[He makes a noise of surprise.] You moved to one of the boathouses, Damian-kun? [Well, at least it's easy to remember where it is!]
You mean you won't let me fall?
[Izuku grins at him before stepping carefully onto the raft. Though he's not as graceful as Damian might be, his training definitely helps him keep from tipping the raft too much in one direction.]
[Damian makes a small and soft, disgruntled noise under his breath.] I won't let you fall. [It's said with a kind of Robin-sounding authority. Unlike Bruce, he sometimes had trouble splitting Robin and Damian because... well, he acts the same in the suit and out of the suit. Usually.
With Ace and his own balanced weight, Izuku actually doesn't have a hard time getting on. It doesn't disrupt the raft very much, and when all three of them are there, the raft is leveled appropriately. He and Izuku actually aren't very far apart in height in weight. It works out.
Using the stick, Damian plunges it into the water and pushes them across toward one of the boathouses. For now, the outside hasn't been refurbished at all. It's fine. Damian is more concerned with fixing the interior, the hull, everything else keeping it floating, workable, livable.
At the stairs, he lets Ace gallop off first before he turns the raft in a circle so Izuku is closer and can exit easily. Ace waits for them by the door. Damian follows finally, tying the raft to the house and settling the stick by the railings.] It's not finished.
But it's where I'm staying now when I'm not with Father.
[Inside the boathouse is still simple and minimalistic. Damian hasn't decorated a lot, not when he's busy fixing, altering. Most of the work has been patches, the floor, support in the walls and doorways. Everything else is how it was found.
There's a small set of bowls for Ace. One is full of water.] You can put the potato there. [Off from the kitchen is a tiny island with two stools, and Izuku is free to place the food down.
Oh. Right. He should probably...] Father is going to stay in a cottage. He... [Damian seems unsure of how to explain. Ace noses under his arm, and Damian slides his hand back over the dog's head, petting before Ace decides to move on and sniff out Izuku, following Izuku around like a guardian.]
My father isn't the only one here. [He looks up.] His fiancée is here, too.
[The potato goes onto the island while Izuku sits right down on the ground to give Ace some more attention, petting him along the ears gently.]
Really? [He looks up in surprise.] So that's three of you all together, then. I guess it makes sense that your father would want to stay with his fiancee, though.
Four. [He doesn't necessarily sound rude in his correction, but it may come across that way to some people. Unintentional know it all.
Finally, he decides to have at the potato. He hasn't collected any kind of silverware just yet, so he instead pulls something from inside the layered clothes which resembles a kind of shuriken. Except... it's shaped like the silhouette of a bat. He uses it to split the potato in half.] Me, my father, his fiancée, and his friend and associate.
That isn't including Alfred Pennyworth, my cat, and my father's dog, Ace. [He pauses to nod toward the German Shepherd that is currently being spoiled by Izuku's attention.] Do you want part of this?
Four? [Izuku glances up thoughtfully.] That's almost as many as we have. [Then, his expression flickers with something pained.] Had. [Izuku corrects himself softly.]
Ah, no thanks. [Damian's question seems to snap Izuku out of his thoughts, and he shakes his head. That's all for you Damian-kun. I already had something to eat before coming out here.
[Damian doesn't seem convinced, or perhaps he seems suspicious, but he takes the decline and continues on. The potato gets split in half. One piece is scraped of the stuffing, and then it's put on the floor. Ace happily abandons his new friend Izuku in favor of the potato.
The other half is patiently eaten by Damian a little bit at a time, mostly with his fingers. It's... so good...] What do you mean "had"?
[Abandoned for half of a potato... top 10 anime betrayals. Izuku hops back to his feet when Ace pads off to eat his food, leaning back against the island instead.]
We lost two of our classmates recently. Yaoyorozu-san and Iida-kun. They're not the first ones to disappear from the town, though. It's happened before--if you've seen some struck out hex codes on the forum, that's what it means.
[Slowly, Damian's face softens into a kind of perplexed, cautious sort of expression. The disappearances. Someone else told him people disappear along with all of their things.] But they're not taken somewhere. Like the forest.
[It isn't a question.] The items they have also disappear. Someone else told me something similar. About people just vanishing.
The best case scenario is a tear opened again and they were sucked inside. That it returned them home. The worst case scenario is the town consumed them.
