MoonLegend101
Member
Jim Hawkins
Jim felt a bit relieved when the woman took a step away from him and allowed him to have his own personal space back. He relaxed a bit once the grip on his shoulders was released, his posture returning to its usual slouch. His gaze remained fixed on the other one as he watched her rather disappointed reaction, which was entirely understandable. He felt a bit disappointed himself, if only because of the lost opportunity to find someone that had known him, and the fact that he had let this poor woman down in the process. When the other one expressed her gratitude for him at least telling the truth and not leading her on any further, Jim shifted his weight and sheepishly gave a slight, awkward shrug in response. He couldn't help but inwardly feel the slightest bit glad with himself though, that he had indeed been straightforward instead of pointlessly stringing them both along. It wasn't much of a comfort though, as the aching emptiness inside him had only increased as the woman distanced herself from him and confirmed that they probably didn't have much connection to one another, certainly not one that either of them remembered anyway. He let out a deep sigh himself, his head still drooping as he frowned intensely, trying to collect his thoughts in order to attempt to compose himself again.
The boy looked up with a slight gleam of curiosity in his eyes when the older woman matter-of-factly explained the answers for his questions to him, which again made sense and were reasonable enough. The fact that it had all been a tragic coincidence only because of his offer of assistance made the teenager feel a bit more flustered and embarrassed by the whole matter. Of course it had just been a circumstancial situation, and he had had to make it worse by being there and causing such confusion. He should have given the woman a firm denial to her questions and then backed out right away, instead of dragging out things with his own confusion and uncertainty. In fact, thinking reasonably, he probably shouldn't have even attempted to make sure these total strangers were okay in the first place. He had thought that since some of them had looked half dead when he had first laid eyes on them, and if some of them knew more than he did or were confused like he was, the least he could do was try to offer just a little help... but it seemed that maybe his presence was only making things worse.
While moodily contemplating his conflicted thoughts about this matter, Jim was suddenly distracted from these thoughts by the young woman admitting that in a way she was relieved that he hadn't turned out to be her Will due to being much too young of age to be involved with her. The boy's eyes widened as she said this, since this confirmed that this 'Will' had indeed been her... romantic partner, rather than a relative or a close friend or anything like that. The teenager was fairly horrified by the thought that he could have been mistaken for someone that had been involved with her in that way, which was a rather disturbing and unappealing concept for one of his age and mentality.
Jim's embarrassment and awkwardness about the situation was increased by this, but at least he didn't feel quite as upset by the fact that he wasn't this 'Will' anymore. Jim reached with one hand to rub the back of his neck, glancing to the side as he sheepishly spoke up in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I am." After a momentary pause, the boy followed the other one's gaze down to a ring on her finger when she commented on it, looking at it with mild curiosity. When the woman remarked in frustration about it being the only clue at finding the man she loved, Jim felt even more mortified about the fact that he had been wondering if he was Will if the two had actually been engaged or married.
Jim couldn't help but feel more sympathetic for the older woman as well, having lost nearly all of her memories about someone she obviously cared so much about. He could understand, just a bit, of what that feeling of loss must be like. After a moment of contemplation, the other one seemed to reach a decision about what she was going to do next, which was figure out what exactly was going on in this mess of a situation they were in. He couldn't help but admire how strong and confident the woman seemed as she spoke, even after all that she was being put through. It was a bit reassuring to see someone able to do so even in the terrible situation that they were in, and gave him a little motivation to try to act the same way. He wholeheartedly agreed with her sentiments, as he himself had been planning to soon try to figure out what was happening as well before meeting her.
Jim couldn't help but give a bit of a start however, when the woman actually seemed to be addressing him when saying those words. Could she actually... want to work together, or at least stay together, while trying to find out what had happened to them both? He had been doubting that the lady would want anything to do with him now that they had established that they didn't know each other, since there seemed to be no reason to bother with him otherwise. The possibility that the other one actually wanted him to be a part of figuring out things caused a bit of gladness to well up inside of him, as well as a certain desire to rise up to the occasion and help, somehow.
Jim's expression became a serious one, the stress line underneath one eye becoming more visible on his face as he frowned. "Agreed." He gave a firm nod in agreement with what she said as he looked up towards her. Despite his supposed certainty, there was a certain tentativeness still on his face as he said this, due to still being somewhat nervous and uncertain about whether or not the woman would still be okay with him to tagging along with her, even though a small part of him actually hoped so. Besides, maybe by helping her and offering his assistance, he could in some small way help make up for getting her hopes up like he had. After all, he might as well try to do something to make up for that embarrassing and awkward situation that he had caused, he supposed. The teenager paused for a moment while thinking about how exactly they would find what information they were looking for.
