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

iii

[heilt]

( the sounds had drawn her closer when really she should have ran. she'd grown up through the war, seeing the loss at every side and had only gotten closer to it as she'd aged. angela knows well the sound of violence, and though she has no supplies on her she has knowledge enough to help someone in need.

she expected a fight, and the blood, but not the sight that angela is faced with. the black robe, claws... the shadows and smoke. she can't tell what or who this man is fighting, and had he not shouted again she might have been lost, staring in surprise at it as it fled.

but he has her attention again, her gaze quickly drawn to the blood. he's probably hoping that his help will try to stop the shadow but instead, angela's moving towards him, getting in uncomfortably close as her hand presses over his injury )

You need to stop moving.

i'll pay u not to punch me in the face please

[handsomefoil]

[ Best way to avoid falling into sleep traps is to keep active, right? Seems not even the capsules are safe from the looks of it. Once he enters the rec room though, he sees a familiar man slumped over on the bench. Uh oh...

His first thought is: He looks dead. He looks older than he lets on when he's awake like this. But immediately thinks he's asleep due to the hot spots. Taking care to stay out of prime punching and/or kicking distance, he nudges him with the end of his beam saber handle. It has a protruding hook sticking out of it so if anything, the sensation should be unpleasant enough to stir him awake. Hopefully. ]

Oy.

iii

[circumspector]

[ He doesn't look good. Which is maybe the second or third thing she registers after - this isn't Pandora and something isn't right here. She can't put her finger on it, or exactly what is happening, but something isn't right.

Doesn't really matter right now, as she looks from where he's hunched over a wound - had to be - the blood's all over the ground and it's definitely not hers. He can't go back out there just yet. He's got to jet that wound at the very least. She can't by him much time but - ]

Hey - ! [ It takes more courage than she thinks she really has to reach out and snatch his wrist. Tug at him with as much force as she has. ] You can't go back out there like that. You've - You've got to patch that up first.

[ Maybe it's that he looks like someone familiar ( Axton ) maybe it's that she doesn't want to be docile as to just let someone else walk into something that will get them hurt - but she's very sure she's not letting him walk out before that's seen too. ] Do that first. I'll... I'll cover for you.

[ That's what people said right? Right. Yeah, he's totally going to listen to it from a bundle of twigs wrapped up in good intentions but whatever. She pushes a little bit further, sticking herself firmly in the way. ]

[mylawn]

[Reaper is practically inviting him to give chase, and Jack will be hard-pressed to let that happen, not after everything he's been through to track him down. He's not going to let him slip from his grasp again, not when Reaper disappearing means starting over from square one. To find a body in his way is not exactly what he wants to be dealing with right now. Any injury of his goes entirely unnoticed.]

No.

[Jack almost doesn't realize it's Angela he's trying to push past for the first few moments. It's only her stern tone of voice and the touch of her hand that brings him around, and all at once Jack is desperate. She's going to stop him, but he has to do this--she has to know he has to do this, doesn't she? His voice is a snarl.]

He's getting away.

[mylawn]

[Truthfully, he'd only intended to sit down for a minute, but the hotspots are creeping larger and catching people off-guard. 76 barely had any time to register the growing warmth of the area before he fell asleep--most certainly a sign that they're getting worse, not that he knows this, or even has the ability to protest.

Henry's first few nudges don't seem to do anything. 76 doesn't even shift in his seat, though he does seem to be snoring quietly (you know, like a dad).

It appears that more forward measures should be taken.]

[handsomefoil]

[ Hoo boy, OK, you can do this Henry. He definitely doesn't want to be smacked by a sleeping soldier who can really pack a wallop, but now he feels like he has to finish what he started here. Even if nobody is watching him or judging him should he have just walked away.

Reaching out a hand, he shakes 76 by the shoulder relatively hard. Not enough to knock anyone out of his seat, but enough to make them look pretty silly wobbling about. ]

[heilt]

( angela pressed her hand on his wound a little firmer, her other hand steady against his waist, keeping the two of them close, and making it a little harder for jack to move )

And you'll die if you follow.

