If We Don't End War, War Will End Us

Remmington McAllister. Security guard for hire. Tears and rain and pain, we carry on through it all.

[rxmiddlemasx]

Open starter @lunarcovestarters

Option A Location: Country Club

With a deep sigh, a resounding noise echoing in the void between resignation and contemplation, Ralphie sunk deeper into the bubbling hot tub. When his sunglasses dipped down his nose, he brought up a wet finger to shove them pointedly back into place. "Why the fuck am I in here? I ain't even a little relaxed. Are you relaxed?" In truth, his sharp tone would have ruined any possibility for real peace in any regard.

"It's hot, ain't it? Aren't you hot? It's like a hundred fucking degrees. What if we filled it with ice instead? Like they do in sports locker rooms, ya dig it? Do you think the boss would get mad?" Talking to no one in particular, the vampire rolled over to bat his eyelashes, shades slipping down once more.

"I'm thirsty. You offerin' anything up?"

Option B Location: Joe's Pasta & Pizzeria

While the back party room of Joe's was not exactly Ambrosia, Ralph could at least rent it out for a reasonable favor or two. Standing thus at the head of the table, clad in the tuxedo he had purchased now that he was no longer allowed to rent them, he raised his wine glass in a mock toast. "And that's why you're here. You possess a very special set of skills. And they'll prove exceptionally important for what we must accomplish."

Evidently, his usual cadence was at least, in part, a put-on. The utter gravitas with which he now spoke belied most whispers of Brooklyn.

"We are going to build the largest and most breathtaking burnin' man this music festival has ever seen. And that? That requires stealing the giant pumpkin head."

He swallowed. "Wait. Do they, like...do they fuckin' grow a new giant one every Halloween? It ain't a real pumpkin, is it? It's, like, plaster, in a shed someplace, yeah? Shit. Wait, no."

Option C Location: A Public Restroom

The dull din of distant chatter revealed people were gathered someplace beyond the admittedly rather clean washroom. The air hung heavy with the scent of Pine-Sol. But for now, the space proved suitably quiet and suitably lonely. "Hey! Anyone in here?" Spinning in a circle when he received no response, Ralphie extended a hand to flick off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. Moving for the mirror, he blinked at his reflection, waiting for his companion to join him.

"Come on. Don't be chicken. Ain't nothin' gonna happen! Bloody Mar...wait!" He began to pat down his pockets to retrieve his cigarette lighter, which he flipped open to cast flickering shadows across the porcelain. "You need a candle or some shit, right? Bloooody Marrrrry...." The sound of footsteps near the door back to the hall gave him pause, and in truth, the light filtering through the bottom of it sort of ruined the whole atmosphere anyway. But Ralphie persisted.

"We'd better hurry. I don't wanna set off the smoke alarm." He flipped the lighter closed. "How many times did I say it? Do ya see her yet?"

[undeadremcycle]

Option C

Remmy peeked into the dark bathroom, glancing around until they saw a light flickering. "Uh-- sorry, is this not open?" The voice inside was familiar but they were having a hard time pacing it when they couldn't see their face. "See who?" they asked, raising a brow, stepping back and flipping the light on. "Sorry, was I-- uh, this is the men's restroom, right?"

[cantfightmoonlight]

@lunarcovestarters

Option A: Election Tent, Oasis & Burning Pumpkin

Ignoring the flaming pumpkin behind her that she was fairly certain someone was going to try to complain to her about - either because a certain vampire did it or because she was still the acting Mayor as of now, Meena leaned back in the lawn chair, sipping blissfully at the cocktail at hand as she watched from the Election tent, the VIPs seemingly enjoying the Oasis set up the Country Club had put on across the field. It was only when someone stepped into her light that she tilted her glasses. Shifting them onto the bridge of her nose as she eyed them up and down. "You wouldn't happen to be thinking about running for Mayor, would you?"

