mythmaking | (no subject)

[It's a cloudy mid-morning on THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, and the town is bustling as always. Many people are quite excited about the second batch of new arrivals; though they're not getting quite the celebration the first round got, they still might find themselves being greeted by bizarrely friendly folk.

Out of place is a number of geese scattered around town, each with their own little messenger bag packed full of rolled up parchment. They're putting the papers up all over, on fence posts and market stalls and storefronts, even stuffing them into mailboxes and leaving them on benches. Each paper is nearly identical, with large, blocky font and the occasional inky feather mark.

LOST
SEVERAL ITEMS OF GREAT IMPORT

SOMEONE HAS STOLEN FROM OUR HOMES THE FOLLOWING THINGS

ONE GOOSE-SIZED NIGHT CAP
THREE TEACUPS (PINK AND YELLOW FISH PRINT)
EXACTLY SEVEN AND A QUARTER LEFT SOCKS
AN APPLE CRUMBLE

IF FOUND PLEASE CONTACT
ADELICIA VON FARTHINGTON (THE FIFTH)
AT THE NORTH BANK OF THE LAKE

If stopped, the geese will be more than happy to talk at great length about how terrible this all is. Strangely, there appear to be a few other people and animals poking around as though looking for something, or acting a bit sullen for such an otherwise joyful day.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Luck is still a bitch. Between the geese and running into the skeptics, he's beginning to care less about going to the shop.]

Fine, it's a dream. [He scoffs] Oh right, robots can't dream. Dunno what else to tell you then.

[Ooh, now he's being offensive. Starscream scowls deeper and folds his arms.] I'm no simple machine made by humans. I'm a Cybertronian and I can dream.

If you can't explain why the animals are talking, then do you know anything else about all this [He gestures vaguely at their surroundings.] or is it equally beyond your scope of knowledge?

Never heard of them.

[Doesn't care to know more about them either.]

If you don't believe me about the fairy tale part, you sure as hell won't believe me on anything else. It'll be a waste of time.

Well, you wouldn't.

[Shrugs. Technically they were supposed to be incognito, but exceptional circumstances called for, er, exceptions.]

[And ah, logic. Starscream's old nemesis.]

Saying "It's a fairy tale." doesn't explain anything when it's actually happening to you. You may as well have told me that the animals are talking "just because."

That's exactly why I told you that.

[He rubs his forehead and decides to go about this like before.]

Where's your journal?

My journal?

[He's about to demand Shinjiro explain what that's supposed to mean, when he remembers the book he's been carrying around.]

Are you referring to this?

[And Starscream takes out a green book, with a black-feathered quill sticking out of it. The name written on the spine is Jack of the Lantern.]

Yeah, that.

[Shinjiro reads the spin. Jack of the Lantern...]

That name on the side is what everyone native to this place will call you... We're replacing fairy tale characters.

[Starscream can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes, but he's not entirely stupid and Shinjiro's explanation, though brief, helps put some of the comments Starscream received from his welcoming committee into a better perspective.]

Then... I'm supposed to be this "Jack of the Lantern" person? [He stammers:] But that's a human tale, isn't it? It has nothing to do with me!

...And I've never even heard of Jack of the Lantern, and I was on Earth for years.

[Oh, so explaining that much and he believes him. Whatever...]

So? Father Time thought you fit the bill so you're here. There's a library somewhere so you can read up on it.

[Consistency is not his strong point. Starscream's hand clenches into a fist and he glares at his journal.]

I think I'd rather speak to this "Father Time."

You want the lake with the tower in the center. Can't say he'll be there.

Noted.

[And with that, Starscream turns around and begins to march in the direction he vaguely recalls seeing said tower.]

[Yeah, he doesn't even thank Shinjiro.]

[He doesn't need thanks. He'll just continue on his way though.]