The Great Jack-Off of 2014

[obeyseventually]

Maybe you took the wrong turn in Fort Frolic, and found yourself in 'Gallery of Narcissus' (which is of course a Hall of Mirrors). Or, maybe you're rich enough to have a huge walk-in-closet, and while you walked in looking for the light, you just kept going. Or maybe you lost track of where you were wandering in the haze of an ADAM high.

Or some other reason - it doesn't matter. Because now, Jack, you're wandering through a labyrinth of mirrors, and no matter where you turn, you see your face.

You're pretty sure that's your face. You're pretty sure that's you, but - is it moving the same way you are? Are you sure?



((ooc: SO THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO GO - first comment/tag wherever in a thread, you list your Jack's info in the thread title, NAME / AU / TIMELINE. Example: Jack Wynand - Good End - Post-Game, or Jack Ryan | Batya | Chapter Nine, or Jackie•FemJack Harvester•Neptune's bounty and so on and so forth. Pretty it up as much as you want but have that basic info in there for your first tag so we know what we're working with!

And after that...! Tag around. We don't have to cram up in one thread! Different Jacks could be meeting at different times, form adventuring parties, cross paths with another pack of Jacks, whatever.

For now we're in a standard multiverse meet up kind of thing, but I figure everyone's acquainted, we could start moving to other locations! :D))

Comments

Jack Wynand | Good End | Literally just before confronting Fontaine

[obeyseventually]

Jack hasn't been paying attention to where the elevator was headed. Why would he? It's a fucking elevator, it goes up and it goes down, it's not like it could make a wrong turn! So it's completely reasonable for him to shut off for a second, to quit being so attentive about his surroundings, and focus on undoing as much of the last two hours as he could.

The suit's easy, the voicebox a little less so, but he carried extra first aid kits in. Some careful work with an ex-nurse's compact mirror and first aid serum later, and he can speak again (though his neck hurts too much to try, just yet). The smell - he has no idea where to start, but he doesn't give a shit. Hell, maybe it'll even distract Fontaine. And if Frank manages to kill him some how, then he's the one stuck dealing with the stench instead.

Except, by the time he's finished all of that, he notices the elevator's stopped moving, and the doors are open, but the hall beyond it is... It's not dark, he can see the walls just fine. He can also see that they're mirrored, which is a little over-the-top but not something completely out of place in Rapture, he's sure. He picks up his guns and stuff, and sets out cautiously into the hall. He was expecting some dramatic confrontation with Fontaine, not another bullshit diversion!

Jack Wynand | Girl End | chapter 4 of a fic i didn't even start publishing yet

[andreiyevna]

Someone's shouting outside the Prêt-à-Porter. O'Brian heads off to investigate; Jack only lets him out of her sight for a few seconds before she follows, sweater in one hand and revolver in the other.

Outside the doorway, she doesn't find O'Brian. She does find a lot of mirrors that weren't there before.

That's a new one.

She doesn't call out. Instead she stills, looking around with her eyes narrowed, figuring out which of the walkways is really a walkway, and which is just a reflection of a walkway. Looks for imperfections in the glass that'll give them away. Looks for obvious reflections that'll narrow down the actual routes. Wonders, with a bit of desperation that she's not used to, what the purpose of this new test is.

Then she sets out cautiously into the hall.

She's not looking at it right now, but one of her reflections -- it's not her.

Re: Jack Wynand | Girl End | chapter 4 of a fic i didn't even start publishing yet

[obeyseventually]

She's not looking, but he is. He raises his pistol and slows his pace. But she's moving sort of smoothly, with less swinging and twitching than a splicer would. Also - she seems to be maskless, and not horribly mutilated.

... He squints. There's something off with her. He's not sure what.

One thing's for sure: She's not Fontaine. Maybe she knows where he is. Or maybe she doesn't - but either way.

