From sad to interesting to hip

[firewalled]

[The first thing Rich notices is that his hospital bed is feeling mighty uncomfy at the moment. No matter how he tries to shift himself around, it feels like he's sleeping on rocks. He really doesn't want to wake up so soon, but with a mumble, he opens his eyes, hoping that maybe one of his friends has popped in to visit.

When he opens his eyes, he doesn't see any of his friends. In fact, he doesn't see the room he's almost gotten used to. When he turns his head to the side, he notices what he mistook for his hospital bed is actually a hard stone chair, something like a throne that he's currently seated in.

Then he notices that he is seated, and looking down at his legs, the bandages are completely gone. He makes a confused noise as he lifts his arms. They're mobile again... covered in scars, but otherwise healed. He frowns and looks around the room.]

Um... Mr. Nurse Dude? Did the doctors take the casts off while I was out?

[He takes in the rest of the room: the tall stained glass windows, the looming pillars, the sprawling velvet carpet covering stone floor. He feels way tinier than he usually does.]

...Also am I high?

[There is regrettably no answer. Not when he calls for Jake or Michael or Jeremy, not when he even tries calling for Chloe or Brooke. He waits for a while, but, antsy as he was when he couldn't move his limbs, it isn't long before he hops off the throne and starts using his newly healed legs to start wandering.]

((This is a joint intro of sorts! Rich's bestest bro Jake Dillinger (jakeyd) will have a tag under this post to respond to if you are so inclined.))

Comments

[jakeyd]

Oh, right. Show me something when you do draw, then? [He was kind of getting ahead of himself there, huh?]

I don't think I've heard of D 'n D, what's that? What kind of characters did you make?

[Jake's pretty obviously genuinely interested, so that's probably helping too. He really does want to know about Rich's hobbies, hoping Rich can enjoy them without being ashamed from now on. Plus, they honestly sound pretty neat.
Oh, Rich is laughing again.]

Pfft, you're adorable. [Jake nudges Rich as he says that. Oh hold on, was that a weird thing to say to your friend? Wait what animal...crossing?]

I think I've seen that around but I was too embarrassed to buy something else cute without the excuse of being into it as a kid. That was pretty dumb, though.

[firewalled]

Um, okay. I guess I can do that.

[Note to self: brush up on your art skills. Rich might not show Jake the first few... dozen sketches. He wants to get something really good.]

Oh, you've never heard of Dungeons and Dragons? It's awesome! It's like, you make up a character who might be like, a wizard or an orc or an elf or anything, and you use them to tell a story with a bunch of other people? One dude lays down the ground rules and then you let your characters interact and fight with things and shit and... it probably sounds super lame when I describe it like that.

[Maybe he'll keep himself from rattling on about the many adventures of the great Thomas Firebringer for now. And also try (and fail) to keep himself from blushing as Jake calls him adorable.]

You might have! It was this video game with a bunch of animals on the cover? In it you'd move into a new town with a bunch of animal neighbors and kind of just hang out and plant flowers and catch bugs and stuff. It was super relaxing for me. Except when I'd forget to play it and... shit, that reminds me, when I get back my house is gonna have cockroaches in it...

[jakeyd]

Sweet! [It's pretty easy to tell he's excited to see Rich's art. Jake hasn't had a lot of artistic friends in the past. Or geeky friends--he's squinting a bit as he tries to work out how Dungeons and Dragons goes from the description.]

Nah, it doesn't sound lame! Kinda confusing, though. You'll probably just have to show me that too, sometime.

[It's pretty tough to miss the blush this time, and now Jake is worried that it really was a weird thing to say. At the same time, though, it definitely proves him right. Like, shit, blushing and freckles go shockingly well together? Who allowed that? He might've been staring a bit, but the animal crossing discussion snaps him out of it.]

Oh, yeah! I think I've seen Brooke play that. There's like...those downloadable outfits she'll browse through on her phone for later? I haven't heard anything about roaches though, that sounds gross.

[firewalled]

It's cool. I was... probably trying to explain it in a way that didn't seem totally lame. But who knows? Maybe I can find some dice and show you how to play sometime!

[He doesn't really notice Jake staring, fortunately, distracted by the mention of Brooke. He beams.]

Yeah, I showed her it when she was looking for something to try. She seemed to be a pretty big fan. Damn, I wish I had my phone. Maybe I could text her for help.

[jakeyd]

I'd be down!

[He scratches his cheek at the mention of phones.]

Yeah, if we hadn't been dumped here straight out of hospital maybe one of us would have a phone. Not that I've even bought a new one yet...oh, right, fuck.