Jim soon realized with a pained jolt after a moment of thinking, that he couldn't actually provide any information about the situation to help like he thought he might be able to if he searched his memories well enough. Unfortunately, even as he struggled desperately to recollect something, anything, he couldn't recall anything that even remotely had anything to do with waking up in this strange place. It just felt as if as if there was hardly anything but an all consuming darkness that hid any other thought or memory before he had woken up in shadows, and he remembered nothing of what had gotten him to that plaza except faint feelings of fear and helplessness that had registered in his mind before he had woke. Jim's head drooped again as his gaze returned to the immacculate light gray cement that lay beneath his feet. He didn't completely retreat into himself like earlier, but he did keep his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his darkly colored coat, and his shoulders sagged. His frown deepened as he spoke more quietly and regretfully. "Sorry that I couldn't be any more help." The boy took one more thoughtful pause before continuing. "But, uh..."
Jim trailed off for a moment, turning to look towards the center of the plaza. He planned to suggest asking one of the awakened people that appeared to be comfortable or confident enough with their situation to perhaps know what was going on and what they were all doing there. He faced away from the other one for a moment as he looked towards the fountain, examining all of the people surrounding it with a scrutinizing and skeptical eye. "Maybe you could..." Jim suddenly stopped short of saying anything else however, his voice trailing off as he caught sight of something. From what appeared to be not far from the fountain, in one of the many little clusters of people that seemed to be gathering, one person in particular caused him to stop and simply stare at them for a moment. The person that had grabbed his attention seemed to be... gradually disappearing right into thin air. This was extremely startling, as well as quite alarming. Whoever the stranger was, part of their body already seemed to have faded into nonexistence, with the rest of it gradually following suit. The boy's eyes widened as he took in the sight of it, letting out a sharp intake of breath out of shock and alarm.
Jim wasn't sure whether or not this disappearing act was intentional or not, but either way it definitely meant that something was happening. Perhaps the mysterious force that had dragged them all to this unfamiliar location, if it really had been some single, supernatural entity, was trying to pull one of the victims somewhere else, or was just making them disappear completely. The thought was a rather horrifying one, but there still some part of him that couldn't help but feel a certain sort of thrill upon witnessing this. It was mostly because something like this confirmed that there was something almost certainly mystical going on, and if something like this was happening, then perhaps there really was a way to get back to wherever he came from. Even if all of them were simply starting to fade out of existence one by one, at least something was happening to indicate that there really was more than met the eye to this whole mess. All the possibilities about what exactly was occuring however, were just overwhelming.
While this was occuring however, Jim suddenly turned back towards the woman he had been conversing with, his warm brown eyes bright with the unexpectedness and excitement of the spectacle, instead of the dull, hopeless look that they usually contained. "Do you see that?" There was a certain energy in the teenager's tone of voice and movements that hadn't been there before as he turned towards the vanishing figure and pointed in order to show his current companion. The boy reached to take the older woman's hand and give her a light tug in the direction of the plaza's center, pulling her a short distance towards it if he had managed to take hold of her hand, breathlessly explaining his reason for doing so along the way. "Come on, let's see what's going on!" Jim was feeling quite urgent due to the disappearing person seeming to be in great danger of some kind, and also to figure out what exactly was even happening with them. For all he knew, that poor individual could be about to meet some kind of terrible fate once having disappeared, so the least he could do was try to stop it and help... somehow.
Jim couldn't quite explain as to why he was trying to drag the woman along with him, as it was something he mostly did on impulse due to how she had seemed somewhat willing to figure things out with him before. Perhaps it was partly because of his private yearning for companionship at a time like this, as well as hesitant speculation of the fact that perhaps the other one needed some sort of company at the moment too, though he still highly doubted it was his company she would actually want. Nevertheless none of these thoughts took high precedence in his mind at the moment, as he headed towards the center of the place at a fairly hurried pace. As he did so however, gradually the boy began to slow down a bit as he came closer and got a better look at the individual who was vanishing. By this time, nothing much was left of the man except for his face, at which point... the stranger began to crack a rather unsettling grin. Jim eventually slowed down to a halt, his eyes widening as he witnessed this, both disturbed and entranced by that unnaturally wide grin. He also felt quite confused, since now he really didn't know what to make of this incredibly bizarre situation. It was only a moment after disappearing completely that suddenly the perplexing person reappeared after nearly vanishing completely. The strangest thing was that the person actually seemed to be startled by the fact that he had reappeared, as well as pained by whatever had happened.