Option B: Cuddle Puddle

Drugs TW

"Whoa," Bri blinked up at the blue sky overhead as she watched the clouds shift into different shapes. She could have sworn one of them looked like a bunny, but then she blinked again, and the cloud was gone. It was as though every time she blinked, time was skipping forward, and yet the sky also seemed to be swaying. She was starting to thing the cookie she had wasn't a regular cookie, but for the first time in her life, her brain had slowed down and, for once, she genuinely felt calm of all things. A fit of giggles escaped her lips from where she lay slumped against one of the bean bag chairs that, without the drugs, she likely would have been attempting to disinfect at the present. "Is... the sky... spinning for you?"

Option C: Fairy Loot

The little pixie might have been decked head to toe in glow sticks with nearly both of her arms being weighed down with the number of friendship bracelets she had made and traded for, but it didn't stop her from dipping through the crowd, relatively unseen, as she unlocked fairy tree after fairy tree. She knew she was supposed to leave loot in the trees in place of the little 'treasures' she had taken, but semantics? She was too excited claiming her prizes and clearing all the trees out to pay attention to the details. It was only when she had finished emptying out the last tree that she spun around on her heels, her pile of prizes practically toppling out of her hands, that she noticed a poor unsuspecting fair goer who must have came to try their hand at some fairy looting themselves. "Oh... Hi? Fancy seeing you here?" She flashed them an innocent smile as she shoved the least desirable of the finger puppets she had claimed back into the tree trunk for them, having no desire to put any of the rest back but that.

Option D: Burning Pumpkin & Hot Air Balloon

"Hey, watch out," Jas called out, attempting to give one of the water sliders a hand. She had been planning to blast a gentle breeze of air in their direction to direct them back on course and stop the poor festival goer from sliding anywhere in the direction of the now flaming pumpkin, but amid the crowds, someone bumped into her shoulder, directing her hand blasting upward instead. Her eyes widened in shock as she and the person who bumped into her watched an unsuspecting fairgoer be knocked out of the hot air balloon just as it was taking off. "Damn..." A low whistle escaped her lips, before she turned back toward the person who had just plowed into her. "We should go. I don't think we should be standing here anymore. Not after well," She motioned back with a tilt of her head toward the water slider sliding toward the pumpkin of doom and the hot air ballooner who just had the shock of their life.

[undeadremcycle]

Option A

Remmy had never actually been to any sort of festival before-- let alone music festival. Was it always like this? Was it supposed to be like this? This loud? They'd had to turn their hearing aid off a few times already, and they'd forgotten to turn it back on by the time they'd wandered away from all the loud music and dancing and made it over to what looked like a giant, burning pumpkin. They were inspecting it from a distance when they heard a muffled voice, turning around.

"Oh, shit, sorry, I--" fumbling, they moved to turn their hearing aid back on, tapping the side of their head. "Didn't hear that. Um, what did you ask?"

[jonahxrivas]

"Early is good," Jonah nodded reassuringly. "Did he? I bet that's better than any alarm clock. My pets are all marine animals, they don't wake me up quite in the way dogs do." He added with a soft chuckle, recalling childhood dreams of wanting a dog, only to surrounded himself fish instead. Not much had changed since then. He looked at Moose with a warm smile, "I don't doubt he's well behaved, definitely looks the type. You can let him off now if you want? Might even be good, give him a bit of freedom."

[undeadremcycle]

"No fish licks in the morning?" Remmy snorted. "Oh yeah, he's more routine than me, which is probably a good thing, though. Helps me remember stuff." They gave him a pet on the head before looking back at Jonah. "You sure?" They gave a glance around, then shrugged. It was pretty empty out here so early in the morning and far out of town. "Alright, cool." Leaning down, they unclipped his leash and started undoing his vest. He had his special collar on, though, so hopefully if someone else came along, they wouldn't need to put the vest back on.

"So, where to first?" They asked once Moose was free.

[crownprincexofbees]

"Oui! They are very busy indeed! And we...we simply stand in their path, hm? Pesticides and improper planting and changing the climate. And yet, they return to the work over and over because it is necessary work...in order to keep the planet spinning, you understand? We humans...etcetera...it will go on without us. Not so with the bees, no." Ignacio pursed up his lips, voice growing passionate. Sometimes he longed to give the world a solid shake, if only to return it to its senses.

