(no subject)

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: Jan 12th to Jan 19th (real time), July 11th to July 18th (historical time), 1884
Location: Black Rock, New Mexico, USA
Characters: All transports
Summary: Fearing UE reprisal, the Initiative corrals all transports and shoos them onto a mission back to the Wild West, to vote Gerald "Moony" Jackson in as Mayor of Black Rock. Transports are encouraged to used all their wiles to encourage townsfolk to vote in favor of him, too. Other than that, they're free to roam as they will for 7 whole days! Good luck finding food and shelter, masses. (See the OOC post for more information.)

The Initiative had been terse and rushed as they gathered the transports into the Transporter room, and anyone unwilling to participate will have been forcibly hurried along. The Initiative employees had seemed distracted and worried, and unwilling to stand around and debate. It was time to move. The teleportation had gone off without a hitch, and a roomful of transports have been treated, quite suddenly, to a broad and sunny blue sky, and especially to the heat of mid July in the American West.

Enjoy your weeklong stay in Black Rock, New Mexico! The town is small and sleepy, with just 3 good saloons and one questionable (but considerably cheaper) one. There are a few inns, but these inns aren't quite prepared to room a sudden influx of over 300 travelers, and some people might have to bunk up or get creative with their sleeping arrangements. If you sleep in an inn at all, of course. There's plenty of unexplored wilderness out there to sleep in instead, isn't there? Just make sure to check your boots for scorpions in the morning.

The only instructions are "vote for Gerald "Moony" Jackson for Mayor, and try to convince others to do the same", and you've been given just enough money to cover a very sparse room and board for 7 days, if you don't spend it in anything else.

So, how do you spend your time?

Edit: Overflow log!

Comments

[frorn]

Uh, I suppose so.

[ He's not sure what that's supposed to mean, this guy was obviously another Transport so why would he have the key? Jack's really not in the state of mind to question it though, so he doesn't. He just sets about following Riku. It's slow progress however, Jack has to use his staff to keep himself upright and pause a lot to catch his breath.

So it's a good thing when they get there when they do, because Jack doesn't think he could have gone much further. He's staring again when a giant key is summoned and okay, so the previous statement makes sense now, but it was still bizarre. He wavers on the spot for a small moment before he determinedly pushes on to follow Riku inside. ]

[limitstorm]

[ inside, while it isn't freezing, is colder. The shade provides refuge from the sun, and the room itself seems to be untouched by sweltering heat. Riku almost wants to stay here himself--but he shakes his head at himself as he casts a Blizzard spell, the sudden frost on a wall bringing the temperature down a little more. ]

[frorn]

[ The room was a vast improvement from the heat outside that the shade hadn't been able to protect Jack from. He straightens once he's inside, visibly perking up. Especially so when Riku casts Blizzard and Jack's eyes go wide with wonder before he lets out a really happy laugh. He uses the cold air the Blizzard creates to make himself float and with a broad sweep of his staff, Jack has his own frost spreading out like vines in all directions to reinforce Riku's and create a small layer of ice.

With an excited explosion of snowflakes, Jack drops himself in front of Riku. He's obviously transformed from an exhausted, near dead might-as-well-be-an-old-man to an energized and very enthused teen-that-he-looks-like. He's peering into Riku's face with a wide grin curiously. ]

How did you do that? [ Both the key and the ice he means. ]

[limitstorm]

[ he catches Jack's thrilled laugh with a start, turning sharply to watch the winter display with awe on his face.

well, at least until the cold air hits him--he shudders and stiffly stands, shoulders raised like a startled cat. flying isn't too new--Jack only gets a searching stare at that, but when the frost curls and dances along the floor, he lifts his feet, inspecting the ice crystals.

when he looks up, Jack's right there, and he leans back, grip wary on Way to the Dawn. ]

Uh... it's a spell. Pretty weak one, too.

[ he casts a glance around, pointedly. ]

Nothing like this.

[frorn]

[ Jack, in all his new found excitement and energy, is completely oblivious to Riku's wariness and the answer just makes him beam at him more. ]

Magic, huh? Wow, that's something. [ Jack looks a bit impressed at least, and he is. Not often could normal people wield magic. He glances down at the keyish looking blade pointedly. ]

So that's magic too? [ He finally takes a step back, giving Riku his personal space again, when he belatedly realizes he should probably thank the guy. ]

Oh, and thank you for this. [ He's smiling sincerely when he gestures at the room to indicate it. Honestly, he was really grateful. ]

[limitstorm]

[ he's so... happy. Riku watches, still as can be, as he moves and seems to almost bounce. it kind of reminds him of--

no. no thinking about that. he has to think on the task at hand. Keyblade Masters don't reminisce and fly off into distant thought, even if it's about their best friends. he tries to start with the easiest thing to address; ]

It's no problem. [ It's kind of what I do comes to mind, and when it does, he can't help but smile a little modestly. it is what he does now, isn't it? ] We've all gotta look out for each other.

