|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 15:03:32 GMT -5
"I suppose a bit of company while he's under the needle would do him well," Kendall replied with a nod, opening the door and stepping inside.
Truth be told, the building's interior was much nicer than Kendall would've expected. Very clean, very well lit, lots of light neutral colors. The music playing on the radio at a relatively low volume was a little heavy for his taste, but he certainly wasn't uncomfortable in this atmosphere. He looked to the front counter, where Evan was catching his breath and confirming his 10:30 appointment.
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 15:09:59 GMT -5
"So am I the only one thinking the bass in that song is a bit much?" Forsaken asked to Kendall as she walked in with the cube floating behind her. "So what'cha getting Evan?"
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 15:20:26 GMT -5
"Heheh... No, you're definitely not alone on that one," Kendell chuckled awkwardly.
Evan looked up as his friends and the tattoo artist that would be working on him approached him. "Oh, hey. I'm, uh... getting a dove holding a buckeye branch."
"Interesting choice, but certainly one I can work with." Noah, the tattoo artist that Evan had been communicating with since his initial decision to get this tattoo, was a nice-looking guy; tall and skinny with tight clothes, short blond hair, razor stubble and flowing, flowery tattoos covering his arms.
"Mind if we sit in?" Kendall asked.
"Not at all! Come on in!" With that, Noah ushered Evan, Kendall and Forsaken into the back parlor, offering seats to the guests and the main chair for his client.
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 15:23:23 GMT -5
"Can I inquire as to where that tat is going?" Forsaken asked with a raised eyebrow. 'A symbol of hope and something from home,' she mentally noted. "So you still with Swift?"
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 15:28:56 GMT -5
Evan plopped down in the parlor chair and propped his left elbow up on the arm rest. "Right here," he said, jabbing his free hand's thumb at his upper arm.
Noah silently got to work on prepping said arm, leaving the trio to their conversation. Evan nodded in response to Forsaken's next question. "Yeah, we're still together. She's over at the mall with the rest of the gang. I was gonna meet up with them later."
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 15:34:52 GMT -5
"So your friends are alive too. Good to hear," she offered with a weak but convincing fake smile. "It's good to see you not so full of rage and actually happy."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 15:43:15 GMT -5
Evan wasn't sure how to respond to that beyond the blank stare he wound up giving Forsaken, followed shortly thereafter by Kendall.
"Uh, yeah..." Kendall decided it best to clarify the situation himself. Given his status, such was more often than not his job. "I suppose you could say this is an alternate Beth... or, uh, Forsaken... from an alternate universe and timeline."
"Oh." Evan smiled a little and nodded, accepting Kendall's explanation.
"That does have a tendency to happen around here..." Noah offered with a chuckle as if to further relieve the tension.
While his arm was wiped off and the tattoo's design was outlined, Evan continued, "So... if that's the case, what's this about my friends and I being alive?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 15:48:07 GMT -5
Forsaken sighed. "The Evan I knew.... the dead counterpart to you..... was full of rage but he still tried to be optimistic. Our hero of Hope.... he lost more than anyone else in that session," she offered. "All of his friends. family, and love were gone only moments after he started in the session."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 16:01:03 GMT -5
Evan's eyes widened, properly shocked and silenced by Forsaken's story.
So... There was an alternate version of him...? Right off the bat, he grew paranoid that this alternate version was the one who linked him to the Paramount Key's home world. In desperation, he pulled the key out of the neck of his shirt and stared at it, mentally going over the various steps and processes of its uses that had always been engrained in his memory; the fact that he could still remember them quickly relieved those fears.
Nonetheless, the fact that there was another Evan Anders in another universe was shocking in and of itself, but then to hear that he had lost his family, his friends, his beloved, and even his own life was nothing short of horrifying. Evan tucked the key away again, casting his mortified gaze at the floor and swallowing the lump that had risen up his throat.
Noah patted his arm, his expression gentle and sympathetic. "You alright there, kid?"
"Y-Yeah... I'm alright." To some extent, he was, anyway. These horrible things hadn't happened to him, per se, but the knowledge that this was his fate in another time and place hurt just as badly.
Kendall frowned and averted his gaze, knowing full well what Evan was feeling. He would never say it, but he had seen plenty of alternate timelines with less than pleasant outcomes, and simply knowing what could be or could have been was a terrifying burden in its own right.
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 16:05:03 GMT -5
"He died a warrior's death. Protecting his allies. I'm still kicking myself for letting The Raven get to him," Forsaken offered calmly. "He was deadly accurate with his bladed keys."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 16:08:48 GMT -5
Evan allowed himself to calm down a bit. Dying for his friends... That sounded like a noble way to go out, at least. That last comment of Forsaken's brought his gaze right back up. "Wait, so I... or... this... other Evan used key weapons?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 16:59:46 GMT -5
She nodded. "Yeah. Taught me how to used a blade or three," she offered.
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 17:09:12 GMT -5
"Huh..." So the key motif continued even in alternate versions of himself. Strange, but fitting.
Wait...
"So... So you're saying that this other Evan played in the same SBURB session as you?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DMis on Sept 15, 2015 17:48:09 GMT -5
"I'm surprised you know that game's name," Forsaken replied. "But yes he did."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Sept 15, 2015 17:53:12 GMT -5
"I-I know a little bit about it. I have some friends who played a session... including an alternate version of you..." Evan paused for a moment so he could study the base drawn on his arm, smiling briefly at the dove and at Noah as the latter prepped the needle and ink for the final product. Then he looked back up at Forsaken and continued, "B-But what about you? And the others? I mean, surely there were other players, right? What happened in your session?"
|
|