"That is very fair, friend. We are all many aspects, but one of the gifts I have found in this life is knowing who I am and my purpose. I may like certain colors and certain foods and certain music, but through it all, there is one part that I will leave behind. And that is good. It is a nice box. It is a bee box" He smiled, eyes flashing. "I do not know. How am I to explain where I have been, hm? When will we be safe again?" He trailed off. "Wyo-ming? Wyoming? I say it right? I do not think I have seen an American antelope. I have seen a chamois. Similar?"

[undeadremcycle]

"I heard somethin' about that, about them dying off and how bad it is. Why is it so hard to just help them, you know? Or, at least, stop killin' em. Damn, I wish there was somethin' I could do, you know?" Remmy shook their head. They'd always found better companionship with animals and the outdoors than most humans. There was something different about them, they got that, they'd just never had a real doctor tell them what it was.

Remmy listened and felt a small pang of jealousy. It seemed like years ago, now, that Remmy had felt like they knew who they were and what they would leave behind. But now, they had no idea about either of those. The most they'd left behind now was an empty house in a faraway state and a blood stain in a warehouse by the docks. "Yeah, fair." Remmy plucked at some of the grass beside them. "Yeah, yeah, that's right. Uhh, think they might similar? They got like, curvy horns and funny looking faces?"

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio have a low hum, a hearty noise resting between affirmation and appreciation. "Some would say bees are the very best. A single bee...it can pollinate 5,000 plants in one day, oui? But even they do not work alone. We owe much to butterflies, moths, even wasps, yes? And why limit? Why not sing the hummingbirds and the bats? Our planet is mighty and connected." He smiled, genuinely and assuredly, as if he were among those fortunate enough to understand the world as it was.

"It is a difficult question, would you say? I fear I am a firefly trapped in the form of a butterfly. Hunters have cocooned me. Lunar Cove is lovely. It is home," Ignacio replied softly. "But I do miss Paris. Have you ever seen it? It can...disappoint visitors, I understand. But I did love it for itself, not for what it is in movies. Where was your home?"

[undeadremcycle]

"Really? Damn, that's a lot of plants in one day. No wonder they're called busy bees." Remmy shook their head. Their world was pretty amazing, connected and mighty and all that, too. Sometimes it left them in pure awe. Sometimes it kind of terrified them. Either way, it was pretty amazing.

Remmy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Think it's just hard to, ya know, put yourself in just one box. Or one categry." They glanced back out over the field and watched the bugs continue to light up like little blips above the field. It reminded them of looking up at the starry sky, thousands of stars dotting the inky black. "You don't think you'll ever be able to go back?" They turned to look back at Ignacio. "Uh, Wyoming. Big, empty. Lots of antelope."

[jonahxrivas]

The auction had been an interesting experience to say the least. Jonah shouldn't have been surprised by it but was still caught off guard. His basket wasn't anything grand, there had been similar ones too, but his being the most, unsurprisingly, unremarkable. And it was adequately bid, going for a reasonable amount rather than thousands, millions, or billions like some of the other items. It was just a modest hike, not a diamond-studded trail. Meeting that expectation would be far too stressful and this here, it was just meant to be a day spent in the great outdoors. He could only do simple and that had to be enough.

A wave and a smile drew was returned as Jonah walked over to them. "Hiya! Ah well, either you're early or I'm late but either way we're here now. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long? Needed to sort a couple things." Attention shifting to the dog, Jonah smiled, "Hi Moose! You ready for the day?"

[undeadremcycle]

"I'm kinda early for everything so don't worry about it," Remmy said, giving a nonchalant wave. They certainly didn't want Jonah to think he'd arrived late, or to feel bad about that. "He's the one who got me up early, so I'd say he's pretty ready for the day. I'll probably let him off the leash once we get further away from town, if that's alright with you? Promise he'll be on his best behavior."