[Jake stops walking and looks around.]

I was supposed to be watching the doors for a kitchen. How long have we been wandering around talking?

[firewalled]

[Rich's eyes go wide. Shit. He's such an idiot! He was so caught up making goo-goo eyes at Jake that he wasn't paying attention to where the hell they were. He groans and smacks his forehead.]

Long enough that we probably passed one by now. God... I'm sorry man, I...

[Luckily, just at that moment, Rich's eyes catch a glimpse of an open door, and more importantly, his ears notice the sound of pots clanking inside.]

Dude! There's someone in there!

[jakeyd]

[Jake takes a step back to wave his hands in a weird physical attempt to shoo Rich's apologies.]

Nah dude I was the one thinking about your freckles being cute-oh shit did we actually find someone? [He's already heading over to the noisy door, not registering what came out of his mouth seconds ago at all.]

[firewalled]

[Okay, he totally didn't hear that. He didn't hear Jake 'Newly Out Pansexual' Dillinger call his freckles cute. And he's certainly not hyperventilating about it. No, he's just focusing on following Jake to the door and hoping his face doesn't look red.]



[The person inside the room at least looks half normal. A teenager only a little shorter than Jake and probably only a year or so older than the both of them, rummaging through some cupboards. He doesn't seem to notice them until he's managed to pull out a baking tray, and then, as he's turning to the oven, he catches their eyes.]

Oh! Hello, there. Sorry, I'll be out of your hair as quickly as possible!

[He's assuming they just want to use the kitchen.]

[jakeyd]

[Well, while Rich goes into full denial mode, Jake is busy wondering if this weird magic castle only teleports teenagers in. Somehow. But wait, what if this guy came in himself and they're the only ones that got dropped here without their injuries? Maybe this is some sort of weird alien situation. Oh shit he noticed them, okay Jake you can do this on the fly. No big deal.]

Oh! Nah dude we aren't here for the food--well, I mean, we wouldn't mind some, but uh...we just? [He rotates his hands slowly around each other as he tries to think of phrasing that won't make him sound completely insane.]

...Arrived? Here? But um, we'd kinda like to leave now? Could you like, draw us some directions to the exit or something?

[firewalled]

[You know, now that Rich looks, it is kind of weird that the first person they met is yet another teenager. But that's just something to wonder about later. For now, they need information. He nods along with Jake's explanation, while the stranger's eyes widen, and he offers a sad smile.]

Ah... I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were new here. I wish I could offer you what you're asking for but... all I can do is welcome you to the castle. Unfortunately, as far as we all can tell, there is no exit. We're stuck here.

The hell? But we were kidnapped!

[jakeyd]

[Jake puts a hand on Rich's shoulder to calm him down a little, and it's pretty clear he's thinking pretty hard on what they've just been told. "As far as we all can tell"?]

I think he means everyone here was kidnapped, dude. But like, how is there no exit? Can we just not leave the building? There's gotta be at least some windows or something, right?

[firewalled]

[Rich does relax, of course, feeling Jake's familiar touch, but even so, the stranger still seems distressed.]

You can leave the castle... just... not the island.

Wait, the fuck? We're on an island?

[Maybe they should have been looking out the windows.]

used 'pretty' too many times in the last 1, that's what I get for tagging tired

[jakeyd]

[Yeah, probably, but Jake's already made it pretty clear that he hadn't actually noticed the existence of anything aside from Rich in the past...what? Ten minutes? Fifteen? He'd forgotten the passage of time as well, it would seem.]

Oookay, I guess if someone can magically transport you to a castle it's not any weirder for the castle to be on an island. Uh...I bet there's no boats either, huh?

Re: used 'pretty' too many times in the last 1, that's what I get for tagging tired

[firewalled]

[Maybe to others, but Rich just assumed Jake was disoriented after being dumped here. He wouldn’t actually. Be staring at Rich or anything like that. That would just be ridiculous.

The stranger just shakes his head, eying Rich warily and assuming (correctly) he probably won’t like this news.]

No, unfortunately not. We aren’t exactly… in the ocean. I can show you, if you’d like.

[jakeyd]

['Ridiculous'? Wow Rich you are truly the thing standing in between you and dating Jake now.]

Uhh, sure? [Jake tilts his head a bit, confused. If it's not an island on an ocean, what is it on? A lake? Shouldn't that be even easier to escape from? He's pretty sure that if he had something that floats to rest on he could swim across even a huge lake.]

[firewalled]

[Well, of course he'd be the one ruining his own chances. He already kind of ruined his chances by taking the Squip and allowing himself to become such a huge asshole. Even if Jake forgives him, he doubts he'd be into the guy who burnt his house down.

