs. That makes the situation a lot more difficult. He is going to have to explain.]

You know another version of myself, then. One of the unpleasant ones.

[He dips his head briefly. It's never an easy thing to try to explain to anyone; he gets confused about it himself often enough.]

This place, Vatheon, is capable of drawing in people from different worlds... and that includes several worlds that have places of the same name, people of the same name, and similiar histories. But there are differences. Sometimes small, sometimes large. The Japan you know and the one I know are of the latter kind, in relation to one another.

[aphorise]

[He doesn't say anything about the "another version" bit, instead opting to hear the rest of the explanation. And it is quite the explanation, but one he can't immediately disregard. He would have said he'll believe it when he sees it. However, there's already living "proof" if this Mitsuhide is speaking the truth.

"One of the unpleasant ones" . . . an understatement.]

So, while you're the same Mitsuhide in name, you're not like the one I knew.

Everything else aside, that's already a large difference.

[wavesoakedlegs]

That is correct... and you are not like the Lord Masamune I have heard of either. He is a boy; one who has taken up the mantle of warlord, but still a boy.

[Mitsuhide folds his hands before himself. An ambitious boy, too, born far too late to really act on those ambitions. The land would be ruled by either the Toyotomi or the Tokugawa, most likely the former. The Date would have to submit eventually.]

[Unlike the Oda, neither Toyotomi or Tokugawa would ever be taken down by traitors, and no outside force stood a chance against either of the clans. That thought gives Mitsuhide pause for a moment, but he does not speak aloud of it.]

There is a Lord Kenshin here who is not of the Japan I know. He may be of yours, considering what he has told me so far. You may wish to seek him out at some point.

[He tilts his head.]

Regardless... that is the power of this city. You may even find that people from your world who should be dead turn up. That happened to me.

[aphorise]

Still a brat, huh . . .

[It's the word he would use to describe his younger self. Even if it is supposed to be another version of him, Masamune is confident that this boy is at the least similar in this way. A brat.

But the War God.]

All right. He probably told you about yourself. Right? Anyway . . .

[It only seems logical, unless there are records lying around Vatheon. Someone must have told Mitsuhide about the other one. Whatever the case, he drinks in the rest of the information. And he's not terribly fond of it, which he indicates with a mirthless half grin.]

This city's got too much power.