October Event

[monstertruckers]

code

Gradually the badlands fade out, replaced by brass colored grass and plains. The road is unnervingly well kept here, without a trace of wear and tear. It cuts straight through the land and into a valley. Ruins come in the form of tattered cloth scraps draped over the valley, and broken down wreckage of what could have been rollercoasters and carousels.

The Convoy makes a camp in a particularly fabric rich area; the tattered cloth flaps like flags in trees and abandoned powerlines. But as the sun sets, the cloth spreads and multiplies. In a breath the wreckage turns into tents with bright colors and patterns. Ruined rides build themselves back up again, a gigantic circus tent closes over the Convoy… And the vehicles all shift in a shriek of metal, turning into cages.

Drifters might find themselves trapped in those cages, scattered across the fairgrounds, or caught on the main rings of the tent. Right as they start to gather their bearings, a voice booms out.

“Ladies and gentlemen please, would you bring your attention to me?” The stands don’t seem so deserted anymore. There’s shadows filling the seats, and a few thousand faintly glowing eyes turned towards Drifters. “A feast for your eyes to see, in the wake of catastrophe! The world may be broken, our souls ghostly streaks, but we turn in the grave for this collection of freaks!”

A ghostly carnival is in full swing, And the Drifters are the leading stars, whether they want to be or not.

01: MONSTER SHIFT, ALL

It feels like every aspect of the Carnival is trying to force monster changes on Drifters. Cages designed to oppress or panic, or even kill Drifters if they don’t adapt: water filled containers to force Merfolk changes, bird cages that rise to great heights and then drop Drifters through the floor, etc. Then there are the performances trying to force changes, and even the gaze of the spectators.

It all means that Drifters are forced to change and adapt… Sometimes into entirely new forms.

((OOC: FOR THIS MONTH ONLY, you may switch your character’s monster form to something entirely different! Any monster is available, but this will reset at the end of the month. You can choose to keep your bonus traits (if any!) active during this phase, or mute them to fully explore the new monster traits.

IN ADDITION, all traits and monster form switches are discounted this month as though they were Event Monsters.))

02: BLOOD AND CIRCUSES

In a ring of fire and ice is the first attraction; a red spattered fighting ring. The Carnival hasn’t bothered to clean out the last set of blood stains before a collection of Drifters are brought in to shed more of it.

Along with the fire and ice bordering the ring, various hazards spring in to shed more blood; knife throwers sometimes appear at the edges of the stage to throw blades at the Drifters. Bleeding or dodging is both part of the show. Same with the occasional fire and ice breathers spitting the elements into the ring.

And then there’s the hazards loosed inside the ring proper, for the fighting spectacle. With a crowd of spectators hungry for more sport, any number of matches are available:

02-A: HUSK BATTLE

Assorted monsters are kept in separate cages from any Drifters, and are in a bloodthirsty state when released. Any prior monster encounter from other areas is fair game here! And there are several new encounters as well:
+T-rexaur: A large red and purple striped t-rex with fearsome jaws, a tail swipe, and a bad attitude.
+Water based monster: A portion of the fighting ring is flooded, and populated with an assortment of water monsters. Sea wolves and sea lions (in the form of actual aquatic mer-lions) are both in attendance.
+Stranger, a ghastly and gaunt creature resembling a human mixed with an ostrich, with a mouthful of sharp teeth ready to bite.
+Khezu, an alarmingly wyrm like dragon with a long snaking neck, snapping teeth, and the ability to generate electric shocks.

To make things just a little more complicated, the monsters also have a coating applied to their fangs, claws, and any other weapons on them. The solution alternately burns and freezes when coming into contact with Drifter skin. And any hit that draws blood can forcefully activate a monster trait for the unfortunate Drifter.

02-B: PVP

Of course, the crowd demands more than just fights against a mindless opponent. They wish for displays of cunning and ferocity alike, and this pushes Drifters into the ring to face off against each other.

Monster wranglers wait on the margins, either to goad Drifters into a battle with strikes, and perhaps a few darts to induce a berserk status… Or to break fights off before they can become too lethal.

They wish to keep their star attractions alive, after all.

But accidents and killings can still happen; in that case, Drifters will find themselves reforming in a strange gas station/tent combo, similar to the usual revival ritual.

02-C: CHAINED MATCH

Either of the above situations apply, but to make things that little more interesting, two Drifters will find themselves chained together.

