sixthiterationlogs | Right now it's pretty crazy

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Right now it's pretty crazy

WHO: Jacob Frye
WHERE: South village, Inn, Altair's house, Rundown village
WHEN: The first part of January before One Man Show
OPEN TO: Open to All, locked post for Altair. Rundown village trip is open for anyone that might tag along, multiple threads welcome
WARNINGS: Rated PG for Jacob being a reckless idiot?

Desperately keeping busy - South Village

The events of New Year's Eve helped Jacob to try and ignore the changes that have left him unsettled in this place. Sadly that event was only one night, and now he's back to dealing with everything going on in his own head.

Or doing everything he can to ignore it all.

It's why he spends a lot of time in the Inn. Not only are there others around, but there's maps and notes about the surrounding area, what is out there to be wary of, and where he might continue to look for any signs of Evie, Connor, or the others that have disappeared. Certainly there's the stories of them being returned home, but he needs to know, not just rely on stories.

He spends a lot of the day in or around the Inn, though much of that is perched atop one roof or another. Not merely the nature of the assassin, but because the house is much emptier than he is used to, and spending his time watching over the village - or falling asleep late into the night after doing so without going inside - is less wearing on his nerves. It takes a bit, mapping things for himself and planning out what he might do without wandering too far in case the weather changes, but eventually he has a plan and a course of action.

Planning - Locked to Altair

Since even before Evie vanished, since Jacob had found Altair hurting from the images he had seen, Jacob has made a point of stopping by Altair's home from time to time. Now, having come to a conclusion of at least one more place to check, both for those missing as well as supplies that might help them in the village.

So used to having Evie there to talk out plans with, it actually does occur to him that maybe heading out for a few days might not be the best of ideas. Not without telling someone where he's going. So he heads over to Altair's, looking a bit worse for wear if the dark circles under his eyes are any indication.

Adventure awaits - Hike to the Rundown village, scouting there

Packing the sack his clothes were in when he arrived, Jacob sets out to the rundown village he saw on the map at the inn. Evie had mentioned other areas there might have been people when he first arrived, and he can't help but want to see them himself. Just to be certain his sister hadn't wandered there alone.

He might be used to cities, but he spends his days racing along rooftops and has a stamina to show for it. Taking his time to make the hike, planning to make it there with only a short rest overnight, and then see what he might find there and judge his return on that. No more than a handful of days, at most.

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The trip is in part to distract himself, but there's this part of him that holds a mixture of hope and fear that they might find signs of Evie, or perhaps Connor. While he knows others have disappeared as well, others having sent those interesting messages to the device on his wrist, it is those two he's spent his time seeking out.

Certainly any sign or clue would be helpful, but that so many assassins have been brought here, and now are disappearing one by one, has left a taste like bile in the back of his throat and the creeping shade of paranoia casting a shadow over all he does.

It makes him focused though, something that Jacob doesn't always find comes easily to him. So he takes the walk easily, helping with the set up of the short term camp, and then keeping a fire stoked for more of the night than is likely healthy for him given the lack of care he's taken in his own needs as of late.

That he is a bit quieter than is typical of him, not quite as loud and jovial as if normal for him then he is a bit thankful that is unknown. Though a bit vexed as well. The Catch 22 that if Evie were there, she would notice... but he wouldn't be that way if she was there, would he?

Raising his head, just barely pushing back the jacket hood he has covering his head. "There is talk in the records at the inn that large predators live out this way, perhaps in the ruins. We might want to find a space a bit away, just so that we can see if they catch scent of us and approach we'll have a good sight on things."

Malik hummed in acknowledgement, there are a few considerations to weigh after all. A cold camp would be easier to stay hidden from predators with, but uncomfortable for any longer than a night and the matter of shelter itself was another question.

"Depends." He said after a while, "How long are we intending to stay? A couple nights in trees is one thing, but longer than that and we may be better off temporarily securing one of the buildings. Neither are especially ideal."

Growing up in a small village means that Jacob is not used to having a constant city skyline and all that it provides, but it also means that while he is capable of roughing it, as modern parlance speaks of, it isn't the first thing he thinks of. Especially now, in this place, when so much of his focus is on trying to convince himself that his sister is merely home and not dead.

"I hadn't thought to stay for more than a night or two. Enough to explore the place, and to see if there's any signs that those who are missing might have come down here."

In his mind it's not inconceivable that either Evie or Connor might have come down this way to see what they could find.

"If nothing else, find things that might help us in surviving this place."

Malik nods, "Your sister, and our other Brother."

He may not have as much of a personal hope or investment in finding them, but a fellow Assassin is a fellow Assassin and Malik is loathe to ever abandon one to oblivion if it can be helped.

"I personally vote trying one of the buildings then, if only to save our backs if the floors are stable enough." He says, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "There is easily enough firewood to keep the forge going, if nothing else."