[crownprincexofbees]

Closed starter for @undeadremcycle Location: Firefly Festival

Lying in the grass, Ignacio extended a hand as a solitary insect alighted gently onto his fingers. He hummed softly, studying it as it began to glow, but after only a moment, it took flight once more, joining the others buzzing about these balmier summer skies. There was hope here, the pixie thought. He longed for the sensation to last. "So it goes, hm? To flirt and to fly away?" He murmured softly, raising a joking eyebrow and giving a click of his tongue.

"Les lucioles...they are important pollinators. There are many, many kinds, but they are not flies at all. They are beetles," he murmured gently, eyes dancing. "We have made the world very...eh, inhospitable for them, yes? Artificial lights and green lawns where they cannot lay eggs. They do not travel very far from where they were born, and so, local populations do not recover on their own." He pursed up his lips. "Butterflies migrate. Dragonflies. Would you say you are more firefly or butterfly?"

[undeadremcycle]

Remmy lay in the grass as well, watching the sky light up in little wisps as each firefly took their turn lighting up. They'd never experienced fireflies like this before-- they knew of them, but it was too cold and too dry where they were from for them to live there, and so they'd never really seen them. This was an entirely different experience, one they were quite enjoying.

"Are they? I didn't know. I don't know much about insects and stuff. I always thought just bees were pollinators an' stuff," they admitted, looking over at their companion. They'd sort of just stumbled upon the spot, but they really didn't mind the company. "Guess I'm more...butterfly? I left home as soon as I could, really. What about you?"

[undeadremcycle]

With: @jonahxrivas Where: Echo Acres trailhead, Basket Auction Date

Remmy shifted from foot to foot as they waited with Moose for Jonah. They were actually pretty excited for the day, having gotten up early and made sure they'd had a healthy breakfast of blood to keep them fed on the hike-- but not just because they liked hiking, but also because they were eager to spend time getting to know Jonah, seeing as he was Rohan's husband. They liked Rohan, he was a nice guy, and he'd seemed genuinely invested in Remmy's gardening.

They smiled when they spotted him approaching, giving a wave. "Hey!" they called out. "Guess I got here a little early, huh?"

[cantfightmoonlight]

"Well too bad, cause I mind and I ain't about to take no for an answer. At least in this specific situation," She clarified, shooting Remmy a bright smile as she leaned forward from where she sat in the seat across from them. "No, it don't seem like it. I hardly met anyone even remotely like us till I got here," She admitted.

"Now I don't know about that. I think you both are quite the lookers, personally," She decided, only for a melodic giggle to escape her lips at the mention of Moose's drool. "You two are too cute and I mean that," She promised. "Total sights for sore eyes."

[undeadremcycle]

Remmy held their hands up. "Alright, alright. I give." They gave a half grin, a little shy from the attention. They weren't really used to it, they didn't usually pull the military card often. Or ever, really. "I think the only ones like us I ever met were the vampires that, ya know, changed me or whatever." Killed them would be the proper word, but they didn't really feel like saying that word. It still felt...wrong. They didn't feel like they died, even though sometimes, they wished they had stayed that way.

Remmy gave a breathy chuckle. "That's awful sweet of you to say," they smiled, "guess he just can't help himself 'round a beautiful lady."

[rohanxpersaudx]

Rohan laughed at that. "Believe me, I understand. But I think most people are their own worst critics too. That said, I actually think maybe my critic could be a little louder. I've written some terrible things. A few months ago, I did this hard pivot into...I don't know. Abstract existentialism? It's locked in a drawer now, and the archeologists can have it." He grimaced. "Oh, I have other hobbies. I like to...look gloomily out at the sea. Surely that must count for something." This came like a joke, but he really did do just that sometimes.

Rohan allowed his features to soften. "I'm very sorry. I hope I didn't stick my foot in my mouth. But I am...uh, adopted myself. It's not really the same, I don't think, and I wouldn't presume it to be. But I understand wanting to know who came before us." His adoptive parents had been wonderful, and Rohan had spent much of his life content with where fate had placed him. But meeting his sister had frayed some of those edges, the circumstances of his birth.

