revivalproject | Night at the Museum (OTA)

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Night at the Museum (OTA)

WHO: Kyle Broflovski and YOU!
WHERE: The Underground of Coruscant (Level 4)
WHAT: A very wholesome field trip to the lost Galactic Museum.
WHEN: During the event. (Mid-ish?)
WARNINGS: The foulest of language. Injury extremely likely. More as needed.

Kyle's seen aliens before.

A group of them from the Jannex Galaxy, a spaceship full of greys, the Marklar, and Jeff Bezos. This is the first time he's seen quite so many different kinds in one place, but even so it doesn't take him long to feel comfortable enough to talk to a few of them at the Senate Tour that Obi-Wan had suggested he take. One of these friendly aliens had mentioned in passing that it was a pity that the Galactic Museum could no longer be toured, due to it having been lost and forgotten somewhere down on Level 4.

A lost museum seems to Kyle like exactly the sort of thing the Agrii would want them to find. And even if not, well. Kyle really likes museums.

Is it difficult to get to Level 4? Oh, yes. And extremely dangerous. This doesn't deter Kyle one bit, and so he puts out a call on the Network to let people know that hey, he's putting together a museum field trip and anybody is welcome to come! Provided, that is, that you don't mind finding your way down through huge portals/ventilation shafts into a world where sunlight is less than a memory and dangerous people and creatures lurk around every corner.

But hey, if you decide to come down, you'll find a too-tall ginger waiting for you with some flashlights and a notepad.

You bet your ass he's going to force you to use the Buddy System.

--

[OOC: Feel free to skip straight to the Museum proper of course! Mingle away, create your own TLs, whatever!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kyle has many strong feelings about his hair, and none of them are good.

Kyle's eyebrows lift and he looks at Jon with both surprise and sympathy. "Dude," he says. "That's horrible. Yeah, I guess I definitely wouldn't be."

He's quiet for a moment, thinking. "She seriously like... moisturized you against your will?"

"She had an entire skincare routine for me." Jon replies flatly, but not without giving a mildly irritated scratch at his cheek. "...didn't bother to keep it up after we blew up her ritual."

Does he have to add more to that? No, Jon doesn't think so. And yet he maintains a frown while scanning a broken display case for a moment before reaching in and freeing an old, heavily ornate dagger from a small pile of debris before lifting it up and out for closer inspection. The symbols on it only look vaguely familiar.

A little snort is surprised out of Kyle because as horrible as the situation is? That's just funny. "Sorry," he mutters, knowing full well Jon might take offense.

Kyle pokes around in one of he broken cases, giving Jon a little space. The silence feels oppressive in the light of Jon's explanation, and so Kyle clears his throat. "Uhm. That's pretty messed up," he offers. "So, you know. I wasn't trying to tease you. I get it, the whole like... not wanting to be reminded of things. I can't go by the Apple store without breaking out into a cold sweat."

Jon doesn't quite mind the bemusement. He himself has been joking about how his skin has significantly improved afterwards. So he simply shakes his head and offers a mild smile in the light their torches provide. "It's alright. A lot... Happens. Back on my Earth. I've gotten used to it for the most part."

Though he also inclines his head a little, feeling a bit curious. "An Apple store, you say... That wouldn't be the place you have seen those ghosts, I presume..."

"Yeah, sounds like where I grew up. Felt like some fucked up shit happened every week."

Kyle hunches his shoulders a little. "No, no. The ghosts, well, a few were in my house. I don't go into Apple stores, I had a really bad experience once with one of their products. So... yeah. The ghosts were better. Abe Lincoln didn't want to hurt me or anything."

"Hmm. Just your typical monster of the week nonsense, indeed." Jon offers in response, well aware that that's not exactly how things were.

Hearing about ghosts potentially attempting to hurt Kyle and him having had a bad experience with a piece of electronics has Jon pause, however. He may have to phrase his inquiry very carefully here as to not accidentally compel the young man. "Without telling me any of the details... Some of these ghost encounters and that... That bad experience. They left you rattled, I assume."

"Pretty much."

Kyle shrugs. "I mean, I guess? The ghosts weren't a big deal, to be totally honest, aside from the one that possessed my little brother. That was kind of fucked up, but at the time I just wanted to save him. I don't think it did me any lasting trauma."

Kyle sincerely believes he isn't really traumatized by his childhood, which is extraordinarily stupid of him.

"The Apple thing? Yeah. That was bad. And I guess some other things left me 'rattled.' But, I mean, you're from a weird place, you know how it is - you just move on."

You move on, huh. Jon frowns for a few moments at that, but then nods lightly.

"...right. I suppose." A pause. "Actually... It can be hard for some. Moving on, I mean. I-- Read the statements. Record them. Records from people that encountered supernatural beings or experienced something science can't explain. A lot of them were left... Deeply marked by those encounters." And some of them he marked himself without even noticing it.

