[closed] I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be back in the ballroom swingin'

[mutedbackbeat]

Characters: Alex, Blossom, Derrick, Foxx, Jack, Sanji, Tanaka
Location: Present Day Xavier Institute & 1800's Someplace, North America
Time: February 19 (before Tony Stark's stuff) and 1800's
Content: A ragtag bunch of misfits rescue two students in the past
Format: Action. There's seven people doing time travel chaos here; let's make this a

Comments

Pirate Sanji, here!: Blossom, Sanji, Tanaka

[mutedbackbeat]

1800's Someplace, North America
Sanji goes through the swirly portal and needs to find Blossom and Tanaka, so they can all go home! ... Wait! Who the heck is Brick?

[inspirethefire]

Had it really been nearly a year since Hajime had fallen through time, here? It felt so much longer, and yet he wanted to believe that it must have been much shorter. In the beginning, he'd told himself that there had to be a way back, that there must have been some hole in the time continuity left by his drop here, or now that he and Blossom were together, the two of them could find some way back through teamwork.

But he was still here, riding on a wagon through the unsettled land of early America, and beginning to wonder if there truly was any chance he'd ever find a way back home. He'd gotten used to how things worked around here, he'd come to terms with it. He'd even helped his historical hosts through some difficult trials. But... he didn't want to get comfortable here. Hajime didn't like that feeling, that he was getting used to it. He wouldn't let himself. The past didn't need him there, it had already happened. There was too much left to do in the present.

[knowledgeblooms]

Blossom had managed to keep the fact that she was a girl secret for an entire year now. Her journal was full of notes and dates and they'd even snuck some entries into Lewis' journal. Blossom had done everything she could conceivably do to get the notice of any good historian...or some conspiracy therapists. She'd even caused a snow storm...it had been hard, she'd gotten sick afterward, but Hajime's encouragement had helped her out...well that and his own mutant ability. Blossom was pretty sure she would have faltered a long time ago if it wasn't for his help

[love_hurricane]

"WhoaAUNGH

[inspirethefire]

Hajime shared a small smile with Blossom--it had gotten easier to do that, after months in her company. Having real familiarity in all this mess did a wonder on keeping him grounded now and again. The trek had been long and hard in many different ways, but at least neither of them had gone it alone

[knowledgeblooms]

"Well, sort of. They still have to head BACK to the east after they reach the west coast. After all, Lewis and Clark have to share their notes and reports with the rest of civilization," Blossom explained, recalling to the best of her ability what she could remember about Lewis and Clark. Usually in school they focused on the journey to the west and didn't really deal much with what happened on the journey back east. Still, it couldn't be too much trouble to going back if they stuck to roughly the same route

[love_hurricane]

It was unusual to hear the usually confident and obnoxiously loud voice stutter like that, but there was no mistake; that was Hajime. Leaning around Sanji had to catch himself before he looked too surprised (or relieved) at the sight; sure enough, there was Tanaka, hanging out of the side of a wagon with the most broken lenses he'd ever seen and a pretty girl who for all the world might as well have not been dressed up as a boy at all (the cook had a certain knack for noticing the presence of a lady, after all). Still, his joy was also considerably tinged with guilt and sadness; he looked older, thinner, more worn down, and no doubt she was the same- just how long had they had to survive out here? Sanji couldn't imagine what would have happened if they hadn't been picked up by the travellers

[inspirethefire]

It was--Sanji was here. How had he--? Hajime couldn't get much of a good look at the man, but he could see the way the chef carried himself, the flame of confidence as he neared. That wasn't the confused or uncertain of someone who'd gotten randomly thrown back in time. Sanji was here on purpose. He had come for them. "Yes. Yes, he's from the Institute."

Hajime managed to swallow around the colossal lump in his throat as Sanji came to a stop in front of them. He set his jaw, and gave Sanji a nod in return. "I'm... glad you got our message."

The startled reaction of the other travelers was starting to evolve into confusion. It was odd enough that a strange man would appear before them in unsettled land, and then to approach the young men traveling with them was simply suspicious. They'd traveled together for months now; it was unlikely that they'd be so willing to let the teens go off on their own.

[knowledgeblooms]

Despite Sanji's politeness Blossom knew that the other explorers weren't going to stay quiet about this for long. They were like a small family after a year of travel and a stranger popping up like this in unexplored territory was just unheard of. The fact that he apparently wanted to take the two teens off somewhere. Well, Blossom could only imagine what they were thinking

[love_hurricane]

Somehow Hajime's reply only made him wince mentally, but that made no sense, so he chose to ignore that it ever happened. He was about to extravagantly compliment Miss Blossom in response to her kindness (he had to recover some of his usual self, and she had been so wonderfully intelligent about the whole affair~!), but suddenly where she was... wasn't where she was. In fact it was very difficult to see where she was at all, until about three seconds later as she swooped back to them, the cook observing the alarmingly efficient job with awe and appraisal

[inspirethefire]

As he saw the blazes of the other explorers flickering with distrust and uncertainty, Hajime's mind raced to put together some way out of the potential confrontation. Even if all their time had been spent together to build up trust, asking them to trust in this departure wouldn't go over well.

