wilderlogs | gently whispers "what the fuuuck" [OPEN]

Entry tags:

gently whispers "what the fuuuck" [OPEN]

Who: Shuichi + OPEN
What: Awkward detective fumbling his way through the sudden arrival and trying to make sense of this bullshit magic temple nonsense
Where: The woods and the temple
When: Couple of days after the squad arrives at the temple
Warnings/Notes: N/A, will update if necessary

A. MAGIC MIRROR OPTION

[(Y'know, if anyone feels like helping this sad city kid find his way to the temple.)

Is he dead? Fuck, maybe he is. This really isn't what he thought death would be like, but after what just happened, being dead would make sense...

But while this would be a seemingly peaceful enough afterlife, just trees and nature in every direction and no one else around, there are details that leave him with doubts. For instance, he hadn't really been alone at the end there, and he can't imagine the others wouldn't also go...wherever he ended up. Unless that's just how death works. Hell if he knows.

The sword and mirror laying in the grass beside him are better evidence that this isn't anything that simple. He's never owned a katana or a hand-mirror in his life, so why would he just wake up here with something like this? And there had been that voice... Whatever was going on, being alive somehow makes more sense. The question is just whether this is more of the same kind of bullshit as what he'd just escaped, or something else entirely.

If anyone happens to have the magic mirrors on hand, they might find the image of an Asian teenage boy there, the picture tilting dizzingly as he turns his own mirror to examine every inch of it.]

A sword and a mirror, huh...?

[His eyebrows knit together as he looks over the mirror, frowning thoughtfully. A mirror could be used as a signal by catching the light, he supposed, but that's not really useful when you're alone. Jeeze, if he was gonna be abandoned in the middle of nowhere with supplies then food or whatever would have been way more helpful.]

B. THE TEMPLE

[He's held onto the sword for some reason. It's not like he knows how to use it, but it seemed significant. Too significant to just leave lying in the middle of the woods.

That doesn't really make him feel any less awkward just carrying it around the temple in front of others. Even if a lot of the "others" here are...kind of bizarre. Given the kind of people his classmates were, "bizarre" means a lot coming from him. Whatever progress he'd made back home in the way of being social, it suddenly seems way more nerve-wracking to just approach any stranger here at random. Some of them are literally aliens, if everything is to be taken at face value.

He's not really sure he believes it all. But he still hasn't worked up the confidence to go around introducing himself at random.

But if they're all going to be here for at least a few days, he can at least find a place to stash the sword for now. Anyone who's claimed a room for themself might suddenly find a new kid wandering in and startling upon finding someone already there, hands lifting defensively in that universal sign of "I am unarmed". Except...he's literally holding a sheathed sword. Goddammit.]

S-sorry! I didn't realize this one was claimed already!

C. INVESTIGATION START

[Once settled, his first instinct is to explore the area and examine everything unusual thoroughly. And...well, there's a whole lot of "unusual" around here.

But for now, he's really curious about that mysterious music. It's nice enough that he feels pretty relaxed, even as strange as all this is. But it's still weird and inexplicable and he's gotta figure this out. So he's crouched in front of one of the statues the music seems to be coming from, inspecting it closely and carefully feeling every nook and cranny of it, trying to find some less ethereal source of the music.]

D. WILDCARD

((OOC: Hit me with whatever tag you want, if none of these work for you! You can bother me via PM or at

tinybro if you wanna plot anything in particular out!))

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It could have been a robot.

[But "bloody" probably shoots that down, unless Dixon just didn't take a good look and mistook oil for blood or something. That really does raise so many more questions, though. A "monster" that's actual flesh and blood...? He wishes he could have gotten a look at it, as kinda gross as that seems.

But hey, if it's any consolation he does only mildly better going uphill. He's certainly not going to be giving anyone else shit when he's panting himself, awkwardly trying to hold both the sword and mirror in one arm so he can strip off his uniform jacket. He probably should have taken that off from the start once he heard what a hike it was gonna be. Ugh.]

