wbw | Welcome

Entry tags:

setting,
welcome

Welcome

You awake on the grass. When you open your eyes, you see that you in the Wood. It is calm here. Quiet. There are no birds singing, nor any other sight or sound of animal life. The sky between the branches is an eternal twilight that lightens and darkens without ever becoming true day and night. Interspersed between the trees are the Pools. Each Pool is only a foot deep at most--enough to splash in, but certainly not deep enough to swim or drown. They are oddly uniform, aside from the occasional Pool here and there that has inexplicably dried out.

As you look around, you notice that a short distance away is what appears to be the remains of a small camp. When you approach, you can see that there are a number of tents that seem to be in excellent condition, and in the middle, a campfire circle with plenty of food supplies around it.

The food replenishes itself when taken.

The fresh water never runs dry.

The sleeping bags and mats within the tents are oddly comfortable and restful.

Welcome to the Wood Between the Worlds.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What the fuck is that guy even wearing? Alex isn't sure if it's leather or spandex or what, but it's super tight and formfitting and like, wow it's hard not to stare. The outfit seems practically made to be stared at. It's so tight and Alex isn't even sure how much of what it's, um, accentuating is what's actually under there but if it is... damn. Like, is that even allowed?

His fingers dig into Henry's arm a little harder, and he tugs at his collar. Why is this weird-ass forest so damn warm?

"In before 'world's shittiest comic con.'" He waves at the guy's whole... everything. "Should we have brought costumes too? Cause, like, dibs on brown Captain America."

Dick takes a moment to squint at Alex in confusion because what is he even talking about before turning to look at Henry whose words seem actually relevant to the situation.

"Yeah," he says slowly. "But you might want to sit down before I explain it. It's pretty hard to believe. And that's coming from me." He gives an awkward half smile, gesturing over at a wooden table surrounded by benches. "I'm Dick."

"I hardly think either of us will faint once you tell us what's going on," Henry says, frowning slightly. Still, Alex needs to sit down anyway. He's almost certainly tired of leaning in him at this point. He guides him carefully toward the benches. "It's nice to meet you--you really go by Dick?"

Really? Seriously??

Dick has, believe it or not, gotten this before. He wishes he'd known people were showing up. He could have kept the mask on and just introduced himself as Nightwing. Not that he's sure that would even have helped.

"Can we focus?" He takes a seat and glances over at the two men. "This is... well. Have you heard of Narnia?"

Alex is trying really hard not to snicker at the guy's name. It becomes even harder when Henry questions him about it. Maybe it's the word Dick, even as a name, in Henry's posh accent. He didn't know princes even knew that word.

He sits down carefully and immediately feels the lack of Henry's warm weight at his side. It's... well. Familiar. Not that he's spent that much time that close to Henry, tendency to end up on top of each other aside, but he's someone Alex knows. But he's also someone who has not, traditionally, gotten along well with Alex, so it's probably a relief for Henry not to have to hold him up anymore. He sits up straight, letting his foot rest without his weight on it, and turns to look at Dick.

And then he fucking says that and Alex slams his hands on the table. "No fucking way." He turns to glare at Henry. "Of all the things for you to be right about, it has to be this?"

"I'm as surprised as you are," he tells Alex. He turns toward Dick again. "You're not saying this is the Wood Between the Worlds." Even if it is an increasingly likely explanation now that someone else has brought it up, it's still hard to believe.

"Uh, yes, actually." Dick pulls off one of his gloves, revealing a ring. It's a twist of yellow and green that glimmers oddly in the light. "I mean, sort of. It seems to work pretty similarly anyway. There are rings for you as well. In theory, they'll be able to take you home, but you have to find the right pond and so far I haven't managed that. As you can tell by me being here still."

Alex can't help but stare a little as Dick pulls his glove off like a stripper. Maybe that's what he is. A superhero stripper. That would probably explain the name at least.

It's distracting. Who wouldn't be distracted by a guy basically stripping in front of them? Alex forces himself to focus.

"So what you're saying is we're in a magical world hopping dimension but can't actually world hop home." He frowns. "But what, you can world hop other places?"

