[Mushverse] JUU MOUSOU! No, no. MOUSOU HENSHIN! [Open to anyone, ESPECIALLY KAMEN RIDERS PLOX]

[kamenriderhikou]

My belt is not as amazingly elaborate as I had always hoped and dreamed. But it has such super awesome cool abilities, and unlike a certain group of, ugh, Sentai Otaku, I can totally explore this supposed 'delusion' (as if it could be anything but MY REAL REALITY AT LAST) without being transformed.

Which is awesome.

I am going to save this world.

Comments

[tarosetera]

"Ah," I nod, glancing around. The groceries are mostly gone, save for a few things that didn't spill out of my bag. I suppose I can ignore the grit covered shiitake that Tsukino-san stuffed into a baggy; Yuuto would thank me for leaving them behind.

"Do you mind accompanying me to our home? It's not far from here." I'll have to call ahead, make sure Yuuto will be home. But really, we need to figure out what is going on as soon as possible.

[kamenriderhikou]

"Oh no." I say when I follow his gaze and notice that his groceries, or what was left of them, have all been stolen. "Are you sure you don't want my help getting your groceries before we go back to your place?" As if there's any question whether I would want to go see where they live. Maybe I'll get to meet an Imagin!

[tarosetera]

"No, no, it's really okay. I'll just send Deneb out later," later when Yuuto's started talking to him again. I'm mostly muttering to myself, and I gesture for Tsukino-san to follow me as I head for home.

I dig out my cellphone and hit Yuuto's speed dial. Please be home.

[northerntriangle]

I answer my phone quickly enough when Ryoutarou calls, but the first thing I hear isn't his voice, it's a totally unfamiliar incoherent squealing that I assume is being made by someone Ryoutarou is with.

At least, I hope.

"Nogami?"

[tarosetera]

Oh, I think I may be deaf in one ear now.

I wave a little hushing hand at Tsukino-san before bringing it up to cover one ear as I hold the phone a little closer to the other.

"Yuuto, are you home? I have, um," I hesitate to say much about anything we do over the phone, where we can easily be heard by dark forces. "I'm bringing someone back with me. It would be helpful if you were home."

[northerntriangle]

The squealing tapers off and Ryoutarou starts speaking. I raise an eyebrow at no one (Deneb is cooking and the others are doing... something, loud and obnoxious, as usual, except Kintaros who is snoring at the dining room table). "I'm home." I assure him with a sigh. "Of course I'm home."

"Yuuto, did he get the shi-- I mean, did he get the groceries?"

[tarosetera]

After I finish my phone call with Yuuto - and let Deneb and Yuuto both know that the shiitake was ruined en route - I close my phone and guide Tsukino-san back to our home.

"Tadaima!" I call into the house as I slip my shoes off at the door, sliding into my slippers.

There's a great rumble down the stairs and I wince, waiting for my guest to basically explode beside me.

Thankfully it's just Momo. Sniffing around at my bags for the sake I promised him. It's one of the few things that didn't break when Tsukino-san collided with me, and I had it off to him happily.

[kamenriderhikou]

I gladly follow Ryoutarou to his home, doing my best not to pester him with too many questions, since I don't think he'll take it well if I ask him what he's been up to since the end of his series. He's way tenser than he ever was in the show but then, with great evil afoot that makes sense.

I follow him into a nice little well appointed house, and the sound I make when an Imagin appears is comparable to a teapot ready to boil.

"MOMOTAROS!"

[tarosetera]

Ryoutarou comes home, and I stumble down the stairs, smiling as best as I can at him before I go sniffing about his bags.

Ah, there is is. The sake!

I grab the bottle and give Ryoutarou a bruising pat to the shoulder, only making him stagger a little after. I'm getting better at that.

Someone screams my name.

I round on him, grabbing his shirt with my free hand, and shoving him back against the wall. "Yeah!? What of it? You got a problem with Imagin, buddy?"

"Momotaros, please... it's okay..."

I glance at Ryoutarou, then back at the brat between my claws. "Eh? Eh!? Who the fuck are you, then?"

[kamenriderhikou]

I am not in the least bit surprised when Momotaros grabs me and shoves me against a wall, and I also don't have any intention of fighting him unless he tries to really take my head off, which I don't think he will.

"No~" I squeak. "No problem. So cool." I can't really get my thoughts in order, because he's totally real and totally awesome.

"I'm Tsukino Ayumu, Kamen Rider Hikou! I'm here to help!"

[tarosetera]

"Momotaros..." I grip my Imagin's shoulder, trying to pull him away from poor Tsukino-san. It takes a little effort, but I eventually manage to pry him off and send him on his way with the sake.

"You'll have to excuse him, he can be a little..." I leave my statement at that, not wanting Momotaros to hear me and come back to defend himself.

"Yuuto?" I call into the house, thinking maybe I should check the kitchen for him.

[northerntriangle]

"Hot blooded!"

That voice sounds like it could well be the tea-pot I'd heard squealing on the other end of Ryoutarou's phone call. I duck out of the kitchen, leaving Deneb to... make tea or something, I don't really care.

I cross my arms and scowl at the interloper, all the more so since he appears to be hyperventilating, unable to articulate any words, and pointing at me.

"Who's this?"

