World Tree MUSH

Early afternoon, the atmosphere is calm. Children play in the grass, some being kind of stupid (teenagers, y'know) while they play, in a park in...

Actually Kakyoin has no idea where this is. One tends to lose track of one's location when so many worlds are open to one for travel. He supposes it doesn't really matter, though. It's calm, and he has little to worry about at the moment.

He's currently sitting in the upper branches of a tree, leaning back against the trunk, thinking about nothing in particular, and watching people. He chose the upper branches so he'd be relatively unbothered by others if the kids started trying to climb the tree he decided to sit in. Though how he got up there to begin with is a good question.

Weirdly enough... he's starting to miss school. Even stranger, it isn't that he had many friends he's missing, it's that he knows he needs the education. He emits a chuckle. "...I suppose that's how it is... Complain about something while you have it, but miss it when it's gone... no matter what it is..." he mutters.

Suddenly he feels a ticklish sensation on his upper arm, and frowns, looking to the source of the problem. What he sees draws a hiss of displeasure. It's a massive rhinoceros beetle. "Ghn... off me, bug," he murmurs, quickly brushing the thing off his emerald green, long-jacketed school uniform. It tumbles off his arm and down towards the ground.

Beetles have wings, but... can it deploy them in time to save itself from a gruesome fate?!

Before an answer can be discovered to that question on the flight timing of beetles some sort of large, brown form comes rushing forth, looking as if it'd just ran INTO the bug. Surely the thing's smashed, or at least injured now. What is this thing anyway? A bear?

The brown figure would skid to a halt, proving to actually look...entirely human actually. It's some sort of guy with long, messy brown hair, in a brown suit...and no shoes. He'd open his hands and look relieved as the beetle seems to content itself with crawling about his palm, completely and totally unharmed.

It's the sound of something running that draws Kakyoin's attention to what's going on below, and he shifts on the branch, to crouch. The brown blur gets a narrowing of his eyes, and he tenses. Surely some stray wildlife hasn't wandered into the park? He really hopes not. He'd hate to have to hurt an animal to protect children from it.

Though when it stops moving and shows that it's actually a human, he raises an eyebrow. A tilt of his head... and that's when the fellow's size registers. Kakyoin's pretty tall himself at just under six feet -- particularly for a Japanese teenager -- but this guy is just MASSIVE! He's at LEAST six and a half feet tall. And yet he's able to handle a relatively much smaller bug, while running at that speed? That's an accomplishment. Though why he'd WANT to is another question.

Kakyoin's curiosity has been roused. So he summons his Stand, and Hierophant Green unravels itself. Grabbing hold of one of the tendrils, Kakyoin merely jumps down off the branch. The green-clad youth's reappearance on ground level is slowed by the tendril, and he seems to almost float down. Though Gonta can see the tendril. Kakyoin lands, then releases the tendril, and it disappears as if it was never there.

"I'm sorry -- I didn't mean to drop that thing on you," he offers. "It crawled onto my arm, and I'm afraid I didn't see where I was brushing it off to."

"Rhinoceros Beetle," the large guy responds to Kakyoin's apology, "...is what the 'thing' is called." He'd use his free hand to adjust his glasses some before bringing the other hand up to let the beetle perch on top of his head. With that he'd come to a full stand again, turning to look toward Kakyoin.

It's quite the unhappy expression that's plastered on the face of this over a half foot taller guy who's looking at Kakyoin. Yet, paying attention enough might reveal that nothing about his posture seems to communicate anger, it's all just in that expression on his face.

Kakyoin pauses, raising an eyebrow. "Well... yes, I know. I just didn't want..." He trails off as Gonta puts the bug in his own hair! That gets a twitch of his eye and a brief disgusted look before he manages to quash it. Kakyoin, being just slightly vain, cannot imagine why anyone would want to put a bug in their hair.

It's true, he notices the unhappy expression. But it's incongruous from what he's picking up from the rest of the body language. There's no tension there, as there would be from someone who was angry about something. Though it's not altogether unheard of that this large fellow might be upset at the treatment of the beetle, given how said large fellow seems amazingly permissive with the insect. Kakyoin remains quiet a bit longer than probably isn't awkward, assessing Gonta carefully.

