[11] welcome to the jungle we've got fun and games

[thethundersaid]

Who: Howling Sabers
Where: Mostly in the Southeast
When: Early/mid-May
What: First half of May's catch-all, up to and including de-aging event.
Warnings: They've been remarkably well-behaved recently. Probably none?
Style: Any.
Status: Closed to crew unless someone wants to appear suddenly.

OOC note: Up until now, the Sabers have sailed dafuq away after the fiasco at Corsair Island, spent some time illegally repainting their ship, and found an island deserted by most things except scorpions. Please include date in your top-post!

Comments

[forthevillage]

[Itachi freezes when he sees Sasuke that size, caught in a moment of uncharacteristic panic.

His mind flashes to the last moments he saw his brother at that age and he takes a step back without meaning to. Everything tunnel-visions to that little boy. The actual words he speaks aren't heard.]

Sasuke?

[It takes a long couple moments for him to be able to address his brother, and at first he doesn't even realize he's the one that did it.]

[thethundersaid]

[Relief washes over Sasuke's face when he recognizes Itachi's voice -- it's the right pitch and timbre, and when he glances over his brother is the right height -- at least someone hasn't been affected. After the last piece of mind-control, Sasuke isn't sure how Itachi would have handled it if he'd wound up like Tojiko or Sakura.

He waves once he's wrestled the chicken into submission.]

Something weird happened overnight again, but it's alright. I know who I am.

[forthevillage]

[Another moment as Itachi stares at him.

It's alright. He's not angry. He's just small. He's expecting help.

That last bit hadn't been stated, but Itachi's mind fills it in automatically. He reigns in his emotions, stepping closer to his little brother and kneeling down.]

I don't seem to be affected... But you'll let me know if I'm acting differently.

[A pause, and he holds his hands out.] Should I take that for you?

[thethundersaid]

It seems to just be affecting those of us who got shrunk. [Once Itachi is closer, the situation becomes rapidly weirder -- he's gotten used to a shorter Itachi, but the sudden differences in their heights is an unexpected throwback to the last time he saw Itachi like this in their own world, and it's not ...

He puts the thought out of mind and looks down at the chicken with an annoyed frown.]

This thing is stupid. It doesn't recognize me at all; I'm just shorter.

[The chicken makes a flail at Itachi, finally recognizing someone it knows.]

[forthevillage]

[Sasuke's annoyance is only making him more adorable, and thus causing Itachi's heart to ache more. His protective instincts are through the roof, even though he knows his brother might not appreciate it.

He moves to take the animal.]

... We'll lock it up for the time being, so it doesn't cause anyone trouble.

[Because they'll be having enough trouble without it.]

[thethundersaid]

[He makes a face but ultimately relinquishes his grip on the chicken, which ruffles its feathers back into order and clucks a few more unhappy time before subsiding.]

I'm not the only one, but some of us have outright forgotten what's going on.

[He pauses, and then in a lower voice, expression dropping into something more serious:] Even if I remember, though, my body at this age isn't used to channeling chakra the way I am. If we're attacked now ...

[He trails off, but it's obvious enough that they have a severe handicap with so many of the crew stuck in younger, and presumably weaker, bodies.]

[forthevillage]

[Not that it wasn't his usual task anyway, but Itachi immediately determines to take on the task of protecting this ship and everyone on it as long as this curse is in effect. He'll keep its shrunken crewmates safe, as well as the shards.

Taking the chicken, he pets it soothingly to help keep it calm.]

I will stay close to you.

[It's just short of a demand. Sasuke is still the captain.]

[thethundersaid]

I'm fine; at least I haven't gone crazy and forgotten everything. [He glances across the deck in the direction Tojiko fled earlier, expression darkened by irritation.]

We'll more likely need to find some way to keep all the kids in line and in one place.

[forthevillage]

[Rather than argue it outright, Itachi gives his brother a look that says he intends to remain close to him anyway - at least unless he's needed elsewhere.]

... Agreed.

Who among our crew has not been de-aged? [And who would make a better caretaker than Itachi would...]

[thethundersaid]

[He sounds even more deeply annoyed when he answers, even as he scans the deck hopefully for taller crew members.]

So far the only one besides you I've seen at their normal age is the younger Link, but ... he's a kid anyway.

[forthevillage]

... I see.

[That's problematic. He shouldn't be the oldest one on any crew, not with this many on board. He'll help take charge if he has to, and hopefully this won't last long.]

And I'm sure keeping them away from their journals will be difficult.

[thethundersaid]

Some of them have already gotten to their journals. [Dryly.]

People probably think we're kidnappers now.

[forthevillage]

Not if this sort of thing is happening with other crews as well.

[He frowns. What would have caused it to affect them specifically?]

Do we know if that's the case?

[thethundersaid]

I ... don't know. [He's forced to admit that he hasn't opened the journals since he woke up to realize he was both shorter and weaker.]

I can look.

[forthevillage]

[A nod. He would have looked already if he'd known... He could look now, but he's not going to act as though his brother isn't capable of doing something that simple.]

[thethundersaid]

[It is simple, especially now that Itachi has the angry chicken corralled away, and Sasuke flips through the journal with an increasingly-disturbed expression before snapping it shut.]

It's not just us. This is -- this might be the most powerful thing yet. Whatever does these things hasn't changed our bodies before.

[He remembers hearing something, though, expression growing pensive.] Except once before we arrived.

[forthevillage]

Before we arrived...

[He frowns in thought. Had he heard about this?] What was said to have happened then?

[thethundersaid]

Someone said that people turned into monsters from kids' stories the month before we arrived.

... at the time, I thought they were hallucinating or something, but it seems more possible now.

[forthevillage]

... One has to wonder exactly how much control we actually have over ourselves here.

[He closes his eyes a moment, absorbing the implications of this.]

At least there always seem to be at least some that aren't affected. That's something to work with.

[thethundersaid]

[That's something Sasuke tries not to wonder: whether they might not have free will in any way deeper than surface direction after all, if their presence is nothing more than entertainment. He looks down at the journal, mouth drawn taut in an unhappy line.]

If there were some way to predict who would and wouldn't be affected, it would be more helpful. What if all of us are turned into infants or something and no one is left normal except Draco?

[forthevillage]

[Then Draco had better end up being on hell of a babysitter.]

... So far we've always been left with at least a little bit of functionality. Let's hope that continues, even if we can't rely on it.

We should consider fail-safes.

[thethundersaid]

A little bit. [He snorts, clearly displeased with the notion.] That could be luck.

[But Itachi's suggestion strikes notice, and he looks up at his brother (already used to the angle: and there is no fear, he tells himself, at the memory of it) with a curious frown.]

What do you suggest?

[forthevillage]

... I haven't managed to think of anything yet. It's too unpredictable.

[Not something easily admitted by one who's usually prepared twice over.]

But there has to be something. Jutsus. Emergency wards. Ways to shut all of us in or shut others out.

[thethundersaid]

I keep the Nav lightly trapped in case someone gets through. [Like himself, Sasuke doesn't say.] We could set up some kind of seal to release stronger traps, but who would activate it if we were both out of commission?

[forthevillage]

We could set it to activate in the event that we were both out of commission, but seeing as it could only be us and not anyone else on the ship, that isn't the best option.

... Perhaps something that anyone could activate. Various things, in case of emergencies. Depending on the situation.