deercountry | [Open] 🚬 August Flames

Prompt One ... WE GLOW SO DIM

[it isn't every day you find out the ocean is glowing. he knew of such a phenomenon back home, bio-luminescent algae blooms or something like that. but anyone who's been in trench for more than a month should know glowing shit is something to stay away from, unless your morbid curiosity wants to get you bloodied, corrupted, and/or killed. dabi wants to pass it off as algae, but he's neither stupid nor naive, so mostly stays away from the glowing paths through the waves. instead he'll keep to the beach, combing through whatever washes ashore or playing the role of a hawk watching other sleepers emerge from the water with their hauls. careful to keep an eye on not only what they brought back, but how they act and their appearance. dabi palms his omni in one hand, occasionally scanning the network for any conversations or information from others about what's going on below the waves.]

[funny thing about intent: there's always a chance someone or something is gonna end up fucking it over. that's the only reason he can give for why he's down here under the waves after determining not to do exactly this. while dabi's not afraid of the water or ocean by any means, it's not his preference. but as the water brushes through his hair, he has to admit to himself that being able to breathe underwater is pretty cool and kind of makes up for the "the fuck am i doing here" montage that continually replays in the back of his mind. he flicks his eyes to his companion, keeping a close watch on them as they keep within the glowing path through the seas, occasional undercurrents brushing past them and dragging at clothes and hair. not enough to pull them out of the path, but enough dabi's going to brace himself every now and then.]

[the shipwreck in front of them is a welcome sight; traveling this way is a lot more physically exerting than walking.]

[Lance glances at Dabi, this dude he barely knows and doesn't recall talking into anything and raises an eyebrow.]

Hey man, I just went for a dip and asked if you were coming.

[The august necklace gifted by Mariana is around his neck and he's fully clothed besides, but that's besides the point. He's drawn to the ocean all the time, and this month the pull of his patron is at its peak, he was always gonna end up in here eventually.]

[oy, he didn't just follow him down here for nothing. but then again, curiosity is a bitch and after seeing one or two people emerge from the sea with shit... well the opportunity popped when this guy came along with a sidearm invitation.]

Right. Cause people normally swim in the ocean full of monsters.

[considering the forest is bad enough, but the waters where all that darkness and monstrosity is suspected to come from? he can't fathom normal people wanting to go take a swim in it. pick a lake or something with a more secure perimeter. but regardless, so long as they stick with the glowing path, it seems like things remain pretty calm.]

Saw people come back with shit. That's all I'm down here for.

[He blinks and glances up and to the side thoughtfully.]

Maybe most people don't, but that's just a regular Wednesday for me, dude.

[That is a very serious answer, with only minor exaggeration. Then he looks down at the ocean wrecks before them and nods.]

Saw that too, been scouting around off and on to make sure there's no traps or mind controlling plants other people missed.

You been swimmin out here all this time? [dabi gives the other man a wry expression, not entirely believing him, though annoyed at the serious-yet-easy response. the kind that makes it hard to doubt...] How many times have ya been eaten?

[considering it's so dangerous to go out in the woods alone, to say nothing of caves and other dark areas, dabi's surprised this guy -- if he's truthful -- has been going out in the water so often. guess the fishers do, though that's on a boat.]

Don't think we're gonna have to deal with brainwashin foliage down here.

Uh, zero. I'm not exactly easy prey and I'm an awesome swimmer.

[It's actually the truth, even if he kind of sounds like he's defensively posturing. He also spent a lot of time in the woods, but in the shape of a deer, so that probably doesn't count.

He squints and raises a brow.] What makes you so sure?

Good to know.

[if a shark comes along, he'll be sure to direct it towards the escaping lure. far better for both of them.

a deer's probably better than the thing dabi turned into that one time... mental note: don't ever burn a glowing moth.]

Ya ever heard of mind-controllin seaweed or kelp?

Yep, stick by me and you'll be fine down here.