Whether by the throat, ankles, or wrists, there’s a length of chain tying them together. The chain appears to be made of a material similar to the moon shards, alternating between metallic material, and a strange glowing substance.

It keeps Drifters within 6-12 feet of each other at all times. Attempts to break the chain will reflect the attacks back on the Drifter, either as damage or as monster changes… Though this said, two Drifters working together with concentrated attacks might have better luck at shattering the chain, and making their escape in the chaos.

Granted, such a thing might also cause a small scale Moon Warp. But it certainly aids in adding confusion and chaos.

03: CENTER STAGE

Beyond the blood sport, there’s also a circus performance to be had. Drifters may find themselves roped into a variety of performances, whether they’re willing or not.

Ghostly carnival staff have weapons at the ready to threaten and prod someone into performing if they need some extra motivation. Or perhaps even threaten those close to the Drifter, for more encouragement. Similarly, there's also the blackmail of withholding healing or nourishment until a performance occurs.

Among several performances a few stand out:

03-A: HIGH FLYING ACT

The more athletic Drifters may find themselves pushed into an odd set up, and leap, dive, and weave through various hoops of different elements. Somehow the Carnival has found a way to make the hoops burn underwater and perfectly suspend them above water as needed, as well. The entire thing is an obstacle course that doesn’t care very much about the safety of the performers. Aside from the burning, freezing, and electrified hoops, there’s knife dodging, and a lot of perilous footwork in the form of platforms to jump between.

Further up, a high flying act has been set up near the roof of the tent, with swinging trapeze sets and a tight rope strung at a dizzying stretch. It’s a long way down, and there’s various hazards set up to jump through and weave between, from more hoops, knives, and even nets of razor wire to dive between.

Drifters may end up injured in the process, or need some help to get through the course in one piece.

03-B: MAGIC ACT

Drifters with any degree of magic, whether that’s natural or monster powers, are pressed into the magic section of the ring. The hazards here aren’t quite as readily visible, but still present.

Drifters are presented with dangerous objects to destroy or dispel with their various magic talents: throwing knives aimed straight at them, razor winged mechanical doves, and perhaps even a sharp toothed monster rabbit hiding in a hat.

Then there are the hazards to escape from; water tanks, binds, coffins that are set ablaze or stabbed through with swords and the like.

And there is also the conjuring and disappearing acts. Drifters are given various magic hats to pull roses and assorted magic props from… Though there’s a chance those items might explode into a wave of transforming or mind altering magic as the crowd applauds. And there is also the disappearing act, where Drifters may vanish and reappear in a completely different part of the Carnival.

03-C:OPEN TALENT

If a Drifter has a talent suited for performing, they might very well find themselves in the spotlight and with a ghostly crowd focusing on them. Time spent show casing their talents might get a haunting cheer from the crowd, and a request for an encore while getting showered with ghostly flowers.

Said flowers offer one of two things: a moment of clarity to help restore Drifters who have become too feral… Or a chance to escape in a sudden swirl of flower petals. Though if a crowd doesn’t like the performance, a collection of tomatoes might also be incoming… Oddly blood filled tomatoes at times.

This said, there’s a handful of other ghostly performers nearby who don’t take kindly to sharing the spotlight, and are more than ready to sabotage the performance. That may include forcing transformations, or finding a way for the performance to turn deadly. Or just glaring and/or heckling the performers. Ghosts are fickle like that.

04: ENSHROUD

One last thing can (optionally) be draped over the Drifters in the Big Top: the Masquerade Shroud.

The Shroud may take the form of a masquerade mask, a blindfold, a veil, or any other type of accessory that covers the head. It taps into the Drifter’s Sigil to further enhance the stage. These enhancements take one of two forms:

Euphoria: does its best to convince a Drifter they are in an ideal setting, where everything is going their way. This may also pull on their memories, showing them cherished things or people to motivate them into giving their all to the performance.
Terror: is the opposite, bringing up nightmarish hallucinations to motivate a Drifter to try and escape, or eliminate any obstacle before them. Like Euphoria, the Shroud may also pull up deep rooted fears, terrors, and regrets from a Drifter’s past.

The Shroud also makes the illusions visible to others. This is usually for the benefit of the audience, but this also means that Euphoria and Terrors from different Drifters can easily blend together.

05: FAIR GROUNDS

Drifters who manage to escape their cages (or avoid getting caught up in the main stage as the Carnival springs to life!) will find themselves wandering the fairgrounds. But just because they’re free of the performance doesn’t mean the dangers or the hazards have passed.