...Alright, that's fair. [In a way, Dixon almost wants to believe it was a robot. He's always preferred sci-fi to fantasy, and he's read enough comic books about robots that he envisions himself as being able to make sense of a scenario like that.]

But it weren't a robot. It was flesh and blood. [He grabs the edge of his jacket and pulls it away from him to spread out the fabric, so Shuichi can see the large splatter of dried blood under the fresh raccoon blood.] That's from one of them. I guarantee it's real blood.

[He pauses their ascent for a moment and points at something in the far treeline.] That over there's the temple. You can see it if you squint.

[He really does lean in a little to examine the blood more closely, the hand that isn't currently juggling the sword and mirror pressing against his lips pensively. It sure does look like normal blood.

That's not really comforting, though.

Leaning back to shuffle everything to his other arm so he can get the jacket off the rest of the way, he frowns as he tries to spot the distant temple.]

You said there are something like twenty people there? Where is everyone from?

[At least in the school there had been a common thread between all of them trapped there that made it clear why they were there. Even with only Dixon to judge by so far, Shuichi can't imagine what the point in common might be. The guy looks and sounds like a foreigner, there's an obvious age discrepancy, and...well, the guy doesn't really stand out in the way most of the Ultimates do. Or...did.]

I don't know. Everywhere? We got a few spacemen and one chick from Denver. [He absolutely knows that isn't where Revan is from but by now he's just going with it. Besides, rambling gives him an excuse to catch his breath a moment.] I'm from Missouri. This kid Kon's from Kansas. Got at least one Yankee. I think we got a handful of other Americans too.

[Dixon's categorizations of the people kind of fall into 'American', 'other places on Earth' and 'outer space' with very little nuance between them.]

Far as I can tell we got jack shit in common, if that's what you're wondering. Different places, different jobs. A few of the teenagers know each other so they got a little clique going on. [Which means that Dixon's officially envious of a bunch of teenagers, which is a great feeling.] Maybe you'll know them.

[Yeah, that sort of categorization scheme sure sounds American, from the stereotypes Shuichi knows. "Spacemen", though. What? It'll be cleared up once they get there so he won't pursue it, but...what??

His shoulders sag a little as Dixon pretty much shoots that thought down right away, but he perks back up slightly at that last part. He bites his lip, cautiously optimistic.]

What are they like? The other people around my age, I mean.

[His classmates are pretty, uh...distinct. He'd surely recognize even the barest description. Most of them are gone now, of course, but if he can even find the few that were left...]

What's the word? 'Overachievers'? That's them, they all got ninja skills and magic. And they're all athletes, pretty much. I think they're all Americans too, so you might be out of luck.

[The problem of teenagers, or the younger people in the group in general, keeps nagging at Dixon. He feels responsible for them, if only because he's got a few decades on them. But they're clearly significantly more competent than he is in this situation, and not only don't need his help but are likely to be held back by it.

It's a toxic combination, to feel both inept and unable to abdicate responsibility. It gnaws at him. Each day here he feels like he's drowning. It's only been a week since he was preparing to just opt out of life entirely and the stress and sense of inadequacy here is making bouncing back from that more difficult than it already would be.]

Okay kid, seriously, I need you to hit me with that fucking sword.

[It all sounds pretty accurate, even just between Maki and Himiko -- even the magic part. Y'know, presuming this guy means like...magician stuff. But the "Americans" part immediately smothers that tiny building hope and he visibly deflates.

Cool. they can just be depressed together.

Or not, since Shuichi's depression only lasts as long as it takes for Dixon to ask to be hit, at which point it's quickly replaced by bewilderment.]

What?! N-no! I'm not going to do something like that!

This thing [he takes the shield off his back; it's larger in his hand than it was while holstered, suddenly at waist-height, the Ebbing P.D. ornamentation almost cartoonishly large] only works in combat. And right now I need it to work.

