[ OPEN ] July Catch-all

[willtheunwise]

WHO: Will Byers (willtheunwise) & OTA

WHAT: Catch-all for July,

WHERE: Various locations

WHEN: Through July

WARNINGS: Some talk of monsters, death and maybe kidnapping, typical Stranger Things/horror canon stuff





1. Sketching
After getting very involved in chalking Will has realised that in order to keep himself sane he needs art supplies. For now that’s a plain notepad and a HB pencil but it’s good enough and he can often be found sat in various city locations sketching whatever takes his fancy. That could be anything from buildings to trees and flowers or dependent on how interesting you look or what you’re up to is you.
If you approach him he will certainly startle like he wasn’t expecting to be noticed at all but it’s not too hard to convince him to stop for a chat or show you his artwork.

2. Mall
The last time Will was really at a mall was when the hivemind sent a huge meat monster version of his worst nightmares after him and his friends. His sister lost her powers, her father was seemingly killed and his friends possessed older brother died in front of him. Malls have bad memories attached. But still after snooping through what he could of the city before the second district opened up he still hasn’t located anywhere to get decent art supplies or records so he’s trying to be brave about it.
He can’t be found standing staring up at it quite blankly, disassociating a little, maybe breathing a little unevenly as he tries to convince himself that he can manage to go inside alone.

3. Convenience Store daytime
It sure is mighty convenient to be living so close to a convenience store and Will has been taking advantage by mostly feeding himself on snacks and soda because if he’s really honest he’s rarely had to fend for himself because Jonathan was always there in some capacity and when he wasn’t available Will was over at a friends house so his cooking skills are almost non-existent. He can often be found sitting on the counter and if you’re in there looking for anything specific he probably knows where it is.

4. Convenience Store night time
On occasion Will has been known to forget to feed himself, especially when he’s been busy scrolling through the network and sketching and generally behaving like a total shut in so it’s not unusual for him for him to be in the store late at night, since it seems to be open at all hours.
He’s only ever been in there alone though, so when he hears something else in there he creeps round the edge of the shelf he’s just been raiding thinking he’s being really sneaky and it’s definitely not going to freak him out. Of course when he does see someone he startles and the bags of chips in his arms go flying causing a crinkly racket as they hit the ground.

“Shit, sorry, shit…” Will looks at the mess then up at the other person, “I wasn’t expecting anyone else in here so late.”

5. Wildcard
Hit me with anything or shoot me a PM or find me here on Plurk unwisewizard for plotting or closed starters or anything else!
Happy to match format also so if you have a preference for brackets I’ll match that!

Comments

[strongroots]

Robby nods his head at the joke back, a smirk on his face that sticks as the other guy continues. He can handle some goofiness, though he will make his way towards the fridges--thank you, Captain Obvious--while speaking up.

"Cow overlords? That's a new one; I heard this whole thing was aliens. If it's cows, we're probably screwed."

Said, with a resignation to his potential death. He's opening up the fridge, looking at the labelling enough to figure out where the whole milk is, and thanks, he'll be taking that. Turns, just so he can add while looking at the self-appointed store attendant.

"We have been eating them for years."

So, you know. No mercy.

[willtheunwise]

“There are a few theories being floated.” Aliens isn’t actually something Will has written off because if interdimensional monsters can exist who says aliens can’t? Not him that’s for sure.

“If it is Cow Overlords I think eating all the snacks is the way to go, make sure you’re fattened up first.” A new and interesting excuse for just how much sugar he’s managed to consume after moving here. “Especially since everyone else is training or starting fights or whatever, being the most edible means I get out faster.”

It’s almost reminiscent of the stupid conversations he used to have with his friends though who would have thought six months of giving up bike riding and a smack with the puberty stick would have ever made him someone who could hope to be titled ‘most edible’ considering he spent the first fourteen years alive being the smallest and twiggiest of all his friends.

[strongroots]

"First time I heard being easier to catch being counted as a good thing."

He'll give the guy that--and that's under any circumstances, abducted or otherwise. The fortunate thing for their conversation is that the counter's placement makes it easy to be seen no matter the aisle, save the farthest at the ends. Not that Robby's really walking in a way to be kept in view; but it does help their chit-chatting as he moves to stand between two aisles, look down to see if he spots anything he's interested in.

"Only training I do is so I don't start losing it. Even then, being stuck in this city? Feels like I'm wasting my time."

Like a fucking moron, who should be figuring a way out. Out from, you know, the city that makes you turn yourself around if you walk 'too far'.

So much for feeling accomplished after a workout anymore.