Of course the beetle is basically giving Gonta the equivalent of a 'that's the bad guy that threw me' speech...

The large guy frowns slightly as he continues looking at Kakyoin. "...Mr. Beetle was really scared," he insists, "You should apologize to Mr. Beetle." He even reaches up to run a finger over the beetle's back, as if he's petting it or something. What's with this guy? Is he being serious?

Kakyoin blinks. "I... beg your pardon?" he ventures hesitantly. Yeah, he's completely confused now. He raises that eyebrow again as the large fellow actually seems to be PETTING the beetle. "...D-do you mean the beetle?" Given his tone, it seems incomprehensible.

Honestly, Kakyoin is almost hoping this is some sort of prelude to an attempt at a mugging or something. Otherwise it'd be too weird...

It looks as if one of the big guy's eyes twitches for a slight moment, but maybe it's just a trick of the light or something, since it's gone as soon as it's there. "Yes, Gonta means the beetle," he confirms, "You were mean to Mr. Rhinoceros Beetle, he's upset." Gonta? crosses his arms, starting to give more signs of actual anger as the conversation continues.

To his credit, Kakyoin isn't being intentionally rude, it doesn't seem. He honestly seems more confused than anything else. Though Kakyoin picks up the beginnings of anger, the tension beginning in the hands, and then in the shoulders and neck...

And then Kakyoin realizes something, with a blink. "...You're... actually serious," he realizes. "It's... a bug. I'm sure there are more dangerous things to its existence than I am. I didn't squish it." NOT HELPING YOUR CASE, KAKYOIN! Though he does point out, "How do you know it's upset?"

Gonta frowns as Kakyoin continues speaking this way. He pushes his glasses higher up some. "Gonta knows how to talk to animals," he states, "And bugs are always Gonta's friends." "Gonta was hoping this place would be nicer to bugs, but Gonta sees that Gonta will have to work hard to make people understand bugs here too," he states as he looks around thoughtfully.

At least it's only thoughtlessness and not outright malice. So this student with the hair noodle probably doesn't HATE bugs. He's just never thought about their existence beyond 'they exist'. He looks surprised when Gonta says he can speak with animals though. "Oh... so the beetle called for help when it fell?" he reasons. He rubs his chin thoughtfully.

Well, it'll do for an explanation. Since he's left his own world -- read: was rather unceremoniously dumped outside of it with no way to return -- he's seen things he never thought possible. In a place where there are more worlds than he can count -- and where one of those worlds holds what looks like a giant talking seahorse/seal hybrid, someone talking to bugs seems tame.

"Certainly not the strangest thing I've experienced," he reasons. Then he nods. "So... please convey my sincerest apologies to the rhinoceros beetle. I was startled, and didn't want it to bite me when it realized I wasn't a tree." A pause. And, picking up on the third-person speech (which kind of makes this all make more sense somehow), he observes, "Is it reasonable to assume your name is 'Gonta'?"

Gonta seems distracted tending to the beetle for a moment before he blinks a little at Kakyoin's question. It's almost as if he had NO idea what Kakyoin's saying for a moment, but Gonta would suddenly give a little bow. "Ah! Sorry, sorry...the incident with Mr. Beetle had Gonta distracted, so Gonta was rude," he apologises, "Yes, Gonta is Gonta Gokuhara, the Ultimate Entomologist, thank you for speaking to Gonta!" His demenor seem FAR more plesant now that they're talking about something that isn't bugs.

Kakyoin relaxes a bit himself -- he hadn't been sure if this big guy was going to attack him over the bug or not. It'd have been a silly thing to attack someone over, in Kakyoin's opinion... but he's learned from long ago that people are generally some degree of weird.

However, he does return the bow, offering in return, "Noriaki Kakyoin. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gokuhara." He's a pretty formal guy thus far. Then again, he's still not sure if there was a punch in the offing or not, before he distracted Gonta with introductions.

Gonta smiles as he offers a nod in agreement. "It's good to meet you Mr. Kakyoin," he replies, seeming QUITE the opposite of likely to pummel anyone at the moment. Despite that, he still looks like he certainly COULD if he WANTED to. "Gonta should teach some, but it's not a good idea right now. Gonta's new here and doesn't know if the bugs are the same or not."