[He will probably try to make friends with a shark, oops.

Beasthood is a bitch, but sometimes some people just gotta learn the hard way not to mess with big glowing things. Then he rolls his eyes.]

Never heard of one for most of my life, riiiight up until I met one that took over my best friend and made him try to kill me.

Careful. I might holdja to that.

[wow. that'd be something to see. might actually kick back and watch, put some bets on the shark eating him.

at he had the excuse of it being his first encounter with beasthood and only his second month here. so certainly hadn't experienced the sort of punishments and corruptions that could come along with interactions...]

If ya see any of that, be sure to point them out. Odds are they ain't gonna be on the ship.

Go ahead.

[He says it easily and a bit distracted as he surveys the wrecks again and then swims down the path a bit further. And he'd obviously wrestle the shark for dominance before making it a friend, duh.]

Odds are, they aren't gonna be super easy to spot, but sure. Let's get a closer look.

[dabi follows after him, certainly nowhere near the graceful sort of swimming lance is doing. he's never been much of a swimmer. probably more keen to stalk along the ocean floor rather than kick off and freestyle. but keeping to the glowing path is easy enough as they make for the ship rising in front of them.]

How soon do you think plants would start growin on a sunken ship anyways?

[this one seems to be a mixture of metal and wood rather than the classic wooden pirate ships of lore...]

[Lance hums in thought for a moment as he moves through the water, being sure to stay close to the trail that allows them to breathe.]

Well, plants tend to like water. There's a lot of that here.

[dabi's aware of seaweed and other ocean plants, but he's more used to ships rusting and getting barnacles on them than being drenched in seaweed and other botanical sealife.]

Guess we'll find out. I'll leave any we come across to you.

[That has him raising an eyebrow as he looks back over at Dabi. He looks him up and down briefly then squints a bit.]

Why? You look like you can take care of yourself.

Ya the one who has experience with mind-controllin plants.

[might as well leave that to the one who knows how to handle them, right? dabi's content to look around the ship while lance tangles with weird seaweed.]

[Lance snorts.]

If there's any mind controlling garden around here like the one I ran into all you gotta do is not eat anything.

[But he highly doubts it would be the same or that simple.]

Ain't plannin on shovin somethin in my mouth down here.

[raw seaweed isn't the greatest to drag out of the ocean and take a bite from. usually it's treated one way or another, dried or cooked or flavored or added to, etc.

dabi comes to a stop in front of the ship. wood and metal, almost like a fusion of a stereotypical pirate ship and the beginnings of an iron-age ship.]

Start at the top or the bottom?

[Lance glances at Dabi, then frowns thoughtfully.]

Hey, what should I call you if I need to warn you about a giant monster behind you?

[He supposes he could just yell out 'Hey look out!' or 'Dude, behind you!' but what if they're joined by someone else? He'd need to get specific… and something like 'Franken Mouth' could end up being the first thing out of his own mouth (that could still happen anyway because he's an idiot). Then he looks to the ship.]

Bottom. That's usually where cool junk falls in spooky shipwrecks, right?

'Dabi.' Though "behind you" might be more useful in that case...

[bit of sardonic humor for you. lance probably thought it already, but whatever.

he's been called worse than that. even if it'd still get lance a quick dagger eye. urusei, shark bait. he focuses back on the ship. there's no hole in the side of the hold, so the easy way in is taken out unless dabi wants to try and blowtorch their way in. which would take longer and more effort than usual due to flame underwater...

guess they're going up.]

Always thought it was in the captain's quarters.

Truuuue, but now I can also say "Dodge, Dobby!" [He smirks slyly, casually saluting with two fingers as he introduces himself properly in return.] I'm Lance.

[Then he looks back to the wreck, thoughtfully. That is a good point, but doesn't all the wood rot and heavy stuff fall through? He's seen it in past wrecks he's explored, but also seen the opposite, so both of them could be right, but he's a competitive guy.]