It's an attempt at something at least a little light hearted, it's not that dire of a situation compared to others Malik knows he himself and he assume's Jacob have been in.

"Do you want to take the low paths or the high?"

"Exactly," he says with a nod, because while he speaks mostly of Evie, it's beyond just losing his sister. There's so much more to the nervousness that rides along his spine, and the growing paranoia that is starting to bother him in ways he has yet to vocalize to another. Not directly.

He snorts at that, nodding. "We find and take down one of these large cats, I'm keeping the pelt," he says, definitely taunting, playing with words to try and hold back the rest. Except, out here and away from the rest, he can't hold them.

"Everyone speaks of them having been sent home," he says, not looking at Malik, folding his arms over his chest and staring at the ruins. "It's just accepted, but me? I don't believe it." His throat tightens, the words a bit rougher as he finally says this in so many words. "They somehow brought together so many of us across time and space, those that should all be dead to one another, and never have a time to come together like this. Now, two of them vanish and everyone thinks they've just been sent home to go about their lives."

He still doesn't look at Malik, swallowing hard against the knot in this throat. "I've stopped looking for my sister and Connor. I'm looking for their bodies so they might have a proper burial," he admits, arms tightening over his chest, shoulders hunching slightly. His eyes sting, a bit brighter but not letting tears fall thinking of finding Evie's body.

Malik sighs, reaching to put his hand gently on Jacob's shoulder.

"It is about hope." He says gently, "Hope that they will go home themselves, hope that those they care about are safe after dealing with whatever seeming madness this place has inflicted on them. I am not saying you should put blind faith in to it, but...allow them their hope even if yours is not the same."

Giving in and giving up to despair isn't something Malik plans on letting Jacob or any of the others fall in to.

"I know some rites of farewell for those missing or otherwise departes, if you would like them preformed later."

Edited (Omg hit reply early) 2019-01-23 01:47 (UTC)

He glances at Malik, hesitant a moment but not pulling away. After a moment he makes a bit of a face, shaking his head.

"I don't plan to say a word to anyone, truth be told. I'm only telling you since you came along and you deserve to know," he admits. "The rest though are welcome to live with what they need, and face it any way they want. I just..."

He shakes his head, knowing he won't stop anyone else, and maybe eventually come to accept it himself, but there's a bitterness at walking without Evie and it hangs over him for days now.

"You're kind, Malik. Thank you. You and Altair both. At least there's that given to us in this place."

Malik shook his head, offering a tired smile. "People here keeping telling me that. I suppose... the world has not been kind to either of us so we seek to make it even a little moreso for those around us."

They've both lost so much that its easy to want to give to others, even if Malik thinks himself less open with it.

"Then again, we are Assassins. Being kind and vicious in equal turn is part of that, and no small measure of madness as well."

"All Evie and I wanted to do was make the world better," he admits in a low voice. "We weren't always kind to everyone, but we tried to be good to those that deserved a better world. All I can do here," he says, knowing he will devote himself to that. It's who he is, and his sister deserves that.

Jacob chuckles at that. "That definitely describes it, doesn't it?" He can't argue any of that. Not in the man that he is, and the way he's lived his life. There or here.

"There are only few born in the world who can be kind to everyone." Malik shrugged, "I was not even always kind to Altair, but leaving the world a better place than we came to it as? That is an admirable goal, if both easy and nearly impossible."

He chuckles a little right back. "Nobody completely sane makes the Leap of Faith look easy the way we do."

"And have you known anyone like that? Who is kind to everyone?" He knows he's never known anyone like that, anyone that is truly that good. Those that work hard to do the right thing, certainly. Many who try and make the world a better place, definitely. Always good and kind? No. None that he can name. Even those he thinks the most of and respects.

Jacob snorts at that. "That's because they're dead," he says, imagining anyone but an assassin stepping out into nothingness, nonetheless throwing themselves into it eagerly.

"One, yes. We were... close once." Malik sighed, shifting to look out at the trees around them. "But the circumstances of our meeting have passed, and I will not see the man who helped me find my heart again I think."

Even if there is never another like Leonardo in the world, it is enough to know that he existed and saw the world as he did.

"Dead or disfigured. I have seen men snap their legs in half or lose the ability to move entire parts of their body landing poorly."

As someone that has never found that person, and hasn't sought them out either, Jacob still feels those words acutely. It makes him rethink his attitude about things in his life, and the obstacles he had put in the way of another.

"I guess you're lucky then. Never known anyone quite like that." That he's young and more likely to sabotage himself than help himself is neither here nor there.

Jacob shakes his head at that thought, not even allowing himself to imagine losing his ability to run and jump. "Well this has gotten absolutely horrifying in a sentence," he says, almost playful but really just trying not to think about it.

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Right now it's pretty crazy

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