Good. The anger seems to have passed. Kakyoin relaxes the rest of the way. It's true, that's why Kakyoin was so nervous -- the guy looks like he could break a full-grown man over his knee with little trouble.

The mention of the bugs here not possibly being the same gets a nod. "That's possible," Kakyoin agrees. "I've been to a world were the bugs were quite different from those I'm familiar with... and they're quite large. Not 'megafauna' sized, but still quite large."

He tilts his head up, and one of the tendrils reach down from the tree above him again. This time it's got a sketch book in it. "Do you want to see the sketches I made? The proportions are very strange, but I assure you, they're correct." Hey, look! A subject he can talk about.

Gonta tilts his head slightly, but looks very interested when the notebook arrives. "So...is Mr. Kakyoin friends with the tree," he wonders curiously in regards to the tentacles handing over the book. About the book itself he's resisting sliding over to invite himself to look at it over Kakyoin's shoulder. That's just rude! He'll have to wait till Kakyoin decides he can see something. "Yes, Gonta would very much like to see," he replies, "Gonta is VERY interested." One can practically see little sparkles in his eyes and everything.

The tendrils retract back into the tree when it hands over the sketchbook. Though at the words of the tendrils, Kakyoin looks at Gonta, surprised. "You... can see that?" Something almost imperceptible changes in his expression, a tiny note of intense happiness settles deep in his gaze. Though the question gets a small shake of his head. "Friends with the tree? Not... exactly."

Kakyoin looks to the tree again, and the tendrils reappear. Though this time, they coil on the ground... and a figure slips out of the tree. It's a strange, almost cybernetic-looking figure, but the light whorls across its green surface seem to indicate water. "THAT is my friend. Hierophant Green." The figure does not move.

But the sketchbook! Kakyoin steps next to Gonta and opens the sketchbook to a sketch of a foxlike creature. He flips a few pages to what looks like a misshapen caterpillar -- a Caterpie. From the size of the thing compared to the humanoid figure drawn on the page as well, it's much larger than a normal bug, though... it's almost the size of a large dog. "Here was one."

Gonta nods in reply about seeing the tendrils, though on Hierophant Green appearing he'd give a little bow in greeting. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Green," he'd offer, not seeming all that worried about Hierophant Green's lack of movement, especailly when Kakyoin starts showing the sketches.

 He's lean in close, readjusting his glasses again as he looks over the picture. "Huh, it's looks so much like a very large, fledgeling lepidoptera, but it has a horn and a sectioned off tail..."

The green cybernetic-looking thing disappears, fading from sight as Kakyoin nods, his attention on the book. "The locals called it a 'Caterpie'," he replies. The name is sketched there at the top of the page, too. He flips the page, and this picture is a larger detail of the Caterpie, without the scale. This is a sketch of it apparently looking aggressive, its little eyelids turned downwards like a human's. And it's firing something out of its mouth.

And he explains, "I had the misfortune to disturb one. It fires webbing from its mouth when it feels threatened. The stuff is stickier than any spiderweb I've ever touched. It took me fifteen minutes to get the stuff out of my hair."

Gonta blinks at that. "Hmm, Gonta hadn't heard of lepidoptera using webbing offensively before," he notes, "...that seems useful though." "Thank you for showing Gonta, he has a lot to learn about everything here," the big guy notes, "Gonta is helping his school learn more about this place." ...wait THIS guy's in school?

That DOES seem to surprise Kakyoin, to hear that this guy's in school. He looks like he would send a team of American football players running for cover! The green-clad student's eyebrows raise in surprise. "What school are you going to?" he inquires. The inquiry is rather automatic, mind; it doesn't register that if he's from a different world, Kakyoin wouldn't have heard of it anyway.

"Oh. Speaking of spiders..." He flips a few more pages. There's a MASSIVE yellow tarantula drawn on the page, though this time without scale. "Galvantula," he ventures. "An electric spider." He points to a tiny little fuzzy-looking yellow shape drawn underneath it. "It comes from this -- a Joltik."

Another page is flipped and there's a detail of Joltik. Sitting in the palm of someone's hand. Flopped over on its back. Apparently holding onto a double-A battery with its four blue-tipped feet and chewing on it, looking very content with things.