Not always! How many actual wrecks've you explored?

Who else are ya fuckin talkin to? ["dodge" is all he really needs to say. though perhaps some quantifier, like "on your left" or "dodge right" so he doesn't end up evasive maneuvering himself into the jaws of a shark or something.

swimming towards the deck, dabi's not cutting the most graceful figure, more a hand over hand freestylist than an ocean-bred water baby. but all he wants is to get his hand on the railing so he can clap it and pull himself over onto the deck. there are a few masts, sails full of holes and tattered in places, still waving ghosting in the occasional currents above. plenty of areas on the deck have rotten open or fallen (or been smashed) inward, revealing the dark depths of the poorly-lit hull below.

couple cannons with their orbular ammo nearby, some old coils of thick rope, chains on wheels for hauling anchors , barrels that are both open and still sealed shut. it's a pretty busy deck, all things considered.

a few skeletons...]

This' my third one here.

Right now? Nobody, buuuut maybe we'll run into someone else in there. [It definitely sounds like he sort of just thought of that reason just now and it wasn't a pre-thought motivator.

Lance frowns and follows, definitely much more practiced at swimming. He is very much an ocean bred water baby and though he was trailing at first, he quickly reaches the railing. One might say even before Dabi, but he's not about to make a thing of it right now. There's skeletons here, which he's pretty numb to but still should give cause for caution.]

Third, huh. Looks like we got an expert here.

Anyone inside's gonna look like that guy. [and jerks his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the skeleton trapped between a cannon and the ship's thick railing. amazing how thinking on your feet and sounding like an idiot can overlap.

stooping down, dabi swipes a bit of loose chain and drapes it on his shoulders to keep him weighted, enabling him to "walk" around the deck for a while without floating off. the place looks busier than other ships he's seen, with plenty of items on the deck. immediately heading for the nearest skeleton, dabi starts raiding the ragged clothing on the bones. looking for anything interesting.] Not much a ship expert, but startin at the top and goin down's a good idea.

[Lance looks at the skeleton and raises an eyebrow before looking back at Dabi.] Other, totally alive people can explore this stuff just like we are, y'know.

[Then he sighs and follows Dabi's path along the chain, not bothering to weigh himself down. Yes, he's gonna continue to show off that he's a strong swimmer. And if this guy stubbornly wants to go his way, he's gonna watch his dumb back while taking what ego fluffing points he can.]

Fine, whatever. But I dunno that a literal skeleton's gonna have much on it, man.

Do ya hear anyone around? [there's no clunking or scraping, no flurry of water or swishes of movement. dabi doesn't expect to find anyone here but them. well, and the skeleton crew. heh.

noting lance not putting on anything to weigh him down, dabi momentarily glares at him from the corner of his eye. show off. and stands up from looting the skeleton. a small, worn pouch of what feels like rounded items? an old dagger that's seen better days. and a revolver of sorts. he heads towards lance, handing over the dagger and gun if he wants to check them out.] Unless he died naked, there's gonna be some stuff on them.

[keeping the pouch. it takes little to perforate it and a few marble-like glass balls fall out into his hand. interestin... maybe a kind of game on the deck?]

Think the captain's quarters are that way. [and points towards the back of the ship.]

Well not right now. [But some people could come along!

Ah, but that glare gives him life, he spins into a relaxed back stroke as he follows along next to Dabi and his chain. Yes, he looks terribly smug and that's on purpose.]

Maybe he did and someone just covered him up after. And those look like some kinda sex toy if you ask me. So I'm totally right!

[He grins impishly and then swims on ahead to the supposed location to the Captain's Quarters.] See ya there!

Then it ain't somethin to worry about right now.

[and if they do, they'll be pretty easy to spot swimming towards the ship through open water or walking along the glowing trail. the two of them simply have to keep an eye out occasionally.

that backstroke is done on purpose... the smug look proves it. meaning dabi's reaching up to slide the chain off from his neck and shoulders while they walk, holding it in his hands instead.]