[ but on the subject of magic, Riku looks to his Keyblade, bringing it up to look at it a little more carefully. ]

You know, I wouldn't call it magic. It's... [ ... what is it? ] a... hm.

[ he shakes his head. ] A privilege, a blessing, a curse--

[ oh! he knows exactly what to call it. ] It's something I inherited. It's not just magic, 'cause anyone can do magic if you learn how. But a Keyblade... someone gives it to you, or you earn that right.

[frorn]

True enough. [ They were all in this together, after all.

Still, being shown so much kindness was new to Jack considering he hadn't even been able to be seen by others before. If he stopped to think about it, it was rather overwhelming. But he doesn't stop to think about that right now as Riku's explanation distracts him.

He tilts his head as he listens and he ... sort of gets it, he thinks.

Becoming a Guardian and even just being turned in a spirit symbolizing something (winter in his case) was sort of like that so he nods his understanding. ]

I can't say I've ever seen anything like it. [ He admits before glancing back up at Riku, grinning again to lift spirits. ] I'm Jack Frost.

1/2

[limitstorm]

Jack Frost, huh?

[ he sure fit his name. Dragging a finger gently to trace the pattern of frost on a nearby barrel, he spoke. ]

Cool name. I'm Riku.

2/2

[limitstorm]

[ a bout of realization; ] Uh--Master Riku, I mean.

[ shakes his head slightly. he's never getting used to that. ] Riku's fine, though.

[frorn]

[ The pang of disappointment that came with people being able to see him but not recognizing him was still there, but it was getting more manageable and Jacks' grin doesn't miss a beat.

The 'Master' part gets a raised eyebrow and a very amused look. ]

Why, it's an honor, oh Master Riku.

[limitstorm]

[ and that causes a roll of his eyes, cheeks tinging pink. it feels even weirder to be called Master. ]

Look, I just got the title. I'm not used to it yet.

Besides-- [ right, attention back to Jack. ] who exactly are you? Sure, your name--but I've never seen anyone use magic the way you do.

[frorn]

[ Exactly the reaction he was going for if Jack's mischievous grin is anything to go by. ]

Well, people might not be inclined to call you Master when they don't know what you're a master of anyway.

[ But okay, it's time for that question again. ] I guess you've never heard the whole 'Jack Frost nipping at your nose' thing so— [ Gosh, how to put it ... ] Wait, do you know of Santa and the Easter Bunny?

[limitstorm]

[ a brow raises when Jack repeats the old adage (that Riku's completely oblivious about); both of them go up when he speaks his question. ]

Yeah, I do. [ his tone is slow and disbelieving. ] But I stopped believing in them ages ago. [ and no amount of retellings of Sora meeting Sandy Claws is going to make him budge. ]

[frorn]

[ Riku's disbelieving look is met with one of Jack's equally disbelieving ones after he says that. Jack doesn't doubt Riku's words, they're said too honestly and so Riku's obviously not a believer, but he was still able to see Jack? It would be very odd if he didn't believe in North and Bunny, but did believe in Jack when he's never even heard of him before.

Jack visibly falters, glancing down at the ground and immediately falling back on old habits and muttering to himself in his puzzlement. ] But why can he see me?

[ He almost expects to just vanish from Riku's sight then and there, but after an uncomfortable pause where that doesn't seem to happen, Jack recovers enough to answer, head tilting in confusion as he squints at Riku. ]

I'm ... I'm the same as them. Santa and the Easter Bunny, I mean. I— We need people to believe in us before they can see us which means apparently you do believe, or ... [ Yeah, he's got nothing. He doesn't understand why Riku can see him. ]

[limitstorm]

[ to be seen is to be believed--Riku hesitates for a moment, then puts a curled knuckle to his chin, tipping his head down. ]

Maybe it's because I'm a Keyblade Master, now? [ he looks up to Jack, completely willing to believe him simply on principle--a valuable clue as to why Riku can see him in the first place. ] If I wasn't able to see you, I wouldn't be able to protect you or your world. Maybe that's just something that comes along...

[ a little shake of his head. he's really not sure if that's it. he has major doubts. his voice is quieter, to himself as he speaks. ] Jack Frost--sounds familiar, but I've never heard...

What do you do?

[frorn]

[ Jack doesn't know what being a Keyblade Master entails exactly, other than what Riku just said, but it's still with confidence that he shakes his head. ]

No, no, I— We are the Guardians. We protect the children and our world and... by believing in us, the children protect us too, in a way. [ When he'd told Jamie that, he'd meant every word of it. Without the children they were nothing. ] So you have to believe in us to see us.