He smiled. "I'll have to take your word for it. I don't disbelieve you. I just don't think I've ever solved one. I must be getting myself more scrambled." Rohan sighed. "It is. I don't know. My life is here. My friends, my family. I want to stay and to leave all at the same time."

[undeadremcycle]

"Think I've heard that somewhere before, too," Remmy said, nodding sagely, as if it were the most profound thing someone had ever said. Maybe it was, Remmy didn't know. "Ain't sure what exactly that all means, but if we're our biggest critics, then maybe we should stop bein' so hard on ourselves, right?" They shrugged again. "Ya know, I thought about takin' up that hobby, too. It any fun?"

Remmy shook their head. "Oh, nah, you're good. S'not like you could've known. Don't think that's something that a lotta people, like, have a problem with, you know?" They'd never really thought about what life would've been like with her around. Lately, though, they'd been thinking about it constantly.

"I could show you, sometime, if you want?" Remmy offered. "I mean, for what it's worth, I think it's a real nice place. Think I'd like for it to be my home, too." Not that they had anywhere else to go, even if they wanted to.

[rohanxpersaudx]

"Hey, That's a good metaphor. Graspable, relatable, to the point. You should consider drama writing if you've never tried it," Rohan smiled. "Don't tell anyone, but a lot of playwrights think you need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of, like, sixteenth-century religious literary references. It helps keep people out." He laughed, but with it, he offered an understanding nod. "You know, I used to be really into antiques. Little, delicate things. I got rid of a lot of them. I guess that's good. I'd have a lot of broken porcelain in my life. He gave a weak shrug.

Rohan pursed his lips together. "If I could, I'd offer to...you know. But well...personally, I do think it's best when people move on, though. Instead of lingering. And maybe she has. I think my own mother did. I spent a lot of time in the house I grew up in, and it had spirits. Certainly. But not hers, not literally." He trailed off. "We stick to things, though. To everything we've ever touched or loved...not completely. Not consciously. But energy never goes away. All that said, there are other witches who could help you out if that was something you thought would bring you peace."

"I never did master Rubik's cubes. What's the secret?" Rohan asked, cocking his head to one side. "I'm terrible at math. Truly. My husband has a head for those things, though. I guess that's partly why we work. I'm there to...help pick out curtains." He grimaced. "Believe it or not, Lunar Cove did get tourists at one time. Before...everything. People would come, be part of it all for a few weeks, and then leave. Returning each summer for their taste of the magic that scares everybody else so badly. And forget why they liked it."

[undeadremcycle]

"Is it?" Remmy paused, raising a brow. "I don't think I'd be much good at writin' stuff like that. But, I mean, I'd try it, I guess? Would never share it, though, that'd be embarrassing." Remmy nodded. "Well, once you learn control, you could probably start collecting again? It's good to have hobbies. Or so my therapist says."

Thinking on it, Remmy shrugs as well. "I never met her," they said finally, "she uh, she died havin' me. So it was just me and my dad. I wouldn't know what it felt like, you know, if she had lingered? Closest I got were some photos and old video tapes. She seemed nice." It felt strange to miss someone they'd never known, but Remmy often felt the absence of their mother, whether they knew her or not.

"Patterns," Remmy answered. "Every Rubik's cube can be solved in only 20 moves, no matter how jumbled it gets. So it's just about finding the pattern and going from there." They spoke as if that were something simple or easy. They understood it wasn't for everyone but that was just how they were. "Well, someone's gotta do the hard work." They gave a grin, then glanced around them again. "I think I could believe it, actually. It's a nice place, when there's no murder or kidnappin' goin' on."

[georgianaortiz]

Disinterested wasn't the right word, although her demeanor left something to be desired in the way of social niceties. An uncommon occurrence for a woman who was raised in society and who usually enjoyed mingling. There was no excuse she could think of given Remmy was a vampire, just that Georgiana didn't feel the same anymore. Her thoughts rang too loud, disorienting the immortal, to find comfort in chit chat.