Don't think ya spend a lot of time durin a shipwreck dressin up your dead crew mates.

[calling marbles sex toys earns a wry look. right before dabi bluntly drops the chain on lance's stomach the moment he tries swimming ahead of him.]

After you.

[and keeps float/stalking ahead. even if he shoved off and swam, he's pretty sure the other man'll overtake him once he gets out of the chain. still worth it.]

You never know what sailors are into. It can get super boring out at sea.

[He says flippantly with his eyes closed, so he doesn't see when the chain comes down on him. He lets out an 'oof!' as the wind (or water?) is knocked out of him and his back hits the deck.]

H-hey! That's cheating!

[He gets free of the chain and pushes himself up on his feet to swim after Dabi.]

Prompt Two ... MONSTER WITHIN

[while "look with your eyes, not with your hands" has usually been dabi's m.o. when exploring new things, he's not entirely above curiosity and natural impulse. and some of those things in the shipwreck had been... well... interesting. but while he left behind most of the heavier and larger items, smaller things came back with him, ranging from stone "coins" to little "figures" that would serve as interesting commodities for people. it's when he prepared to hoist one of those bags that something different happens. the bag comes up a lot easier. pausing, he sets it down... then lifts it again. definitely easier. a quick check reveals nothing's been taken. it's simply lighter. or... maybe it's easier to pick up? a few rounds of testing soon reveals that the items themselves haven't changed: he has. physical strength has never been dabi's forte, tall and lanky with wiry muscle instead of the defined athletics of the heroes. so it's certainly a bit of an exhilarating rush to find himself able to start engaging in those athletics and physical exertions that used to leave him breathy. you can find him doing a number of things with this increased strength:]

1) beach combing for heavier or larger items, or bringing back things in larger bundles.
2) engaging in more physical training, such as parkour or sit-ups/push-ups, and martial arts along with his quirk
3) he might end up helping out at feed or the outpost, since he can do more physical labor for once...
4) dealing with something he accidentally broke, such as a glass at a bar or a game piece at goat's end

[in trench, nothing comes free. it's not that dabi isn't aware of that; it's that he doesn't care sometimes. a place where death is simply an inconvenient reset and transformations can trigger no matter how careful you are. thankfully there's no real mind at the moment, having receded into the more bestial traits of a monster. how many damn times are the wharfs, harbors, and boardwalks going to have to deal with being victimized by creatures of the deep? and how did they expect a creature looking more at home in the ocean to come dripping towards them from inland? vaguely cephalopod in nature, the squid-like beats pours itself over another stall, watery excess sluicing off its body and arms. but unlike the drenching affect such a thing would normally have, the creature's liquid behaves far more like oil over the surface of the water, and a spark of blue fire by the side abruptly ignites the fluid with the same flowing images of a match thrown on pooling lighter fluid. it rushes down the surface of the creature's dripping path, clinging to surfaces and catching fire to anything around it. water and fire combined in one as the monstrous visage lashes out tendrils to fling more of the "greek fire" across the waterfront markets.]

Edited 2022-08-12 15:20 (UTC)

[ there's something about this beast that's different from the others. 2B can feel a thrum within her, one of intimate familiarity shared between each sleeper. she doesn't know what this feeling means, and she doesn't have pod to tell her at the moment (it was off learning from a human, and would soon be returned to her in due time). as she rounds the boardwalk and approaches the monstrous sleeper squid setting cool-blue flames to the stalls its tendrils undulate over, she pulls virtuous treaty from the hover behind her back.

she doesn't speak, and she doesn't pause in her steps. the android-hunter only had one job to do: eliminate the threat. lock on target. terminate. she approaches with clicking heels in a catwalk stride that quickly burst into a sprint, aiming her first slice into glutenous flesh with a strike that slides upwards, and follows with a stab that leads into a slash downwards. ]

