The Sound That's Counted So Many Days [Open]

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

WHO| Howard and OPEN
WHAT| Boobytraps all up in here.
WHERE| Thunder Mountain (Frontierland)
WHEN| Week 4
WARNINGS/NOTES| None yet.

Thunder Mountain is a death trap. Howard's made it that way. A few people, like Wyatt, know how to get past the precautions Howard's set up, but otherwise it's a rather ingenious array of rigged boobytraps. In a way, Howard's actually enjoyed working on his 'security system' to the little tunnel he and Wyatt and R have occupied. It's taken time to think up, time that he could spend thinking of Eponine or thinking of dying or just thinking about the excruciating pain of having his body heal up. And then it's taken time to implement.

The bridge to the tunnel on each side has had most of the railing stripped out, and the boards on the track have been replaced by rotten ones from near the water. Pieces will fall out if stepped on. A few snares lie in wait in the darker parts of the coaster, ready to catch an unsuspecting foot. There are trip-wires, as well, some of which lead to bells or collapses of piles of stuff as alarms, and some of which tug at precariously-set coaster cars. It's not perfect, and many of the traps can be easily identified or won't work properly when tripped, but it's somewhat impressive nonetheless.

The tunnel itself has been made almost into a nest. Howard's been bringing back things from the gift shops, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and Tomorrowland pretty much every day. There are two makeshift beds for him and Wyatt made of ratty, moldy old towels and moth-eaten stuffed animals. A pile of netting sits off to the side, for catching fish. There's a firepit dug up, with spits made of sticks, and several thermoses full of water from the river.

Right now, while Wyatt's out checking some of the animal snares, Howard sleeps. It's a light sleep, one interrupted by wakefulness whenever there's a sharp noise, but it's rest enough. His hood is pulled up over his head, hiding his mangled face. The stolen souvenir clothing is so oversized it makes him look like a little grey and blue lump.

His hands clench around a stuffed Bagheera's leg in one fist and a knife in the other.

Comments

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard murmurs a little in his sleep. "Wyatt?" He rubs at his face with the hand with the folded knife, then pauses, remembering as he wakes that he isn't supposed to touch the injuries any more than necessary. He rolls over.

And sees not Wyatt, but Alpha.

He shrieks without even meaning to. He jumps to his feet, casting the bedding aside, one hand at his knife. Alpha looks like something from a nightmare, with a good third of his face looking like candlewax and saran wrap. At first, Howard's not sure he isn't dreaming; goodness knows Alpha's shown up enough times in his subconscious.

But the pain that racks Howard's body reminds him he's awake. He presses himself against the wall of the tunnel, trying to figure out what the fastest way to bolt would be.

[dieinpajamas]

Alpha is motionless while Howard wakes and screams, just watches the display with an amused expression. He takes a drink while Howard's clearly debating how to run, draining half the thermos, before he speaks.

"I've had worse welcomes." He waves a hand at Howard's face. "I can see you've been doing well."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"How'd you get in here?" Howard asks, swallowing hard. Maybe Alpha wants an alliance again, but Howard doesn't have the guts to tell his previous almost-murderer that he's found a different crew to hang with this time. "What are you doing here?"

And after a pause, Howard delivers a rather hypocritical, "and what happened to your face?"

[dieinpajamas]

"I walked," Alpha says simply, and that's an over exaggeration of how easy he found it to slip into Howard's hideaway, but no reason to give him a big ego. Or any hint of self-esteem, really, Alpha's never been fond of it in his puppets. "We haven't really been keeping in touch, thought I'd rectify that.

"You first," he says, taking a seat, making it clear he's there to stay for the moment, for however long he wants to. "Looks like you tried to headbutt one of the Donald Duck impersonators to death." He takes another drink and adds, thoughtfully. "Or did you get on the bad side of your old buddy Anonymous or whatever ridiculous name he calls himself?" The hypocrisy of this statement is not something Alpha dwells on.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I know. I don't call, I don't write. I'm the worst." Howard's trying to joke but his delivery's all off, as if it would be a snotty rat comment but it's been so mangled by fear that it's a dead animal by the time it hits the air.

It doesn't matter that Alpha intentionally butchers Aunamee's name - Howard's face still loses some of the blood in it, and he looks vaguely sick. "No, not Aunamee. Draco Malfoy, don't know if you know him, he cursed someone into biting my face off. Or something. I don't know."

He didn't expect to be swapping war stories with Alpha. He doesn't really like this turn of events, although it's better than getting killed, at least. "And you look like you forgot how to stop, drop and roll, for the record."

[dieinpajamas]

"That's what I admire about you, Howard. Your amazing knack for making friends." He takes another drink while he thought this over, then adds, "Didn't you kill Draco Malfoy last time? Or am I thinking of something with bears?"