The fair grounds are host to a variety of specters, drifting from place to place. Oddly, any transformed Drifter seen by the specters doesn’t raise an alarm; the Drifters seem to be treated as part of the wandering entertainment, as long as they don’t cause trouble… Though trouble lurks behind many of the attractions.

05-A: HALL OF MIRRORS

Lurking inside a tent is a maze of mirrors; a decent hiding place, and an even better place to get lost in. These mirrors show more than just the Drifter’s reflection: they catch glimpses of a person’s past; past regrets, past triumphs, all of it blends together.

Longtime Drifters may also be forced to revisit their time in Revan, both the high and the low points.

And if a mirror is shattered, then it also shows any number of possible futures… Though many of those are grim, capitalizing on a Drifter’s fears.

A Drifter can reverse multiple transformations if they make contact with a more normal reflection… Though there is a price to this. They will find themselves mirroring the personality traits of anyone they make eye contact with.

05-B: FREAK AND PEEK

It’s possible for Drifters to be captured again, or even just shunted from the big top to end up here. Put in cages for various specters to come gawk and stare at. However, the staring can go both ways; anyone who makes close eye contact with the ghosts will see something strange reflected in the spirit’s eyes.

That something is a glimpse of the world before. Drifters can easily see visions of past locations, this time healed of all damage and filled with people. There’s even images of monsters emulated in carvings, read about in books, and spoken about with a certain amount of fear and reverence. And it all seems to tie back to the moon.

That’s just at a first glance; it’s possible to gain more information with a deeper look, though it risks upsetting the ghosts… And causing a vision backlash onto the Drifters, forcing a new monster type onto them for the month.

((OOC Note: Please comment under the Freak and Peak comment thread on the OOC post, and we will do an RNG roll to determine your visions and monster type!))

05-C: CAROUSEL

A carousel full of eerily life like creatures spins around and around. The various figurines are painstakingly crafted puppets and animatronics that resemble monsters. A haunted calliope plays in the center, though no-one sits there. Instead a constant wind shifts through the pipes, producing a strange melody; the song can verge on being hypnotic, drawing Drifters in.

If an unfortunate Drifter DOES step aboard, they’ll find themselves cruelly ensnared by ghostly harness and ropes and forced to take part in the ride. Their instincts can be pushed to a breaking point as the Carousel spins faster and faster: Drifters can easily be overridden by either a predator drive to hunt, or a prey drive to flee or fight back. With such instincts active, it becomes easier to break out of the restraints… But that impulse will remain with the Drifter.

The carousel also has one last quirk. It runs both forwards and backwards. Running backwards reverts a Drifter from their monstrous traits, but forces a fear into them. They have to fight that fear and urge to flee any monstrous creature, including other Drifters. Running forwards advances a Drifter’s monster transformations, and pushes bloodlust into them.

06: FORTUNE TELLER

A lonely tent stands apart from everything else, and the phantoms stream around the tent like fish around a rock. A faint, shimmering glow spills through the tent flap from dozens of candles, providing just enough light to see.

The ghostly specter inside weaves a pattern of cards between their hands. They don’t speak, but offer to show images on the cards to any curious Drifters. In exchange for price. It could be a bit of coin, a bauble, or even a bit of song or story.

All of this is explained on a sign board next to the cards. It also warns: “A bit of magic will cling to you after the reading. Creatures of fate always twist the pattern into odd quirks."

((OOC: As with Freak and Peek, please comment to the relevant thread, and we will RNG roll a single card drawn from the deck, and a quirk assigned to your character. Unlike Freak and Peek, this is not a monster transformation but instead a little oddity that lasts the month.)

07: ROLLER RACE TRACK

Flickering carnival lights shine down on a dusty wood carved path behind the tents: a crude race track stitched together with a rollercoaster. A handful of vehicles have been freed from being cages, but appear to be bolted to the roller coaster. Electric current races along the track at times, as a shocking hazard to anyone outside their vehicle.

Those metal tracks run in crazy spider patterns around the course, with plenty of opportunities to weave and crash together. The track also has both steep plunges, and even loops for the cars to clear.

Drifters may find themselves bound to their cars via a chain lashed from wrist to steering wheel. The only promise of being released is if they can finish the race alive… And the Drifters may also find that someone else has been chained to the car with them, to heighten the stakes of the race.

Fast cars have the easiest time clearing the loops, and racing ahead. But Tough cars can better manage to demolition derby portion of the race. It’s always a toss up on who might come in first… Though the prize isn’t much to write home about. Simply that Drifters are let free to wander the Carnival grounds.