[it's always been cautious, even as this irrational monster, though normally, with the flames surrounding it spreading, it's never had much need for concern about someone getting close to it. only a fool would willingly run into fires that burn at least 2,000°C on the lower setting. so much wood around it is already alight, blackening skeletons that get thinner and turn to ash within a scant second or two. people and product fare not better, set ablaze within the creature's flinging tendrils, whether caught full on physically or are ironically "splashed" by the liquid fire.

it's not the sound that catches its attention so much as the sudden vibration of approach. and immediately whips around, two tentacles sweeping the air in a rush. oh they impact alright. impact metal. blades cleave clear through the creature's tendrils, severing them immediately. the meat flies through the air and slaps down on a stall nearby, crushing the wooden roof and setting it ablaze. stumbling backwards, now on guard to the opponent, the monstrosity quickly regenerates the two appendages, spurting more flames from the "juice" of its body's rejuvenation.]

[ it regenerates— on top of the heat, it was just her luck. her reinforced chassis could take much more heat than human flesh could ever withstand, so 2B does take advantage of the proximity. she works quickly, with the fiery limbs of the beast beginning to deep anew— she attacks the bulk of the squid’s body, an aim of its belly in her sights as she relentlessly throws her next blow into an arch that flings her on her hands and springs her back to her feet— a kick, with her weight of over three-hundred pounds augmented toward the thing’s middle.

she still had to watch herself, and evade at every turn. keep moving. resistance did not mean immunity, after all. ]

[couldn't be over too fast now could it. self-preservation and reflexes lend aid in its fight as the creature pulls itself backwards and brings more of its tendrils up to attempt to ward off the attacker, both aiming to block the assault or swat the annoyance out of the air. the kick lands hard and it's send backwards with a rush, crashing through crates and boardwalk stalls before landing in a heap on the boards. tendrils slam into the floor and haul it up again, unleashing a wild spray of burning fluid into the air all around it, setting everything within its sphere into a blazing ruin. very much a "get off me" type of attack, aiming to put itself into a protective distance for a few seconds.]

[ 2B approaches in follow-up, but immediately pins her heels to a stop when the blue flames spit and spread around the beast protectively. she lifts her arm to check for her own burns— for now, nothing compromising. virtuous treaty seems too short of a weapon to reach it, now.

she chips her head to the side and allows the weapon to retreat to her in golden sparks. ]

You make a difference, Pod.

[ she isn’t talking to the squid, but absently wishing for her support unit. it could be helping her now, with long range attacks— and perhaps this was a sign that she should limit its whereabouts and for how long.

well . . . work wouldn’t be called work if there wasn’t effort needed.

2B spins virtuous dignity between her fingers and slants it in position behind her back. the long spear would help with the distance. it didn’t seem like it was fast, for starters, but now— she had to stay clear of the embers.

it was time for a brief combat study, circling the squid from a distance and carefully closing in. ]

[the creature slams one tendril down, carving through a stall, then sweeps a large tentacle to the side and brushes the debris away in a flying scatter that's half-flung towards the opponent. whether it's deliberate or she happens to be in the way of the scattershot, that's up to her to decide. but if it does hit and burn her, the creature's not about to regret the result.

while 2b backs off to study it, the creature seems to regard her as a fading opponent and opts to once more begins to rampage around the boardwalk. driving its tendrils through the wood, flinging more burning liquid left and right in a way that seems both planned and completely carefree. blue fire rages up around them, scorching the carts, people, turning the ground into a sizzling glowing hell.]