Jim took a small step forward with an alarmed expression on his face as the strange man collapsed on to his knees with a hiss, but something caused him to hold himself back from actually approaching once he noticed that the man seemed to be surrounded by a few companions. Jim took a step back with a frown on his face, but despite his confusion and frustration about everything, he couldn't help but still feel quite awed by what had taken place, murmuring a quiet expression of his incredulouness and amazement at it. "Wow." It took the boy a moment before he managed to shake himself out of his thoughts, and even then he was no closer to comprehending what had just occurred. As he turned to look towards the woman that he had been with however and address her again, there was not only confusion in his eyes, but also a slight gleam in them that could still be seen. This came from a tentative, fragile sort of hope, even if it was one that he was hesitant to show. The change on his expression because of this was like tiny sunbeams just beginning to break through storm clouds.
While speaking to the other one, Jim spoke matter-of-factly and honestly, since there was no beating around the bush about how what had just happened seemed totally incomprehensible and puzzling. But despite this, he also had a certain eagerness and excitement to find out what exactly had happened, which easily showed in his tone of voice as he spoke. "Okay, I'm not sure what all of that meant, but I think if we could just- ... just..." At first the boy spoke quite earnestly, his sincerity and worries about the situation reflected in his eyes, but before he could finish his sentence, again he trailed off as if distracted by something. This time his sudden lapse in speech was a bit more jarring however, since he was still looking straight in the direction of the one he was talking to, and there seemed to be nothing in sight that could have served to prove such a distraction.
In reality it was not anything visible that distracted Jim; it was a sound that ended up catching his attention. There was a voice, which at first only sounded like a distant noise that was lapping at the very outer reaches of his hearing range, and began to grow increasingly louder in his mind. The sound was not an unpleasant one however, and in fact, it was a beautiful one. Instead of feeling alarmed by the sound of the voice that almost seemed to be calling to him like he normally would be, instead the teenager felt rather soothed and relaxed by the noise, as if there was no need to question it. While listening to the beautiful voice that seemed to ring through the air so clear and sweet, a slightly dreamy and absentminded looking expression came on to his expression, as if whatever had been so important to him a few minutes ago had suddenly lost all its weight and significance. It was as if a fog had begun to settle in his mind, one that curled around each of his thoughts and sent them sailing off to some other place that he could not reach. Jim struggled to think of what he had been going to say, for a second turmoil and panic showing on his face due to once again having an aching emptiness in mind. "... I ..." The boy found out after a moment however, that this particular emptiness wasn't as aching and forlorn as he had expected it to be. Instead, it filled him with a burst of emotions, one that overwhelmed him at first. The sound made him feel like laughing in joy, feel a melancholic sadness that filled his heart until he thought it might burst, and then a general contentment and reassurance that everything was going to be alright. After that, it was soothing and pleasant, gently encouraging him to follow the sound of that beautiful voice that was ringing out across the entire plaza.
Jim turned towards where the sound was coming from, something inside him wishing that he could hear the sound even clearer than he did now. Gradually, as if on impulse, Jim began to make his way towards a certain area in the center of the plaza, having not much else to guide his steps but the sound of that voice. For a brief moment he struggled to push himself out of his stupor in order to glance back towards the older woman that he had been talking to, trying to see if she was alright and was following too. Either way, once having been reassured, Jim's legs began carrying him closer and closer to the plaza's center, until he was a part of the large crowd that had started to gather. Despite being in a less than clear frame of mind, the dark haired teenager did his best to avoid being boxed in or crowded by all of the people, standing as close to the outskirts to the crowd as he could manage, and standing nearby the woman he had accompanied if she was a part of the crowd now too. The boy's gaze immediately darted about, looking for the person who had been calling in that lovely voice, and eventually spotted a red haired girl that had appeared to have been doing so, but eventually stopped.
It was both a relief and a disappointment when the voice stopped calling. The usual emptiness inside of him took its place back inside him, and his mind cleared. Jim scowled deeply once the influence of the voice had worn off, obviously not very thrilled to have been prompted in such a way that had felt out of his control. He stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his coat like always, and stood watching the man calling for everyone's attention with hunched shoulders. He didn't know what had just happened, but he didn't like it in the slightest. Nevertheless, the boy still listened with a level of both confusion and curiosity as the person who was trying to address them all began to speak. He listened with a blank expression as the stranger called out the names of random people that meant nothing to him, but as the strange young man continued, the something in the boy's face began to tense and concentrate, as if he was actually starting to listen. The fervently speaking stranger began to talk about other realms, that apparently all of them had come from. Jim had no idea what the other man meant when mentioning something called Disney all the time, but as for the part about other realms... that was it. He had known that there had been something that had looked off about the unfamiliar plaza, and something that had felt off about it too. Somehow, he had felt that this place he had woken up in full of outlandish looking architecture and strange modern clothes was just... not his own. It would make sense, if he had come from another world of some sort.