He aims, and then he -- nnnope nope nope, nevermind, He can't talk, not yet - trying feels like he just swallowed a ball of razor blades, and he swears something moved that shouldn't--

Alright. Alright, fine. No interrogations for now. He'll just... Follow. See if she knows where she's going.

[andreiyevna]

Hahaha not even slightly.

She sees his movement out of the corner of her eye, but then, with the mirrors, she's seeing a lot of movement out of the corner of her eye right now. But then again, her torso is green (her shirt) rather than cream and oxblood (his sweater), and the weaponry makes his silhouette noticeably different, and -- okay, while the first time she catches a glimpse she doesn't realise right away, the second time she's had time to catch up and that momentary glimpse spells Someone Else There.

Jack stops moving, swings her revolver around, and looks at him full on.

She was half hoping it'd be O'Brian. But instead it's a stranger, standing behind glass. A stranger whose face is nonetheless ringing a bell. A stranger with a gun on her.

A frown and narrowed eyes are all the question she voices for now.

[obeyseventually]

Well that wasn't as productive as he hoped. All it's ended is with her pointing a gun at him. He's still aiming at her though, so they've got something of a standoff going it seems, and no way for him to negotiate.

... There's something familiar in her eyes, and at the bridge of her nose, he thinks. Maybe elsewhere on her face, but he's not sure what, and that really bothers him. But - but he's got to focus. Her face isn't the problem, here.

His own eyes are narrowed, not just with suspicion (and an attempt to uncover where he's seen her), but determination. He's after something, and she might be in his way.

i'm not going to apologise for this question

[andreiyevna]

Yeah, as Lutwidge might say it's a real chess stalemate between chess players, playing chess, with chess pieces. In the Deep Blue, haha, see what he did there? Chess.

Jack hasn't even met Lutwidge yet, so she's unbothered by such thoughts.

She keeps her gun pointed at the man. But -- he already had her in his sights when she turned around, and yet he hadn't fired. He's watched her without shooting. Everything she's woken up understanding tells her that strangers tend to shoot before they ask questions, and should be treated accordingly -- but first there was O'Brian, and now there's this man.

Maybe he's the right kind of person too? He does seem familiar, though she's sure she hasn't seen anyone like him around the labs.

Her frown deepens. But it's in thought as much as challenge.

She's... she's gonna go with a hunch. Actually, less a hunch than a theme she's noticed. A theme among the people she's met today who seemed Right.

"Are you Irish too?"

She hopes he can hear her through the glass.

honestly i'm staring harder at 'right kind of person'

[obeyseventually]

He can hear it, even if it's slightly muffled. And instantly that suspicious, determined look switches to straight, eyebrow-raising 'is she serious' confusion.

He shakes his head, but doesn't take his eyes off her since she still has that gun.

But hey, she can talk, she can ask questions, maybe that means she can answer them too.

He edges closer, trying to hammer out the last details of how he's going to do this, exactly. Well... He keeps his gun pointed in her direction, more or less, even as he gets close enough to touch the glass in between them. And then, he hesitates... He doesn't want to lower his weapon, but in fairness he sort of drew on her first. So, for a moment, it's not pointed as strongly as it could be at her, and he moves his face close to the glass. He takes a deep breath, and fogs the glass up.

In the seconds he has, he writes: WHO?, and then he stands back, his gun is raised again, and he jerks his head towards her, to indicate that she's the one he's asking about. As if there's anyone else around.

jackcest is on the horizon already

[andreiyevna]

Well, that was a weird reaction. And probably one that means 'no'?

Or 'yes and how did you know'.

Or... something. It's hard to decipher incredulous looks sometimes. O'Brian seems to use them for all sorts of situations.

What she does understand, though, is that the man can't talk. Between the throat scars and the writing, that one's pretty easy. She almost feels bad for the guy. But not bad enough to lower her weapon.

"Really?" she says, because that's the second time today someone hasn't recognised her. It makes a bit more sense now, she's figured out that maybe meeting strangers is a part of the scenario, but it's still pretty weird. Hopefully she's doing the right thing by answering truthfully. They've never encouraged her towards any particular deception.