MICRO ENCOUNTERS:

PLEASE NOTE! These are small bits of set dressing for players to include in threads if they wish, rather than full fledged prompts or events. You may handwave your exploration of these areas, or thread them out.

Bark And Bite: Outside the tents is a strange electronic arrangement. It’s a haunted barker speaker with teeth growing out of it. It tries to bite passerby in order to steal or mimic their voice to announce the next big show.

Brewing Storm: The weather is a fickle thing, alternating between a haunted twilight state, a rumbling storm brewing overhead, and a few fitful bolts of lightning and splashes of rain. The sun never seems to shine overhead, no matter how many days pass.

Haunting Melody: A persistent melody creeps through the Carnival, through mournful calliope pipes and broken speakers. It tries to match to festive tunes either from the world of Revan, or the world of the Drifters… But it always comes out sounding mournful instead of cheery.

NAVIGATION

Comments

[propatriamori]

Edward can sense the change in Andrew's posture, the way he starts to relax. There are plenty of tiny, extremely thin web filaments laid around this area, and they all attach to the main web eventually. It gives Edward a more nuanced sense of the area than he usually gets.

"Ah." Edward isn't offended by this; he and Vincent have already talked about how the modern person might not be used to preparing their own food. "Do you know Vincent? He's taken over the butchering aspect for those who would prefer not to do it on their own. If you find and ask him, he can likely provide you with something that's been prepared."

Edward plucks one of the strands of his web before moving down it a bit, closer to Andrew. He deliberately turns his face so Andrew can see it, including the scars around and on his eyes.

"I don't believe we've met before. I'm Edward Courtenay."

And he offers his original right hand down from the web to shake. His second left hand lifts from his side and waves cheerfully at the same time.

[hauntcursed]

"Uuh, maybe? I've met a few people where I didn't get their name." Or rather, he hoped he hadn't, because if he had, he couldn't remember. Names seemed to be the first thing his brain pitched in stressful situations. "I'll keep an eye out for him, though. I don't cook much." Or at all, really. "I guess it's as good a time as any to try and learn something." Because it wasn't like he could drive down to the local grocery store and grab some chicken wings.

Oh. Double 'oh', actually. The first because he hadn't realized, before this moment, that this guy was blind. And Andrew was immensely glad he hadn't put his foot in his mouth and asked what Vincent looked like. The second had his breath catching for a bare moment. Somehow, he'd gone a very long time with only knowing one Edward.

Taking a breath, he reached out to shake hands. "Don't think we have. Name's Andrew. Uh, Blur." The cheery wave, combined with everything else, made him feel silly for being worried at first. Overall, Edward seemed calm and chill--and nice. Andrew never really managed to accomplish two of those things, himself.

[propatriamori]

Edward would be able to describe Vincent reasonably well! Tall, slender, long hair, wears a bunch of layers, drives a really cool car. As long as Andrew didn't ask any questions about colours, because that's where Edward draws a complete blank unless someone else has described them to him. Vincent could dress all in shades of bright orange and neon green, for all Edward knows.

"A pleasure to meet you, Andrew." After shaking hands, Edward settles on the edge of his web, crossing one pair of arms and leaning over them. "I hope this convoy detour to the carnival from hell hasn't been too taxing on you." He grimaces for a moment. "I'm sure you already know, but avoid being caged at all costs. You don't want to end up in the fighting pits."

the idea of Vincent in bright orange and neon green is the laugh I needed today

[hauntcursed]

"Yeah, same." He might not have sounded the most enthusiastic, but he genuinely meant it. He just had trouble with that sometimes, having the energy to be...well, energetic. Eddie had always been the one to nudge him along into being more animated and social.

"It's..." Taxing, yeah, it had definitely been that so far. "Well, at least I'm not getting sunburnt like a few weeks ago." It wasn't really an answer for how stressful everything was, but dodging the real answers was one of his specialties.

"Yeah, the fucking arenas." Andrew looked away, fingers drumming restlessly against his leg for a moment. "They're a whole lot of fun." And by 'fun' he meant 'fuel for his nightmares'. "Hope you didn't get dragged into them, too."

techno rave Vincent

[propatriamori]

Edward scoffs softly at the mention of the sun. "Myself as well. I burned my face in the shade when we were in the desert. I wasn't disappointed to leave it behind."

He was way, way too English for that shit.