[ collateral damage where people were concerned, that can't happen— any moving life still there on the boardwalk's dangerous paths that haven't fled yet would have to be ushered away, 2B makes sure of it. she cannot stop every and all injury, but she's inhumanly fast and viscious when it came to their protection. it gave her time, too, as ugly the extra ticks are, for her to understand.

she will not be able to give this one breathing room. when the coast is clear of civilian movement, the stalls and walkway empty (broken, torn, burning and smelling), 2B chooses a spot that flanks the burning squid; she charges to swing the spear in wide circles but is evidently thrown from over her head into a plunging stab. stab, spin back, lunge— that is the android's first deadly moves.

(some of her skin is melting, burning away, revealing spots of her metal chassis; it's because of this, and only this, that she doesn't feel the suffering sting the way an organic body would). ]

[the attacks on people and things are indiscriminate and chaotic, no real rhyme or reason to the assault beyond throwing more damage around as far as possible. flinging its burning secretions this way and that, swiping tendrils through stalls and tables, it's not even heading towards the beach, but rather traveling in a horizontal line from it, deliberately intending to continue plowing through the livelihood of people here instead of going back "home" as one might suppose.

a tentacle snakes out and snares itself around a man, whole immediately combusts into blue flames and is left a charred husk within two seconds. one squeeze and the remains break apart into ash and flaming bones.

until the annoyance from before is back. its presence swings around, eyes blazing up at her from their wet orbs. coming in from the side. more tentacles fly up, getting sawed through by the whirling blade and almost dumping their igniting selves all over the attacker. but unfortunately, flesh is flesh and all it can really do is try to ward her off with sacrificing its tentacles and burning her to keep her away from its body.

it's that lunge that manages to land home and the creature rears back with a roaring scream, remaining tendrils flailing around as its entire body once more goes up in protective coating of scorching blue fires.]

[ there is no mercy when he's destroyed a life. there was never mercy, but now— there is seering fury. 2B shrieks angrily in retaliation and doesn't budge from the raining blue cascade of fire. a lot of her skin melts away as if it were nothing, and exposes her metallic structure, capable of withstanding the heat falling through the atmosphere would throw. she spins the spear through the remaining tendrils and would cut like paper if they touch. she's insistant and assaults with organized chaos. ]

You need to die!

[ she yells this with a frustrated bellow, slinging her arm back the farthest it could go to gain destructive momentum and plow through the height of its flopping, iridescent squid flesh.

WARNING: ABNORMALITY DETECTED. INTERNAL TEMPERATURE ESCALATING. blinks across her eyes like a ghost. she's so close. she can't stop now. ]

[whether she's enraged or calm, the creature doesn't seem to show any indication of care either way. only when she interrupts its wanton destruction does it bring the focus of his far-flung anger towards her presence. burning chunks of meat land about the ground, crashing through remaining stall tops and tumbling down the boardwalks and melting glassy patches on the beach depending on where they're flung from her assault.

but since she's keeping upon it, refusing to let the creature retreat and regroup---and more importantly, regenerate---the damage is growing less severe as she no longer has to worry about getting grabbed or pummeled. only has to worry about the creature igniting itself in a furious attempt to get her to back away from it, intending for the heat to get on her or drive her off out of a nature of self-preservation.

or continue to plow down into it, driving the spear into its body. she's welcome to do that too.]

[ she may just do a touch better.

2B retreats some steps— but not to retreat. it's to pull her spear back with one hand, behind her head in the same way she would a sling, to then propel all 150kg of chassis into a skip and an amazon's spear throw. she yells as she does it, hot and swelling with anger. but it at least puts both distances between them, her damaged frame, and the further damaged squid if she's hit it. ]

[the spear hooks it right in the middle of its mantel, yanking the entire creature backwards like an arrow through a shirt. flaming liquid trails after its regenerating arms, arcing through the air in a flow before landing with a wet slap and screech far down on the beach. writhing and twisting, it tries wrenching the item free from itself, wrapping tendrils around it that can reach, though its struggles are already starting to weaken from the damage and fervor of its battle.]

