logsinthenight | EVENT LOG: BURY A FRIEND

EVENT LOG: BURY A FRIEND

characters: everyone.
location: around town.
date/time: october 9-17.
content: the hallucinations begin...
warnings: psychological horror. please cw tags appropriately.

it's probably something that shouldn't be said out loud

October 9 feels like a normal day at first, save for the red lighthouse beam cutting through the darkness overhead. You know by now—or you've heard—that the lighthouse is only active during ferry arrivals and events... And there's definitely no ferry docked at the, er. Beach. The town is quiet, the forest spirits behave business-as-usual, Rastus doesn't know what's up. Whatever's going on, you'll have to figure it out for yourself.

And you will, though the hallucinations are subtle at first: objects moving when they shouldn't, people's proportions looking just a bit off, voices in an empty room, and so on. Is it just your mind playing tricks in the darkness? Might be! Will did warn you all about the effects of living without a sun and a proper day/night cycle.

As the days go on, the hallucinations are harder to ignore, no matter how much you may wish to wave them off as flukes. What's wrong with everyone's faces? When did all the howling start? Who do you hold onto when the world drops out from under you? And those hands...

While you might know it can't be real, it certainly feels real. But at least it can't last forever!

...Right?

QUICKNAV
comms	\|	network • logs • memes • ooc
pages	\|	rules • faq • taken • mod contact • player contact • calendar • setting • exploration • item requests • full nav

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He's not the only one who can avoid certain subjects to ensure the other person doesn't get upset.

"Heh. Yeah. Queen were very big. A little before my time but - they were still popular right up until the radio stations and the internet went down." While the sound of music is a welcome change, she finds herself more intrigued by his reaction to it. A surge of warmth that's easier not to analyze coming from watching him find that kind of joy in something.

"I guess there's a lot you don't remember if you like or not..." More like a revelation. She's always known he was different but just how far that reached hadn't fully sunk in.

"Pretty much." Not remotely a revelation, to the Soldier. Just its standard functionality, or lack thereof. It doesn't begrudge her haven't not considered that, though. She's an actual person, after all, she already knows these things about herself. "Did discover I love coffee too, though. Aziraphale made me some. And Rosinante let me try his cigarette, that was great. So. I've found things I like." And it's even admitting out loud that it likes them, which is kind of a huge step-- even if only to a friend, in a quiet place well away from other people, particularly designated handlers or techs.

A couple plates in its left forearm are even clicking together under the hoodie it's wearing. In time to the music. That might be a little weird, or possibly kind of funny.

"What?" Her face screws up at the mention of smoking. "No, don't... don't do that." More a strong suggestion than an order, judging by her tone. "That shits addictive. Plus it stinks and makes you taste like crap." The closest thing to a real boyfriend that she'd had was in high school and he used to attempt to smoke. All she could remember about it that kissing him was like making out with an ashtray... not that it should matter in this situation.

"You want like, waffles and ice-cream with... bacon and maple syrup. Probably just as bad for you but at least it won't fuck up your lungs or smell nasty." Managing a wry grin as she lowers her guard just a little. It was much easier when the focus wasn't on her.

As for the arm? In the grand scheme of things? Not the weirdest thing she's encountered where Tinman is concerned.

"Taste like crap?" the Soldier repeats, voice edging a little bit into both amused and incredulous. "Scarlett. No one is going to be tasting me. That's disgusting. I wouldn't worry about the addictive part. Drugs and things. Don't affect me as much. I can't get drunk. And the dosage the techs would give me of whatever they wanted to try that day always had to be high."

And, which will probably make her feel the best about the situation, it adds, "Besides, Rosinante has limited supply, I'm not going to be bumming more. They're his."

She opens her mouth to explain what she meant but very quickly closes it again. It's hardly surprising to her that he didn't think about things like physical affection but at the same time, it just wasn't something she could begin to try and provide context for. Instead, she simply drops her gaze, staring beyond the halo of light provided by her lantern. Lifting her hand to scratch her eyebrow as she casually sidesteps any further discussion.

"Good to know." See, way less awkward. (No it's not).

If Scarlett doesn't like cigarettes, maybe it will have to rethink wanting them. ... or else just make sure not to visit her if it's managed to smoke one somehow, until the smell is gone. (Fuckin' moot point if we don't have any.)

The Soldier shakes its head, and goes back to the subject that doesn't make her awkward. "Misty has music. A lot of it. I'm not sure how well we'll be able to record it, if all she has are headphones, but I'm going to try. Before her device runs out of power for them. I could share them with you, if you want. And the Queen." Because everyone must want music, right? Any time they want, they should be able to listen to something.

