paixaorpg | Giving and receiving [active]

Entry tags:

Giving and receiving [active]

Character(s): River, Oogie and Betelgeuse~
Content: Arriving at the Paradisio
Setting: in front of Paradisio, M4
Time: late afternoon
Warnings: none yet~

The journey was unpleasant. It had started raining buckets when she ran towards the station, it matted her dress and hair and it was very cold. After picking up some flowers in the heavy rain, River walked into the station and bought two tickets using the flowers; for Oogie and herself. While he doesn't have the best of intentions, he didn't tell her to bugger off and even followed her. She has to do something for him in return.

"We have to put it together," was all she told Oogie before boarding the train and looking out the window for the rest of the journey. Of course, she did look away from the window sometimes; like when it started to hail as if the world was ending. River crawled under her seat then, crouching in fear while fiddling with her fingers worriedly.

Then the hail abruptly stopped and the wind howled for a moment before dying away just as soon as it came. River had peeked out from below the seat when it dropped silent. Crawling back onto her seat, River glued her eyes at the smiling sun as if she would die if she were to tear her eyes off of it. She was fascinated by the brightness and the heat of the artificial sun. The temperature rose even within the train but River still kept by the window.

She wished silently that the sun would scorch her brain away so she wouldn't have to know anything.

At the third stop after the Central Station, River quickly got up from her seat and motioned for Oogie to follow her and get off the train. "He is here," she tells him earnestly before walking away to a specific destination. Oogie will be happy to see an acquaintance from the same world.

Shepherd told her that she will receive if she would give. She hopes Oogie will help her find Simon afterwards.

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She was crazy.

That was the conclusion Oogie had come to after a train ride with River. The girl had fallen out of her tree a long time ago. Who in their right mind would be afraid of something as dumb as the weather when there were much scarier things out there?

Him, for example.

It was that same weather that had put him in the foul mood he now stewed in. Burlap does not handle water well, and the heavy rains on the way to the train station had made him absolutely miserable. The squishing noises he made every time he took a step were absolutely murdering the intimidating image he tried to keep. When he stepped off the train after the ride had ended, the heat wave hit him like a bag of bricks. What were they trying to do, boil his bugs?

When he met the moron who was in charge of this stuff, he was going to give him a piece of his mind. Preferably something venomous.

About the only good thing he could see about that train ride was that it had given him a chance to figure out the weird little device they'd given him at the gates. Evidently it was some sort of journal that connected him to the rest of the city. An information network.

He idly wondered if those three annoying minion-kids of his were around. They'd love something like this, especially if they could use it to play tricks on people.

He looked up from his rather grumpy musings at River's words. "He? Who's this "he" you're talkin' about?" Just when the thought the day - and the girl - couldn't get any crazier...

He eyed her as she walked off, obviously expecting him to come with her. Well, fine. He'd follow her. Just for now, though. First chance he got, she was gone - "pretty" did not make up for "crazy." Cruelly ironic that the first pretty girl he'd seen was entirely out of her mind. "You'd better know what you're talkin' about, doll," he muttered dangerously as he followed after her, leaving a trail of water to sizzle in the overheated street.

River couldn't make out what Oogie said as she walked away, but she heard his muttering as he follows her. Biting her bottom lip in doubt and slowing down a little before turning to the nightmare over her shoulders. Sometimes she knows what she is talking about, but most of the time she doesn't. She never knows if she knows what she is talking about.

Before she could say anything in reply to his warning however, a drop of water falls on her face. With an expression full of wonder, River touches the water on her cheek and looks up in delight. Water is falling from the sky! She has heard of things like that, in old books about the Earth That Was, mostly. Rain.

Giggling to herself, she twirls around clumsily as the rain grows rapidly heavier. "It's raining!" She tells Oogie gleefully. "Must take cover or he will catch a cold!" River warns him playfully before sprinting away to the same direction she was heading for.

That "he" stepped out of the hospital not two minutes after the question was asked, looking up with mild dismay at the torrential rain that greeted him; there was a distinct, steady patter of rain falling through his eye sockets and into his skull, which created a small waterfall down his spine, further drenching his suit. Even if his outfit and what he'd stuck inside himself for safekeeping were thoroughly soaked, he himself remained surprisingly dry--a good coating of wax is wonderfully water repellent, and the stuff just beaded up and rolled right off whatever bone was exposed. "Goodness, I certainly hope it isn't raining this hard outside of the domes, or that trip of ours might have to be postponed."