Edward shakes his head at the mention of the arenas. "No, I unfortunately have been captured more than once. They seem... insistent, on having me there. Perhaps it's because I'm the only one with a spider's body in the convoy."

That's a bit of a leading comment. Is Andrew a spider too, and Edward just hasn't met him before?

omg, a+

[hauntcursed]

"Ugh, yeah. The sun's a pain in the ass. Tennessee summers were always brutal." Summer hadn't been so bad in Ohio, but the summer sun in Tennessee had always felt like it was trying to punish him for living there. "And the desert here was even worse."

Ending up captured multiple times sounded like a fucking nightmare. "I hope they leave you alone out here." That was probably why Edward was out here, actually. "They've been way less interested in me. I'm not exactly visually impressive. Unless they want someone who can breathe fire. Poorly."

Though he was still working on getting the hang of that, so...if they wanted him for fire breathing, there was a good chance he'd panic and there'd be fire everywhere. It seemed to slip his control--though he only had the vaguest sense of control over it--in response to his emotions more than anything.

"I don't have much else going on." Aside from his claws, since he doubted anything else actually counted as something interesting. And what was interesting were things he was trying to keep buried.

[propatriamori]

"I thought you had a bit of a different accent from the other Americans." Look at this guy, figuring out the variations in American accents! When Edward first arrived, he sorted them into 'cowboy' and 'not cowboy'. "Tennessee is one of the southern states, is it not?"

Edward makes a soft scoffing noise at the idea of being visually impressive. "I may look like something of a curiosity, but spiders aren't made for combat. Perhaps that's why they kept tracking me down, to try and force combat from a form that was never intended for it."

He's survived and escaped, so clearly he figured it out, but it wasn't the most enjoyable experience.

"You breathe fire?" The faintest smile, there and then gone, flickers across Edward's face. "I can spit ice."

[hauntcursed]

"It sure is. I'd lost a lot of the accent when I'd been living in Ohio, but it's got a way of sneaking up on me." He'd tried to bury it for years, and then a few days back in Tennessee and hearing Sam's accent, especially, had brought Andrew's slipping back in.

"Mmm." He hadn't actually thought of the fact spiders weren't made for combat. With that in mind now, the way they'd kept dragging Edward back to the arena felt especially cruel. Andrew wasn't exactly surprised, but he was angry. "We're not their personal entertainment. They called us all freaks, but we're not, we're-"

He cut himself off so he could take a breath. It was almost funny that he'd been talking about the fire, and now he could feel the heat sparking in his chest, behind his sternum. He didn't want to risk it here, didn't want to set the webs or trees on fire or hurt Edward, so he breathed through his nose until he thought he had it under control.

"Yeah, I'm working on getting the hang of it, though. Maybe I should stick around here--if I accidentally set something on fire, you can douse it with the ice." He was semi-joking, trying to steer his train of thought towards things that felt less risky, all things considered.

[propatriamori]

"Why would you want to hide it? It's charming." It's out before Edward realises what he's saying, and he flushes faintly. Hopefully Andrew didn't notice that.

And maybe he didn't, as he starts getting agitated on Edward's behalf. That is also very intriguing, and Edward lets himself down and out of the web, landing softly in front of Andrew and then padding closer. When he's within range, he reaches out with one pair of arms and tries to take Andrew's hands.

"I agree with you. Revan may be changing us, but we can make the best of it." He offers a faint smile. "If you'd like to practice your fire, I'd be able to be close by with some ice. I'd suggest we don't do it here, though. Perhaps somewhere more open?"

[hauntcursed]

"I-" Charming. When was the last time anyone had said anything like that to him? He couldn't...actually remember. "Usually when people say something about me, it's that I'm an asshole." He was deflecting more from saying anything about why he'd want to hide his accent, but he still sounded a little flustered.

He didn't move away or protest when Edward approached. Honestly, focusing on anything else except how hot his temper could run--or all the ways he could overthink shit--was always a good thing, it was just hard for him to accomplish, especially when he was on his own. He let Edward take his hands, even moved slightly, subconsciously, to help make it easier.

Making the best of it- had he been trying to do that so far? Or had he just been stumbling along in his grief? He was so used to burying the magic he had, that he'd been trying to do the same thing with the magic he kept ending up with here.

"I just really hate bullies." More deflecting, but he was trying not to deflect everything, even if the idea of practicing made a part of him want to run away. He'd been running from shit for so long. It was exhausting.

