when I lived alone, is there a ghost in my house?

[mylawn]

WHO? 76 (mylawn) and YOU
WHAT? fabulous dream adventures
WHEN? dream time
ANYTHING ELSE? violence, the robot war, you know.

i. dad punches you in the face for the low, low price of free (this one is not a dream)

[76 knows, on some level, that something is wrong. He’s fairly certain he’s dozed off here and there, but he can’t remember exactly where or when or for how long—only that he was left with a strange, unsettling feeling each time. For someone as paranoid as he is, he knows it doesn’t bode well, but being unable to pinpoint the problem means there’s little for him to do.

As always, he hits the recreation area to take his mind off things. It seems wailing on a punching bag is one of few ways he knows how to blow off steam, and he’s easily found doing just that. He doesn’t seem to mind being interrupted, at least, knowing full well that he offered hand-to-hand pointers over the network. He certainly recognizes the cathartic value of beating the crap out of something or someone, even if it’s not the healthiest of coping mechanisms.

Perhaps that’s what you’re looking for. 76 isn’t going to judge.]

Need something?

[Or, you might find him asleep, slumped over in a chair, gloves and water bottle discarded nearby, like he only meant to take a short break. Probably you should wake him up???]

ii. the humans are dead (this one is a dream)

[Everything is on fire.

It’s difficult to tell just what, exactly, is burning, because the scene seems to shift between a few different locals that blur together and separate and merge again, cityscapes and building interiors and battlefields, but the overall effect is the same. Harsh red emergency lighting cuts through the dark and smoke, and there’s the very distinct feeling of being trapped. The shadows of mechanical soldiers close in, punctuated by the sounds of gunfire and explosions and collapsing rebar. As if that wasn’t threatening enough, metallic groans in the distance give the impression that the whole place (if one can even call it that) is about to come crashing down.

The one voice that cuts through it all might sound familiar, even if it’s coming from someone who you definitely haven’t seen before (unless you squint).]

—respond. Do you read me, Reyes?

[He keeps going, barking more names into what seems to be some kind of communicator, but there’s no response. Given the current state of things, it takes him a moment to realize he isn’t alone, but as soon as he notices the intrusion, he’s closing the distance, apparently to usher you away as quickly as possible, despite his own obvious distress.]

It’s not safe here, come on. [You’re a civilian! You shouldn’t be in the middle of a war zone!] You need to evacuate.

iii. sad ghost hoots then scoots (this one is also a dream)

[You’re interrupting a fight.

A fairly explosive one, if the surroundings are any indication. 76, in full tactical gear, is currently throwing down with a figure in a black robe, though it’s difficult to tell just what the figure is, exactly, especially when it only seems to have a form some of the time, dissolving and re-forming constantly as and 76 scrabble at each other. Sharp silver claws reach out of the black smog to try and strangle him, and the whole thing devolves into a visceral struggle.

There’s a gunshot, and another outburst of smoke as 76’s opponent loses shape entirely and rushes away as a formless miasma. 76 tries to right himself.]

Don’t just stand there—

[He barks it out, the tone that of someone used to giving orders under duress, but there’s something desperate in it too. When he stands, it’s easy to see why—there’s blood on the ground, but despite the sway in his stance, he’s making a concentrated effort to take off in pursuit, not particularly caring that you’re in the way. If you aren’t going to help, he’s just going to push his way past.

iv. wildcard

[I’ll do whatever you want. You write a thing. I’ll write a thing. Hit me up at whitticus.]

Comments

[mylawn]

[It's still a little awkward, and 76 knows he should leave, but he's still feeling a little groggy from his unplanned nap. Perhaps he should make sure Henry doesn't succumb as well--being alone right now seems like a bad idea.

So this time he does pay attention, taking note of the way Henry seems to have adjusted since 76 gave him some pointers. Again, he sees him move much faster than an ordinary human should be able to. This time, he speaks up.]

You got something going on, or are you just fast?