This comment was offered to Blue and Gaston without much real surprise; the book had a chapter on weather in the domes, after all, even if it didn't say anything about how it was controlled or produced. So why not have erratic weather, if it wasn't being controlled for the comfort of the occupants? It wasn't so much less likely than any other sort of weather. Besides, violent storms were stock-in-trade for horror industry--this was more a flood than a thunderstorm, but it seemed close enough to him. Hopefully the streets wouldn't be too slick to use that rickshaw he'd picked up....

Jack had to smile at the sight of a little girl--a very pretty one, even in this downpour--running towards the hospital, barefoot and carefree, laughing, dancing.... It was strange to see in such a rain, and he couldn't help but wonder why she did it, but it warmed his nonexistent heart nonetheless. Unfortunately for him, that lift in spirits died almost immediately as he saw the squelching burlap behemoth that followed her. "Oogie Boogie." He murmured, expression grim. What on earth was he doing here? Not so much here in Paixao, but at a hospital? He didn't look hurt at all, and neither did that girl--was she a captive? Being manipulated by him? It seemed almost.... incomprehensible that she would be with him because she wanted to be. Still, there were Lock, Shock, and Barrel....

Whatever he was here for, Jack didn't like it. Sure, he'd always tried to make every effort to be civil and as accommodating as possible, but.... well, he just didn't like the Boogieman, that's all, and not only for that incident where he'd tried to take over Halloweentown. He could feel the mantle of Pumpkin King settle down over him, a thousand times heavier and more oppressive than his wet clothing could ever hope to be, sighing as he steeled himself for the potentially hostile encounter. "I hate to leave just as things are getting interesting, but there's someone I have to speak with; feel free to move on without me, if you'd like." Jack told his companions, forcing himself to keep a neutral, even pleasant expression as he moved towards River and Oogie.

Just when Oogie thought he'd finally dried out, it started to rain. Again.

Obviously Paixao didn't want him here. That was just fine with him - he didn't want to rule a city with weather this horrible as it was. He'd rather go take on that pompously annoying Pumpkin King for Halloweentown again than stay in this place another minute.

He looked up at River's words, then looked past her as his gaze was drawn to the tall, skeletal figure approaching behind her. It couldn't be.

It was. Well, speak of the devil...

He felt the old sneer spread across his face. "Well, well, well. Jack Skellington." Those five words held all the ill will that had festered between skeleton and boogieman in the years since Oogie's attempted (and failed) takeover of Halloweentown. "What's "The King" doin' down here in this dump?" The question floated through the heavy air, sarcasm and derision laid on it thicker than the pouring rain.

Twirling around in the rain, she catches sight of the walking skeleton from the corner of her eyes. She quickly stops herself, stumbling a little as she regains her balance. Not quite noticing the rather tense expression on the skeleton's face or the sneer on Oogie's, River runs back to Oogie with a grin. "Found him!" she exclaims, grinning like a dog having fetched the newspaper, "Found many many things today."

River walks over to Oogie's side, hesitantly grabbing onto his burlap arm again. He might not be the nicest person around but he did stick around with her despite her being not exactly sane. That should count for something.

She does notice the sarcasm in Oogie's voice though, as well as the ill will held in the words. But that is alright. Simon is sarcastic most of the time too. Never to her, but to the Captain often and even Kaylee sometimes, even though he likes her a lot. The skeleton seems nice too; Jack Skellington. Jack is a nice-sounding name. Jill is too, as long as she doesn't start tumbling after.

Found him? Jack couldn't help but wonder, seeing River twirl and scamper back to Oogie's side. His resolve wavered, just a little. What were these many things she'd found, besides him--and why was she looking? For that matter, why was he looking? Oogie had to know there was little to be gained challenging him here in Paixao. Jack didn't rule the city, after all; the only thing he'd take from it was a bruised ego, because Jack didn't intend to lose, should such a challenge come up. After all, he hardly felt himself in danger; that sack-bodied scoundrel didn't have any minions here.... Did he? How long had he been in Paixao? Thinking that the girl might be one, though.... That was an unpleasant thought, especially seeing the way she held onto his arm. She just didn't look the type.... It wasn't like Lock, Shock, or Barrel had been so affectionate, either.