[That's so morbid, Damian. Izuku gives a little shudder at that last one.]
My friend and I were talking about it before. We think the way back is through the forest... maybe #FFFFFF, if he's the one who brought us here, sent them back because he thinks they've served their purpose already.
I know it's... wishful thinking. [He doesn't want to jump to the worst conclusion, when two of his friends are among the missing, after all.] But we have some reason for thinking that way.
Based on the theme of this place, I think going through the forest is the way back, too. Or, at least, the way to some answers. [Hm. How is Izuku so smart!! Damian is use to having to herd brawny idiots! Izuku just keeps stunning him.] Fairytales and folktales.
A magical forest the hero has to venture through to get to a goal. It's full of trials and tribulations.
I know others have already went into the forest to search, but I'm going to explore myself in the future.
That's what I figured, too. The town's surrounded by the forest, except the part in Bluo that's by the water. [Izuku's smile twists slightly.] If you're going to go to explore, don't take a lot of people with you. I tried to organize a group trip during the first couple weeks to see if we could map the place out, but the forest really didn't like that.
A-anyway... one of my friends said he managed to get home for a couple days, but ended up back here, in the forest without even remembering that he went in there to begin with. If we take that into account, along with how the forest is determined to keep us here, then ..it's more likely the forest is our way out, instead of the harbor.
[He adds a second later--] But we shouldn't rule water travel out completely either.
[Damian didn't have a great time with the water when he first got here. RIP.]
Ugh. I keep trying to tell everyone that going into the forest with a bunch of people is dangerous and stupid. They all think I'm an idiot. [Apparently he hasn't had a great time with people subverting back to the fact he's thirteen either.] Three is pushing it. Two might be best.
But going alone keeps others out of trouble period.
[He's feeling more ramped up because the potato is good, and now he isn't as hangry as he had been initially.] Wait--
With two people you'll have someone to watch your back, though. [Izuku says thoughtfully. He gets it, wanting to keep others from danger, he really does. He also knows that Shouto and Uraraka--not to mention Guren--would kill him if he tried to tackle anything on his own.]
When were you planning on going into the forest? [It's...an offer to come along, if Damian wants to take him up on it.]
Oh, yeah. It's Keith-kun. I'll give you his hex code if you want to talk to him about it.
Later. [It's not a decline of the unspoken invitation. More of "I'll keep you updated, and we'll go from there." He doesn't exactly want to go with anyone else, just for the fear of them getting in trouble. Of them getting hurt, and him being unable to do anything about it.
But if he asked anyone, it may be Izuku.] Fine. I'll talk to him about it. Did he mention anything to you?
[Izuku just nods--he knows the sentiment's been passed on. Damian will let him know if he wants the company later.]
Yeah...it's really weird. Apparently a lot of time passed while he was back home, but he was only missing for a few days in the town. [Izuku rubs at his cheek absently, with a slight frown.]
Aside from that... he doesn't even remember going into the forest, but that's where he woke up. There's physical evidence that he went home, too--he had injuries that he got in his world, and they were still on him when he woke up back here.
So far, he's the only one this has happened to, so I'm not sure if the time discrepancy is something we'll all have to deal with.
[Not enough information to work with... it's becoming a theme of sorts for this place.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
You mean you won't let me fall?
[Izuku grins at him before stepping carefully onto the raft. Though he's not as graceful as Damian might be, his training definitely helps him keep from tipping the raft too much in one direction.]
no subject
With Ace and his own balanced weight, Izuku actually doesn't have a hard time getting on. It doesn't disrupt the raft very much, and when all three of them are there, the raft is leveled appropriately. He and Izuku actually aren't very far apart in height in weight. It works out.
Using the stick, Damian plunges it into the water and pushes them across toward one of the boathouses. For now, the outside hasn't been refurbished at all. It's fine. Damian is more concerned with fixing the interior, the hull, everything else keeping it floating, workable, livable.
At the stairs, he lets Ace gallop off first before he turns the raft in a circle so Izuku is closer and can exit easily. Ace waits for them by the door. Damian follows finally, tying the raft to the house and settling the stick by the railings.] It's not finished.
But it's where I'm staying now when I'm not with Father.
no subject
Oh...your dad doesn't live here with you?