"Gonta is a first year in Hope's Peak Academy. It is like a private high school," he explains. First year...of highschool? THIS guy? As Kakyoin shows him another page his attention is quickly diverted back to that, however.

"Uwaah," comes forth from Gonta in some sort of sound of pleasant surprise. His eyes are practically sparkling again. "It- it's so--," he blushes slightly as he struggles to get himself under control, but ultimately- "So tiny and cute! But it's electric? This is also new for Gonta! Gonta's so excited..."

Not only still in school but a FIRST-YEAR? That means Gonta's about fifteen... and he still has some growing to do! ('He's going to get BIGGER?!') he realizes. Kakyoin seems as surprised by that as Gonta seems enchanted by the tiny little Joltik in Kakyoin's sketchbook.

It does take a moment before Kakyoin can register what Gonta's asked. "E-er... yes, they are." He composes himself. "They're quite tame, even in the wild. The officer I was speaking with made a point of placing the Joltik in my hand and giving it a battery. In fact, it stayed there while I sketched it. After it was done with the battery, there was no charge in it. I can only assume it absorbed the charge inside."

Amusingly, for all his large, intimidating appearance Gonta currently has an expression not unlike that of a small child being moved to near tears over how cute something like a puppy is, and how much they want it now but they know they can't have it. "Ahhh, wow," Gonta replies, still staring over the page, "Gonta only just arrived, but he's already happy that school chose him for helping in exploring these places!" "Mr. Kakyoin draws very well too," he points out.

Kakyoin notices this... and chuckles a little. It's weird, but it's also true to what he's picked up from this fellow so far -- true to his feelings, no matter what those feelings are. "I can show you where that world is if you'd prefer to explore it yourself sometime. Or give directions."

He offers a proud smile at the compliment to his talent. "Thank you. Though I draw people better." He flips to a page where a female police officer is drawn. It's actually a handful of small sketches of what look like the same woman. But each one with small differences that might not be easily seen. They're colored as well, though the subtle variance in hair, skin, and eye shades might not be apparent to the casual observer.

Gonta raises a brow at the sketches of the officer Jennys. "...this looks like...a family with lots of sisters..." he murmurs lostly, "They all look almost exactly the same, but they're different. Is that because of the drawings or..." He trails off curiously, "Ah, yes, Gonta would be very happy to see this place, but...um...maybe some time later. Gonta should report back to school soon."

"Those are... Officers Jenny," Kakyoin replies. His tone indicates he might be a little confused about it himself, honestly. "I'm not sure if they're related or not... but they do look remarkably similar."

The mentionof needing to report back to his school gets a nod, though. "Ah yes, of course." His smile is a bit... wistful. "I'm glad yours is still accessible. I've not been able to return to my world since coming here."

He pauses for a moment, thinking. "You said you thought the Joltik was particularly cute?" He carefully tears out the sketch of the Joltik. It's colored too, at least the Joltik and battery, though the hand remains monochrome, and there's no background. "Here," he offers, with a smile.

This isn't just a random thing, either. It's still pretty rare for him to meet people that can see Hierophant Green. And if they can see Hierophant Green... then they might be able to truly understand him...

Gonta blinks lostly for a moment, both at the revelation that they are all called Officer Jenny, and that he's giving him some of his art. "Ah! Thank you," Gonta says with a little bow, "Gonta should try to make something for Mr. Kakyoin, so he can trade...Gonta only has drawings of bugs with him right now..." He'd take the offered page and stick it very carefully in a book of his own. "Gonta will try to meet you here again sometime!"

Kakyoin gives a bit of a smile. "You already did," he says quietly. He calls Hierophant Green again, but this time the Stand seems to rise up and back from his own body. It stands behind and slightly to Kakyoin's right, silent and still but for the undulating of the thick tendril its lower half seems to be unraveled into.

"You see, people who can see my Hierophant Green are rare," he explains. "And those who can't, I don't think those people will ever be able to truly understand me. For most of my life, I thought that's the way it would always be. That I would always be misunderstood. You've shown me that there's more hope for people... around my age."

Even if it's incomprehensible, given Gonta's sheer SIZE, it does seem they're about the same age...

"For that, thank you," Kakyoin offers a nod. "And take care of yourself, Gonta Gokuhara."