open | how come i end up where i started?

[escarabajo]

Characters: Jaime Reyes and whoever he runs into!
Date: 6/16 to 6/22-- aka, his first week.
Location: WHEREVER, but he will be snooping around the city and hanging around the wood sector because, dude, tree houses.
Situation: Jaime gets his bearings. Or tries to, anyway.
Warnings/Rating: Nothing yet!
Etc: I'll be posting multiple prompts and locations-- feel free to start anywhere else, though! I will be starting with actionspam but if you'd like to switch to prose I'll switch with you.

[Jaime's not entirely sure what it says about him that this isn't the first time he's been transported to an alternate dimension outside normal time and space. In fact, this is probably the... third time? Fourth? He's lost count.

It's a strange feeling, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit anxious about the whole situation. Maybe this is what the life of a superhero is about: being completely lost a good 80% of the time.

Either way, at least he's about as used to this situation as one can get. As soon as he's out of the custody of his welcome wagon of kedan (they're happy to be rid of such a stubbornly curious foreigner, honestly), Jaime takes to exploring Keeliai. On foot, unfortunately. Something's fuzzed up the Scarab, and they both come to an agreement to not take any chances. At least not until they know what's going on here. ]

Comments

[shorttempered]

[The last couple of days, Mark couldn't shake the fact that something was off with his powers. As a result, he'd been using each of them separately as if he were learning them for the first time, trying to figure out exactly what wasn't right. That's exactly what he was doing, flying overhead (not too high just in case they crap out, because he really didn't want to crash again if he could help it), when he notices a new face with an unmistakable expression on his face.]

Hey.

[Lands slowly, still nervous about his abilities.] Everything okay? ...Other than the sudden realization you're very, very far from home and it sucks?

[escarabajo]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head, there.

[Knowing that superheroes are still around--and that they're confused, too--is a little comforting, even if it's not the same as actually being sent home. It's familiar.]

I'm kinda lost, but I'm more working-out-where-places-are lost than I-don't-know-where-I-am lost, if that makes any sense at all?

[shorttempered]

I had the same look, so it's kind of hard to miss.

[Invincible nods.] Definitely. Super-speed helps with getting a lay of the land, but I was definitely out of sorts for a while. You looking for anything in particular?

[escarabajo]

[He scratches his chin, pondering.]

Is there anywhere I can find anything out about this place? Library, somewhere with books? I tried to get info out of the people who woke me up, but that wasn't helpful past figuring out that I can't go home yet.

[shorttempered]

You're best off asking around. From what I've heard, the best place to get answers is the Emperor's library, but she's not willing to share, though there are other libraries. But...

Even if you do go to a library, unless you can read Kedan, you're out of luck.

[escarabajo]

Figures the language would be different. [Mental note: bug the Emperor when more well equipped to do so.]

It can't be too hard to translate [if you've got an alien bug in your head] right?

[shorttempered]

If you do it, you'd be the first that I've heard of, and some people have been trying for a long time.

[escarabajo]

I've got a good head on my shoulders. [A bug. Between his shoulders. Whatever.] It's worth a shot.

[shorttempered]

Oh hey, I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying no-one has so don't get too frustrated. I haven't even attempted because I know when I'm in over my head.

[escarabajo]

We'll see. I'm stubborn like that.

Who are you, anyway? I never saw you around, and I thought I knew about most of the superheroes that were around. [assuming that Invincible is from the same world.]

[shorttempered]

Good luck. Keep me posted.

Oh, right. Sorry about that, I'm Invincible. [Offers his hand.]

[escarabajo]

Jaime Reyes. [He shakes Mark's hand, grinning.]

Where are you from? Maybe I'm, uh, just showing off how small-town I am. I've only ever been to Gotham, like, once-- El Paso here.

[shorttempered]

Nice to meet you.

You mean like a home city? I go wherever I'm needed, so I don't have one, per se. Mainly America, though I've gone abroad. [But I live in Baltimore.]

[escarabajo]

Yeah, a home city! Most heroes I've heard about stick to their home cities-- like how Batman's usually in Gotham.

Ever been to space?

[shorttempered]

I'm sort of half-alien, so yeah.

...Why, have you?

[escarabajo]

Really? I couldn't tell. I hope that's not, like, alien racist or something.

[yyyyyyeeee-- no let's not admit that quite so readily, Jaime.]

I saw a rocket launch once?

[shorttempered]

They're a humanoid race. I'm pretty sure that's not space racist. I don't think it is, anyway.

[Skeptical look is skeptical.]
In El Paso?

[escarabajo]

Well, you can never be too careful. Y'know that rocket launch? It was almost evacuated because of aliens, but some of 'em were on our side. Lemme tell you: not distinguishing between a Green Martian and a White Martian is apparently like calling anybody who's Hispanic a Mexican.

And it was in Fort Worth, actually. We were on a field trip. [LONGEST BUS RIDE EVER.]

[shorttempered]

There's more than one kind of Martian? I don't think there is where I'm from.

[escarabajo]

Maybe this is alternate universe junk at work. [shrug.]

Not that I know a whole lot of Martians, or anything.

[shorttempered]

Probably. Do you know if you have Viltrumites?

[Mark arches an eyebrow . Whatever it may be, it feels like Jaime is trying to side-step it, and Mark can definitely relate to side-stepping unwanted questions.]

[escarabajo]

Viltru-what?

[Yeah that's a no.] Never heard of those, either.

[shorttempered]

Then it might be an alternate universe thing.