[ Now that Jack knows for absolutely certain, his 300 years alone were a testament to it. If it weren't for his current confused state, Jack might have answered that question with more enthusiasm, but as it is he makes a helpless gesture at the frost-covered walls. ]

I bring winter wherever I go and— I'm the Guardian of Fun. [ Just like how Riku might have found the whole Master thing weird, so did Jack referring to himself as a Guardian. ]

[limitstorm]

You--

[ he opens his mouth to discuss it, realizes something, and promptly stops.

world order.

discussing other worlds was fine, in this kind of place--but... not when it came to something about the Keyblade and Keybearers. it was... probably best to just keep tight-lipped about the whole thing, so he silently ignored it. his eyes dart away from Jack's form, his body turns slightly away, before his eyes go back to the Guardian, the awkward resistance to speaking obvious on his face. Riku imagined that Jack and his--Guardians?--group protected their world and the people (children?) in it, yes--but there would be a higher level of protection.

maybe the Guardians stopped everything bad from going on in the world. Keybearers and Masters were just supposed to make sure the world was still standing, that hope reigned over despair and darkness. Even then, there wasn't much power in it. he imagined that Jack and his Guardian friends likely had the power to make everything alright; Riku knew personally that taking on the burden of a world himself when he had so many others to take care and check up on would be too harsh. he couldn't float down to a world and save it singlehandedly, or even in a group. he could resolve little squabbles and disputes, but... not something of that magnitude. that would be up to the people within the world.

Riku just had to make sure there were people in that world to chase away that darkness, and to make sure they were still standing. he just had to lock the heart of the world so it didn't fall to overwhelming Darkness, and if there was a threat only the Keyblade could solve, he'd do that himself. otherwise, he wasn't supposed to meddle in the affairs of other worlds. so when Jack explains, Riku just... slowly nods and keeps his mouth shut. ]

"Guardian of Fun"? I didn't know fun had to be guarded.

[ that's because you never have fun, Riku. ]

Maybe I do believe in you and I just never knew it--wait.

'Bring winter wherever I go'?

[frorn]

[ Jack may not be the master of social cues, far from it probably, but there's no way he's missing that obvious look of someone holding back from saying something they wanted to say. It instantly prompts a: ]

What? What is it?

[ Although he's quickly distracted again at the questions, because oh boy. Explaining things wasn't his forte either. Wait, how had North put it... ]

It's what I protect in children and bring into the world. Like ... uh, the Easter Bunny. He brings hope with Easter and protects that hope in children. Each of us have a different thing we protect like that.

[ Makes sense, right? Hopefully. And now to explain the winter thing too. Jack drags a hand through his hair sheepishly as he tries to figure out how to put it. ]

Yeah, sort of. I travel around, freezing things, frosting over windows and making it snow. It's just what I do. [ ... For fun. ]

[limitstorm]

[ he tries to bypass Jack's 'what?' by focusing on his answer, nodding slightly and averting his eyes as he brings his hand into his hair from the back. ]

I believe [ present tense--he doesn't even notice it, either. ] in the Winter Spirit. It's an old myth back home, about a spirit who brings winter to the whole world, but skipped over the islands, since... there's never any snow there.

[ a shrug.

but then, North was known as Santa Claus and Bunnymund was known as the Easter Bunny... could there be differences in Jack's title, just as there was in theirs? ] Maybe that doesn't work...

[frorn]

[ Jack's not pushing it. For now anyway, he's too distracted being bemused by Riku's answer. Willing to believe in a winter spirit like Jack, but not Santa? Weirdo. ]

I don't know about this winter spirit of yours, but even I can't reach some parts of the world. It's just too hot in some places. [ Weather conditions had to be just right and it wasn't like he could take on the heat of the sun or anything. If he could, the desert they were in would be looking quite different by now.

He tilts his head, confusion clear on his face. ] What doesn't work?

[limitstorm]

[ he has Issues with Santa. ]

'Too hot'... like here, huh? [ a shrug. ] Fine by me. I'm not much of a snow guy, anyway.

[ --ur

god damn world order ]

Nothing. [ how the hell did the Masters before him do this? ]

By the way, looks like a saloon's above your head. Someone's bound to come down here sooner or later. I don't know about believing--but I'd be careful.

[frorn]

[ Sounds like someone was on the naughty list.

But boy is Jack frowning at that remark and even more so at that backpedaling. Still, he'll hold that thought for a little while longer. ]

Oh, that's easy to fix. [ He wanders over to the door and gives it a knock with his staff, causing the door to freeze shut before he turns back to Riku. He regards him intently for a few seconds and then finally gets to it. ]

So what is it you keep wanting to say? You can tell me, y'know.

[limitstorm]

[ ... oh. that was convenient, he guessed. he turned, meaning to go, but stopped when Jack pinned him to the spot with mere words.

a tense moment stretched out between the two before Riku turned around, facing him. with a shrug and vague gesture of his shoulder, he spoke. ]

Actually, I can't. It's part of my duty as a Keyblade Master.

[frorn]

[ Wait, was he just trying to escape? That's what Jack construes it as anyway, so it must be important. He moves back to his previous spot, closer to Riku.

He's all ears and— oh. ]

Okay. What's that all about, this Keyblade Master thing? Or can't you even tell me that?

[limitstorm]

It's--complicated.

[ which wasn't Riku trying to avoid the issue--he honestly scrunched his face up trying to find a way to accurately describe it without giving too much away. ]

Keyblade Masters are supposed to travel and protect all of the worlds, or train new apprentices in their own world. My duty is the first one.