Clearing his musings away, Jack chose instead to keep moving, gaze level and unflinching, long stride resounding with self-assurance and assumed imperial command--he thought it was rather nicely dramatic, in spite of (or perhaps even enhanced by) the pounding rain. "Hello, Oogie." He offered the boogieman a smile that was all ice, and a tone to match. "I'm traveling with some friends, thank you." The sarcasm was ignored as well as it could be. "I could ask the same of you; there can't be anything of interest to you in a hospital." In fact, he would recommend Auntie Unde's more than an actual hospital, for Oogie--he'd never been there, but surely a general store had cloth and someone who could patch up any rips.

Gaston stared after Jack for a moment as the skeleton headed off toward a very... interesting pair. The hunter didn't even need to ask which one Jack was interested in... it obviously wasn't the little girl. "Interesting," he observed, mostly to himself. "A hideous sack-man." Fortunately, he wasn't close enough for Oogie to hear him, but he probably would have made the same comment even if the boogieman was in hearing range. It wasn't as if he was afraid of speaking his mind, after all. The muscular man couldn't help but think Oogie looked rather like a practice target - not that he was about to shoot one of Jack's acquaintances, no matter how freakish it appeared.

The girl seemed far more normal, at least at first glance. Gaston had no idea where she was from, but she didn't look that much different from most other kids her age, so he didn't really take much notice of her, other than noting that she seemed to be rather flighty. Children could be so weird sometimes...

Deciding that it would be more of a pain to stand around and wait for Jack than to go over and join the conversation, Gaston headed towards his friend and the two newcomers. Hopefully this little chat wouldn't take too long. The hunter was itching to go shoot some lumens.

Found him? Had River been looking for this pompous moron? Well, no matter. Oogie would give her a stern talking-to - and possibly more - once he'd taken down the Pumpkin King once and for all.

He tried to provide a witty reply to Jack's latest comment, and ran into a problem. It was not his usual problem of coming up with replies that were not at all witty, however: this was of a much more basal nature.

His mouth wouldn't open.

It was then that he realized the temperature had taken a nosedive, and bugs and burlap, already soaked completely through, had frozen together, rendering him completely immobile. All he could do was offer an angry "Mrrrrrph!" through an unmoving sneer as he watched the scene unfold before him - without him.

[OOC: The next time I keep you waiting for a post for two weeks, shoot me, 'kay? And this takes Oogie completely out of this thread - continue on as you will and try not too abuse him too much? ^^;]

River shivers a little at the mention of a word, but she can't quite catch what the word is. She heard it among a jumble of other words and now she can't remember what it is. Perhaps she should shiver at the thought of, Oogie's thought of, a stern talking-to but that doesn't seem to be the problem. Instinctively, she puts her arms around her body to stop herself from shivering. It is suddenly very cold.

Taking a sharp breath, she crouches to the ground, embracing her legs in an effort to keep herself warm. Her half-frozen dress makes tiny crackling noises as she bends over. Noticing from the sound he made that Oogie seems to have frozen over, River turns to the skeleton man for help instead. Any kind of help will do, anything to make it warmer somehow. "It bites," she wails to him. He seems human, but she doubts that he is warm-blooded.

River notices Jack's friend however, the hunter. He seems more human than Jack, and much more warm-blooded than the skeleton man. After all, how can one be warm-blooded if one has no blood? "It's cold," she mutters to herself.

(( Hey I've finally wandered in... ha... go me. ))

At last Blue had finished up with business in the hospital and went to catch up with Jack and Gaston, a bit afraid that they had gotten too far from her. She would've handled it, of course, if it had happened, but she hadn't been expecting them to still be right outside.

She walked slowly to the side, around, half-circling cautiously. Jack and Gaston were still nearby, but the others they were now with seemed... odd and she was getting the feeling of possible danger that made her uneasy. Jack seemed to be the center of the attention. She kept her eyes on him and the new people. The wolf instincts, perhaps.

Though the height of the "danger" looked to be taken care of by the freakish weather. Before her "death" she had been through worse... but at that time she had had her fur. This... was definately something strange.

Still keeping cautious, she began to approach the others, and quietly with some concern, spoke out, "Jack?"

((OOC: Sorry about that. XP Accidentally hit send before I was finished. And sorry for the long wait; Jack's been an awful-terrible-slacker muse, and I had to beat him into submission to make him write for me.))