Ryoji, meanwhile, just gives the two of them a guilty look and gestures to the window, which luckily has a nice view of the edge of the island, and the clouds surrounding it. Rich swears under his breath.]

[jakeyd]

[Rich, he already told you he doesn't care about the house. He doesn't give a fuck my dude! Not a shit! Jake's field of shits and fucks to give is barren!! Regarding the house, anyway: he gives many fucks about Rich.

And this situation.

Jake stares out the window in confused silence for several seconds as Rich swears, before gesturing towards the view and looking back over at Ryoji.]

That's the sky. We're in the fucking sky?? An island. In the sky. With a castle on it? [How the fuck]

[firewalled]

[He doesn’t care about the house, but what about the damage Rich did to his legs? Or the inadvertent squipping of the entire drama cast he helped cause? Anyone would be wary to trust Rich after everything, even if one could blame his squip for a lot of it.

But that's not important. What is is the ridiculous situation they seem to be in. Rich gapes at the stranger, who laughs nervously.]

Yes, that's... all correct. As impossible as it may seem. I don't know how it's possible... we were all brought here without much of an explanation.

1/2

[jakeyd]

[Focusing on the situation at hand, then, Jake looks back out the window. He gestures at it again somewhat more helplessly this time; then shrugs. There's not really anything to be done unless this stranger turns out to be the secret owner of the castle who brought them here. Which, seems unlikely, in his opinion. So, no sense in worrying? Probably.]

Uh, okay.

[jakey_d]

So! [Jake claps once before turning back to Ryoji, and holds a hand out to shake.]

I'm Jake, this is Rich, sorry we disturbed your cooking and shit.

[firewalled]

[Rich kinda stares at Jake then, gesturing to the window with his mouth agape. How can Jake just move past this? They’re on a freaking cliff apparently so high up there’s cloud cover! How is anyone from school going to find them now?

But after a few moments, he does seem to realize there probably isn’t anything to be done, and getting mad at this stranger probably won’t help. So he moves to hold out his hand to Ryoji instead.]

Yeah. Sorry about that. You making stuff for that crazyass dessert table?

[Ryoji blinks, and then shakes his head, even as he’s (awkwardly; he’s still more used to bowing back home) shaking Jake’s hand.]

Ah, no, that’s actually another part of the strangeness. That table seems to be stocked with sweets every few days. None of us are doing it.

...Ooooookay. Fun!

[Rich shakes Ryoji’s hand, while the latter frowns for a moment and then quickly regains his composure.]

My name’s Ryoji. Ryoji Mochizuki. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.

[jakey_d]

[Jake shrugs when he spots Rich's reaction. Honestly, he mostly believes Ryoji about it being an island, considering how his legs instantly healed upon arrival. If not magic, then it's got to be something nearly as far fetched; and if that's so they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. Right?]

Ryoji, huh? Sounds Asian. Where you from, dude?

[firewalled]

[Ryoji gives a nervous little laugh and nods.]

I guess you could say that's correct. I lived in Iwatodai, in Japan.

[Rich frowns, trying to run through the cities he knows about, but eventually assumes it's just not one of the big ones he's not heard of.]

Your English is pretty good, considering that.

[Ryoji blinks.]

I... thought I was speaking Japanese. This... might be another quirk of the castle.

[jakeyd]

Wait, for real? [That throws him for another loop.]

So then, like, we sound like we're speaking Japanese to you? What happens if we actually say something in Japanese, will it still stay the same or?? [Jake doesn't seem to be actually asking Ryoji that last one, more speculating into the weird magic void.]

I mean, what if someone's bilingual? What...ugh, this magic stuff is gonna give me a headache. [He rubs his temples then waves his hands, physically trying to dispel his confusion.]

Never mind. Is there stuff for a sandwich in here?
[Jake looks over to Rich.] If we're gonna deal with any more weird magic shit today we're gonna do it on full stomachs.

[firewalled]

Um, yes, that is the case for me. I don’t know why exactly… I mean, I can usually understand most languages, so I wouldn’t have minded if you spoke English, but…

[But that’s far too complex a subject, and Ryoji is more than happy to change the conversation over to questions he can answer.]

Oh, of course! There should be plenty of food…

[He starts opening drawers, quickly finding bread, vegetables, spreads, and even magically chilled lunch meat. Rich is extremely impressed.]

Dude! Look at all this stuff! For an ancient castle, this place is stocked pretty nicely.

[He immediately starts fumbling for a bread knife.]