"Presumably we would just have to return to the pool we came from," Henry says, frowning. "That shouldn't be too difficult. Wouldn't we just retrace our steps?" It was a pity he hadn't thought to mark where he woke up, like in the story, but it wouldn't be that hard to find.

Dick raises an eyebrow.

"Can you? This place is a lot more confusing than you'd think. It's, well, magic." He waves his hand at the trees around them. "You can always find your way here, to the campsite. But everything else is... impermanent. I'm not saying it isn't worth trying. Others have been here and left, presumably for home. But don't get your hopes up too high." He turns to Alex. "It depends a lot on the pool. I'm sorry that so many of my answers have been unhelpful, but we have more questions than answers still."

He pushes himself up from the table. "Now, we can get you set up with tents, rings," he glances down at Alex's foot, "medical assistance.... uh, do you want one tent or two?"

This is all the worst. Alex is going to have to have a quiet freak out before too long, but maybe not in front of the weird hot superhero dude.

"Two," he says. He glances over at Henry. "No offense, sweetheart, creepy magic woods just aren't putting me in the spooning mood."

"Oh no." Henry's voice is bone dry. "However will I manage without your manly arms around me. Oh tragedy. Oh sorrow." He turns his attention toward Dick again. "Two tents would be best, thank you. And he does need some kind of medical assistance if it's available. He fell out of a tree."

"Hey, fuck you! Don't forget it was your royal ass that fell on top of me." But Alex can't quite hold back a grin. Henry's so much more tolerable when he's snarky. Almost likeable.

"...but yeah, I do need to deal with my foot. I think I sprained it."

Dick is like eighty percent these two knew each other before they got here, but anything else, he's having trouble ascertaining. Are they friends? They're apparently not dating, or at least, not seriously enough to want to share a tent.

He steps away from the table, trying not to look like he's running away from their horrifying amounts of sexual tension.

"Okay, I'll get the first aid kit. Just give me a minute."

"Thank you." He raises an eyebrow at Alex. "Yes, after trying to keep you from falling when you lost your balance. You're right, I am surely the villain in this piece." He shakes his head a little, but he's biting back a grin of his own. At least if he has to deal with fiction becoming reality, he has mildly antagonistic company to share it with.

"Keep telling yourself that, highness."

Alex rolls his eyes, leaning his elbow on the table while Dick retreats, but he's not nearly as mad as the antagonism should make him. Maybe because his natural state is being antagonistic. It's nice to hang out with someone who's on the same page.

But then his expression sobers.

"Is this really happening? Like, how is any of this possible?"

"It shouldn't be," Henry says, frowning a little in return. "I think we can both agree that the Chronicles of Narnia are entirely fictional. But as it stands I don't have a better explanation. Especially with our new friend's agreement. Unless you have a better idea, I'm leaning toward accepting this one for the time being."

Alex snorts. "Our new friend Dick. Which is almost as unbelievable as being in a fantasy novel. Who would actually call themselves that by choice?"

He wants to point out that it was a nickname for Richard for longer than it's been a euphemism, but that's hardly the point here. The man seems to be contemporary to them, and therefore is certainly not ignorant of the alternate meaning of his nickname. "Apparently--Dick," he says with a little smirk.

Alex rolls his eyes. "Well, yeah. I mean I want to know more about him." He scowls back towards the tent. "Besides the fact that I guess he's a really dedicated cosplayer."

Henry gives him a curious look. "Oh?" He's aware of conventions, of course, but it's not something he's ever seen beyond images on the internet or things like that. He's never seen anyone in a costume like Dick's.

Alex raises his eyebrows. "What, do people dress like that regularly in England? He looks like a goddamn superhero and--"

He breaks off because, well, now he's thinking more about superheroes and this is so stupid he can't even handle it. He smacks his face in his palm.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"What?" Henry asks. He has a feeling he's missing something, but he has no idea what it could be. It's not as though superheroes are real.

"Dick." Alex looks over at him. "Like Dick Grayson? AKA Robin? Come on, you've seen Star Wars but not Batman?"

"Of course I know who Batman is." But why on earth would he have associated Dick with that? "Isn't Robin meant to be smaller?"

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