"Afghanistan." An echo spoken with more weight than the singular word could convey. A flood of memories from decades past entering her mind, as she recalled the time she'd spent in the aforementioned country. Decades ago, the 1950's if her memory served her, long before the war. It was difficult to say for sure, as her mind continued to play tricks on her. Memories bled into hallucinations and vise versa. Although of the Caffeine Crypt she was sure, "Yes." Where the coffee shop sat had once just been a field. The building's foundation laid under the watchful eye of a younger version of her, as every renovation that came after had been, too. "There wasn't much to Lunar Cove when I first came here in..." A delay in her confession made it seem as though she'd forgotten, but in reality Georgiana remembered too much. All the agony of her early life brought back up during her torment from the wolf bite. "..the 1850's."

[undeadremcycle]

"Uh, yeah," Remmy said, nodding as they followed along behind. They were quiet as they walked, they could sense the distance Gia had seemed to put between herself and whatever was going on around her. They could sort of relate to that. Life had felt so grey and nothing when they'd first woken up after being discharged from the military. Everyone they knew was dead. They had no friends, no family, no nothing. They'd had to reinvent themself, only to have it all torn away again.

"1850? Shit," they said, legitimately surprised. In theory, they knew vampires lived forever, but it had never occurred to them really that people who were born ages ago could still be alive. "That's a long time. What, um, what was it like? If you don't mind me askin'."

[cantfightmoonlight]

"Ah, well, thank you for your service. I wish I had known before you had already paid. I would have given you even more of a discount," She offered up with a sweet smile. "I get that. I do. It's just I can't say I've ever lived in any other place where so many people have been kidnapped and tortured... I'd say ya'll have a real problem on your hands here, but then again, there ain't really anywhere better for us lot to go, now is there?" She let out a soft sigh at the thought before giving Remmy a small nod. "Yeah? I'd much prefer it if that were the case."

"And now you better," She clasped her hands together happily at the thought. "Don't get up my hopes up here all for nothin'," She teased. "Right? He's got a face to die for. Though, then again, you do too from the looks of it," She teased, a happy smile remaining across her lips as she watched how much Remmy clearly loved Moose and vice a versa.

[undeadremcycle]

"Oh, it's-- you don't have to thank me or whatever. It's cool, really. I don't mind payin' the normal amount." Remmy gave a short noise of thought, half nodding. "Yeah, guess that's true. My hometown was boring as shit. And, well, Boston was kinda like that, I guess, but it's a big city and all." They scratched the back of their neck, giving a shy smile. "Don't think so. Not a lot of places for us, huh?"

Remmy gave a short chuckle. "I will, promise. Cross my heart and hope to die and all that." They gave a quick motion over their chest, grinning. "Oh, nah. Moose is definitely the good lookin' one out of the two of us." Moose, who had little idea what any of the words meant, just wagged his tail and let his tongue loll out, drool dripping onto the sidewalk. "Drool aside," they mumbled, reaching down with a napkin to wipe the side of his mouth.

[moonglowmagic]

@lunarcovestarters

Option A: Dilan

Dilan had been frazzled between Leyla’s mysterious illness and all the weddings that she was planning for the summer. With her assistant out on leave from stress it left everything in her hands. “Out of the way!” She yelled as she pushed through the crowd with a dozen balloons in her hand. Feeling a sharp pain as someone elbowed her in the side and she released the balloons instinctively to grab her side. Realizing a split second later what she’d done and panic set in. “No! No! No!” She screeched as she tried to grab the balloons that were floating up to the sky. Managing to get a few, but the others were quickly out of reach. “Don’t just stand there help me.” Dilan told them as she jumped to try and grab the rest of the balloons.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Option B: Poppy