[tarosetera]

Ah, good, Yuuto is here. Now maybe we can make some sense of this rather odd situation.

"Yuuto, this is Tsukino Ayumu," I gesture at our guest, then very carefully say the next part. "He he claims to be Kamen Rider Hikou."

[northerntriangle]

I keep an eye on the stranger, who I'm growing steadily more concerned is simply going to pass out if he keeps not breathing the way he is.

"Kamen Rider... Hikou?" I raise an eyebrow at Ryoutarou, and shake my head. "There is no such thing."

"There is!" He finally squeals, diving at me and grabbing my hand before I can dodge, but he's not attacking me.

He's shaking my hand and bowing and making a fool of himself.

I look in askance at Ryoutarou. Why did he bring this insane person to the house?

[tarosetera]

"I am aware of that, Yuuto." I nod cautiously, wondering if I'm going to have to stop him from hurting the poor, confused man that is currently trying to shake his arm clear off. "But he knows things... that he should not. About us."

I set the few remaining groceries down on the table, then run a hand through my hair. "I felt I should bring him back here so we could figure out exactly what's going on in a place where we can't be heard by any dark forces."

[northerntriangle]

Well, at least he hasn't lost it too.

"Oi." I use the interloper's grip on my hand to shove him back against a wall and scowl up at him. "Who are you and what do you want with us?"

"I want to help you fight evil, of course! Is his enthusiastic answer, and I wince and peel away from him, shaking my head.

"Then you should learn to keep your mouth shut. Why do you know so much about us, huh?"

"It's common knowledge! Den-O is truly one of the most well beloved seasons!"

I stare at him blankly, then at Ryoutarou, then back at the stranger.

"Are you stupid?"

[tarosetera]

"He keeps saying things like that, season, and such. He knows things that he shouldn't know even as a supposed fellow Rider." I supply to Yuuto before looking back at poor Tsukino-san.

"Do you mind helping us understand?" I gesture for him to take a seat at the table.

"Deneb!" I call toward the kitchen. "Could you bring us some tea?"

[kamenriderhikou]

"Deneb." I gasp, clasping my hands together and looking back and forth between Sakurai-san and Nogami-san and just... I'm so very excited. So very very excited.

"Are you sure we're safe here? Because what I can tell you might well prove to be very dangerous information. Plus... plus you might think I'm crazy but I promise I'm not."

[tarosetera]

I thank Deneb when he brings us tea, and apologize for losing most of the groceries on the list he sent me out with.

"I assure you, we are quite safe here." No need to get into all the details about how this house is protected from the current enemies we face. It has a lot to do with interdimensional barriers and comic energy force fields and even some magic wards thrown in there for good measure. Things he just doesn't need to know. Unless he knows about them already, but I don't really want to find out.

[kamenriderhikou]

I try to contain my glee as Deneb the real Deneb comes out with tea and quietly assures Nogami-san that it's just fine that the groceries got ruined and stolen and other terrible things. I make up my mind to definitely help in the replacement of said groceries, if they let me anyway.

"Okay. Well. Um."

I scrunch my face up in thought, then just figure I might as well tell them straight up. "Where I come from, your adventures together as Kamen Rider Den-O and Kamen Rider Zeronos were a television show. Part of a very big, very popular franchise."

[tarosetera]

A television show.

I blink at him.

I sip at my tea.

"And... and why do you think you're also a Kamen Rider..?"

[kamenriderhikou]

"I promise I'm telling you the truth, Nogami-san. I would never lie to you."

I turn to acknowledge Sakurai-san as well. "To either of you."

I take a breath and take a sip of the wonderful Imagin prepared tea. "I am the Kamen Rider's biggest fan." I think I'm doing an alright job of explaining, but even I can acknowledge that for a non-otaku this might be a little weird. "I was approached by a shadowy figure who gave me my belt," I pat it. "And told me that I'm the Unofficial Kamen Rider. It's always been my dream to be official, and I was told that if I used the power of Delusions to enter your world, and if I helped you accomplish your goals, I might be considered for the next official Kamen Rider in my world!"

[tarosetera]

I don't have a hard time believing that he might have come from another world, there are countless realities and timelines weaving in and out of existence all the time.

"A shadowy figure? That sounds... disconcerting."

[northerntriangle]

I exchange a glance with Ryoutarou, then lean forward over the table to eye the stranger's belt. He wears it casually, as if it's used for nothing more than holding up his pants. But he seems convinced that it's a real Driver.

A shadowy figure, well, I can't judge that. Look at me and... me, and the Zeronos Driver.

"You said Delusions." I point out. "The Power of Delusions. Have you actually used that to transform?"

"I have!" He stands up from the table almost immediately, striking an ostentatious pose, and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Well, feel free."

His pose shifts, well, he certainly puts a lot of stock in style.

"Henshin!"

Well, yes, he can transform. I can't help but snort and laugh at how ridiculous the suit looks, though.

[tarosetera]

I almost wish one of my Imagin were riding me right now, this situation is so ridiculous, I don't quite know how to handle it. I'll need to talk to Yuuto after Tsukino-san leaves.

I need to make sure we still have a grip on this timeline.

"Ah," I nod when he transforms, glancing at Yuuto. "Well."