Video; UN: Sam

[beforetheverse]

[The video opens with Sam holding the camera, filming what appears to be a creepy mask in one hand. There's a distant sound of celebration in the streets; the so called 'Blach Parade' is in full-swing, with kites and giant walking dolls and people in costumes not quite Halloween, not quite anything Sam's seen before, but...]

This is the kinda stuff you'd call a Ghostbuster for. Or — a hunter. I guess.

... I hate Halloween. Why're people so excited to goof around with demons and ghosts and witches, anyway? I guess I get dressing as a cowboy or a cat or something — but celebrating all this dangerous stuff, it feels wrong. [A pause, and then he huffs.] It's harder to tell when something's real, in October. If there's really a haunting, or if it's just some dumb joke 'cus it's almost Halloween. Or people think they're safe from something dangerous, because they assume that monster they're being watched by is someone in a mask.

People don't realize the threat, a lot of the time; they think it's all fake. But you guys know it's real here, right? We all know what it's like to be chased by monsters and spirits... And... I think they must be telling the truth, when they say the masks protect you here. So everyone should find a mask and keep it nearby, if you can. And if you see any ghosts... Put it on quick.

And if you see any ghosts on any haunting grounds, you can call me or my brother. We're really good at putting ghosts to rest; it's kind of something we've been trained to do.

[The teenager pulls off his backpack, tucks the mask into it.]

But if you can't reach us, the mask could help. Sometimes your weapons aren't the kind you strike things with. Sometimes your weapon's something like salt and matches, or a silver spoon, or a book full of weird words. Umm. Sometimes I guess it's your mind, too. In a place like this. [He looks down and away, unsure how much he should talk about; in his past life, he was taught not to say anything to people. To not talk about his life to anyone, because they'll think he's nuts, or take him away from his family. A few CPS close calls and weird looks babysitters gave him proved as much — he couldn't be a Winchester out loud... until now.] I've been having a lot of visions, too. Visions of... of people wrapping their hands around people's throats.

I get those weird dreams a lot. Even before, I... had dreams about that river full of bodies.

I think it must be because of my blood.

A lot of us have problems like this, right?

Comments

video; un: willthewise

[deadboywalking]

Yup. [This comes sort of muffled, because Will has Paleblood migraines now and he's convalescing like a Victorian lady, with a washcloth over his face and all the lights out.]

Cereal blood shit.

video;

[beforetheverse]

[Sam, despite the image he's getting from this video, can't help but smile.]

Hey, Will.

[It's nice to see someone else his age around. It's nice to have people not changing so constantly as they did back home; sure, people can come and go sometimes, but nothing like before. It's one of the pros of this place, on his crumpled list of pros and cons.]

You're not feeling too good right now?

... I don't think this place has normal aspirin in a bottle.

video;

[deadboywalking]

Noooooope. [Will sort of groans it, popping the "p". He lifts his arm a little, peeking out from under the washcloth.] I kinda wish I was having those vision things again. Better than dumb headaches. I can't even read.

...probably not. [He drops the cloth again.] Probably just have...medicinal mushrooms.

voice; un: givemeyourown

[unsheathedfromreality]

[Oh, child.

Terrible seriousness from the very young is all too familiar. Many--if not most--shrike children had gone through that phase.]

As you say, they celebrate because they believe it has no power over them--or they refuse to give it that power. Death may come for them any time here, but fear may not rule them.

[Respectable, in its way.]

They trust their guardians very much.

Even before Trench, I saw things that were not there. Not often futures; mostly pasts that did not happen.

voice;

[beforetheverse]

It's a bad idea, to celebrate anything that dark.

No matter how much you believe in something, it doesn't stop a werewolf from eating your heart if you don't have something to defend yourself with.

[He sighs softly through his nose.]

You saw... pasts? How come?

[unsheathedfromreality]

Do they all celebrate something dark? Or recognize that a day will come when there is no defense, and they must live despite that?

It is wise, still, to worry about what they invite. Or leave themselves open to.

[But there are reasons for it beyond incaution.]

Mm. [He regrets, a moment, his incautious wording; this is very close to revealing state secrets, ... whatever "state" he might be assumed to still belong to.

Here, the secrecy hardly mattered. But the habit's hard to break.] I lived in a place touched by a pillar of the world. You perhaps do not have these? They are--worlds that did not happen. When they corrupt something, they bring with them parts of those worlds, and you may wander into one, now and again. It is most dangerous to do so.

[VIDEO] UN: [username not set]

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne's forehead is creased with concern as she replies. She's been so busy worrying about what's wrong with the adult Sam, she's been too neglectful of the young one. The one she cares about immensely.

It's sloppy and careless of her.]

Sam, I'm so sorry that you're having dreams like that.

[VIDEO]

[beforetheverse]

[Oh...! Ariadne...! He smiles more genuinely at the sight of her; after all, she was one of his first real friends in Deerington. Sure, he's low on teenaged friends, but he's already used to being around a bunch of adults anyway.

Shaking his head quickly-]

It's okay! I mean, it kind of sucks, but... There's worse stuff to deal with.

Um... Do you need help setting your username, Airy?