He still sees them in his dreams.

He clears his throat. "I'm glad to hear you managed to move on."

Kyle looks at Jon, brow creased.

"You're looking at me funny," he says finally. "Look, I'm not trying to minimize anybody's trauma. I'm not a total dick. If people got messed up by it, that's totally understandable.

"But that was probably like, one experience, right? They saw something strange, probably as an adult, and it hurt their sense of reality." Kyle's tone is one of someone who is used to explaining things, used to public speaking. If you guessed he was on the debate team in high school, you'd have guessed right.

"But if weird shit becomes your default, it's hard not to get a bit desensitized. Having Abraham Lincoln swing by my house to explain why ugly people have more character as adults was a lot less traumatizing than the fourth grade girls voting me the ugliest boy in class in the first place.

"And we're assuming every weird thing I saw was real. It could have all been... I dunno. Hallucinations. Group hysteria." He really doesn't believe that, though.

"Oh, I-- I didn't mean to. I'm sorry!" Jon apologizes with a little wince and is quick to look at the nearest display case instead, his hands still occupied with the dagger he had been inspecting and one finger tapping soundlessly against its dull blade.

"I mean-- You're right." He starts. "Not every story is correct. Drugs, hallucinations, sometimes simple light reflections are all there is to unnerve a person. But-" And here Jon pauses and carefully looks back over to Kyle. "There are real ones. Actual encounters with beings set to draw out your deepest fears to feast on your terror."

Another pause. "...at least that's how it works on my Earth."

Kyle relaxes a little. "It's fine, dude, seriously. Just, you know, if you wanna say something, say it."

He sighs and pulls off his hat so he can run a hand through the disaster that is his hair. "I know." He turns to study a case, not really seeing it.

"I almost died when I was a kid because of a monster. So. Yeah."

Jon produces a short noise, halfway to being a dry little snort. "What. You want to hear from me that I'm one of those monsters terrorizing mankind?" It's a rhetoric question perhaps, but the words may still send a tingling sensation up Kyle's neck and into the back of his mind.

Then there is a pause from the Archivist before he actually asks. "What if I were?" The sensation with these words is stronger, more deliberate and purposely aimed to drag the answer out of the younger man whether he wishes to give it or not.

Kyle shivers once and turns to look at Jon once more. "No," he replies. "I meant that if you disagree with me, or think I'll full of shit, you can say so. You don't gotta hold back."

But then there's a feeling like maybe his thoughts are no longer his own, and Kyle's mouth drops open. "Then you'd be a pretty fucking stupid monster," is his immediate and genuine response. "You let yourself be put on an alien planet with a limited number of other kidnapped humanoids, so if your whole deal was terrorizing people you'd either run out of victims pretty goddamn fast, or give yourself away and have everybody turn on you as one and try to kill you.

"And that's not taking into account your free will. Would you HAVE to terrorize people? Is it fun? Or is it a necessity? Some monsters are nice. We had one in my hometown, all he wanted to do was weave wicker baskets."

Kyle never shuts up normally - compelling him clearly makes it worse. "Maybe your monster powers would be useful. Terrible people can do great things. I don't see why that wouldn't apply to other creatures."

He blinks, looking a little confused. "Sorry, that was... weird." He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose for a second. "Space madness, maybe, heh."

Jon follows Kyle's rambling quietly, flashlight in one hand, blunt ancient knife idly in the other and his head slightly tipped to the left. His lips a pressed into a thin, noncommittal line. In the end, he simply sighs and turns to put the knife back into the display case, effectively taking his eyes off of Kyle.

"Compulsion. That's what it's called. It's not a power useful when you have to rebuild a city, but- I tell people what I am these days. I'd rather not accidentally submit anyone to a life of perpetual nightmares." He frowns. "As for being a fucking stupid monster... I will remind you that even superheroes with godlike powers such as Billy have had no way of preventing getting taken hostage as well. We are all powerless, regardless how human we are."

"YOU did that?" Not that Kyle isn't probe to word vomit anyway, but this was different.

He's quiet for a moment, but then he shrugs. "Hey man, you asked," he points out. "It wasn't like, an intentional insult." His expression cracks with a grin. "Come on, don't be a bitch about it, I think you're cool. Were you gonna stab me if I freaked out on you? It's fine if you were."

"I asked, indeed." Jon confirms, accepting that defeat. "And I have no excuse. But-" He shakes his head. "No. I had no intention of stabbing you with an ancient, brittle knife. I have no interest in hurting anyone. It's as you said: I'd rather not have anyone come to the conclusion I'm better off dead."

Kyle offers Jon a more sympathetic smile. "Well. I'd defend you, if anybody tried. You've been nothing but nice to me since I got here."

He turns to study one of the cases again, expression just slightly more serious.

"And lots of people are monsters, inside."

