[OTA] Oddities and Outposts

[heartsthespades]

Somehow, at some point, Jordan had become the person people complained to. And so when it became evident that something was wrong with travel outside, no less than four people complained to him about it - including a Castle guard who was returning from visiting his brother, one of the Hearts' border guards

Comments

[bluntforces]

It's not been a great few days. He woke up early Monday to head back and hit the last two days of studying before finals. Except there was no leaving. And then there was another day of no leaving. And now there is still no leaving.

And spazzing flipping out quietly on the inside has taken the final turn into flipping out a little bit on the outside.

Evan's not designed to keep put in one place, in many ways. And the knowledge that he can't go anywhere beyond the edges of the Deck? Has him bouncing unhappily on the balls of his feet and asking literally everyone who looks half-awake if anything's changed. Even if that everyone includes Jordan Novak.

"--hey. Have-- you heard anything?"

[heartsthespades]

Ah, Evan. It's hard not to smirk at least a little bit - despite his genuine concern that had had him at the outposts most of the day. Solely because of Riley's comments earlier, of course.

"I just got back from the outposts where I got reports that no one can leave, and even tested it myself. No dice." He gives Evan a sidelong look. "I hear you have finals."

[bluntforces]

There is no time to be off-put by smirking ridiculousness. There's no time for anything except more bouncing up and down because... because.

"I do." Like right now, actually, in theory. "People-- are workin' on this, right?"

[heartsthespades]

He's never had finals, but he suspects they aren't actually the end of the world like Evan McCartney's making them out to be. "We're working on it as much as we can work on something we don't know the details of in the first place," he says. "It's kind of hard to fix the magic when it just happens."

Though...he is beginning to wonder if there's something wrong. Another reason to talk to Clive.

[bluntforces]

If everything is not the most important thing ever except when it doesn't matter, then Evan McCartney can't follow a coherent train of thought.

So there.

And clearly this makes him a prime candidate for his next thought. "Can-- we help?"

[heartsthespades]

Is this the part where they go neener neener like responsible and sober adults.

"I don't really know," Jordan admits, tucking his hands in his pockets. "I'm not sure what to do." And he doesn't admit that often. Or ever, frankly, if he can get away with it.

[bluntforces]

Also somehow noogies will probably need to be involved in this conversation. He hears that's what all the big kids do.

"Guessin' they don't need more people crowdin' up the Outposts." Which means, with something halfway between a snort and a whine on his lips, Town is stuck with the nervous crackle of Evan's energy as he shifts from foot to foot. "Think 's good odds this won't... stick?"

[heartsthespades]

"Not unless you have a burning desire to head out there and take bets on who will be the first idiot to give himself a concussion trying to step off-Deck." At least that's what he'd heard the Clubs were doing, to their commanding officer's everlasting displeasure.

As for whether it'd stick or not, he made a face. "I can't imagine it will," he said. "Surely there would have been some kind of sign if we were going into lockdown."

[bluntforces]

"Sign like what, though?" Because all Evan's mind has is some sort of blaring over an invisible PA system. "What if we missed it?"

[heartsthespades]

It's just too many questions today, and Jordan's lips thin into a line as he rubs at his temple. "I don't know," he says. Not overly sharply, but...he's not happy, and that's easy to see. He's tired of getting all the questions, even though he knows the Hearts are down two Faces and the Tens are the next to get it. Evan's not even in his Suit.

Maybe dropping down three ranks wouldn't be so bad.

"Have you noticed that things have been generally odd since the Magician did his little show?"

[bluntforces]

This is why you stay a Four. No one ever expects a Four to know things.

"Nnhn." He takes a half second to gnaw on the inside of his cheek before his head swivels away slightly. "People been trying t' poke through that door they left?"

[heartsthespades]

"I think, as usual, most people have gone the way of pretending it'd never happened and they were never here." There was a distinct tendency towards sticking their heads in the sand, he thinks, and he wonders if it isn't about to bite them in the ass.

Or hasn't already.

"But some of the teenagers have. I'm guessing that they aren't able to open it."

[bluntforces]

That's frustrating. Bothering Jordan Novak probably won't fix it, but that doesn't stop the nervous bouncing any.

"So we just... keep tryin' 'til our faces turn blue, then?"

[heartsthespades]

"I don't think force is going to be the answer to this one."

This was why he'd never even considered joining Seb in the Clubs. He didn't have the beat-your-head-against-the-wall mentality for it. But then, if he was honest about it, there was only one place Jordan had ever belonged.

"It's time to step back and consider other options," he adds. "You've probably spent more time coming in and out than anyone else. Why don't you think about whether anything felt different the last time you came in?"

[bluntforces]

Someone needs to keep running at brick walls. And someone needs to grab the runner and tell them to stop before they get a concussion. Also there are Diamonds and Spades and they don't fit into this particular metaphor.

"It's all been off for a while, though, y'know?" But his brow is absolutely furrowing in thought. It isn't stopping the jumping from side to side, but it's definitely progress.

[heartsthespades]

The Spades are considering putting both of you out of your misery. He can't speak for the Diamonds, though.

"Yeah, but probably not completely off, all at once?" He shrugs a little. "Elisha will probably want your ideas, when he's back. If things are still off then."