( she doesn't know it's him, not under all of the tactical gear and the visor. the jack she knows is still her commander, and a lot younger than this man )

Let him go.

[mylawn]

[Don't worry, Henry. This is only someone who might react violently to being jarred out of a very strange dream. In fact, that's exactly what happens. Henry's good shake manages to wake 76, who of course responds with a jolt, swinging his arm at the offender.

If Henry doesn't get out of the way within the speed of 76's surprisingly good reflexes, he is definitely about to get beaned in the face.]

[mylawn]

You don't know that.

[But of course she does--she's his doctor, even if he doesn't want to admit it. There's a part of him that recognizes this as a dream, in some level, and he isn't surprised that Angela is here in it, trying to appeal to the more sensible part of him.

It works, on some level, but his single-minded obsession with Gabriel Reyes is hard to overcome.]

I can't.

[He doesn't think he could, even if he wanted to. They're inextricably linked, to the point where he fully expects Reaper to be his last mission.]

I won't let him get away from me again.

[mylawn]

There's no time.

[Jack isn't quite sure why this is so important, beyond the fact that the swarming cloud of nanites and smoke is clearly hostile, but what he does know is that he can't let something this dangerous escape. He doesn't recognize the person trying to stop him, but he can only assume they're a civilian, somewhere they shouldn't be. He's immediately torn between going after his own goal, and making sure that someone innocent doesn't get caught in the crossfire.

That's one thing he's certain of. Whether he's injured or not is negligible, at least between Reaper's escape and this girl tugging at him. First things first.]

You shouldn't be here.

II

[dipolar]

(he's running and he doesn't know why, low to the ground until he skids and stumbles behind a desk blackened by a fire that's since been snuffed. he did this. he put it out— why? where is he? a mission? where's bai?

a throw of the fire extinguisher that's ended up in small hands, patting white solution off on the thighs of his pants. there's nothing he can do about it, he needs to find an exit but his jaw tightens around the questions that threaten to bowl him over and the frustrated sting in his eyes, withstanding one overwhelming fact: he is not supposed to be here. the commanding voice from behind him seems to think so too, calling him out of his huddle.)

No, no— who are you? (croaked by a twelve-year-old's voice that hasn't been broken by age.

the man looks like... a hero, part of him that's disgusted by that forces him into a slide back with a wide stare. the other part wants to reach out and shake the lapels he wouldn't even be able to reach up and grab, as short as he is, an obvious runt in a too-large uniform. there's no way he can leave without bai, he'd rather die in here searching.)

[heilt]

( she presses again, trying to control the flow of the bleeding a little more. he's stubborn, and whilst angela doesn't know exactly what (or who) he's after she does know what a mission can drive people to do )

You have to. I won't be able to help you if you don't.

( if he had to this man could always go after him once she'd healed him but that was his decision to make then. at the minute it was hers )

I don't want to have to make you sit down.

( it wouldn't be with physical force either )

[handsomefoil]

[ He really is expecting something to happen. The only thing is when and how fast and could he avoid it in time? ]

Shit—!

[ Saved from at least getting socked in the face, he still gets clubbed on the shoulder when he suddenly turns to jerk away or at least avoid getting hit in the face. The force of it is way stronger than one would expect from a human being and it nearly bowls him over. He'll probably bruise there too, and he's not one to bruise easily. He doesn't curse anymore than that but he holds his shoulder and rubs at it, while stepping backwards. ]

[mylawn]

I don't need your help--

[He snarls, trying to throw her off. Everything shrinks down to a pinpoint, the only thing that matters the fact that Reyes is getting away. It occurs to him that she doesn't even know who he's after or why this is important, but he's not sure how he can begin to explain.

Still, it's difficult to fight Angela, and they both know that injured, he's not going to get very far. Jack's face screws up in frustration.]

You don't know what he's done.

[mylawn]

[Don't worry, it's just a reflexive flailing, immediately followed by the slow realization that he is awake now, and his surroundings are different than they were a second ago. 76 immediately takes stock of himself, so it's another moment before he takes notice that he's not alone, and yet another one before he recognizes the man he's apparently smacked around in his jolting awake.]