"Yeah. Uh. If that wouldn't be a bother, I- I probably really should practice. But not here, yeah." He'd feel like an ass if he burned a bunch of shit down. Or got them trapped in a blaze.

[propatriamori]

"That seems unkind." Edward can potty-mouth with the best of them after being in the trenches; he just usually doesn't. "You don't seem that sort at all to me."

Edward feels the way Andrew turns his hands into his, and his second pair of hands rise to clasp around them. He is all too familiar with needing touch and being deprived of it. That's one thing Revan has been surprisingly good for; people are much more likely to touch each other here than in 1917 England.

"I can't say that I'm a fan myself. But I'm also no hero. Twice in the arena has been enough for me." He squeezes Andrew's hands. "I'd much rather go practice some fire and ice breathing."

[hauntcursed]

"They're usually not wrong." Andrew knew what kind of person he was, and he knew how he'd been without Eddie around. Grief had worsened things, but he'd never really been offended by being called an asshole, either way. "But I have my moments," he added, with only a slightly awkward shrug.

He hadn't quite realized just how much he'd missed any kind of physical contact until this very moment. He had sort of been keeping his distance from people, keeping to himself more often than not. Like he hadn't been starved for contact for months. Months here, months before being here. He felt settled, even, and the fire in his chest was a little easier to wrangle for a moment.

"Yeah, me neither. I'm more of a mess than anything." He wasn't a hero. If he was, things would be a lot different. He wanted to be able to...just do more, though. He wanted to be able to help people, instead of being the person who always needed help. "Sounds like the preferable option to me, too." He almost wanted to apologize in advance in the event that he panicked over the fire, but he was also trying to hold onto what was left of his pride.

[propatriamori]

"I'm sure you do." Edward can admit his bias here: he really likes hearing the soft, rolling sound of Andrew's accent. That is perhaps making him a bit friendlier than he would be otherwise. It's also nice to meet someone his own age; most everyone else is either older or younger, and Andrew seems to be in his early twenties as well, based purely on how he talks and moves.

Edward smiles faintly at the mess comment. "This carnival does have a way of bringing out the ugliness in us, doesn't it?" He lifts one spider leg and waggles it in the air. "I'm currently stuck in this form until I can find a new pair of trousers. I shredded mine during a transformation in the arena."

He's not terribly upset about that, for the record. He's mourning the loss of his trousers, but he likes the spider body well enough.

"I believe there's an empty field behind one of these tents. Shall we go there and you can show me your fire?"

[hauntcursed]

Andrew felt similarly about meeting people his own age, rather than always being the kid. It'd been different coming from Sam, seeing as how Sam wasn't that much older. But people here? Yeah.

"What, those? Ugly? Ugly's not something that's come to mind about you." It was absolutely true, the unfiltered truth where Andrew had said it before he'd ever paused to consider what he was about to say. His ears flushed hotter than his face, but he hoped he could get away with that not being brought to attention.

And, now that he was thinking about everything, there was no way he could mention he had some spare clothes if needed without fumbling the words. Finding spare clothes had been the first thing he'd done, after getting the Hellcat in working order; he would've felt weird wearing Sam's clothes, which he'd arrived in, and he wasn't always in the mood for shorts.

"An empty field's gotta have the least amount of potential for disaster." So he had high hopes for it. At least he couldn't possibly light the forest on fire from there. He was just...reluctant to pull away, flustered or not, despite knowing it was necessary so they could get moving.

[propatriamori]

There's the faintest little lift to Edward's eyebrows when Andrew refutes the ugly comment. Edward had actually been referring to internal ugliness, not his physical shape, but he's not displeased to have his words taken in the other way. He knows, on some muddy, distant level, that he'd been considered handsome before the war. He'd assumed that was all lost, with the scars on his face and his wasted eyes; maybe it hadn't been.

"All right." Edward lets go of Andrew's hands--not without some reluctance, admittedly--and steps around neatly so he's beside him. Then he links his arm through Andrew's. He doesn't need the guidance, but Edward knows that until it's clear just how well his vibrations work, it often helps people to think they're directing him. "It's this way."

And he'll lead Andrew through a tangled rat's nest of back alleys and abandoned booths until they arrive in an empty, lonely field.

[hauntcursed]

Andrew was a master at misinterpreting things. He'd been doing it nearly every day for the last decade, without fail. This misinterpretation also meant he didn't have to say anything about himself, any internal ugliness; he didn't tend to be kind when talking about himself. But it was also true--that he hadn't ever thought 'ugly' at any point so far since meeting Edward.