Jim tried to think back to what little he remembered before waking up. From one of his little snatches of memory, he had faintly recalled a sailing ship which could hover in the sky and fly as it carried his father away, and the ship seemed like quite an unnatural compared to what he had seen so far. Now that he was thinking on it, he also remembered a cool, gentle night breeze blowing at his back in one of his memories, which came from a warm blue sky filled with billions of stars, which merrily twinkled and sparkled at him as a boisterous, comforting voice rang out with words that he could not quite hear. That must have been his realm, his home. His heart ached with remembering some of the peaceful beauty of where he had come from, but still not knowing where it was or how to get back. The hope and reassurance of knowing that he had indeed come from another place however, and that maybe he could find out how to get back caused the boy's face to practically light up. He still had a confused and displeased scowl on his face, but now it was starting to soften a bit, and the same hope and vulnerability he had shown earlier about the matter of who he was and where he had come from showed plainly in his eyes.
Jim again hardly understood what the man was talking about when explaining 'Renaissance characters', but he assumed that some of the people in the crowd must be that type, maybe. He looked over towards the person that the man addressing the crowd indicated, his eyes widening in interest and surprise as said person was then called a lion from another land. The teenager was completely entranced by the speech at this point, watching eagerly as the man dared the stranger supposedly named Kovu to test some kind of power he apparently had. He drew a sharp intake of breath when it actually worked, and soon there was a real ocelot standing in their midst. An actual slight grin of excitement appeared on his face as he murmured under his breath in amazement. "Woah, cool!" This meant that it was really possible for anyone to have magical powers... and perhaps that's what the earlier spectacle was about, although he just couldn't be sure about that. It was reassuring to know that at least someone around here had answers to such questions.
Jim looked up when the young man began talking about another kind of character, which were Modern characters. At first he planned not to pay much mind to this explanation like with the one about the Renaissance people, but then his interest was peaked by the man mentioning the fact that Modern characters didn't remember much about their past lives, but at least they remembered something. Was... he one of those people, those 'characters'? It was strange to think of himself as possibly being a character, and one that was part of a group of other characters no less. The boy took a moment to scan the crowd, a look of curiosity upon his face. It was both strange and oddly comforting to know that he certainly wasn't the only one who was going through the pain and conflict of barely remembering anything about one's past, and instead there were quite a few people that were going through the exact same thing.
Jim kept listening as the man who was addressing the crowd, who was apparently called Tramp, said that he had powers as well, and so could tell what everyone was thinking at the moment. Now this was something that did not sit well at all with the teenager, and his scowl returned as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the self proclaimed mind reader. If there was one thing he definitely did not want, it was someone getting inside his head. It was a concept that was almost as bad and disturbing of a breech of personal privacy to him as physical contact from a stranger, and so he felt deeply unnerved and unsettled by the fact that all of his thoughts and feelings would be free for a stranger he didn't trust to know anytime he so pleased. Jim's glare toward the man intensified, as if he could keep the other one from reading his mind just by shooting him dirty looks. Eventually he relented on his glare somewhat when Tramp began to try to rally everyone to band together, but he still did not stop glowering at the other man. The teenager thoughtfully listened as Tramp suggested that they all work together in order to get home and to stop those responsible for all of this, and then asked who agreed with him and who would join him.
Naturally the boy wasn't one of the first to immediately respond and instead remained silent for a few moments, as it was obvious that he had a lot to figure out and process. The thing he wanted more than anything was to find wherever he had come from, and fill that aching emptiness inside him. He wanted to find out who he even was, or at used to be. Yet still, Jim knew hardly anything about this Tramp, and he did not like that this stranger would have full disclosure of his most private thoughts. He hadn't understood a lot of what the other one had been talking about, anyway. But because he didn't understand some of it, that was actually part of the reason he felt the need to join with these people, because there was so much he really didn't know, and he wanted to know. While he could try to go off and take his chances alone, he didn't know how far he'd end up making it on his own. His chances of getting back to where he came from would be much better if he decided to take the plunge, and trust in the words of this complete stranger. In the end, getting back to his home, to feel the cool breezes of space brush against his face like they did in his memory and to return to those who loved him and cared about him was something that he was willing to take any risk for. What did it matter to him anyway? He had no future in this world; he didn't belong in it. This was his one chance to get home, and to find out why he had been taken from it in the first place, so he had to take it. Even though he had showed hesitance, there really was no choice in the matter. The answer was clear.
Jim took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment or two, before opening them again and looking directly towards Tramp. He had a grave frown on his face, but his jaw was set, and there was a look of fiery determination in his eyes. He gave a slight nod as he spoke, speaking loudly enough to be heard, his tone of voice serious and firm. "I'm in."