Before he could act on the worry, though, Blossom had taken charge, and in a blur, the others had suddenly slumped where they sat. The boy gawked a moment, before pulling himself together and biting his lip. It would be a frustrating point for them to wake up and find the pair vanished, but it was something that had to be done.

Though Sanji was already moving back towards wherever he'd parked his time rift, Hajime paused before the unconscious group, giving them a sharp bow. "Thank you for watching over us! Your kindness shall not go forgotten!" He spread his arms wide. "Good luck on the rest! OSU!That taken care of, he turned back after the others. He didn't know any of the people who Sanji mentioned to be helping the process, but That didn't

[knowledgeblooms]

Blossom glanced towards the trees but she really couldn't see anything from here. She nodded though, keeping her speed in check because she didn't want to leave the boys behind, even if deep down she wanted to fly at top speeds towards that rift and finally be HOME. Pausing with Tanaka, Blossom smiled slightly, "I left the a little letter. Hopefully it will help them understand and express our gratitude

[love_hurricane]

Sanji smiled at how she responded to the mention of Derrick, but nodded curtly at Hajime and Blossom's observation; they needed to get back, and fast.

"Me neither, but he'll be doing his best, I'm sure. Although..." he paused to help pull Hajime up the first step of the cliff, "There's something else you should know. I'm not sure how long you two have been here, but I'm guessing it's a lot longer than it's been for us in the present."

It was easier push himself up the incline at a run than it was to look at the pair, but he managed to do so, if with a slightly odd expression; "You disappeared about two days ago."

He couldn't say anything more on it, but there was so much more to say- they would have aged more than their classmates, seen and gone through so much more, over come trials and hardships and won friendships and talents... he couldn't think how to express his guilt, but then, he didn't know how they would react.

He kept running.

[inspirethefire]

Blossom's staggered flicker of surprise and worry gave Hajime another boost of determination. Whoever these people were working to get them back home, if they were in any sort of trouble due to the effort, then they couldn't waste any time, as ironic as the statement was in this particular circumstance.

As the three made the clamber of the cliff--or rather, the two did while the third hovered along, Hajime felt a mounting notion of foreboding as Sanji spoke, but only gave the chef another glance as he revealed how long they had been gone.

It made sense that there would be a dissonance between the present and past. It couldn't have been all that easy to narrow down a time closer to when they had entered, and he should be glad enough that they had gotten to him this quickly. And after all... it meant that they hadn't spent months without helping them. Two days was good. He didn't have to catch up on anything, this way.

"I see." And he kept pace alongside Sanji.

fyi, based on post below, blossom goes through timey wimey portal first

[knowledgeblooms]

When the boys allowed her, Blossom would help get them up cliffs. She wasn't sure what it was about boys and their pride about being helped by girls, but apparently even after centuries that hadn't changed. It's part of the reason she'd cross-dressed in the first place.

She paused, she'd also been looking ahead for any sign of the rift in time. However, at Sanji's acknowledgment that there was something they should know she looked back. Her eyes widened considerably, "We what? Two days?" How was that---well, no, she knew HOW it was possible. She supposed she should be glad that the Professor and her sisters hadn't had time to fret too much about her...that they haven't despaired and given up on her. But...two days...after being stuck in this time for a year. It was mind boggling to say the least. Blossom bit her lip and pressed forward along with Sanji. She could think about the ramifications later.

"Right, let's keep moving."

Duly noted! o7

[love_hurricane]

Making the ascent as swiftly as he could, Sanji was grateful for Blossom's assistance when she offered it, but it was true, he was outrageously stubborn about these sorts of things, and would sooner die than lay an extra burden on a lady. Even in the literal way.

"Had to... pin-point a time that we could be sure of exactly where you were... and when you were both together." Jumping up a few extra plateaus he waited for Hajime to catch up before putting on an extra burst of speed for the last stretch, he had a horrible foreboding sensation in his chest that he couldn't shake off...

"By the time we had a fixed date and set of co-ordinates, I guess history had written itself. Ah, here..." Clearing the last few trees they came out of the copse to see the large, ungainly metal construction that looked about as home on the ridge of the past as an elephant did in a lift. Sanji gave the tree directly in front of the gateway a resenting glance before nodding at them both.

"Ladies first."

Time limits be damned, he had principles.