He was glad not to be put on the spot about it though; he wasn't sure how awkward he'd be, but he knew he'd be stumbling all over his words.

He did wonder about how Edward got around, since he didn't seem to have trouble with it, and he didn't want to overstep or make a bad assumption. He didn't mind at all, about staying close, and as pushy as Andrew could be, he took care to...not. He wanted to ask something, he just wasn't sure how to put it into words, so he thought about it while they walked, and eventually, when they had successfully reached the field with no issues-

"I get the feeling you navigate places better than I do. You know, I moved into a new neighborhood before all this, and I got lost like, four damn days in. Had to get directions from a little old lady." There was some humor in his tone, and really, if it hadn't been so hot and he hadn't also locked himself out of the house, wandering the neighborhood a while wouldn't have been so bad.

[propatriamori]

Edward had been anticipating that question, and is ready to answer it. It's odd, how different things are here; back home, he hadn't wanted people looking at his face, or acknowledging his blindness. Here, where he can navigate and be independent on his own, he'd rather have it out and dealt with early on.

"Yes, it's one of the gifts of my transformation." Edward lifts one foot and shakes it gently in the air before them. "I'm able to sense vibrations here. That allows me to navigate on my own. So if you ever witness me doing this," he stamps the foot he'd had in the air, "or this," and he drums his fingers lightly along Andrew's arm, "it's to create vibrations so I know what's happening around me."

He lets go of Andrew's arm and takes a few steps away. "I'm interested in how your fire will show up. I only ask that you don't aim it at me, particularly if it becomes airborne once you've let it go. I can't sense anything that's in the air."

It has nothing to vibrate against and he loses it immediately.

[hauntcursed]

"Oh, that's cool." It was, and Andrew was glad he'd seemingly managed to ask about it in a...tactful way. He wasn't good with tact, most of the time. He tried to avoid conversations or topics when he knew he'd probably shove his whole foot in his mouth, when he liked who he was talking to and didn't want to be a dick to them.

"I know people can be assholes about that kind of thing, so I didn't want to assume or anything." That Edward wasn't fully capable of getting around or handling things. Andrew didn't want to step on his toes, so to speak.

But, there was one question he thought he could manage without introducing his foot to his mouth. "Is there anything I should or shouldn't do? I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Like accidentally startling him because he didn't know Andrew was going to touch him or something. Andrew spooked easy himself, and he'd hate to do that to someone else.

Andrew couldn't imagine actually, purposely, aiming his fire at someone--even if he was pissed off. Maybe if he needed to defend himself, but unless it was life or death, that still felt a little extreme. "Yeah, of course. I don't want to hurt you, and the fire does hang for a second, sometimes." Especially if he was going for power or distance--which he usually wasn't, at least, not on purpose.

in another thread, he got a plushie thrown at him and nearly dropped it

[propatriamori]

Edward chuckles at Andrew's explanation. "Trust me when I say that people from future worlds have always been kinder and more considerate about it than anyone from my time. You've done nothing wrong."

Honestly, if people in his own world behaved the way everyone in the convoy has, Edward would have been having a much easier time adapting.

Edward tilts his head to the side at the question, considering it. It's a good question, and he wants to give it all due consideration before answering. "I'd ask that you don't expect me to catch anything, or throw anything in my direction. I won't be able to sense it and it will hit me."

It's the one serious flaw in the vibrations. Someday, Edward is going to get smacked in the face by an unseen projectile, and he'd like to delay that day as long as possible.

"Thank you." Edward waves one of his hands, gesturing towards a splintered wooden crate, sitting on its side a few yards away. "Why don't you start with that?"

oh nooo

[hauntcursed]

People didn't often tell Andrew he hadn't done anything wrong, so he was going to take it as truth. He knew very well he could be an ass and most of the time he didn't care, but he didn't want to be an ass here, with Edward. "Alright." He nodded. "I wasn't planning on doing either of those things as it was, so we're good."

He almost asked if something had happened, because it sort of sounded like Edward had personal experience with having something thrown at him, but Andrew decided against asking; sometimes, it was better not to pry. Instead, he turned to look at the crate. Right. For a moment, he'd forgotten they were here for him to light shit on fire. So far, he felt like that was the easy part, and the harder part was controlling it when he did want to watch something burn. But using it willingly instead of accidentally would probably be helpful in being able to keep it under wraps when he needed to.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Right."