[That's sort of surprising. Izuku had assumed Damian was moving to an entirely new place so he could be in the same place as his dad.]
no subject
There's a small set of bowls for Ace. One is full of water.] You can put the potato there. [Off from the kitchen is a tiny island with two stools, and Izuku is free to place the food down.
Oh. Right. He should probably...] Father is going to stay in a cottage. He... [Damian seems unsure of how to explain. Ace noses under his arm, and Damian slides his hand back over the dog's head, petting before Ace decides to move on and sniff out Izuku, following Izuku around like a guardian.]
My father isn't the only one here. [He looks up.] His fiancée is here, too.
no subject
Really? [He looks up in surprise.] So that's three of you all together, then. I guess it makes sense that your father would want to stay with his fiancee, though.
no subject
Finally, he decides to have at the potato. He hasn't collected any kind of silverware just yet, so he instead pulls something from inside the layered clothes which resembles a kind of shuriken. Except... it's shaped like the silhouette of a bat. He uses it to split the potato in half.] Me, my father, his fiancée, and his friend and associate.
That isn't including Alfred Pennyworth, my cat, and my father's dog, Ace. [He pauses to nod toward the German Shepherd that is currently being spoiled by Izuku's attention.] Do you want part of this?
[The potato.]
no subject
Ah, no thanks. [Damian's question seems to snap Izuku out of his thoughts, and he shakes his head. That's all for you Damian-kun. I already had something to eat before coming out here.
no subject
The other half is patiently eaten by Damian a little bit at a time, mostly with his fingers. It's... so good...] What do you mean "had"?
What happened to them?
no subject
We lost two of our classmates recently. Yaoyorozu-san and Iida-kun. They're not the first ones to disappear from the town, though. It's happened before--if you've seen some struck out hex codes on the forum, that's what it means.
no subject
[It isn't a question.] The items they have also disappear. Someone else told me something similar. About people just vanishing.
The best case scenario is a tear opened again and they were sucked inside. That it returned them home. The worst case scenario is the town consumed them.
no subject
[That's so morbid, Damian. Izuku gives a little shudder at that last one.]
My friend and I were talking about it before. We think the way back is through the forest... maybe #FFFFFF, if he's the one who brought us here, sent them back because he thinks they've served their purpose already.
I know it's... wishful thinking. [He doesn't want to jump to the worst conclusion, when two of his friends are among the missing, after all.] But we have some reason for thinking that way.
no subject
A magical forest the hero has to venture through to get to a goal. It's full of trials and tribulations.
I know others have already went into the forest to search, but I'm going to explore myself in the future.
no subject
A-anyway... one of my friends said he managed to get home for a couple days, but ended up back here, in the forest without even remembering that he went in there to begin with. If we take that into account, along with how the forest is determined to keep us here, then ..it's more likely the forest is our way out, instead of the harbor.
[He adds a second later--] But we shouldn't rule water travel out completely either.
no subject
Ugh. I keep trying to tell everyone that going into the forest with a bunch of people is dangerous and stupid. They all think I'm an idiot. [Apparently he hasn't had a great time with people subverting back to the fact he's thirteen either.] Three is pushing it. Two might be best.
But going alone keeps others out of trouble period.
[He's feeling more ramped up because the potato is good, and now he isn't as hangry as he had been initially.] Wait--
You know someone who went home and came back?
no subject
When were you planning on going into the forest? [It's...an offer to come along, if Damian wants to take him up on it.]
Oh, yeah. It's Keith-kun. I'll give you his hex code if you want to talk to him about it.
no subject
But if he asked anyone, it may be Izuku.] Fine. I'll talk to him about it. Did he mention anything to you?
What it was like? What happened?
no subject
Yeah...it's really weird. Apparently a lot of time passed while he was back home, but he was only missing for a few days in the town. [Izuku rubs at his cheek absently, with a slight frown.]
Aside from that... he doesn't even remember going into the forest, but that's where he woke up. There's physical evidence that he went home, too--he had injuries that he got in his world, and they were still on him when he woke up back here.
So far, he's the only one this has happened to, so I'm not sure if the time discrepancy is something we'll all have to deal with.
[Not enough information to work with... it's becoming a theme of sorts for this place.]