"Jack."

just "Jack" | Bad End | post-WYK but before Point Prometheus | no idea what im doing

[boyo]

[Pretty sure he's been through every trash can on the block, but he could be wrong. He doesn't recognize this place either way. Better check to be sure.

He's soon stepping through the hall full of mirrors and regretting it already. He rubs his eyes. It won't be long before he bashes all of these mirrors in. He knows he's handsome, don't need it visually confirmed in front of him. In fact, it's insulting. How dare they mimic him? Are they making fun of him?

He stops himself in that train of thought. No need to go overboard, they're just mirrors. There's only one of him, and that's what matters.

Those mirrors still need to be broken, though. All this movement in the corner of his eye is making him nervous.]

eyyyyyyyyyy

[wouldnotkindly]

[ Speak for yourself; this Jack doesn't even remember how he got here, and that's only adding to the pile of things that are making this a terrible horrible no-good very bad day. Who the hell builds a hall of mirrors under the sea, anyway?

Still, no reason not to get too nervous. He hasn't heard anything in a while, no splicer mutterings or Big Daddy groans, so surely he's the only one in here—

But in the end his attempts at self-assurance don't really count for much. He spies some movement in his peripheral view, something that he's pretty sure he didn't just do, and he wheels around to face it head-on. ]

sup

[boyo]

[He's had just about enough of these mirrors. They're starting to make him think...

He feels a prickling on the back of his neck and turns, cursing under his breath at his own slowness. Should have known the place would make it hard for him to notice someone else.

Whoever it is is already facing him. It's immediately apparent that something is very wrong here.]

The fuck?

[wouldnotkindly]

[ He startles back when the thing he thought was his reflection speaks, as if seeing the man move on his own wasn't startling enough. At least he holds on to enough self-restraint to keep from immediately firing at him. ]

What are you? [ Some kind of splicer he's never seen before? It's the only explanation he can think of. ]

[boyo]

[Stares for a moment, incredulous.]

...I could ask you the same thing.

Jack | Good End | Just after Fontaine reveal

[unkindly]

[Well he was being led out by a Little Sister, but either he took a wrong turn or... she led him to a weird place, because... this definitely isn't where he expected to turn up. He looks around, his shotgun raised.

He is angry, he is on edge, and he is ready to fire at the first moving thing he sees because goddammit his whole life has been a lie and he is fucking pissed about it.]

Jack | Pre-game | Snuck out of the lab before getting fake memories

[humanjukebox]

[W-well, he's not a Little Sister, but he's spent a lot of time with them? Granted, most of that time was talking to them through a grate, but...

Not that he expects to see Sisters here - it looked like a fun little attraction to explore, but not somewhere the girls would be found, even if the halls weren't too narrow for their protectors. No, er, 'angels' - not a lot of anyone, really - and between the lighting and the feeling of being surrounded, the maze was kind of unsettling.

So he speculated - just, pure guesswork, here, absolutely.

Even if it was hypothetically unsettling - well, it sure beat the other obstacle courses he's had to run. Actually, it was kind of neat to be able to go through something at his own pace! And while it kind of felt like he was being followed and watched, he wasn't, really. No one timing him, no one marking him, no one waiting at the end to tell him what he did wrong and what to do next time, no one threatening to take his things away for a poor performance! This was actually pretty great, even if he wasn't entirely sure where he was going or if this maze was hypothetically creepy.

He's not actually being watched on all sides, even if it feels like that or if it's what he's used to. That's why he keeps his eyes on the floor more than what's ahead or around him. Because those are reflections, not real people, so he doesn't have to make sure none of them are, say, armed and dangerous! And he certainly wouldn't notice if one of them was wearing a sweater and a bunch of guns instead of the beat up coat and hat he was walking around in!]

oh my god he's so adorable

[unkindly]

[Jack whirls and points the shotgun at the stranger. But he doesn't seem to respond, he's looking directly at the floor.]