It's going to start getting weird if she keeps bringing him up but the fact is? He's the only smart person she knows so he's her go-to when it comes to anything, especially relating to devices.

"You should talk to the Doc." Oh, she's aware how much Will would love that. "He'd probably be able to hook whatever it is right up to a tablet and rip the music for you. Then everyone could have it?"

And then it's not anyone doing something nice for her, it's just her getting the same as everyone else. Scarlett logic, even when it's not on a conscious level.

"Maybe. Once things calm down, maybe." Having some kind of cable to just directly move the music from Misty's discs would be much easier than trying to record it through tiny headphones. "For now, I'm trying to take advantage of not being afraid of every damn thing to keep an eye on other people. Misty's music can wait a little. People not hurting themselves or each other is more important."

Besides, it still has Queen. That'll tide it over.

Just keep calling him Doc instead of doctor, Scarlett. Doing great, there.

I mean... does it make it better or worse when you know that she calls him Doc as a mark of sarcasm?

Keeping an eye on other people... and yet he was standing here with her.

"There are people who get hurt a lot easier than me ya know." Her weight shifting from one foot to the other

You're gonna make it say it again, Scarlett. "Other people aren't my friend. I wanted to at least check on you." Especially since it has mostly kept to following from a distance for the past week, lest it accidentally hurt her, itself. Not-remembered shouting matches not withstanding.

The music, still playing, transitions into "Friends will be Friends". Irony. Mostly, that's just the one that comes up next alphabetically, but it's still a little funny.

Her eyes close at those words, Scarlett pressing her lips together to keep the words trapped in her mouth. A thousand things she could say that would easily send him away, but she can't so easily force out. She hadn't had a friend in... well honestly, ever? Not unless Axel counted and even then she wasn't sure she could say what she and had was anything close to a traditional friendship. Hell if the world hadn't gone to shit she doubted they ever would have been anything close to friends and she wasn't sure that if it weren' for this place, she and the Soldier would have been either.

Or maybe, in a messed up way, he was the only person she could have been friends with. If only she had a clue how to feel about that.

"I'm alright." Managing to infuse some sincerity into her voice as she opens her eyes to look at him again. "Not sure I can say the same for anyone around me but - " But she's used to things being fucked up like this. Hell, she was probably one of the few who found a level of familiarity in this current situation. "Just a bit on edge is all."

If it weren't for this place, the Soldier would be either back with HYDRA where friends aren't allowed, or on the run after refusing to complete its last mission so friends would be inadvisable. So... yeah, probably true in more ways than one.

Sometimes being used to something just makes it worse. Says the person who feels like they, also, should be used to things like this, and who had to resort to magically taking its fear away to keep functioning. It considers her for a moment, then nods. "Good. And what you said to me, about coming to you if there's a problem. I hope you can do the same."

Her mouth becomes little more than a hard slash of color across her face. The emotions stirred by his words sitting uncomfortably in her chest. Again her weight shifts, Scarlett rolling her shoulders back as she tries to stoically suppress the feelings that create an internal, staticky buzz.

"Yeah." Lifting her gaze to look at him, perhaps too directly for his comfort but she's focused on trying to be casually unaffected, as opposed to not accidentally freaking him out. "Of course."

Though you had to wonder if either or them truly believed she ever would.

The Soldier... does kind of doubt that's the truth. There are too many markers of discomfort, and her answer was too quick. But then, it knows her fairly well by now. It didn't really expect the truth in response to something like that. It just had to make the offer, to make sure she knew.

And now it's going to stop pushing. It takes an emotional and physical step back, and asks, "Were you going somewhere in particular. When I interrupted you. Or just walking to walk?"

Whether she was willing to be honest with him not, there was something to be said for having the offer put out there. It came with an inability for her to insist that she had to do things on her own. She was sure to have more discomfort about that later, but for now at least the offer wasn't one she could outright reject, and that in and of itself, was progress.

"Just -" She glances back to the Inn, shifting uncomfortably for wholly different reasons. "Away." She doubted many people would be able to get that, but she suspected that he just might. "The sooner this bullshit is over the better." Forcing something close to a grim smile into place, despite the lack of sincerity behind it.

"Agreed," the Soldier says, with feeling. "You go by yourself, now. If that's what you'd rather." It's ascertained how she's doing, made her listen to music, learned something important about understanding her behavior, and at least told her it's here for her if she needs it. If now she really does still want to be alone, it'll let her.

If she continues to accept company, though, that certainly won't be turned down.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT LOG: BURY A FRIEND

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject