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TEST DRIVE MEME #4
TEST DRIVE MEME
Something is… wrong. It’s something you’ve all felt before, whether from proximity to the kaijuu blood or from falling through your own Confluences. It’s as though reality is thinning, stretching around you.
It’s starting small. A building on the street may shift into a different building - perhaps even one you recognize from home. People on the streets flicker, and you see familiar faces out of the corners of your eyes. At night, anyone who pays attention can see that even the stars themselves are changing. Sometimes, the constellations you see when you look up shouldn’t be visible from Earth at all. Planets and stars far from home glitter in foreign skies, and you feel a sense of dread.
Across the country, people are filming their own odd phenomenon. Some are more intense than others, but all do seem to be centered in places where metas tend to live or congregate.
What the guilds had initially perceived as a sign things were returning to normal - confluences becoming more mild, less potent - is a sign things have turned for the worse. Confluences are no longer singular bursts of meta-energy, they’re steady bleeds.
And this time, the confluence rocks the entire country.
It’s starting small. A building on the street may shift into a different building - perhaps even one you recognize from home. People on the streets flicker, and you see familiar faces out of the corners of your eyes. At night, anyone who pays attention can see that even the stars themselves are changing. Sometimes, the constellations you see when you look up shouldn’t be visible from Earth at all. Planets and stars far from home glitter in foreign skies, and you feel a sense of dread.
Across the country, people are filming their own odd phenomenon. Some are more intense than others, but all do seem to be centered in places where metas tend to live or congregate.
What the guilds had initially perceived as a sign things were returning to normal - confluences becoming more mild, less potent - is a sign things have turned for the worse. Confluences are no longer singular bursts of meta-energy, they’re steady bleeds.
And this time, the confluence rocks the entire country.
DOWN WHERE IT'S WETTER. ATLANTIS.
You wake from a dream of infinity.
There’s a moment of weightlessness, before a sudden pressure and wetness: you’ve found yourselves at the bottom of the ocean, drifting upwards out of glowing cracks in the earth.
Dark sleek shapes emerge from the shadows, moving with swift grace through the water towards you. They’re seals - or, more properly, selkies. Chubby and doe-eyed, with mouths full of sharp carnivorous teeth. Once they may have eaten a lost traveler, but they owe land dwellers their lives now and are eager to return the favor. They loop cowrie necklaces over your heads and wait patiently for you to stop stubbornly holding your breath. When you gasp, you breathe water as easily as air. It’s magic.
They begin to herd you with gentle pushes and nudges from their tails. Their home, Atlantis, shines bright in these abyssal depths. They tell you that under the sea, all is known as Atlantis. Their home is in the Antarctic, and once they say it, you understand why they’re swimming so close. The energy is being zapped from your body by frigid waters. They’re making sure you don’t pass out from the effort.
Parts of the city have been encased in magical bubbles, for the safety of the outsiders now traveling to and fro. There’s no formal gathering place and so the selkies leave you outside of what looks to be a hospital. The city is an odd blend of rock, coral and crystal. The streets have no signs and there’s no clear signage around town. Yet if you wander you’ll find restaurants with fish-headed waiters serving a variety of unique dishes. There are movie theaters. A club with pulse-pounding music that vibrates the water around it. None of it is what you’re accustomed to, but it’s there for you to experience...the people seem hungry for levity right now. Much of much of the city appears to be destroyed, and many of its people seem to be disoriented.
The Guardian Alliance and The Society are both there to shepherd you back to land when they’ve got a moment to spare from the repair efforts.
It’s possible, of course, that some of you may slip through the metaphorical cracks. You can try to brave the waters and swim out to see what else there is. But beware the blood that still shimmers in the water. Swimming through it is not an experience you want. Your soul will feel ripped from your body, your mind exposed to the universe itself. But hey, if you’re out here, you’re unsupervised. It’s not like anyone can stop you.
Other metas can come out to rescue these stragglers - the Atlanteans have plenty of personal submersibles that they can loan you.
There’s a moment of weightlessness, before a sudden pressure and wetness: you’ve found yourselves at the bottom of the ocean, drifting upwards out of glowing cracks in the earth.
Dark sleek shapes emerge from the shadows, moving with swift grace through the water towards you. They’re seals - or, more properly, selkies. Chubby and doe-eyed, with mouths full of sharp carnivorous teeth. Once they may have eaten a lost traveler, but they owe land dwellers their lives now and are eager to return the favor. They loop cowrie necklaces over your heads and wait patiently for you to stop stubbornly holding your breath. When you gasp, you breathe water as easily as air. It’s magic.
They begin to herd you with gentle pushes and nudges from their tails. Their home, Atlantis, shines bright in these abyssal depths. They tell you that under the sea, all is known as Atlantis. Their home is in the Antarctic, and once they say it, you understand why they’re swimming so close. The energy is being zapped from your body by frigid waters. They’re making sure you don’t pass out from the effort.
Parts of the city have been encased in magical bubbles, for the safety of the outsiders now traveling to and fro. There’s no formal gathering place and so the selkies leave you outside of what looks to be a hospital. The city is an odd blend of rock, coral and crystal. The streets have no signs and there’s no clear signage around town. Yet if you wander you’ll find restaurants with fish-headed waiters serving a variety of unique dishes. There are movie theaters. A club with pulse-pounding music that vibrates the water around it. None of it is what you’re accustomed to, but it’s there for you to experience...the people seem hungry for levity right now. Much of much of the city appears to be destroyed, and many of its people seem to be disoriented.
The Guardian Alliance and The Society are both there to shepherd you back to land when they’ve got a moment to spare from the repair efforts.
It’s possible, of course, that some of you may slip through the metaphorical cracks. You can try to brave the waters and swim out to see what else there is. But beware the blood that still shimmers in the water. Swimming through it is not an experience you want. Your soul will feel ripped from your body, your mind exposed to the universe itself. But hey, if you’re out here, you’re unsupervised. It’s not like anyone can stop you.
Other metas can come out to rescue these stragglers - the Atlanteans have plenty of personal submersibles that they can loan you.
DIADEM HOTEL
You're not going home anytime soon. Hopefully, the LUXURY HOTEL they've put you up in will ease that sting.
The DIADEM HOTEL is usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. Its rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings just to sample. But given the circumstances, the Guilds feel its the least they can do to aid your transition into this world. EVERYTHING is complimentary, and everyone gets an ALLIANCE CREDIT CARD to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back... though if they catch you abusing it, their accountant will be coming for your head.
There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlets that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing the highly anticipated DROP DEAD GORGEOUS movie, a thriller wherein a fictional beauty queen accidentally swallows a fragment of the Necronomicon and becomes the world’s most powerful necromancer. Oh, and her boyfriend transforms into her chainsaw.
CENTRAL CITY isn't exactly the nicest place in the world. Wander too far from the shopping district and you'll find yourselves thick into territory controlled by the local non-meta crime syndicate... but maybe that's where you want to be. Maybe you're here to see just what this world is dealing with. If you're going to be stuck here you might as well make yourself useful, right?
Or perhaps you're NOT the heroic type. Maybe this is simply scoping out the competition.
Regardless, it won't take long for TROUBLE to find you. Test out your new powers, do a little thieving, stop a few muggings - this is your time to use as you see fit.
The DIADEM HOTEL is usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. Its rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings just to sample. But given the circumstances, the Guilds feel its the least they can do to aid your transition into this world. EVERYTHING is complimentary, and everyone gets an ALLIANCE CREDIT CARD to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back... though if they catch you abusing it, their accountant will be coming for your head.
There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlets that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing the highly anticipated DROP DEAD GORGEOUS movie, a thriller wherein a fictional beauty queen accidentally swallows a fragment of the Necronomicon and becomes the world’s most powerful necromancer. Oh, and her boyfriend transforms into her chainsaw.
CENTRAL CITY isn't exactly the nicest place in the world. Wander too far from the shopping district and you'll find yourselves thick into territory controlled by the local non-meta crime syndicate... but maybe that's where you want to be. Maybe you're here to see just what this world is dealing with. If you're going to be stuck here you might as well make yourself useful, right?
Or perhaps you're NOT the heroic type. Maybe this is simply scoping out the competition.
Regardless, it won't take long for TROUBLE to find you. Test out your new powers, do a little thieving, stop a few muggings - this is your time to use as you see fit.
CRACKS IN THE SKY. LITTLE LOVE, KANSAS.
The town of Little Love is as quiet and easy going as can be. Nothing interesting ever happens here - if you discount the events of the last six months. Right now, the most exciting things going on are the annual Fishing Tourney (catch the biggest bass to win!) and the summer barbeque festival.
If you happen to be out on the streets in the evening, enjoying the summer heat, you’ll notice that the sky above you has changed. Maybe you’re not an expert astrologist, but you do know a fair amount about what you look up at every night. Foreign constellations are dotting the skies. Planets not visible from Earth flicker in and out of view. Some so close you swear they’ve entered orbit. You watch this in puzzled silence and then, all at once, something breaks. Massive glowing cracks appear in the sky, pulsing with light. And then quickly as the sky breaks, you watch it reverse.
Moments later, it cracks again.
You watch this process unfold for the better part of the night. As it goes on, the cracks are slower to mend. They linger like the afterimage of lightning, fading slowly back to the picturesque sky you’re familiar with. Neighbors come out to watch as well. Someone remarks that this is aurora borealis. And remain unconvinced when they’re corrected.
The peaceful moment is shattered by the sound of something shrieking through the crack in the sky seconds before it closes. A spacecraft hurtles towards the ground. Then another. And another.
They leave trails of burning wreckage in their wake; there’ll be some fires to put out before anyone can even begin to deal with the other potential fallout. The town could go up in smoke in seconds if this fire were to spread.
By the time anyone reaches the downed ships, any survivors are long gone. The crumpled foliage suggests that something did survive and slip free… but that’s not the concerning part. The ships are a kaleidoscope, each person present sees something different. Perhaps you see a spaceship from a book you read growing up. Or perhaps this is a spacecraft from your homeworld, spurring hope that someone has come to find you. Hope that’s dashed when the person beside you shakes their head and says they see a cartoonishly shaped UFO. You all reach out to touch it and find that your perceptions are all correct. Your hands stop in different spots.
This ship is all of these things and none of them at once. And it’s the same for any other ships that fall through the cracks.
The next morning, the ships are quarantined by Alliance folks. The citizens come in to report that livestock and staff have gone missing in the night. Some who were present when they were snatched can’t provide a coherent explanation of what they saw. No two people have the same story, even if they witnessed the same snatching. They were twelve feet tall! They had bulbous heads. They were tiny as ants. They appear to change depending on who is perceiving them.
You'll have to go out into the fields to try and locate the lost, searching through abandoned homesteads and gaping empty barns. There's not too many places to hide around here; eventually you'll find your quarry. But what you find is a matter of perspective. Do you trust your perception of reality? Is the being before you dangerous and bloodthirsty. Or will you defer to your partner on this mission if they see something lost and frightened?
If you happen to be out on the streets in the evening, enjoying the summer heat, you’ll notice that the sky above you has changed. Maybe you’re not an expert astrologist, but you do know a fair amount about what you look up at every night. Foreign constellations are dotting the skies. Planets not visible from Earth flicker in and out of view. Some so close you swear they’ve entered orbit. You watch this in puzzled silence and then, all at once, something breaks. Massive glowing cracks appear in the sky, pulsing with light. And then quickly as the sky breaks, you watch it reverse.
Moments later, it cracks again.
You watch this process unfold for the better part of the night. As it goes on, the cracks are slower to mend. They linger like the afterimage of lightning, fading slowly back to the picturesque sky you’re familiar with. Neighbors come out to watch as well. Someone remarks that this is aurora borealis. And remain unconvinced when they’re corrected.
The peaceful moment is shattered by the sound of something shrieking through the crack in the sky seconds before it closes. A spacecraft hurtles towards the ground. Then another. And another.
They leave trails of burning wreckage in their wake; there’ll be some fires to put out before anyone can even begin to deal with the other potential fallout. The town could go up in smoke in seconds if this fire were to spread.
By the time anyone reaches the downed ships, any survivors are long gone. The crumpled foliage suggests that something did survive and slip free… but that’s not the concerning part. The ships are a kaleidoscope, each person present sees something different. Perhaps you see a spaceship from a book you read growing up. Or perhaps this is a spacecraft from your homeworld, spurring hope that someone has come to find you. Hope that’s dashed when the person beside you shakes their head and says they see a cartoonishly shaped UFO. You all reach out to touch it and find that your perceptions are all correct. Your hands stop in different spots.
This ship is all of these things and none of them at once. And it’s the same for any other ships that fall through the cracks.
The next morning, the ships are quarantined by Alliance folks. The citizens come in to report that livestock and staff have gone missing in the night. Some who were present when they were snatched can’t provide a coherent explanation of what they saw. No two people have the same story, even if they witnessed the same snatching. They were twelve feet tall! They had bulbous heads. They were tiny as ants. They appear to change depending on who is perceiving them.
You'll have to go out into the fields to try and locate the lost, searching through abandoned homesteads and gaping empty barns. There's not too many places to hide around here; eventually you'll find your quarry. But what you find is a matter of perspective. Do you trust your perception of reality? Is the being before you dangerous and bloodthirsty. Or will you defer to your partner on this mission if they see something lost and frightened?
DOPPELGANGERS. SUNSET FALLS.
The multiverse is a known entity. Though most modern metahumans have no first hand experience with it, many who were active before the Godfall Event have tales of falling into worlds that were almost their own...but not quite.
In one, the heroes were villains, and villains were heroes.
In another, the confluences had never occurred at all and there was a perfectly ordinary world devoid of powers that had no idea how to react to their presence.
In yet another, the Godfall Event had never occurred. The Protocols, Guild System, and rules of engagement were never formed. Time had passed and alternate universe children greeted them with tears and excitement to know the parents they’d lost in the No Man’s Land the world had become.
The people of Sunset Falls are used to odd apparitions. Most of them know better than to chase phantoms or to stare too long at something that shouldn’t be there. The best they can do is offer a sympathetic smile to the newcomers, reaching out to pat your hands and slip you a note:
Don’t worry. I see it too.
It’s not nearly as comforting as they seem to think it is. Yet they move on unperturbed.
Flickering in and out of existence, there are phantoms walking the streets. They don’t appear to be properly synced with this reality. They move on a different plane, through buildings, appearing to interact with objects that aren’t there. That’s not the unsettling thing, though.
They’re you.
It’s not just you, though. This isn’t a mirror. It’s a warped reflection. Maybe the way they wear their hair is just a little different than yours. Smooth skin where you have scars. Every animal instinct you possess screams that this should not be, yet you feel a pull towards them. And they seem to feel the same to you.
If you fall into the temptation and reach out to touch them, you’ll find yourself trading places. They fall into your body and you tumble out of it, into the world between worlds where memory is all that matters. Their memories and experiences spread out before you - a world made entirely of their similar-yet-different life. But you are so much more powerful than they are. If anyone wanders too close, they’ll be pulled into this what-if world with you.
Meanwhile they - good, evil, or just different - are now in your place. In your body, indistinguishable from you at least visually, they’re perfectly placed to slide into your life...or, depending on their proclivities, to destroy it.
In order to escape and return to your rightful places, you'll have to repeat the action that brought you here in the first place: find your doppelganger. As they were once phantoms flickering in and out of the world, so too were you flickering in and out of theirs. Even here, in this alternate reality, you may see flashes of people and places you know. The worlds don't always align very neatly, though. It will take some exploration - probably, some learning about your double and how their life differs from yours - in order to find the echo of them again. Just don't forget which reality you came from to begin with; this is where having a friend from your own world along may help.
And, of course, your doppelgangers are also on their own little adventure. Some of them may also wish to return home, or are simply decent enough to see this fixed; they may seek out people to help, though they're no more equipped than you to find their way through this unfamiliar world. Naturally, there are also those who do not want to return and may flee from you and fight anyone else's efforts to capture them.
In one, the heroes were villains, and villains were heroes.
In another, the confluences had never occurred at all and there was a perfectly ordinary world devoid of powers that had no idea how to react to their presence.
In yet another, the Godfall Event had never occurred. The Protocols, Guild System, and rules of engagement were never formed. Time had passed and alternate universe children greeted them with tears and excitement to know the parents they’d lost in the No Man’s Land the world had become.
The people of Sunset Falls are used to odd apparitions. Most of them know better than to chase phantoms or to stare too long at something that shouldn’t be there. The best they can do is offer a sympathetic smile to the newcomers, reaching out to pat your hands and slip you a note:
Don’t worry. I see it too.
It’s not nearly as comforting as they seem to think it is. Yet they move on unperturbed.
Flickering in and out of existence, there are phantoms walking the streets. They don’t appear to be properly synced with this reality. They move on a different plane, through buildings, appearing to interact with objects that aren’t there. That’s not the unsettling thing, though.
They’re you.
It’s not just you, though. This isn’t a mirror. It’s a warped reflection. Maybe the way they wear their hair is just a little different than yours. Smooth skin where you have scars. Every animal instinct you possess screams that this should not be, yet you feel a pull towards them. And they seem to feel the same to you.
If you fall into the temptation and reach out to touch them, you’ll find yourself trading places. They fall into your body and you tumble out of it, into the world between worlds where memory is all that matters. Their memories and experiences spread out before you - a world made entirely of their similar-yet-different life. But you are so much more powerful than they are. If anyone wanders too close, they’ll be pulled into this what-if world with you.
Meanwhile they - good, evil, or just different - are now in your place. In your body, indistinguishable from you at least visually, they’re perfectly placed to slide into your life...or, depending on their proclivities, to destroy it.
In order to escape and return to your rightful places, you'll have to repeat the action that brought you here in the first place: find your doppelganger. As they were once phantoms flickering in and out of the world, so too were you flickering in and out of theirs. Even here, in this alternate reality, you may see flashes of people and places you know. The worlds don't always align very neatly, though. It will take some exploration - probably, some learning about your double and how their life differs from yours - in order to find the echo of them again. Just don't forget which reality you came from to begin with; this is where having a friend from your own world along may help.
And, of course, your doppelgangers are also on their own little adventure. Some of them may also wish to return home, or are simply decent enough to see this fixed; they may seek out people to help, though they're no more equipped than you to find their way through this unfamiliar world. Naturally, there are also those who do not want to return and may flee from you and fight anyone else's efforts to capture them.
CLIFF NOTES.
➢ Newbies will be arriving in Atlantis. Enjoy the sights, the dancing, and restaurants! Have fun wondering if its ethical to eat fish in front of fish people.
➢ Current Players are welcome to treat this as a bonus event. These events are canonically happening within the game but can be largely ignored if you'd prefer to use the month for personal plots. You can tag into the TDM, reference these prompts in network posts, or use them in your own logs.
➢ Reality is warping around you. While you can’t consciously warp reality, it does seem to be temporarily bending around you and trying to make parts of this location your home. Your favorite cafe, arcade, your house - all of those are on the table to appear.
➢ There are cracks appearing in the sky above Little Love, and alien spacecrafts are falling through them. The reality that these spacecrafts (and their passengers) inhabit is entirely subjective. What you see is real. And so is what your friend sees. You’ll need to decide on whose reality is the one worth sticking with.
➢ There are Alternate Universe Doppelgangers in Sunset Falls! These Doppelgangers are a potential you. Attempting to physically interact with these Doppelgangers will have you switch places with them! They’ll get your body, and you get thrown into what you can only describe as the Afterlife. A world where memories are the only thing that matters.
➢![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
metaheroes is an invite-only game. However, anyone is welcomed to participate on the TDM. If you do not know anyone involved and would like an invitation, you can contact the Mod Team on the Mod Contact page and request an invite.
➢ Current Players are welcome to treat this as a bonus event. These events are canonically happening within the game but can be largely ignored if you'd prefer to use the month for personal plots. You can tag into the TDM, reference these prompts in network posts, or use them in your own logs.
➢ Reality is warping around you. While you can’t consciously warp reality, it does seem to be temporarily bending around you and trying to make parts of this location your home. Your favorite cafe, arcade, your house - all of those are on the table to appear.
➢ There are cracks appearing in the sky above Little Love, and alien spacecrafts are falling through them. The reality that these spacecrafts (and their passengers) inhabit is entirely subjective. What you see is real. And so is what your friend sees. You’ll need to decide on whose reality is the one worth sticking with.
➢ There are Alternate Universe Doppelgangers in Sunset Falls! These Doppelgangers are a potential you. Attempting to physically interact with these Doppelgangers will have you switch places with them! They’ll get your body, and you get thrown into what you can only describe as the Afterlife. A world where memories are the only thing that matters.
➢
metaheroes is an invite-only game. However, anyone is welcomed to participate on the TDM. If you do not know anyone involved and would like an invitation, you can contact the Mod Team on the Mod Contact page and request an invite.WILDCARD.
Metaheroes takes inspiration from all walks of comics. Take a look at the CITIES to get an idea as to what day to day life is like in the other cities. Perhaps you've encountered a supervillain (or hero) who needs to be thwarted, or a metahuman with unusual powers creating bizarre effects. You can also take a look at the MISSION BOARD to get your start as a professional hero, villain, or vigilante.
no subject
[ He shifts to the side of the road where incoming traffic is likely to come through; falls into step beside her. It looks, for the moment, like they're going the same way anyway. ]
So, what's your plan then? Now that you're back in action.
no subject
There's an alliance here for people like us. I guess we're all supposed to have powers. I'm not sure what mine are yet, but they told me I definitely have them after falling through a Confluence.
[Which...isn't an answer to his question. She glances up at him with a shrug of her shoulders.]
They gave me a credit card and told me I could go to the Diadem Hotel. I'd have a room there for a little while.
[That's a very temporary and in the moment plan of action. But she has no idea what to do beyond that. It's overwhelming to have so many opportunities and no idea what to do with any of them.]
no subject
[ Sure, hospitals aren't hotels, but they function in similar ways, right? Bed, room service, a TV to keep you occupied when you're bored. ]
no subject
Not really. But I don't know where else to go.
[The smile on her face grows as she glances back up toward him.]
Why? Do you have any ideas?
no subject
So.
[ He smiles, and then remembers that it's probably time for introductions so one hand comes out of those jacket pockets in an offer for just that. ]
I'm Josh, by the way.
no subject
[She meekly reaches out to take hold of his hand, giving it a light shake. There's still her smile on her face though, and she thinks that she's doing a lot better than the nurses and doctors thought she would. Maybe she's not doing great after everything. And maybe she's afraid of her own shadow a lot of the time. But this is a stranger, and she's shaking his hand.
And it looks like they're going to grab a coffee. It's all so normal that she almost wants to cry.]
I'm guessing you haven't been here that long?
no subject
No, just the other day, actually. [ Or maybe it was the day before. His sleep schedule is a little all over the place and he wanted to scout around, get a lay of the land to try and understand why these things are happening.
It's not every day you get dropped into another world, but given his line of work, it's not out of the realm of possibility either. ]
I'm guessing by the way you mentioned getting powers that home was just your average day to day?
no subject
[She admits, cautiously leading the way over to the street corner. The button is pressed for the light to come on that ensures safety when they cross. Thankfully, it switches over right away and Chrissy waits for him to step out into the crosswalk first before following.]
But some weird things happened, and now I'm not really sure what to think.
[As they reach the other side of the street, Chrissy glances up at him, curious.]
You asked that like powers are normal where you come from.
no subject
Not sure how much vampires, werewolves and supernatural shit are in books and movies where you're from, but they creep around.
[ Messy business, dealing with groups from either faction. He'd rather deal with haunted houses and your run of the mill ghost than the undead or the wolves. ]
no subject
She's grateful when they reach the coffee shop, and she darts forward so she can open the door and let him inside.]
I was killed by something pretty...supernatural. So vampires and werewolves wouldn't surprise me.
[Leading the way to get in line, her eyes glance from the menu over to him.]
You're not trying to tell me you're a vampire or werewolf, are you?
no subject
Nothing... so... typical, [ he replies. If her world is anything like his, then there are loads of literature on shapeshifters and the living undead, but it's rare that anyone talks about his kind.
The line moves pretty quickly, so he tells the cashier: ]
Coffee, just black out of the pot. [ He squints at the menu before he decides maybe a sub will do. ] And that, hold the onions.
Maybe we should sit down and swap stories?
no subject
Once they've gotten their things and are sitting down at a table in a quiet corner of the place, she seems a little more at ease. She doesn't dig into her muffin, but picks at it slowly, tearing off small bites.]
Is it okay if you start with your story?
[It's not that she necessarily minds talking about herself. It's that she wants to hear his weird things before she dares to talk even a little about her own.]
with minor edits to his ghostly companion
He fidgets with the takeaway cup he was handed, feeling the heat of the coffee seep through the thick cardboard. At the back of his head, he can feel The Flower Girl watching, content to assess this new person in his presence. ]
I died, actually. [ It's normally where he starts. There's never any sense beating around the bush. He supplies details as needed, going into specifics when people prompt them from him.
For Chrissy though, he adds in scenery: ] Seven car pile-up on a highway out in rural California. Most people think I walked away without a scratch. Paramedics were very concerned because someone had checked on me before they could cut the door and they swore I wasn't breathing.
[ He remembers it all. It's not something you forget, even if the rest was just stories he'd heard from idle chatter of the survivors—and the dead.
The truck in front of him had blown a tire. Everything had gone slow even as his foot slammed down on the brakes. The SUV behind him had done the same; a mom of two, surprised by the screech of his tires while she was telling her children to stop fighting over ice cream.
It had been a bit like dominoes, each driver just making the most of what they could in the few seconds it took them to react. The agony of waiting for help to arrive. The smoke, gas fumes. People from a nearby farm running over to help and put out fire before it spread onto the dry grass.
And on his end, a small hand lingering on his face; The Flower Girl's voice a mixture of desperation and surprise You see me even as he tasted blood in his mouth.
Yes, he'd replied. I do.
He's looking at Chrissy now, a sheepish smile on his face as if to apologize for the vaguely gruesome picture he'd painted for her to fill in the blanks. ]
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So what made you start breathing?
[It may be a sensitive spot, so it's asked cautiously, not wanting to push any buttons. She knows that she can't just talk about her own incident without there being some issue, and wouldn't ever expect someone else to freely talk about their own death.
Especially if there's more to the story, which it sounds like there is in this case.]
I mean, you're here now. Unless they found a way to bring you back here, something must have saved you.
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There's a thing in my world. People say that before World War I and II, the likelihood of people like me coming back was rare. But since shit keeps happening, then there's no shortage of ghosts who want to live again.
[ He pauses a bit, continues after taking a sip of his coffee: ] I made a deal with a ghost. She has unfinished business—but the specific details get fuzzy because she can't remember. I wanted to live, I've got things to do still, so here we are.
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...am I a ghost?
[The question comes out so small and soft that she feels pathetic. All of a sudden, she tries to cling hold of control to anything that she can. Instead of picking at her muffin, she brings it up to her mouth and takes a bite. It doesn't wipe the worried look off her face, but it leverages her into feeling a little better about the fact she's really had no say so in anything that's happened to her for so long.]
I mean, is that why you can talk to me?
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Far as I can see you're alive and well.
[ Taking a sip of his coffee at that; and then frowning at her question. ]
How bad was it? [ Her death, he means. ] Unless you don't want to talk about it— [ Yet, he thinks. If he were a betting man, and he sort of is, he'd wager that she might need and want to, eventually. ] —that's okay, too.
[ He's told his story enough times and it's been a few years since he and The Flower Girl made the Bargain so he's had some distance from the trauma of dying. ]