[willtheunwise]

“What kind of training do you do?” Will idly opens another box of off-brand nerds and shoves a handful in his mouth. As if eating too much sugar isn’t what has him talking garbage at a stranger in the first place. He munches while observing as the boy wanders the shelves. It’s all kind of useless unless you’re into junk and snacks.

He’s pretty glad he’s not the only one who feels like he’s time wasting. Time wasting and hurtling towards madness.

“I hope whoever or whatever it is makes itself known soon so at least we have some kind of purpose.” Anyone who has managed to find one or had the guts to really dig into trying to find out what’s going on is braver than Will is.

[strongroots]

"Seeing what we do might be the idea. And the driving us crazy." Which would be the most boring, dullest way to fuck with people in existence. Some of that theory though, Robby doesn't doubt as being the reason for their abductors keeping in the shadows, but he's not about to linger on it. Does instead by some of the snack bars, which are always worth a look at.

"But I'm doing karate. Less 'cause I'm getting ready for a fight, and just for something to do." He pauses, then looks over at the guy. "What were you up to before you got here?"

He could ask them about their own potential training history, but to be honest, Robby isn't that bothered to talk about karate to someone who probably doesn't care. He doesn't care himself, either.

Unless it turns out he's really into karate, actually.

[willtheunwise]

“Like fish in a tank.” Will shrugs. “Some of us must just be the most boring fish. Like the ones that sit at the bottom of the tank until it’s feeding time.” He’s one of those fish, or he’d like to think he is. He hasn’t done anything of note if you don’t count midnight snack runs and the occasional bout of crying in the pile of blankets he’s pilfered from various locations.

“My moms friend is a black belt,” Will says to have something to say. He vaguely remembers it coming up when Joyce was trying to hurriedly fill them in on where she’d been. “I’ve never done a sport in my life, except for a brief, failed, stint at trying to learn baseball. My dad gave up when I hit myself with the bat and got concussion.” It’s comical to think about now but it was truly tragic and life ending at the time.

“I was trying to do highschool and also stopping an apocalypse.” Will shrugs when he says it as if the end of the world is no big deal. It’s easier to pretend to be chill about it than show how scared he is in front of a stranger.

[strongroots]

"Still tells people something," Robby points out. Fish at the bottom, fish that move and swim; that show their ability to move into action, and what will eventually break them into inaction. The same goes for the less-initially-inclined. "It's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for."

Which, if he knew more about fish, Robby would make some connection there--but he'll use a familiar (maybe familiar) saying to make his point. (A point--and in whose favour? In those doing this to them, or theirs? He's not going to be the quiet one who changes shit, that's for sure.

He can't even make up his mind on a chocolate bar, right now.)

He hums though, on news about the guy's mother; might comment on the guy's own experience with sports, though all he does manage to get out is a look at him, a wince and a 'Yeowch' for that unfortunate event with the event. But then apocalypses are mentioned, and his semi-humorous look doesn't fade as he thinks to glance at the other guy again. But briefly. A small chuckle.

"Yeah? What book apocalypse was that?"

Because clearly, this guy had to stop an apocalypse for an essay.

[willtheunwise]

Will knows all about that, he’s been seen as one of the quiet ones his whole life by everyone outside of a very small, select few people and he prefers to keep it that way under regular circumstances. These aren’t though and he’s managed to word-vomit and be silly in front of a stranger.

He could play it off, but despite having read a lot of books, especially science fiction and horror he can’t think of a single one with an apocalypse off the top of his head so he settles for; “one with monsters ripping holes between dimensions and evil wizards with mind control powers, it’s kinda shit actually.”

[strongroots]

Robby makes a face at that description, a smile with a wrinkled nose.

"It sounds shit," he offers in agreement. An apocalypse story with wizards and monsters? Sounds more fantasy than what he ever had to read in school, when he attended. "Single good thing about being here then, right? Getting abducted into a creep-ass city's gotta earn you an extension or automatic B on everything."

As if their current situation could be made easier by a few missed class assignments. But hopefully it's a joke that a guy with the working theory of cow aliens can appreciate.

[willtheunwise]

The idea that he can get an extension makes Will snort with laughter, “I mean yeah getting kidnapped has to earn you some kind of grace on school work!” It did the first time, he was allowed time off to recover and everything got an extension, though he’s not sure how great his academic record will look since it’s happened twice now. It very probably doesn’t even matter.

“Kinda enjoying not having any so at least this place has one silver lining.” Dicking about eating snacks and doing art is pretty much his ideal lifestyle, it’s just a shame he’s been too anxious about it all to truly enjoy himself.