maskormenacelogs | War: Horsemen of the Apocalypse Log #2

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War: Horsemen of the Apocalypse Log #2 - 3rd to 5th June

WHO: War and YOU!
WHERE: Everywheeeeere!
WHEN: 3rd to 5th June
WHAT: Second part of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse Plot. This means War! Time for grumpiness, arguments, fighting and all out war between friends and foes as the War ring takes it’s hold. Spread via close proximity to the ring, this can be caught at any of the main hero cities throughout the stated dates thanks to a well travelled lawyer and his camera crew. Characters affected by the ring’s power will first feel levels of irritation, which will give way to all out paranoia, temper tantrums and violent tendencies only hours later.
WARNINGS: Possibility for extreme violence, death and other potentially disturbing scenarios. Please state in headers if you believe there to be anything extra needs to be warned about.

It starts with little more than a thought. That little niggling feeling in the back of your mind when you know it’s going to be a bad day. You can’t quite put your finger on where it came about or why, but it’s not hard to notice a rise in irritation. Someone coughing too loudly, some idiot cutting in front of you on the sidewalk or in a car, even your best friend telling a joke that suddenly sounds like it might be a personal dig at you: it’s all enough to set you on edge. You might try and ignore it, but little by little that aggression starts bubbling to the surface, weighing you down until you just want to snap.

It’s okay to let your thoughts be heard! Better to say what you think than keep them bottled inside. Better to get a little physical than leave yourself unheard. So maybe you were a little rude to someone. You might have even punched a guy just for walking nearby, but it’s to be expected. It’s their own fault.

But those feelings don’t stop no matter how much you yell and shout, or how determined you are to silently brood and glare. Soon it becomes apparent that someone is out to get you. It could be those guys who have been staring you down, or that friend of yours that’s obviously been stabbing you in the back. Maybe it’s those spies that have been sneaking around your apartment complex, or the Walkers that have slowly started to shuffle their decaying bodies through the streets. Whoever or whatever it is, you know that it’s up to you to get rid of them! It may be an idea to team up, after all there’s plenty of others out there who you could form a strong alliance with to help right the wrongs and fight the evil, but if there isn’t you know you can go it alone and still win.

Try to find a weapon or get yourself to a vantage point. Anything that will help you win this war!

Just try to save some for the rest of us.

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OPEN - Heropa

[Jimmy and anger are old friends, and it's always the same when they spend time together: It starts with frustration and ends with something broken or beaten up. Sometimes, it's Jimmy who's left exhausted and bruised and teary-eyed; sometimes, it's a garbage can, a door, a glass — dented, splintered, shattered. He tries to control it, but he has a bad habit of feeling too much too fast. It washes over him, pulls him under.

So this sensation boiling in the pit of his stomach and clawing its way up to his head isn't unfamiliar. It makes perfect sense, actually, given his situation.

He made a decision he was ready to stick with. He was going to change his life, probably for the better, and he was going to do it on his own. Without his brother. Without HHM. He was going to show Chuck and Howard and the rest of them that he can make something of himself his own way, and that he doesn't need anyone. He doesn't need anyone's help or pity or constant nagging to do things the "right" way, to follow the rules, to do and be good.

But now he's here, and he does. He needs other people — desperately, in fact. He's afraid to be alone in this place, thanks in part to what Jesse Pinkman told him the other day. Someone's coming after him. Someone wants to scare him. Someone wants to hurt him.

Let them come, he thinks. He's ready.

The gloves are off, literally; he's not wearing the electrician's gloves he'd refused to go without the past couple of days, and he can feel electricity crackling faintly at his fingertips as he walks. He doesn't know what he's capable of doing with this power or how to even control whatever it is he can do, but he doesn't care. It doesn't matter.

He wishes Chuck were here to see this, though. The thought makes him smile in a resentful sort of way, but it fades just as quickly as it cracked onto his expression because maybe Chuck is here. Maybe this is Chuck's doing, somehow. Maybe Chuck heard Jimmy talking about sending him away to the funny farm and decided to send Jimmy away instead. Maybe Chuck is the one who wants him to get out of town, because running Jimmy out of his old life back home wasn't enough.

He pauses mid-step on the sidewalk, peering suspiciously into the windows of the stores nearby. Suddenly, he's sure his brother is somewhere in this city.

And he really thinks they should have a talk.]

[She recognizes him, of course. You just get used to remembering every face after running a coffee shop for so long, and she wouldn't forget the face of a new roommate. Even if he looks like he's definitely seen better days, all frazzled looking the way he is now. Cass stops mid-step, eyebrows furrowing as she watches James walk closer.

But she snaps out of that quickly enough and makes her way over to him, too, meeting him halfway, a hand already rising to touch his arm -- a habit she picked up with her boys -- but she stops before making contact, peering at him with concern from an arm's reach away.]

Hey, uh, James? [she starts.] Are you -- what's wrong? Do you need help?

[That's definitely not who he's looking for. It takes a few seconds for Cass's face to register in his mind, but he does recognize her — she's one of his new housemates. He remembers thinking she seemed nice, but now he's backing away from her outstretched hand, eyes narrowed.]

Where is he?

'He'?

[She flips through her memories. They were living with two other guys, and for a moment she wonders if James could be talking about either of them, but that might not be the case. She's starting to realize this whole paranoia deal might not just be a collective bad mood. Maybe something bigger, and more sinister.

Ugh. She steels herself and keeps her tone gentle.] Who do you mean? Are you talking about Steve or Armin?