AnimeGenork
Jim felt a bit relieved when the woman took a step away from him and allowed him to have his own personal space back. He relaxed a bit once the grip on his shoulders was released, his posture returning to its usual slouch. His gaze remained fixed on the other one as he watched her rather disappointed reaction, which was entirely understandable. He felt a bit disappointed himself, if only because of the lost opportunity to find someone that had known him, and the fact that he had let this poor woman down in the process. When the other one expressed her gratitude for him at least telling the truth and not leading her on any further, Jim shifted his weight and sheepishly gave a slight, awkward shrug in response. He couldn't help but inwardly feel the slightest bit glad with himself though, that he had indeed been straightforward instead of pointlessly stringing them both along. It wasn't much of a comfort though, as the aching emptiness inside him had only increased as the woman distanced herself from him and confirmed that they probably didn't have much connection to one another, certainly not one that either of them remembered anyway. He let out a deep sigh himself, his head still drooping as he frowned intensely, trying to collect his thoughts in order to attempt to compose himself again.
The boy looked up with a slight gleam of curiosity in his eyes when the older woman matter-of-factly explained the answers for his questions to him, which again made sense and were reasonable enough. The fact that it had all been a tragic coincidence only because of his offer of assistance made the teenager feel a bit more flustered and embarrassed by the whole matter. Of course it had just been a circumstancial situation, and he had had to make it worse by being there and causing such confusion. He should have given the woman a firm denial to her questions and then backed out right away, instead of dragging out things with his own confusion and uncertainty. In fact, thinking reasonably, he probably shouldn't have even attempted to make sure these total strangers were okay in the first place. He had thought that since some of them had looked half dead when he had first laid eyes on them, and if some of them knew more than he did or were confused like he was, the least he could do was try to offer just a little help... but it seemed that maybe his presence was only making things worse.
While moodily contemplating his conflicted thoughts about this matter, Jim was suddenly distracted from these thoughts by the young woman admitting that in a way she was relieved that he hadn't turned out to be her Will due to being much too young of age to be involved with her. The boy's eyes widened as she said this, since this confirmed that this 'Will' had indeed been her... romantic partner, rather than a relative or a close friend or anything like that. The teenager was fairly horrified by the thought that he could have been mistaken for someone that had been involved with her in that way, which was a rather disturbing and unappealing concept for one of his age and mentality.
Jim's embarrassment and awkwardness about the situation was increased by this, but at least he didn't feel quite as upset by the fact that he wasn't this 'Will' anymore. Jim reached with one hand to rub the back of his neck, glancing to the side as he sheepishly spoke up in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I am." After a momentary pause, the boy followed the other one's gaze down to a ring on her finger when she commented on it, looking at it with mild curiosity. When the woman remarked in frustration about it being the only clue at finding the man she loved, Jim felt even more mortified about the fact that he had been wondering if he was Will if the two had actually been engaged or married.
Jim couldn't help but feel more sympathetic for the older woman as well, having lost nearly all of her memories about someone she obviously cared so much about. He could understand, just a bit, of what that feeling of loss must be like. After a moment of contemplation, the other one seemed to reach a decision about what she was going to do next, which was figure out what exactly was going on in this mess of a situation they were in. He couldn't help but admire how strong and confident the woman seemed as she spoke, even after all that she was being put through. It was a bit reassuring to see someone able to do so even in the terrible situation that they were in, and gave him a little motivation to try to act the same way. He wholeheartedly agreed with her sentiments, as he himself had been planning to soon try to figure out what was happening as well before meeting her.
Jim couldn't help but give a bit of a start however, when the woman actually seemed to be addressing him when saying those words. Could she actually... want to work together, or at least stay together, while trying to find out what had happened to them both? He had been doubting that the lady would want anything to do with him now that they had established that they didn't know each other, since there seemed to be no reason to bother with him otherwise. The possibility that the other one actually wanted him to be a part of figuring out things caused a bit of gladness to well up inside of him, as well as a certain desire to rise up to the occasion and help, somehow.
Jim's expression became a serious one, the stress line underneath one eye becoming more visible on his face as he frowned. "Agreed." He gave a firm nod in agreement with what she said as he looked up towards her. Despite his supposed certainty, there was a certain tentativeness still on his face as he said this, due to still being somewhat nervous and uncertain about whether or not the woman would still be okay with him to tagging along with her, even though a small part of him actually hoped so. Besides, maybe by helping her and offering his assistance, he could in some small way help make up for getting her hopes up like he had. After all, he might as well try to do something to make up for that embarrassing and awkward situation that he had caused, he supposed. The teenager paused for a moment while thinking about how exactly they would find what information they were looking for.
Jim soon realized with a pained jolt after a moment of thinking, that he couldn't actually provide any information about the situation to help like he thought he might be able to if he searched his memories well enough. Unfortunately, even as he struggled desperately to recollect something, anything, he couldn't recall anything that even remotely had anything to do with waking up in this strange place. It just felt as if as if there was hardly anything but an all consuming darkness that hid any other thought or memory before he had woken up in shadows, and he remembered nothing of what had gotten him to that plaza except faint feelings of fear and helplessness that had registered in his mind before he had woke. Jim's head drooped again as his gaze returned to the immacculate light gray cement that lay beneath his feet. He didn't completely retreat into himself like earlier, but he did keep his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his darkly colored coat, and his shoulders sagged. His frown deepened as he spoke more quietly and regretfully. "Sorry that I couldn't be any more help." The boy took one more thoughtful pause before continuing. "But, uh..."
Jim trailed off for a moment, turning to look towards the center of the plaza. He planned to suggest asking one of the awakened people that appeared to be comfortable or confident enough with their situation to perhaps know what was going on and what they were all doing there. He faced away from the other one for a moment as he looked towards the fountain, examining all of the people surrounding it with a scrutinizing and skeptical eye. "Maybe you could..." Jim suddenly stopped short of saying anything else however, his voice trailing off as he caught sight of something. From what appeared to be not far from the fountain, in one of the many little clusters of people that seemed to be gathering, one person in particular caused him to stop and simply stare at them for a moment. The person that had grabbed his attention seemed to be... gradually disappearing right into thin air. This was extremely startling, as well as quite alarming. Whoever the stranger was, part of their body already seemed to have faded into nonexistence, with the rest of it gradually following suit. The boy's eyes widened as he took in the sight of it, letting out a sharp intake of breath out of shock and alarm.
Jim wasn't sure whether or not this disappearing act was intentional or not, but either way it definitely meant that something was happening. Perhaps the mysterious force that had dragged them all to this unfamiliar location, if it really had been some single, supernatural entity, was trying to pull one of the victims somewhere else, or was just making them disappear completely. The thought was a rather horrifying one, but there still some part of him that couldn't help but feel a certain sort of thrill upon witnessing this. It was mostly because something like this confirmed that there was something almost certainly mystical going on, and if something like this was happening, then perhaps there really was a way to get back to wherever he came from. Even if all of them were simply starting to fade out of existence one by one, at least something was happening to indicate that there really was more than met the eye to this whole mess. All the possibilities about what exactly was occuring however, were just overwhelming.
While this was occuring however, Jim suddenly turned back towards the woman he had been conversing with, his warm brown eyes bright with the unexpectedness and excitement of the spectacle, instead of the dull, hopeless look that they usually contained. "Do you see that?" There was a certain energy in the teenager's tone of voice and movements that hadn't been there before as he turned towards the vanishing figure and pointed in order to show his current companion. The boy reached to take the older woman's hand and give her a light tug in the direction of the plaza's center, pulling her a short distance towards it if he had managed to take hold of her hand, breathlessly explaining his reason for doing so along the way. "Come on, let's see what's going on!" Jim was feeling quite urgent due to the disappearing person seeming to be in great danger of some kind, and also to figure out what exactly was even happening with them. For all he knew, that poor individual could be about to meet some kind of terrible fate once having disappeared, so the least he could do was try to stop it and help... somehow.
Jim couldn't quite explain as to why he was trying to drag the woman along with him, as it was something he mostly did on impulse due to how she had seemed somewhat willing to figure things out with him before. Perhaps it was partly because of his private yearning for companionship at a time like this, as well as hesitant speculation of the fact that perhaps the other one needed some sort of company at the moment too, though he still highly doubted it was his company she would actually want. Nevertheless none of these thoughts took high precedence in his mind at the moment, as he headed towards the center of the place at a fairly hurried pace. As he did so however, gradually the boy began to slow down a bit as he came closer and got a better look at the individual who was vanishing. By this time, nothing much was left of the man except for his face, at which point... the stranger began to crack a rather unsettling grin. Jim eventually slowed down to a halt, his eyes widening as he witnessed this, both disturbed and entranced by that unnaturally wide grin. He also felt quite confused, since now he really didn't know what to make of this incredibly bizarre situation. It was only a moment after disappearing completely that suddenly the perplexing person reappeared after nearly vanishing completely. The strangest thing was that the person actually seemed to be startled by the fact that he had reappeared, as well as pained by whatever had happened.