[He peers at Shuichi's weapon, tries to make sense of if there's anything that identifies it beyond just being a big sword.]

Yours is probably magic too. We can probably find out.

[Shuichi angles the sword behind him, as if wary of this guy trying to just throw himself at it or something. God, why can't he ever meet anyone normal?]

Magic isn't real.

[He can afford to be straightforward about this for once. Himiko isn't here to get offended.]

Whatever's going on here, there has to be an explanation for it all. Just...calm down, okay?

[Even that shield growing could just be some kind of mechanical effect. He doesn't doubt that Miu could have made something like it.]

I'm calm. [And for the moment, he actually seems to settle into that word, calm. He even looks abashed for a moment.

He starts walking up the hill again, trudging kind of miserably.]

If there's an explanation for it, it's so far over my head it might as well be magic. And the people back at the temple are a lot smarter than me and they're saying magic too.

[He almost feels bad watching Dixon continue on so miserable. Not bad enough to hit him, but still.

Shuichi remained faintly unsettled, but he shakes his head and follows after a moment. He has to keep a cool head, at least until he's worked out what's going on a bit better. He's not the smartest person, sure. But he's good at figuring things out.]

There has to be something they're missing. There's a logical explanation for everything. We just have to find it.

["We". Shit, he hasn't even met the vast majority of this group yet. But he's already resigned himself to being part of it, if only because that's clearly the will of whoever has put all this together. What else is he gonna do, just go off on his own?]

Edited 2018-04-05 05:17 (UTC)

[Dixon's got a lot of emotions.

He nods, swinging the raccoon slightly as he tries to pick back up into a normal hike instead of a mopey shuffle. There's not enough heart in it to really make a difference.]

The logical explanation could be magic. Actually. Magic answers a lot of questions. [Much as Dixon is not a fan of magic being the answer, it is a very convenient answer. Seals a lot of leaks in the bottom of the boat. Keeps expectations for any of this to make sense rock-bottom low.]

But if you can come up with something better, I'm all for it. I'm done trying to put it together myself. I'm just going with it. Trying to figure out the "why" is a waste of time when we don't even got running water. There's stuff to do.

[Ugh. Shuichi is glad he's behind Dixon right now, so he can grimace openly at that swinging raccoon and not feel bad. Gross.]

Uh...is everyone managing alright so far like that?

[With a group that big, problems like a lack of running water are either much easier to take care of or much, much harder. And as disparate as Dixon has made them sound, he's not gonna make on "easier".]

We're doing alright. There's a river or we'd really be out of luck.

[Thank God for small favors. The temple is actually a really good spot if they're going to rough it - good vantage point, near a river, surrounded by a forest full of animals and fruit-bearing plans. It just doesn't make the transition easier on someone who's used to Wi-Fi and electricity.]

So, what were you up to before all this?

[Dixon's kind of aware that it's a loaded question, because before he got here he was on a roadtrip to blow off some steam by shooting some guy he met at a bar. For all he knows Shuichi came from a similarly momentous point in his life. Maybe that's why the kid avoids eye contact and looks like it's stepping on a nerve to be socializing so much.]

[ joke's on you dude he's just a passive loser to begin with

But shit, yeah that is a loaded question. One with an answer that Shuichi neither wants to talk about nor is sure that he even should. Everything's kind of a very fresh mess. He's still not even sure what's going on here let alone how the dust settled with the game.

His empty hands comes up without his really thinking about it to tug on the brim of the hat he doesn't even wear anymore, catching nothing but air at first and hoving awkwardly for half a second before he uses it to fuss with his bangs instead, trying to cover up the aborted gesture.]

Nothing exciting. Just...work, I guess.

[It's kind of not a lie, even. If you squint and kinda mentally force it to work.]

Shouldn’t you be in school?