Oh.

[He gives the room another cursory glance, looking a little bewildered. He certainly hadn't meant to fall asleep.]

It's you.

[mylawn]

[The only thing worse than a civilian in peril is a child civilian in peril, and whether his team is missing or not, Jack's immediate objective becomes getting this kid to safety. Jack squats a little where he stands, hand outstretched, letting the kid know that it's safe to come out.

It's not safe to come out, but Jack will do his very best to deliver him out of this mess.]

It's okay. I'm here to help.

[He knows that's not an answer, but it's not as if they have the luxury of time.]

But you have to stick with me and do what I say, all right?

[handsomefoil]

Yep.

[ He sighs, rolling his shoulder a little. Although 76 didn't purposely intend to strike him, he still keeps his distance. ]

It's me. Sweet dreams?

[dipolar]

(the proffered hand is shied away from and the child finds his feet without help, jaw squeezing tight around things he shouldn't say. he can't give away his objectives, not to an american despite the familiarity of the face— but his sister. she's the most important part of him, the only thing keeping him from destroying himself. would this man understand that?)

I'm not leaving. Not until I find Bai.

(punctuated by a creak from the ceiling, beams and metal sagging under the heat of the raging fire.

a shift with a sharp huff of stress, trying to hide it behind what he thinks is an impassive look up. it falls very short, a boy this young unable to coach expressions into anything believably hardened. a hand goes beneath his arm to slap at where a dagger should be, finding nothing but fabric, groping at nothing. then he realizes he's in a simple button-up. nothing to defend himself with.

no.)

Are you going to come with me?

[circumspector]

Probably not.

[ It's braver than she feels, clearly so. Shaking in her hands to be out in a fight - a real fight. Even if this feels like its sliding in front of her eyes in a way she doesn't know - doesn't recognize. He's not a vault hunter.

He's not laughing insanely enough for that.

But he's definitely fighting something, something dangerous and not quite right. Her hands tense up, curling fingers inside her fist. ]

But you shouldn't be doing this alone. I can help. [ It's then that she lights up - still braver than she but that's the point really? ] Promise.

[mylawn]

[He looks a little surprised by the question, as if he has to recall what he was dreaming about--though it's not out of the ordinary for him to forget upon waking. It's usually all the same, anyway.]

Not particularly.

[Something feels off, and perhaps it's his own self-preservation instincts (what's left of them, anyway) that prompt him to get to his feet, moving out of the warmth, as much as it invites him to stay. That's enough to make him suspicious on its own.]

You need something?

[handsomefoil]

[ An airy sort of laugh, though a bit strained with how he's still working his shoulder a bit. But he soon shakes it off and just huffs. ]

Not me, no, was just wandering in here to let off some steam and thought I'd jostle you a bit. Being in my way and all.

[ And just trying to help knock a person out of their wacky dreams, too, but he figures that's a given. ]

[mylawn]

Right.

[He looks back at the chair he'd been slumped in, considering that he doesn't remember when he fell asleep. 76 takes a moment to bend over, collecting his gloves and water bottle off the floor, giving them a cursory inspection as if they might somehow be responsible.]

Out of your way.

[76 gestures right at the chair. It's all Henry's, if he wants it.]

[handsomefoil]

[ Looks at the chair, then back at 76, pointedly not sitting down. He seems more interested in looking for hand wraps again in the general area. Repetition and practice make perfect. ]

That a warm spot, too? Can feel it from here.

[mylawn]

You want to give it a shot?

[He doesn't know what the hell they are, and he's not terribly interested in sticking around to learn more, but perhaps Henry has something of a better idea.]

[handsomefoil]

No, thanks. I've had my fair share of sleeping and listless dreams today.

[ He shakes his head, starting to wrap his hands. One of these days he'll have to find something better than clothe or tape. ]

This has got to do something with that bloody coolant shortage that's been going on, but I can't remember the last time something so innocuous and quite frankly, trivial, had such an effect on one's subconscious.