“Alright it’s closing time.” Poppy said with a sigh as she threw the rag over her shoulder and walked to the door. Ushering out the patrons who were finishing off their drinks, she watched the glasses collect on the bar as people stumbled out. Noting a person still sitting at one of the tables after everyone had left, she walked over to them. Sitting down across from them with a smile, she crossed one leg over the other. “So can you not follow directions or is this just a lame attempt to spend time with me?” She questioned curiously. “If it’s the second then I guess you got your wish cause I’m here and could use a beer.” Using her telekinesis to bring over the beer that she had been nursing most of the evening. “I would offer to refill you, but I’m off the clock now.” She teased playfully. “So help yourself, just nothing from the top shelf.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Option C: Safiye

“Do you want me to get that for you?” Safiye offered pointing to the empty coffee cup that was sitting on the table in front of the patron at Peggy’s Dinner. “I can refill it if you want or just take it away?” Offering both options up since she wasn’t sure which one they’d prefer. “But if you want my suggestion take the refill and get a piece of pie. We just cut the pie and refilled the coffee so it’s all

[undeadremcycle]

Option B

Bars hadn't been Remmy's scene for a really long time, but sometimes being a vampire meant they couldn't sleep, and there weren't really a lot of other places open late enough to accommodate a person like them. They'd simply ordered a Sprite and found a table in the back corner, popping out their hearing aid and opening their sketchbook to a blank page before they'd started sketching what bits of the bar interior they could see.

They lost track of time and themself pretty quickly, and without their hearing aid in, Remmy didn't hear the last call. It was only when someone slid into the booth across from them that they realized the bar was empty, sitting up with a startle. "Oh, I--" they fumbled a moment, stuck their hearing aid back in-- "sorry, I didn't hear. I-I can go, if you need." They looked towards the bar and the floating beer bottle. "Neat," they said. "Huh? Oh, nah, I don't actually drink. Just soda for me."

[rohanxpersaudx]

Rohan sighed. "Oh, don't tell me that. Our house is old, and it's beautiful, mind you. We love it. But I don't want to make even more repairs for us. We've had enough already." Their home had become something of a money pit, with issues like wiring requiring more work than Rohan, perhaps in his naivete, had anticipated. "What does it feel like? Super strength, I mean? Does everything just seem lighter all of a sudden?" He wrinkled his nose. "I guess I'll see for myself, huh? But I'm sorry. I suppose I can't really show you what spirit raising is like. But maybe imagine...I don't know. Like every telemarketer in the world has your number. And you still need to answer the phone sometimes. So you get good at figuring out intentions quickly, but you still don't even answer during dinnertime. Is this long-winded metaphor making any sense?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll find out," Rohan replied, shrugging his shoulders. "What did you like in school? Were you...a science person? Gardening is kind of a science, isn't it?" He gestured around them. "And that's not even mentioning the Air B&Bs. Between you and me, though, I think those are mostly locals looking for somewhere to throw a party."

[undeadremcycle]

"Oh, sorry," Remmy said, shaking their head. "Hopefully it ain't so bad for you. It's uh-- kinda, yeah? Like, you know somethin's heavy, right? And you go to lift it, but instead of it bein' heavy like you expect, it just ain't. Like lifting somethin' underwater but less wet." It was probably the worst way to explain superstrength to someone, but it also wasn't something Remmy thought a lot about. That was probably why they kept breaking their doorknob. "You just gotta learn new, like, limits. Ain't gotta squeeze as hard anymore and stuff."

They nodded along, trying to picture it in their head. "Kinda? I think I can figure it out from there, really. It does sound kinda neat, though. Talkin' to spirits. I always wondered if my mom was still around like that, you know? A spirit?"

They shrugged. "Guess so." Remmy scratched their chin in thought. "I dunno, I was kinda shit at school. Had a hard time readin' and figuring things out. I mostly ditched, anyway. But, uh, I always kinda liked math? I guess? Like number puzzles and shit are fun. Or geometry. I have a hundred sided rubik's cube that I love playin' with." Science was way too far out of the realm for Remmy. Gardening had never felt that way to them, it was more of a feeling. "Surprised Air B&B can run in a town like this."

