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The bridge to the tunnel on each side has had most of the railing stripped out, and the boards on the track have been replaced by rotten ones from near the water.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

[blondevigilante]

Stephanie is still far too shiny to have spent that much time in the arena; it makes her stand out in a way that is far too uncomfortable for a girl who usually spends her time sitting on rooftops in the dark. Shiny and new doesn't mean weak or dumb no matter what some people in this place may say or think. She knows the largest advantage in this area is the mountain just screaming to be climbed. She also figures there's someone or something just waiting for her to play rock climber so it or they can reminder her how much gravity has it out for her. Well, too bad Gravity, I'm totally scaling these concrete walls.

It isn't hard to start her climb since the mountain is for show and there are plenty of areas to "safely" make her way up. The stupid outfit slows her down and occasionally trips her up. There's evidence that someone was here. Is here. Maybe. The whole place is too prop heavy to give real clues on how recent the mountain visitors were, but then she gets to the bridge and a little voice that sounds way too much like O to be comfortable is telling her to look at how worn and warped those boards are. She knows how to cross this bridge and gives a silent thanks to Bruce and Babs for putting her through her paces.

Easy peasy, Batgirl.

She's across and in the tunnel of the mountain. Perfect place for traps. Stephanie is in Batgirl mode and although she lacks the fancy tricks of the suit she still knows what to look out for in the dark. Sticking to the wall and sliding foot over foot she makes it through and sees a makeshift camp up ahead.

Taste the victory, Steph.

Of course Bruce and Babs never made her train while dressed like the next Disney Princess. The back of her skirt catches on a wire and a pile of metal parts falls to the ground.

"Victory cancelled."

[knifewithnoname]

In the end it was boredom that drew her away from Tomorrowland and to the other areas. She knew how to be careful but she hadn't seen anyone for days and she was restless.

She had climbed into the ride for mostly the same reasons and was keeping an eye out for the weird monster things that sometimes appeared. She saw the traps, not all of them but enough. It should have been enough to make her back off but she was interested, she had been taught how to make traps like this but these were way better than most the ones she could make. She sneaked around examining the few she could find, careful not to trigger any.

Of course sneaking around a place filled with traps only had one conclusion, she tripped a wire causing an alarm. She had to get out fast.

Of course getting out in a hurry was harder than getting in carefully and slowly and her foot got caught. She cursed and took her folding knife, sawing through the wire as best she could, glancing upwards checking for threats, or people, shoes swinging in her free hand.

[hi_there_aliens]

Part of him was honestly surprised that he'd survived so long. The other part wasn't going to look that gift horse in the mouth.

He was never going to forget the way the female Tribute had slunk back like some sort of animal, eyes glittering in the darkness before flickering off, and that snarled promise. She'd wanted blood, and hadn't gotten it. He got the sinking feeling that he was a dead man if she got a second chance. This Tribute wanted his head, and she'd want it doubly since she'd been driven off. From then on, Daniel found himself keeping an eye on the sky at night, listening for the booming roll of the canons. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing, seeing the stream of the dead play out. The Capitol made it look like so much sports statistics. You wouldn't know it was a rising body count with the way they played it off. He didn't wish death on anyone here, but part of him needed to know if she was going to be stalking him.

So far, it looked like she was still alive. Daniel kept hold of the piece of rubble. From this point on, he carried it at his side, just in case. He needed to find somewhere safer than the ruins of Adventureland. He'd been ambushed each time there, and what he really wanted was somewhere enclosed and higher up, so at least he could see someone coming.

Daniel stopped outside a red, false mountain. He had to fumble through his memory for a moment before he came up with the attractions name. No, not the Matterhorn. It was the one with the train, the one he'd refused to go on. Thunder Mountain, that had to be it.

Shifting the rubble from one hand to the next, Daniel started in, slowly and searching for any sign the place was occupied.

[dieinpajamas]

There's a part of Alpha's that's rather impressed with Howard's set up, considering the kid's age, but most of Alpha is not so generous and he's not in the best of moods, so he slips through the traps with relative ease. Howard's got obvious experience, but Alpha's a genius several times over and he's not up to being kind to Howard's ego, even with the intention of simply messing with Howard's head.

He makes it into the tunnel where Howard's asleep in silence, and when a quick glance around doesn't reveal any food or anything else he'd be interested in stealing just then, he shrugs and grabs a thermos, dropping his attempts to be quiet as he does so.

He hasn't seen Howard's face yet, tracked him from a distance and behind to see where he was holing up, but he's got a decent set of scars himself, burns on the side of his face just shy of his eye and on the delicate skin at the corner of his mouth, together they'll make quite the sight.