exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

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.

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

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

[ 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.

[ 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.

[ 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?

[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

[ 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?

[ 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. ]

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'?

[ 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. ]

[ 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...

[ 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?

[ 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.

[ 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.

[ ... 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.

[ 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?

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.

[ Jack looks skeptical, although it's not that he doesn't believe Riku. He does, guardians of worlds weren't a stretch of imagination by any means. It's just ... ]

Alright, so a Guardian of worlds. Why wouldn't you be able to talk about it? Okay, I get that there might be secrets in some worlds and all, but in general? Don't see why it has to be so secretive.

[ a sigh; Riku averts his eyes for a moment. how can he explain this? is this technically going against the world order if he explains world order?

why is he alone here?! for a moment, he's incredibly frustrated that he's the only person that really understands the way the worlds work, and he has no one to double-check, no one to tell him where to stop and where to go, like he's gotten used to over the past few months. he cools his anger and instead walks two paces away from Jack, like he's almost about to go without answering his question.

but then he turns sharply, and raises his hand before him, making a half-arc in the air. he focuses; there's a lot Yen Sid has taught him over the past few months after Sora went off to learn, and after he was tasked with protecting the worlds. he doesn't know much about the true strength of Mastery, but there's a few tricks he has up his sleeves; like explaining by illusion. there's a light fog that picks up around his feet, and five medium-sized globes rise. he exhales and when he looks up, each world has a few faint details. one with a mountain of rock, one a desert, one seems to be completely underwater. one is radiant and glows with spires. the last has a quiet little palm tree, indicating an island. with a spark, lines--barriers appear in the space between each world. ]

The worlds are separated. Most people didn't even know there were other worlds before they came here--and that's how it's supposed to be. It's called 'world order'. Interfering in the affairs of other worlds could end up in disaster. If I told you everything... [ his voice trails off before he exhales, letting the borders fall. ] United Earth is already trying to break into our worlds and affect the world order in a bad way. I'm not gonna add to it.

[ Jack does think Riku's about to leave when he turns away and opens his mouth to tell him "never mind, it's fine" but then Riku turns around again and raises his hand so suddenly, it startles Jack into clutching his staff with both hands and taking a step back.

He quickly realizes that Riku means no harm though, and he cautiously steps closer to inspect the illusion when it appears. He reaches out, almost as if to touch one of the worlds but he doesn't, letting his fingers hover inches away from the island globe. His expression is one of awe, but it changes when he takes in Riku's explanation and he looks away from the globe to Riku with a troubled frown. ]

Just knowing there are other worlds is that bad?

[ his lips part, and he tries to form a few words, ultimately voiceless.

he's very careful to speak--the hesitation and stiffness in his body stance along with the slight vulnerability and shame in his eyes point more to a personal discovery than having been told rules; it's the complete opposite of everything he's said so far. ]

If you know about other worlds... sometimes your world isn't enough.

[ all the worlds but two fall away; the island and garden. he focuses on the island, a swirl of fog turning into a small figure--himself. with a little tilt of his head and closed eyes, the island starts to break apart, falling like shattered glass, into wisps of darkness. ]

There's no easy way to escape your world into another one without someone who knows what they're doing, so if you're alone and desperate, you might do something stupid. [ the island falls apart completely--the little figurine of Riku is carried by little swirls of darkness to the garden world. ] And then you're affecting a world you shouldn't be in. One person could change things for the worst.

[ Riku's body language doesn't go unnoticed and Jack's frown grows concerned. But it's for that reason he doesn't push it, doesn't ask and just lets Riku explain it in his own time or, if Riku chooses to, not at all. Only Riku does continue and Jack nods his understanding.

He watches the worlds fall away and with Pitch still fresh in his mind, the wisps of darkness have him retracting his hand as fast as possible. He watches on warily, but when it's time to look back to Riku, his gaze is sympathetic. ]

I see.

... I'm sorry, we all make mistakes when we're desperate. [ Jack smiles wryly then, possibly because he's speaking from experience too. ]

[ after a moment, Riku shook his head, straightening with his own smile. ]

Yeah.

[ he doesn't like what happened--he doesn't like what he did--but he wouldn't be anyone else right now. ]

Besides. Some mistakes have to be made.

[ then, a shrug, and the illusion falls away completely as he rakes a hand through the back of his hair. ]

Uh--anyway... now you know.

(no subject)

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)