Month 2: Enter the Meme King

[thequestgiver]

In a secluded, shadowy, disused location, the select few of a newly formed organization come to meet.... What dark and--

"Oh for gods sake, do you have to narrate every damned time?"

"Look, I'm trying to build the atmosphere here! How are we to be proper about this if we don't even go that far?"

"Who cares about being proper!" a third figure, noticeably smaller than the first interrupted. "I wanna know who's gonna be fighting this week!"

"Ug, seriously? We don't even have everyone here yet!"

"So???"

"He does have a point, you know..."

"Oh, don't you start too."

"Hey, I'm just saying..."

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"All right, all right! Eesh! Make your report already!"

There was the distinct sound of glasses being adjusted, a glint of light reflecting in the darkened room. "Currently over 25 individuals of note have been recorded. Not all of them are of significance, however, as a few... supporting individuals seem to have been connected as well. Of these, the Rider franchise seems to be the most represented, with Ultraman coming in second. More research is needed to determine how to create connections in a more targeted way before phase two of our operation can begin."

"And I can fight them!!" the younger voice piped in excitedly.

A deep sigh from the glassed figure answered. "After they fight each other first," he corrected. "We've been over this..."

"Ha! You just think they need to be softened up first, don't you?! Don't you believe in my power??!"

"... don't make me answer that."

"Hey!!"

"And that's enough of that, I'd think... Fade to black, everybody!"

"...drama queen."

---

Any Displaced individual prone to visions, premonitions or other plot sensing type skills may have had a variation on the above scene in a dream, vision or just felt like someone was watching them. Even those without a plot speaking skill may start getting a strange feeling of being watched when they're out in public....

Not that it will be foremost on their mind very long, as suddenly, every single TV screen or similar nearby flashes white, before a short clip begins to play:

Comments

[fiveinzero]

He seems calmer now, as well as a good bit more guarded. He's less inclined to leave this time, now that he's not surprised by the existence of someone who could practically be Tomoki's twin. And Yu had missed it, but a couple of the others were pretty sure they'd seen that look of confused recognition on the other man's face a moment ago, too.

"I'm Rei," he offers. "And you are...?"

[powertotearer]

Eiji at least gets a second to recover, and he answers, "Eiji Hino."

It's still very, very weird. Like he's talking to an entirely different person now.

[fiveinzero]

That's because he is, though Rei generally doesn't bother attempting to explain anything at first brush.

"Hino," he mutters softly. That much is oddly similar. But it seems this really is a different person. He gives a slight nod. "I'll remember it."

[powertotearer]

"Oh, okay."

It is one of the less smart things Eiji has said in his life, but in his defense, this whole thing is very confusing.

"This might sound weird, but you're not originally from this world, are you?"

[fiveinzero]

He shakes his head. "I assume you aren't, either, then?"

[powertotearer]

"No, I just got here a few days ago."

He's not really sure what else to say. He's curious, but he's also still somewhat uncomfortable. After all, how often do you run into a lookalike of someone you knew and lost, and one who wasn't Shingo at that?

[fiveinzero]

"It's the same for me." He's likewise not really sure what to say at this point, though perhaps curiosity wins out.

And yet again, something about him completely shifts. This one is particularly soft and kind. "Perhaps this is a strange question, but did you know someone who looked like me, before you came here?"

[powertotearer]

Eiji really can't help his eyes from widening at this point. He's an open book, isn't he?

"Yeah," he admits. "Two, actually, both from my world. One is gone now, so..."

[fiveinzero]

"Gone?" he asks, and then wonders belatedly if that's too prying of a question. The look is a sympathetic one, in any case.

[powertotearer]

Maybe it's a little better that he's got that sympathetic reaction. The question is prying, yes, but when Eiji can just pretend maybe this is Shingo instead that he's talking to, it hurts a little less.

"He's not dead, exactly. But...so far, I haven't been able to do anything about bringing him back."

It's just evasive enough that he doesn't have to get into the Medals or anything. Just let Rei's imagination fill in the rest. Honestly, it's better than any of the other lies Eiji's come up with over the years.

[fiveinzero]

"Mm." He nods. It's a reply that raises more questions than it answers, but they are no strangers to odd circumstances. It seems rude to pry any further.

"I know someone who looks like you, as well. That's why I asked."

[powertotearer]

"Oh."

That...is very weird. Somehow, in the infinite universes converging, it had never entered the realm of possibility that he might have a double while Ankh might.

"Sorry. For confusing you, I mean."

[fiveinzero]

"You better be!" came another sudden behavior-shift, complete with a step forward and a finger wagging at Eiji's face, "I thought you were Tomoki and then you were just some nobody who-"

"Be quiet, Jin." He muttered under his breath, forcing a half-step back.

[powertotearer]

Rei's very Ankh-like anger was sudden, but it was...okay. A surprise, yes. But Eiji was so ready to apologize for everything in life that hearing someone actually blame him was almost refreshing.

But then Rei stopped himself, stepped back, and started whispering something. And Eiji was sure he'd heard the name Jin.

"...Are you okay?"

[fiveinzero]

"I'm fine," he replies quickly, meeting Eiji's gaze again. And then he pauses for a second. He doesn't usually bother trying to explain to people. Mostly he's fine with keeping to himself and letting the few people who have had enough contact with him to see the personalities switch just decide he's weird. But Eiji seems genuinely concerned and... well, Tomoki understood, didn't he?

"There are a few of us that share this body."

[powertotearer]

That is not at all what Eiji expected to hear. Mostly because for a second, that sounded exactly like what Ankh and Shingo had done, but...no, that was impossible, right?

"Is it like...a shared body, or a shared mind, more?"

It sounds so stupid when he says it, but how is he supposed to ask "are you possessed by someone else too?"

[fiveinzero]

That's not a question he was expecting, either.

"Both, I suppose. It's a little hard to explain."

[powertotearer]

Eiji can't help but laugh when he tries to catch his breath.

"Try me.

[fiveinzero]

He really isn't sure what that laugh is about, but he lets it go with a slight tilt of the head.

"There are five of us. Different personalities, ages, sexes, backgrounds. We think I'm the original one, but I don't really know where the others came from or why. They don't know, either."

[powertotearer]

Eiji now looks at Rei...them?...curiously.

"So you really don't remember how it happened?"

He hopes the "you" carries across as meaning all of them, not just Rei.

[fiveinzero]

Rei chooses to hear it that way, whether it was intended that way or not. He shakes his head.

"We've tried to find clues, when we can, but there aren't many."

[powertotearer]

So that's another mystery on top of everything else. And given what kind of people have been drawn to this merged world so far, Eiji can't help but ask, "You don't think someone did this to all of you, do you?"

[fiveinzero]

"It's very possible." Considering what very little he's managed to put together about Piece so far...

He shakes his head. "But I doubt it matters much here, unless it's the same people who brought us all to this place." Which he can't rule out at all, but it's not a conclusion he's going to jump to.

[powertotearer]

"It's worth considering," Eiji points out.

Unlike his counterpart from Rei's world, he's not in the habit of bringing writing material with him. Not unless he's checking out a dig site, anyway. But he does have a phone, and he opens up an app.

"Do you know what they're called? Or anything about them?"

[fiveinzero]

He shakes his head.

"All I know-" He stops abruptly and is replaced by the gruffer voice.

"Oi! Don't think we'll trust you just because you look like Tomoki."