[cantfightmoonlight]

"Stationed, huh? You part of the military or the navy or somethin'?" She asked curiously. "Yeah, I'm startin' to get that impression about this place too. I don't know if I've made up my mind about it yet? I wanna say yes, but after the dance and the shit people keep sayin', I'm startin' to wonder if I might have accidentally picked up and moved to hell? It ain't always death, murder and kidnappin' around here, is it?"

"Well, the great thing about karaoke, is that nobody is expectin' anybody to be good. It's all about havin' fun," She reasoned. "A lady actually," She rolled her eyes playfully over at them as she told Remmy, "But you're welcome. There ya go and oh please. I reckon this prince makes up for it a hundred ways, now don't ya, Moose?"

[undeadremcycle]

"Air force," Remmy says, "most of my life. I went in at 17." Remmy chews on their cake thoughtfully. "I think it's hard to pin down this place, I guess. Like a lot of shit happens, but then there's times where it's just, you know, another place. A town, with homes, and people. Like everywhere else, but sometimes there's magic shit going on." They shook their head. "So, nah, not all the time. Maybe you just caught it in a bad mood."

Remmy tapped their fingers on the table. "Maybe I will check it out sometime. Just, be warned. My singin' voice is shit," they said with a nod. They looked down at Moose, who lifts his head at the mention of his name and wags his tail against the cement. "Yeah, you got me there. He sure does make up for it, just with his face. I mean, how could anyone ever say no to a face like this, huh?" They pet his muzzle, then scratch under his chin, which makes Moose's back leg begin to twitch as if he were trying to scratch at himself. Remmy smiles. "That's his favorite spot."

[rohanxpersaudx]

Rohan managed a smile. When he was a young teenager, he had perhaps thought of his abilities like superpowers, something that belonged to him and only to him. Having them, having Bustopher, was not unlike having a secret identity. "Yeah, I'd guess so. Super strength and speed incoming for me too," he murmured. "But...uh, you know, kind of? But in reverse. Holding a séance means opening yourself up to the other side. I sort of lived...closing it off when it was not the time for it. Does that make sense? One finds himself startled by the silence when it arrives." He shrugged, but even now, he was not entirely used to the lack of outside voices constantly vying for his notice.

Rohan laughed. "That's an optimistic attitude of my own heart," he joked. "Part of me hopes that maybe...maybe every full moon I can just...let the wolf do all the hard work, you know?" Rohan was not in bad shape, of course, and he enjoyed being active. Those dance classes at which he failed in college had required it. But he would just have never considered himself particularly athletic, certainly not the way it seemed many of the werewolves were.

"Don't apologize. You're not lame. I'm just a nerd. That musical came out in 1991, won three Tony Awards, and no one ever talked about it again," he replied with a self-deprecating grimace. "Besides, our real life is hectic enough. Who has time for fiction anyway?" A gentle nod followed. "Yeah. I was lucky. I hope we can...find that here too again, you know? Lunar Cove used to be quiet. Touristy even. We have, like, three hotels."

[undeadremcycle]

"I'm still trying to get used to the super strength myself," Remmy says, flexing their fingers, "I've broken more than a few doorknobs. My landlord probably hates me." As they listen, they try to imagine what that's like, opening up oneself to a different side or world or plane or whatever. Remmy rubbed the back of their head. "Sure, makes enough sense. Probably easier to uh, understand if it was shown to me." They were a very strictly visual learner, which was why the idea of losing their sight terrified them more than they cared to admit.

"Does that actually work like that?" Remmy asked, then, raising a brow in genuine curiosity. They knew so little about this world, really anything someone said could be true and they'd never know the difference.

"Nah, it sounds cool, that you like know all that obscure artsy stuff. I never did good with that kinda shit in school." They chuckled, nodding. "Life does seem kinda hectic sometimes, don't it?" Their gaze went out to the city beyond the garden, tracing around until it fell back on Rohan. "I think it's possible," they said with a soft finality, "with that many hotels, it's gotta be."