Jim took a small step forward with an alarmed expression on his face as the strange man collapsed on to his knees with a hiss, but something caused him to hold himself back from actually approaching once he noticed that the man seemed to be surrounded by a few companions. Jim took a step back with a frown on his face, but despite his confusion and frustration about everything, he couldn't help but still feel quite awed by what had taken place, murmuring a quiet expression of his incredulouness and amazement at it. "Wow." It took the boy a moment before he managed to shake himself out of his thoughts, and even then he was no closer to comprehending what had just occurred. As he turned to look towards the woman that he had been with however and address her again, there was not only confusion in his eyes, but also a slight gleam in them that could still be seen. This came from a tentative, fragile sort of hope, even if it was one that he was hesitant to show. The change on his expression because of this was like tiny sunbeams just beginning to break through storm clouds.
While speaking to the other one, Jim spoke matter-of-factly and honestly, since there was no beating around the bush about how what had just happened seemed totally incomprehensible and puzzling. But despite this, he also had a certain eagerness and excitement to find out what exactly had happened, which easily showed in his tone of voice as he spoke. "Okay, I'm not sure what all of that meant, but I think if we could just- ... just..." At first the boy spoke quite earnestly, his sincerity and worries about the situation reflected in his eyes, but before he could finish his sentence, again he trailed off as if distracted by something. This time his sudden lapse in speech was a bit more jarring however, since he was still looking straight in the direction of the one he was talking to, and there seemed to be nothing in sight that could have served to prove such a distraction.
In reality it was not anything visible that distracted Jim; it was a sound that ended up catching his attention. There was a voice, which at first only sounded like a distant noise that was lapping at the very outer reaches of his hearing range, and began to grow increasingly louder in his mind. The sound was not an unpleasant one however, and in fact, it was a beautiful one. Instead of feeling alarmed by the sound of the voice that almost seemed to be calling to him like he normally would be, instead the teenager felt rather soothed and relaxed by the noise, as if there was no need to question it. While listening to the beautiful voice that seemed to ring through the air so clear and sweet, a slightly dreamy and absentminded looking expression came on to his expression, as if whatever had been so important to him a few minutes ago had suddenly lost all its weight and significance. It was as if a fog had begun to settle in his mind, one that curled around each of his thoughts and sent them sailing off to some other place that he could not reach. Jim struggled to think of what he had been going to say, for a second turmoil and panic showing on his face due to once again having an aching emptiness in mind. "... I ..." The boy found out after a moment however, that this particular emptiness wasn't as aching and forlorn as he had expected it to be. Instead, it filled him with a burst of emotions, one that overwhelmed him at first. The sound made him feel like laughing in joy, feel a melancholic sadness that filled his heart until he thought it might burst, and then a general contentment and reassurance that everything was going to be alright. After that, it was soothing and pleasant, gently encouraging him to follow the sound of that beautiful voice that was ringing out across the entire plaza.
Jim turned towards where the sound was coming from, something inside him wishing that he could hear the sound even clearer than he did now. Gradually, as if on impulse, Jim began to make his way towards a certain area in the center of the plaza, having not much else to guide his steps but the sound of that voice. For a brief moment he struggled to push himself out of his stupor in order to glance back towards the older woman that he had been talking to, trying to see if she was alright and was following too. Either way, once having been reassured, Jim's legs began carrying him closer and closer to the plaza's center, until he was a part of the large crowd that had started to gather. Despite being in a less than clear frame of mind, the dark haired teenager did his best to avoid being boxed in or crowded by all of the people, standing as close to the outskirts to the crowd as he could manage, and standing nearby the woman he had accompanied if she was a part of the crowd now too. The boy's gaze immediately darted about, looking for the person who had been calling in that lovely voice, and eventually spotted a red haired girl that had appeared to have been doing so, but eventually stopped.
It was both a relief and a disappointment when the voice stopped calling. The usual emptiness inside of him took its place back inside him, and his mind cleared. Jim scowled deeply once the influence of the voice had worn off, obviously not very thrilled to have been prompted in such a way that had felt out of his control. He stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his coat like always, and stood watching the man calling for everyone's attention with hunched shoulders. He didn't know what had just happened, but he didn't like it in the slightest. Nevertheless, the boy still listened with a level of both confusion and curiosity as the person who was trying to address them all began to speak. He listened with a blank expression as the stranger called out the names of random people that meant nothing to him, but as the strange young man continued, the something in the boy's face began to tense and concentrate, as if he was actually starting to listen. The fervently speaking stranger began to talk about other realms, that apparently all of them had come from. Jim had no idea what the other man meant when mentioning something called Disney all the time, but as for the part about other realms... that was it. He had known that there had been something that had looked off about the unfamiliar plaza, and something that had felt off about it too. Somehow, he had felt that this place he had woken up in full of outlandish looking architecture and strange modern clothes was just... not his own. It would make sense, if he had come from another world of some sort.