Jack gave Oogie a curious look as he uttered an angry noise; his tension had been replaced with wonder as he caught a few snowflakes, turning the delicate little ice crystals to admire them--it wasn't as if he could melt them without body warmth. "What's this?" It was strange.... but beautiful. Fascinating, really, he'd never seen the likes of it before. And he had it to thank for freezing the confrontation with Oogie in its tracks. "It's fine, Blue." He smiled at the girl, and Gaston, who was coming up as well. "It looks like Oogie's decided to put this conversation on ice for a bit. Haven't you?' The skeleton delicately tapped Oogie's forehead with a finger, listening to the hard chime of bone against ice. "Once you've had a while to cool your heels, old friend, come find me; we'll have this conversation another time."

His attention was soon turned to River's wail. "Oh, you poor thing.... You're not dressed for this weather at all, are you? Here, let's at least get you out of this.... ah, whatever it is....." Jack bent to lift River into his arms, holding her close--not that he could share any body heat, unfortunately, but hopefully he could at least make her more comfortable. "You don't even have shoes..... Are your parents here, sweetheart? Or anyone who normally takes care of you? What's your name?" He would have to put up a message on the communal board to see if anyone had lost their little girl. And he'd have to find out if there was a nearby place to get warm clothing, too....

Gaston smirked at Jack's attitude towards the "sack-man," since it was actually kind of similar to what he would say and do to someone he didn't especially like, if they'd gotten themselves in a stupid situation like that. Apparently Jack wasn't ~always~ ridiculously polite. That was probably a good thing. Some people just didn't deserve it.

Anyway, if the freakish person that Jack had been intending to talk to was frozen solid, at least that meant they could get on with the whole hunting plan that Gaston had put forth. That was fine with him, since the hunter hadn't had any special desire to wait for boring conversations with cranky people apparently made of burlap in the first place. He wanted to go shoot things and impress Blue with his hunting prowess! Not to mention that he had readers waiting for his next great adventure story on the journals... He couldn't let them down, either! He had a reputation to maintain!

From the sound of it, though, Jack was going to have to take the girl to somewhere he could get her warmer clothes. Blast the ridiculous weather that the city was having... Gaston would have thought that any decent afterlife would be able to handle the weather better. It certainly wasn't as well-designed as any afterlife ~he~ would have made up!

She lets Jack draw her into his arms. He doesn't feel warm, but River can imagine it. Sometimes that's enough. She grabs at his sleeves and leans her head against him, taking care to do it slowly so she will not hurt him. He seems so fragile, like Inara's trinkets, but not dirty like them. Jack is making voices but River is not concentrating enough to hear all of them. He asks for a word though, the one that means her. She stands on perfect en pointe and leans closer to what would be Jack's ear. "Shiver," she whispers. The word is a secret just between the two of them. She forgets to remember that it is the wrong word.

River. She whips her head around, attention on something other than Jack now. Someone called her using another word. It is fluid and strong, is that her? It is calling her somewhere. Anxiety is on her face and with her fingers she traces her neck and up to her ears. She puts her fingers in her ears but worry still marks her face. You can close your eyes if you don't want to see, but what can you do if you don't want to hear?

She turns back to Jack, fingers still in her ears and eyes almost crying. "It's some other girl!" She yells at them, "Stop talking in me! All screaming and waking up. No screaming in sleep!" River shouts to them as if they were the ones screaming in her head. Letting out a defeated sob, River crouches to the ground still clutching the sides of her head. "Shrinking, shrinking," she mutters to herself, "I can feel it, you're crying in my head."

And a revelation. River drops her hands to her sides while getting back on her feet. A look of understanding comes to her as she stares at her bare feet, as if listening to a quiet voice that only she can hear. Turning back to the group, she smiles in subtle amazement. "In paradisum," she tells them, as if those words were the answer to every question they might have. "I can help her," she states, before turning away from them and walking determinedly towards the hospital.

[ooc: and this will be her exit~]

Blue stared blankly at the girl, blinking in confusion. She was... strange. Very. Even her scent just made Blue feel very... off. Not so much at ease. But she had never encountered anyone like the girl. Maybe... maybe the closest would be Cheza... but this girl was certainly no Flower Maiden; she didn't even give Blue the soft reminder of flowers.

And then the girl began to wander off. Blue wondered if it was right to let her. Though... it was a hospital. They were supposed to help people, right? That's why they left Bakura to himself. The girl, a peculiar as she seemed, could be alright? Of course... of course.

Blue shouldn't have to worry.

She turned easily towards Jack and Gaston. "So then... if she's off to herself, should we continue on as planned?"

(( New thread? Mrow-mrow~ Whichever. Kinda left it open-ended. Eheh~ ))

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Giving and receiving [active]

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