The fire always seemed like it was within reach, whether he wanted it to be or not, so he didn't have any trouble with feeding the spark in his chest until it was ready. Then he unleashed it, opening his mouth for a stream of fire that easily crossed the distance between where he stood and the crate, catching it ablaze, stray sparks and embers falling free but fortunately not igniting anything--this time--when they hit the grass. He had a little more trouble cutting off the fire when he wanted, closing his mouth but coughing out a few more sparks before putting one hand over his mouth and patting a few of those sparks off his shirt, to be safe.

[propatriamori]

One of Edward's earliest adventures here was scaling the side of a building while having gargoyles spit things at him and relying on a winged turtle for tactical support, so he knows all too well how weak he is to projectiles. Having plushies thrown at him recently is a very mild and inconsequential way to have the lesson reinforced.

Edward waits patiently for the fire. When Andrew breathes it, he's a bit surprised; he was expecting it to come out of Andrew's hands, for some reason. It makes sense, though, that he breathes it, much like Edward breathes ice. It also seems like the fire is a bit less cooperative, sparking and landing on Andrew's chest, as evidenced by how he slaps at himself when he's done.

"Interesting." Edward pads over and breathes ice over the fire, finishing off the already dying flames. Then he lifts two hands to his mouth and breathes frost into them, crafting a snowball that he offers to Andrew. "Here. For your hands."

He doesn't think Andrew got burned but patting fire to put it out isn't exactly fun either!

"As expected, I can't sense it when it's in the air. But it gives off some lovely vibrations once it's burning on the ground."

avoiding gargoyle projectiles reminds me of bullet hell games (stressful, lol)

[hauntcursed]

"Yeah, it sure is...something," Andrew said, tipping his hand away from his mouth but not lowering it until he was sure he wasn't going to cough up something a little more than sparks.

"Oh- thanks." The snowball was a pleasant surprise, and it was interesting to watch something like that, frost over the fire, frost into a snowball. He accepted it, cradling it in both hands. It reminded him of winters in Ohio--sometimes just as cold as Tennessee summers were hot.

Though it didn't take long before his hands were cold enough that he swapped the snowball back and forth, from one hand to the other, and he looked up from it to contemplate the vibrations of fire on the ground. "Yeah? I've always liked fire. What are the vibrations like?" He was curious about how fire--or anything, really--would register on the senses as vibrations.

haha it was his first time really using monster powers too

[propatriamori]

Edward tilts his head at Andrew's question, surprisingly pleased with it. People ask about how the vibrations work all the time, once they realise he's able to navigate on his own; it's much more rare to have someone ask what they actually feel like, and it's a delight to have someone show interest.

"They're like..." Edward pauses, trying to think how to explain it. "For the fire, they're almost like heat rising off the ground on a very hot day. You've seen that before, no doubt, the waves in the air?" He demonstrates the motion of the waves with one hand. "Except with the vibrations, I'm able to sense them better than I could ever see heat waves."

He takes a step closer, and his voice is almost shy when he speaks up again. "Lately, I've been, ah... able to project images or sounds into people's heads? I could show you the vibrations, if you were interested?"

[hauntcursed]

"Right, the shimmery ones." He was well acquainted with the heat waves that came off the ground, especially hot asphalt from all the times he'd been driving or street racing in the summers. That made sense for fire, and he didn't doubt that the vibrations were easier to sense; heat waves always looked like an optical illusion, a little hard to focus on.

The idea of being able to share images and sounds like that definitely snagged Andrew's interest. He'd gotten used to haunts being pushy and trying to pry into his dreams--and how to keep them out--but this was entirely different. He'd never been presented with the option for someone to share something with him that he actually wanted. His curiosity was piqued and Edward had been nothing but kind, so Andrew couldn't see any reason not to trust him.

"Yeah, I'm interested. That sounds cool." He brushed his hands off on his jeans, where bits of melting snowball proceeded to stick and continue melting. "Sometimes I sort of wish I could do that, show people things instead of trying to figure out the words." Words were his worst enemy, sometimes. A lot of times, honestly.

[propatriamori]

"It's possible that, in this world, you can."

But with permission granted, Edward closes the distance between them. He reaches up with one hand and rests it lightly on Andrew's temple. Then he tries to project an image of the vibrations into his mind.

At first, there's nothing, just a blank grey slate. Then, shimmering into existence, grey monochrome lines, wavering and taking form. They do resemble a campfire, and also heat waves, and something else that's completely unique and unlike either of the other two.

"That's how the fire appeared. Can you see it?"