He grimaces and touches his face lightly. "A curse, huh? Looks neither of us are having the best luck when it comes to magic."

Magic. Alpha was beginning to suspect there was more to the subject than he'd previously believed, and was certain he didn't like it.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Bears. I wasn't involved at all." He doesn't care if Alpha's seen proof to the contrary at this point. He's sticking to his lie out of stubbornness.

"Someone hit you with an Ugly Spell?" Normally he wouldn't sass off, but he doesn't want to show more weakness than he does naturally in front of Alpha. He knows that that leads to insults, to being deemed useless, to being killed.

[dieinpajamas]

"Right, silly me." Alpha rolls his eyes, but doesn't push. He's beyond caring at this point, though he couldn't resist the urge to needle him, just a little.

"Very cute. No, I was lucky enough to have my face set on fire. And I'd like to see you with your clever remarks when someone sets you on fire. No, I'm sorry," he holds up a hand, pointedly corrects himself, "If someone sets you on fire. Can't even speak correctly, I'm so traumatized."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard's trembling intensifies a little, and he winces. He tries to pass it off as just pain from one of his numerous injuries.

"Yeah, sure. Sure. So you just, you wanted to chat? Wyatt's at this camp too, you know. I don't know how you feel about the cowboy man."

[dieinpajamas]

"Wyatt?" said Alpha, a note of amused delight entering his voice. "Wyatt Earp is your new partner? Does that make you the deputy? I love Wyatt, we're pals."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I guess..." Secretly Howard wouldn't mind being the deputy, as long as it didn't come with responsibility or anything. "I guess it does. And the way you're saying 'pals' is giving me serious heebie jeebies, man."

[dieinpajamas]

"I have that effect on people," Alpha says flippantly, rapidly absorbing this fascinating new information. "It's a side effect of my strong personality. So you and our dear friend Wyatt, you're allies for the moment? Of the 'I'm going to sleep and trust you won't slit my throat before I wake up' sort?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard lowers the knife a little, but keeps the distance between them. "Why does it matter to you? Are you being like, possessive or something? Worried I'll side with people who don't have a history of jumping me?"

[dieinpajamas]

"What, I can't inquire after a friend?" Alpha's found this Arena, like so many others, fairly dull, but maybe he'd found a situation with the potential for some mild entertainment. "Tell me, does he still carry that badge around?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I...think so?" Howard's eyebrows quirk up into a confused expression. "Why?"

[dieinpajamas]

"Keeps it on him, close, right about here," Alpha says, patting his chest. It's not a question, it sounds more like he's thinking aloud. "And we don't want your skills getting rusty, right kid? Can't be losing faith in my right hand man. How about a little test, just a little prank between pals."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I use my left hand to steal," Howard says, eyes darting around. "You're not seriously asking I steal from my ally, right? Because I mean..."

Last time that didn't end well.

[dieinpajamas]

"It's not as though it's anything valuable," Alpha points out. "A trinket, really, and I'll of course give it back once you've handed it over to me. That makes it borrowing, not stealing. Or don't you think your new buddy has a sense of humor?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I think the last time I took something from my ally, I ended up stabbing him in the neck," Howard says, despite knowing full well Alpha didn't miss his gist the first time.

[dieinpajamas]

"Way I remember it, he let you stab him in the neck," Alpha says, a slight warning tone in his voice. He drops the serious expression almost instantly, puts the playful grin back on. "Besides, I think you'll agree that Wyatt's not the type to go around attacking helpless teenagers. He's one of the good guys, or don't you know you're own history?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard winces and swallows. Yes, he remembers Wyatt holding him as he bled out. He remembers it all too clearly.

"Fine. And what do I get out of it, except a ten-minute break from you being all high and mighty?"

[dieinpajamas]

Alpha raises his eyebrows. Kid had more spine than he thought, if he was willing to bargain. "Is there something you want? Beyond my generous offer to help you win?" Mostly by not killing him outright. "No, on second thought, how about this--you do me this small favor, I owe you, one small favor. This is an equal partnership, after all, give and take."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"First one doesn't count until I see actual help besides you sneaking in and taking my thermos." Howard's bitten, mauled lips press together to form a line. "Alright. Favor for favor."

[dieinpajamas]

Alpha rolls his eyes and tosses the thermos back at Howard. "It's traditional to offer your guest a drink, I just assumed you were the polite type." But he grins, bright and sharp, and pushes himself back to his feet, holds out his hand. "Then we have ourselves a deal."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Since when have you known me to be polite?" Howard raises an eyebrow, then holds out his mutilated, bandaged hand. "I can't shake with my right right now."