No.

[Jimmy snaps the word, already out of patience. Is she lying to him?]

My brother. I know he's here.

Your brother?

[She barely even flinches at his impatience. She takes another step toward him.]

I didn't know... your brother's here? Did someone tell you so?

[A quick shake of his head.] No. I just know he is. He did this — he brought me here. I bet he's trying to teach me another lesson...

[He trails off, lip curling. But then he smiles, suddenly all sweetness and warmth.]

C'mon, Cass. Tell me where he is. I just wanna talk to him.

Unless you and your brother are natives or have somehow been in this world before, I don't think he's had anything to do with you being here.

[She purses her lips even as he smiles. It's a sweet look, but something is off.]

And I'm afraid I don't know where he is either way. Are you sure you're okay? Why don't we get you home?

"Home"?

[The smile disappears.]

You can't take me home.

[Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows he doesn't want to hurt her. But...

She's lying. He's sure of it.]

Take me to Chuck.

Home, James. To number sixteen.

[She stays where she stands, but she holds out her hand.]

I don't know where Chuck is, so I couldn't take you if I wanted.

Liar!

[And there it is: a bright little crackle of electricity, leaping from one finger to the other as he points accusingly at her.]

I'm not crazy! I know he's —

[Something flickers at the edge of Jimmy's vision, and he turns his head sharply to follow it. It's a man who, in real life, is too tall to pass for Chuck — too young. He has black hair, not Chuck's dandelion fluff gray.

But that's not what Jimmy sees.

He practically growls as he launches himself at this other man, shouting:] You son of a bitch!

Hey, no!

[She jumped, startled, when she saw his hand crackle with electricity. She was almost afraid of being around that -- is that voltage lethal? she can't just recklessly let herself get shocked by that! -- but that reluctance flies out the window when she sees him going after the guy. With how upset and angry James is, she can't imagine that's actually his brother. Besides, the man looks absolutely startled, almost scared, to see someone coming after him!

So she launches herself in his path so she can block him. She's not a large woman. Really, she's tiny. But that's not stopping her from throwing her arms around James as much as she can and planting her feet on the ground.]

James, stop!

[Jimmy's ready to fight her off, and bless his heart, he tries. He wriggles in her grip for all of about five seconds before going still, his gaze turning glassy and distant.

It's the strangest thing, but he swears he can smell Kim's shampoo.

He's still sure the man he's looking at is Chuck — or was looking at, now that he's made a run for it, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore. Jimmy feels inexplicably... nice? And he thinks, hey, maybe Chuck doesn't matter. Maybe none of that does.]

[If Jimmy asks later, Cass would hardly be able to explain it. She didn't get much information on her powers at all. But without her realizing, her hugs have the power to draw out those calming memories now; she can't directly manipulate anybody's feelings, but it's there, easing out whatever it is that would help somebody calm down.

But she doesn't know, and she was expecting a fight. She held on tighter when he struggled, and she was preparing for a hit or two if he was this riled up. But it doesn't come, and she blinks a couple times before looking up cautiously, wondering what's stopped him.]

James?

[He's still in a bit of a daze when she calls his name, so it's only then that he blinks and peers down at her.]

Huh? Oh —

[Oh.

Jimmy finally wriggles free from Cass's grip, not to pursue the other man, but to jump back in what looks like a mix of fear, confusion, and embarrassment. He shoves his hands, fingertips still tingling, into his pockets, and swallows hard.]

Shit, I — are you okay? Did I hurt you?

Oh I'm fine, won't worry, you didn't do a thing!

[She's peachy, roommate! But the concern on her face is ever-present and she peers at him.]

Are you okay?

I think so...

[He looks down, peering at his hands.]

I have no idea where any of that came from. I still —

[Jimmy wiggles his fingers, brows furrowing worriedly.] I still feel... weird. We should get outta here.

Oh, goodness, yes.

[And she's stepping around, wrapping her arms around Jimmy's and tugging on him, taking a firm step forward.]

Home. Let's go!

[He shakes his head again, tugging back for a moment in resistance.]

The house. Not home.

[And then he gives up, allowing himself to be pulled.]

[Atta boy. Cass gives him a stern look when he tries to pull away, but she doesn't contest his argument against calling Heropa 16 home. Semantics, really. She just nods and leads the way.]

You're not the only one, I don't think. A friend of mine from my world told me -- something's happening that's making people get paranoid like you were just now.

[That seems like cause for alarm. Jimmy's eyes go wide, and he glances around.]

Seriously? That's — is anyone else doing anything to help? People could be getting hurt.

I don't know. I'm not... I'm not sure if anybody knows how to really stop this. I don't know how I was able to wake you up--

This... might sound crazy, but —

[Crazy and sappy. Jimmy's quiet for a moment as he puts the words together, then:] When you hugged me, it made me think of someone back home. And I thought — okay, no, this is gonna sound crazy: Can I smell your hair?

My hair?

[What. But... she's honestly experienced weirder by now.]

Oh, sure. I mean... I don't mind. [She'll stop walking and stand still for him, then.]

[This is so awkward, but he does it: shuffles over to her, leans in, and takes a big ol' whiff of her head.]

Yeah, see? That's not what I smelled before. When you hugged me, I thought I smelled — [Uh. Er. Um.] A friend's shampoo. And I figured it was just a coincidence, but it's not even close to similar.

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lasthugs - 2015-07-24 20:44 (UTC) - Expand

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