Upset

Date/Timing: 27 September 2024
Setting: elsewhere, mostly
Possibly an AU
.
The forest, familiar but not, opens into a fairy ring of trees.
At its center, a boulder, lichen-covered.
Jackson stops.
On the stone, a thing—being—a /power.
"Welcome, Jackson-eugene," it cackles in a voice like a murder of crows.
"What /are you?" blurts Jackson.
"I'm Upset. An aspect—facet?—of." Waves an arm like a branch; a half-dozen Roman coins fly into the grass. "You're here to make a deal with me—us?—them?—/we." What might be a smile. "Royal 'we'."
Jackson shakes his head (it doesn't help). "Wha?"
"Logan-patrick's Logan-patrick-/ness has run off." Upset tilts their head, birdlike. "You want it back."
Upset's wings are a storm of transparent butterflies.
Jackson swallows, croaks, "What's the price?"
"Nya-uh~!" Upset's waggling finger sprouts a daisy. "That's my line! What will you /give?"
Jackson straightens his spine. "You can have me. In his place."
Upset makes a show of considering. 
Jackson does. not. fidget.
"Well, Jackson-eugene, thanks, but no thanks. You're not what I—they—/we need."
"But—"
Upset signals for quiet; the daisy floats down. "I need /time—lots of time. This time needs more than just one little Jackson-eugene." Scratches their head, dislodging a couple of larks.
Jackson braces for it.
"Tell you what, Jackson-eugene. I—they—/we'll renew the deal we made with your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. One from each of the next nine generations will be my—/our plaything—toy—/agent for your brother's /ness."
Jackson's gut goes funny and he chokes out, "What does that mean?"
"Logan-patrick is—/was—"
Jackson flinches. 
"—the eighth of your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's price." A facial twitch that might be a exaggerated wink. "I—/we're knocking one off because Logan-patrick did such a /good job for us."
"Nine hypothetical kids for Logan."
"That's the deal!"
"And you really /can bring him back? Intact? Sane? Like he was?"
"Well, not /quite as he was, as it were."
Jackson crosses his arms. "I'm listening."
"I should hope so. This is very, /very important." Grins with teeth like skipping stones. "I—they—/we can't heal his body, but we can put his /ness back, like it never left." Grin washes away, replaced by a stuffiness. "But! The /ness is flavoured by the body it takes, so it will be—" Pinches 'a little'. "—a /tiny bit different." Leans forward, stage whispers, "I think you'll like the changes."
"I ... I need a moment."
"Just a moment!" chirps Upset. "This is a one-time offer, don't remem—/forget!"
Jackson rubs his neck. "Nine kids ... nine kids we don't have." Takes a deep breath. "I'll make the deal."
"/Whoohoo!" 
Jackson jumps back.
The squirrels in Upset's antlers hang on for dear life.
Upset snaps a finger like a dry twig. "It's done."
"That's /it?"
"Indeed! The next time you sleep, you'll see Logan-patrick's /ness and when you wake, he will, too! Easy-peasy simple as cake!"
"That's not—"
"Hush, now!" Waves and autumn leaves fly. "It's time for /you to go to awake!" Upset snaps their fingers—
"Wait, wha—" Jackson wakes up with a splendid view of hospital ceiling, blinks a few times, and drags a hand over his face. "Oookay, that was weird."
== Meta ==
* This facet of Upset seems to prefer forest settings and European forests over those in the rest of the world. Whether or not they're /limited to those settings is unclear to me yet.
** They're comfortable with Jackson and his Australian location because of their existing bargain with the Eady family.
* The Eady who made the deal was the father of the Eady sent to Australia as a convict. 
* Upset may have made a deal with Birgit, as well, but what she traded, I don't know.
* Logan is the eighth (and last, because of Jackson's new bargain) of the original Eady tribute; one of the Joneses' father's cousins is the seventh; (great-)Uncle Joey is the sixth; Nanny's dad, Patrick, was the fifth. I /think Button is the first of the new nine.
* The Eadys pass down the legend of the deal. Nanny knows it and she told Logan at some point, but Jackson has no idea until this encounter.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson's POV
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Upset
Category:Upset (ficlet)
Category:Logan (mention)