[handsomefoil]

[ He slows down, considering the answer. That's sort of a strange one to consider, actually, so he hums thoughtfully before replying. ]

I think I might just be fast— [ Then he demonstrates a shadow step, which from a distance is easier to see than for a person up close (as 76 had been when they sparred). But it's still Henry being in one spot one second and in a completely different spot the next like he'd teleported a very short distance. ]

Or might be something going on. I'm actually not too sure. What exactly do you mean by 'going on'?

[mylawn]

[It's clear from the way 76's eyes narrow that he doesn't quite buy it, though perhaps he wouldn't be surprised to hear that Henry has never thought much about this borderline superhuman ability. What he just did there--move so quickly that he's hard to even follow--is certainly not something that's come by naturally.]

Number of things. Cybernetic enhancement. Genetic engineering.

[Or maybe he was born with it, and thinks very little of it.]

Or maybe you're just talented.

[handsomefoil]

[ He remembers 76 trying to get conversation going about his abilities last time, though this is much more specific. It's not that he thinks 76 will do anything with his info or use it against him in some way (he can't really imagine how at this moment), but it's always a good rule of thumb to go by, not giving yourself away.

Humming thoughtfully, he grins at the 'talented' remark. ]

Well, I can say for sure that it's none of those things—

[ While he's not amazingly strong, nor is he built for that sort of strength, he occasionally demonstrates a bizarre amount of strength when he does a finishing move on the punching bag. It requires an elbow and a brief pause of what looks like...powering up? But he manages to get the bag swinging wildly, the chain creaking in protest. ]

Just lots of bloody hard work. What about you? Any of the above?

[ He knows you're not 'normal' in some way. ]

[mylawn]

[76 was sort of hoping Henry would take the bait, but it's clear he's a little smarter than that. Or maybe he's telling the truth--that there is nothing special about it, and it's just something he could do and honed. It all makes sense, really. Henry is built for speed and has obviously trained himself to optimize it. He's got his doubts that something like short-distance teleportation is something that comes along through hard work, but he's seen things stranger than this.

What he isn't planning on doing is letting much more slip about his own abilities. It's not hard to surmise that he has something going on, given his physical ability in combination with his age, but 76 is still trying to keep most everything about him close to the chest.]

Hit the gym every day. Eat my vegetables.

[handsomefoil]

[ At least, if anything, Henry is used to this song and dance. Toeing at a line, wondering if he should cross it. On the other hand, letting someone else cross his line as well.

He laughs, resting against the punching bag for a moment. ]

Must be one hell of a vegetable platter.

[ But doesn't pry too much further than that, for now. ]

Seems everyone is special in some way or another around here, but it's hard to establish a baseline amongst us all. Guess I can only hope they know what to expect on their missions.

[mylawn]

You wouldn't be able to handle it.

[That's about the most outright 76 will make his implication that something vaguely unnatural was done to him. He's sure Henry can pick up on it. He gets to his feet, but not without an expulsion of air on his part--residual ache from falling asleep in an unfavorable position.]

I don't think COST is that discerning.

[handsomefoil]

[ Yeah, that certainly isn't a very typical answer to a joke like Henry's, so he figures it's alluding to something vaguely unnatural. He leaves it at that, however, figuring from the tone of it, that the conversation about It is coming to a rapid close. So instead, he just gives him a knowing sort of look, humming under his breath.

If there is any moment that he'll see of 76 that makes him look his age at all, it would be that one brief little moment where he breathes out. Of course, it's gone as soon as it had appeared. ]

Heh, suppose you got a point there. Anyway, try not to fall asleep in weird places. Wouldn't want another hapless soul getting decked in the face like I did.

[ Granted, he didn't actually get hit in the face but Details. ]

[mylawn]

[Now that he's been thoroughly unsettled and successfully dodged questions about his abilities, he's more than content to take his leave. If there is a problem aboard BASE, then he's going to put his time and energy into fixing it.]

Same to you.

[Because, of course, 76 is leaving him alone. Might as well get to the bottom of this, if he can.]

Be careful.

[handsomefoil]

[ While Henry, on the other hand, will only help if asked. Not particularly proactive, this one. Guess it depends on the situation. ]

Thanks, I will.