Hey.

Hey.

[Who the hell are you.]

so innocent

[humanjukebox]

[Wait, that's a voice--

He looks up and then sees that's a gun!!

His first programmed instinct is to immediately dive for cover, but everything is mirrors so it's kind of hard to pick out where to go when he's not looking at the floor. He goes for the next best thing, which is to stumble back the way he came. Except, this is a hall of mirrors, so ducking behind a corner doesn't entirely move him out of sight with the way mirrors reflect off each other. By that same token, though, he can still see the other guy and -

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. He knows that face.

okay, gotta think fast:]

Don't shoot!

Jack Ryan | Batya | Between Chapters One and Two (YOU KNOW NOTHING, JACK RYAN)

[sonofrapture]

[What the... Jack looks around. How the hell...

Is this some new maze in Arcadia? Or Fort Frolic? Why didn't anyone tell him about this?

Hmm.

Well, at least he's impeccably dressed for the occasion.]

Anybody there?

maybe tagging jack with jack will result in less accidental infomodding

[wouldnotkindly]

[ Meanwhile, Jack is just about fed up with this place. He was so sure he'd finally managed to get out of Apollo Square, so sure... And now he's stuck in some kind of funhouse? Who the hell even put this here, anyway?

He hears the voice from up ahead; it doesn't particularly sound like a splicer, but he can never be too sure about that. He grits his teeth, keeps his shotgun at the ready, and rounds the corner to see—

Who the hell is that?

His surprise is palpable enough that he can't bring himself to say anything just yet, only stand and stare with his shotgun not quite raised. ]

/sobs

[sonofrapture]

[Jack stares in shock and immediately raises his hands. What else are you supposed to do when you're standing face to face with a man with a gun?

...even if that man is... you?]

...Hello?

[wouldnotkindly]

[ His mind races for some kind of answer, only to come up with nothing that makes any kind of sense. Not that there's much of anything that makes sense down here in Rapture, much less anything at all in his miserable life, but even so... ]

Who are you supposed to be?

[ His voice is a croak, throat hoarse from lack of use. He hasn't exactly been afforded much opportunity for conversation lately.

(He hasn't really thought to do anything with the gun just yet, mostly because he has no idea if this man should register as a threat. Of course, that also means he hasn't thought to lower it.) ]

[sonofrapture]

Jack Ryan. Who are you?

[He keeps his hands up because that gun is not reassuring in any way, and it might be noticed that not only is he plasmid-free, but there are no tattoos on his wrists either.]

[wouldnotkindly]

[ Jack notices that little detail. He doesn't know what to make of it, but he notices it, and now that he's noticed it he can hardly do anything but.

Except boggle over the other man's answer, of course. ]

Jack... Ryan?

[ It's in disbelief that he finally lowers his weapon. Did he take some bad ADAM or something? ]

[sonofrapture]

That's what I said.

Who the hell are you?

[Answer the question, goddammit.]

Jack | Pre-game | Just snuck out of the lab, don't tell dad!

[humanjukebox]

Look, Jack never intended to stay out very long. Honest! As the doctors said - where would he even go? No ID, no money, no history, no place to stay, he wouldn't last out there. And, even if that seemed debatable with how far he's managed to get in one day, Jack was, truly, truthfully, going to head right back as soon as he was done sightseeing! And that was only going to take, what, a few hours?

Well, it was, until he walked into this maze. It looked fun on the outside, and - it was fun, for the first ten minutes, but now he was starting to realize just how similar everything looked in a maze of reflections. And another realization was coming: That he was probably a little lost. More than a little, maybe.

Well - there had to be another way out of this. It wouldn't be good for business if patrons were hopelessly lost, right? So, fine, he'd do something he never got to do at home:

"Hey! Can someone help me out here?!"

Yes, he was just giving up on a puzzle. It wasn't like anyone was watching or marking him! Heck, it wasn't like anyone out here would even recognize him!