[Granted, it’s not like teenagers can’t work, but usually that’s a side gig rather than their whole existence. Maybe Shuichi got picked up over the summer. Dixon worked summer jobs, stocking shelves at the local grocery mostly. During the school year he had to focus on school, because otherwise he’d be held back a third time.

He catches the gesture, but doesn’t really think anything of it, assuming Shuichi is just flicking away an insect or something.]

I was.

[Shit, he should have said that, huh? Ugh.]

It's a...side job, I guess.

[He's trying with all his strength to give off some please just drop it vibes, trudging along after Dixon with his head down.]

[Unfortunately for Shuichi, he's accompanied by someone with the emotional intelligence of an old sock.]

Yeah? Doing what?

[Not like Dixon volunteers his previous employment, though.]

[ bruh ]

Ah...I'm a detective.

[He bites down on the urge to follow that up with a "kind of". It's either just his shitty self-esteem talking and he's trying to be better about that shit, or it's doubt based on all the revelations from just a few hours ago and frankly, he isn't gonna talk about any of that.

Adopting an awkward attempt at a small smile and glancing back up, he just goes for the redirect instead.]

So what do you do? Besides...whatever is going on here, I mean.

Sure you are, Encyclopedia Brown.

[It’s such a ridiculous statement that Dixon doesn’t even start to take it seriously. Why would he? The kid’s only in high school at the oldest.]

Not much. I was gonna kill a guy before I got here but I guess that’s a wash. He deserved it, promise. [It’s an easier misdirect than “I got fired from the police department”.]

[He doesn't get that reference, unfortunately. Wrong country of origin.

And he might have just let that disbelief stand, too used to it and averse to conflict to push back. But then Dixon admits to plotting murder and he frowns, staring at the scarred and bloody man long and hard.]

...I'm not lying.

[There's a bit more backbone in that statement, and at least the uncertainty in his gaze now is directed outward instead. He's...really not sure what to make of that claim. He's never down with killing, but the "he deserved it" is uncomfortably familiar and he doesn't really want to get bogged down dwelling on that case again.]

[Dixon snorts and rolls his eyes, exaggerating his own dismissal in response to Shuichi's seriousness.] You need a high school diploma before they let you into police academy. Believe me, I know.

[The promise of the uniform was just about the only thing that got him to finish high school. It would be a body blow to think he stuck it out that long unnecessarily. He turns and starts trudging again; they're not that far from the temple now.]

But if you want to grow up and be a detective, I can give you pointers. [Don't throw people out windows.]

[Shuichi's jaw goes a bit tight, his whole stance a little stiff. But he isn't going to fight this.]

I'm fine, thanks.

[It's a polite dismissal in return as is his nature, but curt and without room for argument. It's hardly as if he thinks he's perfect at what he does, "Ultimate" or not. But he doesn't really want advice from someone who casually admits to planning a murder without remorse.

He should just take what he can from this. If all this is something similar to the game, somehow, then it's unlikely to be one where the Ultimate titles exist. His age got him brushed off too easily for that. And if it's not something similar, then...he's got no idea what's going on.]

Your loss. [They get to the feet of the temple, where the stairs sprawl out like a red carpet. Dixon looks around, but doesn't see anyone on watch, and that annoys him. He wonders if he was supposed to be on watch and got the informal schedule mixed up and wandered away.

He knows he just wheezed and gasped his way up the hill, but God he needs a smoke. He has three left, and he feels he deserves it just for getting back in a halfway timely fashion.]

Well, there you go, kid. I'm gonna stay out here. There's probably a bunch of them cooking rats and boiling water. [He holds out the raccoon.] You mind bringing this up for me? Tell them I brought it.

["Cooking rats". Ugh. Shuichi grimaces at the thought, suddenly and absurdly missing the school. At least that particular brand of bullshit gave them actual food.

With a battered raccoon corpse shoved in his face, though, he pales.]

Uh--

[ oh god no he really doesn't want to touch that please ]

I, uh...I don't even know who "them" is, so...

gently whispers "what the fuuuck" [OPEN]

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