Jim tried to think back to what little he remembered before waking up. From one of his little snatches of memory, he had faintly recalled a sailing ship which could hover in the sky and fly as it carried his father away, and the ship seemed like quite an unnatural compared to what he had seen so far. Now that he was thinking on it, he also remembered a cool, gentle night breeze blowing at his back in one of his memories, which came from a warm blue sky filled with billions of stars, which merrily twinkled and sparkled at him as a boisterous, comforting voice rang out with words that he could not quite hear. That must have been his realm, his home. His heart ached with remembering some of the peaceful beauty of where he had come from, but still not knowing where it was or how to get back. The hope and reassurance of knowing that he had indeed come from another place however, and that maybe he could find out how to get back caused the boy's face to practically light up. He still had a confused and displeased scowl on his face, but now it was starting to soften a bit, and the same hope and vulnerability he had shown earlier about the matter of who he was and where he had come from showed plainly in his eyes.
Jim again hardly understood what the man was talking about when explaining 'Renaissance characters', but he assumed that some of the people in the crowd must be that type, maybe. He looked over towards the person that the man addressing the crowd indicated, his eyes widening in interest and surprise as said person was then called a lion from another land. The teenager was completely entranced by the speech at this point, watching eagerly as the man dared the stranger supposedly named Kovu to test some kind of power he apparently had. He drew a sharp intake of breath when it actually worked, and soon there was a real ocelot standing in their midst. An actual slight grin of excitement appeared on his face as he murmured under his breath in amazement. "Woah, cool!" This meant that it was really possible for anyone to have magical powers... and perhaps that's what the earlier spectacle was about, although he just couldn't be sure about that. It was reassuring to know that at least someone around here had answers to such questions.
Jim looked up when the young man began talking about another kind of character, which were Modern characters. At first he planned not to pay much mind to this explanation like with the one about the Renaissance people, but then his interest was peaked by the man mentioning the fact that Modern characters didn't remember much about their past lives, but at least they remembered something. Was... he one of those people, those 'characters'? It was strange to think of himself as possibly being a character, and one that was part of a group of other characters no less. The boy took a moment to scan the crowd, a look of curiosity upon his face. It was both strange and oddly comforting to know that he certainly wasn't the only one who was going through the pain and conflict of barely remembering anything about one's past, and instead there were quite a few people that were going through the exact same thing.
Jim kept listening as the man who was addressing the crowd, who was apparently called Tramp, said that he had powers as well, and so could tell what everyone was thinking at the moment. Now this was something that did not sit well at all with the teenager, and his scowl returned as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the self proclaimed mind reader. If there was one thing he definitely did not want, it was someone getting inside his head. It was a concept that was almost as bad and disturbing of a breech of personal privacy to him as physical contact from a stranger, and so he felt deeply unnerved and unsettled by the fact that all of his thoughts and feelings would be free for a stranger he didn't trust to know anytime he so pleased. Jim's glare toward the man intensified, as if he could keep the other one from reading his mind just by shooting him dirty looks. Eventually he relented on his glare somewhat when Tramp began to try to rally everyone to band together, but he still did not stop glowering at the other man. The teenager thoughtfully listened as Tramp suggested that they all work together in order to get home and to stop those responsible for all of this, and then asked who agreed with him and who would join him.
Naturally the boy wasn't one of the first to immediately respond and instead remained silent for a few moments, as it was obvious that he had a lot to figure out and process. The thing he wanted more than anything was to find wherever he had come from, and fill that aching emptiness inside him. He wanted to find out who he even was, or at used to be. Yet still, Jim knew hardly anything about this Tramp, and he did not like that this stranger would have full disclosure of his most private thoughts. He hadn't understood a lot of what the other one had been talking about, anyway. But because he didn't understand some of it, that was actually part of the reason he felt the need to join with these people, because there was so much he really didn't know, and he wanted to know. While he could try to go off and take his chances alone, he didn't know how far he'd end up making it on his own. His chances of getting back to where he came from would be much better if he decided to take the plunge, and trust in the words of this complete stranger. In the end, getting back to his home, to feel the cool breezes of space brush against his face like they did in his memory and to return to those who loved him and cared about him was something that he was willing to take any risk for. What did it matter to him anyway? He had no future in this world; he didn't belong in it. This was his one chance to get home, and to find out why he had been taken from it in the first place, so he had to take it. Even though he had showed hesitance, there really was no choice in the matter. The answer was clear.
Jim took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment or two, before opening them again and looking directly towards Tramp. He had a grave frown on his face, but his jaw was set, and there was a look of fiery determination in his eyes. He gave a slight nod as he spoke, speaking loudly enough to be heard, his tone of voice serious and firm. "I'm in."
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