[demonicbeauty]

[He's deflecting. It's not hard to figure out. But Ariadne's always tried to be very careful around Sams, big or small. Sometimes, they need to deflect.

Anyway, he's the second person to ask her that recently, so it seems about time to get to the bottom of this whole matter.]

...what exactly is a username?

video; un: quibbler

[creidim]

I don't know, I'd like to think I'm quite a fun person to 'goof around' with. [ Witches and Wizards back home certainly know how to party, especially when Quidditch matches are concerned. There's a groggy smile his way; she's a little worn out from her last migraine, still recovering from it — her room behind her dimly lit. ]

This place is... very different to Deerington in October, but being cautious isn't a terrible idea. This world is still part of Sodder, in a way. [ Or where parts of Sodder came from, considering the heavy sway of Pthumerians here.

She frowns slightly about the mention of 'vision', her brow furrowing. She considers it for a while, remembering: ]

I've had friends talk about new... 'gifts'. A friend said she's become more psychic due to her blood, she has the kind that smells like milk — same as I do.

[ Although she's not realised what her gift is. ]

video;

[beforetheverse]

[.... Oh.

Oooh — uuum.

Sheepishly, his shoulders go up, and he says:]

... Sorry, Luna. I — I didn't mean you. It's just, um. Home... and...

[Clearing his throat, he adds:]

I guess that's me, too. Becoming psychic. I think.

[creidim]

It's alright, Sam. I remember you told me once that witches aren't always so friendly in your world. The older you, that is. [ Oh, Sam. She understands, she does. ] It's a shame The Great Sleep isn't a thing anymore, I'm sure you'd love getting to see Halloween in my world.

[ Something good to counter the bad. Halloween is such fun, especially at Hogwarts. ]

It's possible. Maybe that's what happens with Palebloods, maybe we've all got some kind of new power that's along those lines. [ She pauses, frowning as she rubs between her eyebrows. ] Although I've not discovered anything myself. Not yet, anyway.

video; UN: seeingtheworld

[schoolingfish]

[Luca is clearly taking some of the advice in this video seriously, because he's wearing his mask, and has been every time he goes anywhere ever since this began. Despite taking this seriously, though, he sounds slightly drunk.]

What's wrong with witches? The one I met seems really nice. And what if the monster they're being watched by is real, but still just a kid, and just wants to learn how to ride your bike? Maybe the monsters are just afraid of humans, and will just hide in an underwater cave if your boat gets too close.

video;

[beforetheverse]

[Whoa, hey! Another kid! Someone around his age is such a rarity.]

I guess it's because of the witches back... where I came from.

Most of them are kind of, uh. Evil. Like put curses on you kind of evil. They're all normal human people where I'm from, but... they're as bad as some of the worst monsters I've heard about.

... I hadn't met a good monster until I woke up here.

video;

[schoolingfish]

Oh. I...never met a witch before I came here, but the one witch I met here is really nice.

I did meet sea monsters back home, but they're not dangerous at all. No land monsters, though.

[...okay, technically he did because his people called humans land monsters, but he's not going to say that and basically announce that he's a sea monster on the network.]

( video | un: salvatore )

[prescind]

You've always had dreams like that, you said?

I know blood is different here but yours wasn't always like that, was it?

( video )

[beforetheverse]

No!

[He says it quickly, looking worried, as if the idea of him having visions before would immediately paint him in some horrible dark light (because it would, back home, it absolutely would).]

No, I meant — I got those weird dreams a lot here! Before this video! I didn't — that's not something I've ever had before. Mine... I've got normal blood. I did, anyway, before things changed it here.

[Now that part was a lie.

He didn't know why he knew it was a lie, but it was.

His blood's not normal; there's something horribly wrong with it.]

[prescind]

All right, all right.

( stefan holds up a hand. )

Nothing against it if you had had dreams, man. I know a few people back home like that. I was just curious.

( no pushing here. )

What kind of blood did you get here?

video | un: 🐟 wanda

[explosion]

I have weird dreams, too. All the time.

[ usually of pietro, vision, tommy and billy. they aren't any more frequent or infrequent now that she's in the trench. they're just there, as they always are.

she gives him a small smile. ]

I can try and take them away if you want.

video

[beforetheverse]

[Sam blinks, quieted by the offer.]

Take them away...? You can do things like that?

video

[explosion]

[ she smiles and nods. ]

I can make people see things... [ she scrunches up her nose. ] I should be able to take them away.

[ putting nightmares in people's heads is the exact same as removing them, isn't it? ]

video; un impala67

[venatoris]

Man, you really have been chatty cathy your whole life, huh.

video;

[beforetheverse]

Is that really a bad thing? It's good to talk to people.

Like, you and Dad suck at it, but still.

[voice | un: seeingeyefox]

[auralaura]

Go back to how salt and matches work against monsters. I'm intrigued.

[Grimm were never gonna be stopped by salt of all things, but it sounds like a crazy story. Then there are the visions. He might come back to that, too.]

[voice]

[beforetheverse]

I guess it depends on what monster you're facing. I know salt is effective against ghosts and demons, especially. I mean... I didn't know about the demons until recent, but when I'm older I'll fight a lot of demons.

If you wanna banish a ghost, salting and burning their bones is the best way to do it.