Jon's immediate response is silence and he turns to look over at Kyle again while he studies the next piece on display. A little smile tugs at the corner of his mouth and he nods, tone growing soft. "Thank you, Kyle." Not merely for the offer of potential support, but also for that very astute observation.

"I believe I owe you a proper introduction. I'm Jonathan Sims, but- Jon is fine. I'm also known as the Archivist, avatar of the Eye, otherwise known as Beholding or the Ceaseless Watcher or It Knows You. It is the fear of being watched, followed, judged having your darkest secrets known, but also the drive of acquiring knowledge even if doing so might destroy you. I can make people tell me what I need to know and... Sometimes I now things. But that is all. Compared to the other Dread Powers the Eye is- It doesn't actively do much. It feeds on observing people's terror and in a way... So do I these days." Just one neat, compact little info dump.

Kylelistens, lips curved in a smile below very serious, very curious eyes.

"It's nice to meet you, Jonathan Sims aka Jon aka The Eye Guy. I'm Kyle Broflovski, aka the avatar of nothing special really.

"You know, while I am terrified of being judged and having my deepest secrets known? That acquiring knowledge part sounds pretty great."

He thinks for a moment and adds, "So you have to scare people to eat?"

"Eye Guy, hmm. Okay. That's new." Jon comments with a hint of bemusement and he casts another brief look around, taking a moment to swipe his flashlight across the room as if looking for something.

"Actually, it's kind of frustrating? I... I'm aware of - in theory - having access to all the knowledge there is. I can feel it. Pressing against a metaphorical door in my mind. But I-" He shakes his head and shrugs, slowly walking over to a different display case. "My mind simply can't hold all that knowledge. Believe me, I tried! And it hurt. A lot."

Jon reaches the cabinet he has been walking to and crouches down to pull out something from underneath it: An old tape recorder. "And I don't scare anyone. I believe you already noticed that. The Eye works more passive than most of the other fears. It just- It watches. For me it- I used to read statements of witnesses left for the Institute I work for. The Magnus Institute. Officially said to collect and research paranormal encounters and people came in to leave reports of what happened to them. I read them to make records of them. Relived these experiences and the terror felt by these people. Obviously I don't have access to my archive at the moment, but it also works with prerecorded statements. Or those given directly to me, but I will strongly discourage anyone from doing so. Not unless they wish to have terrible nightmares for the rest of their lives. With me in them." And he shakes his head, making a little face of disapproval.

Walking back to Kyle as he tells him all this, Jon raises the tape recorder and pops it open to retrieve the tape inside. "In Temba I am relying on these. About as satisfying as a ready meal, but enough to survive."

"I try to be creative."

Kyle follows along, one hand holding his flashlight and the other in his jacket pocket. He looks pretty relaxed for a guy who just found out he's sharing space with a cosmic horror. He watches Jon with confusion as he pulls out the tape recorder, because how would Jon know that was there? Had he put it there somehow? When? Clearly, Kyle wasn't observant enough.

"That would be frustrating," he agrees. "I mean, if I were you? I would have tried too, and probably had my brain explode Scanners style."

He scuffs his sneaker against the ground. "So. If I told you about a scary thing, I'd have nightmares forever and ever after. But if I wrote it down or recorded myself talking about it, I'd be okay and you'd be able to live. I've got that about right?"

He thinks about it, then shrugs. "Well, shit. You should let me borrow one of those recorders some day, I can load you up. I think I might be a walking buffet of fucked up stories, dude."

It's nice to know someone shares his frustration about having all that knowledge just within reach, yet being unable to access it.

The question isn't entirely new, but still unexpected and prompts a perplexed blink from the Archivist. "Ah, y-yes. That would actually- I mean--" He pauses for a moment, then tries again. "I would appreciate it, thank you."

He sets the recorder, now freed of its tape, on a nearby display case. "I can borrow you the recorder I came to Temba with. The ones that randomly show up, they... Aren't right. Disappear after a while." And as Reeve had to find out are apparently filled with eyeballs when opened up.

"Though I'll admit I'm a little... Concerned. You seem to be doing alright, but your world seems to have its own share of unpleasant problems."

Kyle would love to have access to that much information; he's a know-it-all.

"The recorders randomly show up?" Well, that makes him feel better about not noticing them, but worse about mysterious invisible forces.

Kyle shrugs. "All worlds have unpleasant problems, I think. Or at least most of them."

"But the lucky ones have super heroes to deal with them." Jon notes in return, vaguely gesturing at the place they were send to. Home world of the Jedi, guardians of the peace of this entire galaxy.

"It's a shame they only exist in comic books on my Earth."

Kyle snorts. "We had Captain Hindsight. He was a guy who'd tell you what you should have done after it was too late.

"But I get what you mean." He steps over to another display case to peer in at what looks like some kind of axe. "If you're a magic space warrior monk, you seem more qualified to handle giant monsters than, oh I dunno, a wannabe law student. For example." He looks over and grins.

Night at the Museum (OTA)

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