[ almost! one more effort and she wouldn’t be in a good position. most of her chassis, sleek and metallic, is exposed and keeps her within attacking range. more time spent to proximate to the heat would hinder her internal workings. her vision pixelates. she moves ahead. she didn’t want this suffering to extend. she felt it within her— and a pinch of fear nipped at her senses when she recognized the sensation. die. you need to die—

2B leaps, sinks all 150 kilos of herself at top speed through her heels against the gelatinous frame— and with the last burst of great energy she could offer (before she is at a dangerous level to continue), she curls her fingers into the spear’s tall handle and pummels it as far as she could. ]

[there's a great spasm, the few regenerated tendrils jerking in writhing convulsions that intended to grab her, but ended up flopping and wriggling off to the sides. it's akin to driving her legs into lava, plunging through that gelatinous wall into the squid monster's gory insides. more of that burning liquid spews from the open wound, turning the beach sand around it into flaming glass as the creature convulses in "coughing" fits.

but such a mortal injury is too great for the regeneration and as waves seep in from the dark ocean to smother some of the flames, the creature's death spasms finally subside. eyes roll within its bulbous lenses, focusing on her once before surrendering the proverbial ghost. tentacles collapse onto the ground, splaying out in a spray of sand and flames. once last body-wracking shudder and it goes limp beneath her.

... and spontaneously combusts a minute later. one final "fuck you" after death.]

[ before 2B could break free, she is caught in it. her clothes burn away, and so does her hair. whatever artificial skin that takes the brunt of the blast leaves an iridescent chassis and blaring warning signals— she shuts down. for minutes, maybe, and she only restarts to the choke of water drowning her beneath the squid's deadweight.

she pulls herself free, gasping and coughing. it was a monster, she tells herself with the memory of a big orb staring right at her. the comfort of a small, orchid mantis imitating pearl white petals clings to her scorched strands of hair and places the tip of its foreleg against her collar bone. it was just a monster.

neither quells the sickness within her as she forces her weight up from the clash of waves to the pole of her spear. she sinks the handle to the sand, and hauls herself along.

when she's safe from the water, and safe from the heat, her legs give way. she sinks to the sand in harsh, raggedy breaths. something tells her that she could do what she needs to, and she will be safe doing it. it's not pod. a sleeper would undoubtedly listen to a part of their soul, and so 2B slumps to the advice of the omen she has yet to truly notice.

the android reboots her systems and allows the nanotechnology inside her to repair what was lost as human cells would work. she would need new clothes. she would need to cut some of her hair.

it was a monster. ]

Prompt Three ... LAVISH DESIRES

["more" ... "more" ... never one to care about other people's wants or lives, selfish to his own survival and goals, dabi's surprisingly never been one to hoard like an obsessive person. sure, he's collected a stockpile of interesting wares from other worlds and times via the portals, but that was out of preempting planning for his time here in trench. without his usual hobbies to keep himself entertained, no "heroes" running around to try and capture him, no endeavor to ruin, turning to "trade" as a means of making himself unique and giving himself something to do had been a spur-of-the-moment thought which turned into a month-long drive to stockpile as much of those resources as possible before the portals closed.

all of that had been rational and sane, with his own plans in control of his actions. collecting interesting things to add to his stores, as well as trading for "equal or better" outside of necessities ensured that he prevented his stores from dwindling quickly. (it's not inexhaustible by any means.) but this... this drive to collect "more" and "more" is unnatural. dabi's aware of that and doesn't like the manipulative influence. trying to resist the damn thing has put a lot of pressure on him whenever he goes out, since breaking into places and stealing in bulk is a stupid thing to do in broad daylight.

but resisting those urges comes with its own price. he thought he was dreaming, usually capable of shaking off nightmares or daydreams about his past and homework. but these persist, bothering him. catching sight of endeavor out the corner of his eyes, reliving the trauma of his past, swearing the flap of those damn wings was just above him, and finding himself occasionally staring at his childhood home... it's almost maddening, and dabi finds himself opting to petty theft just to shut the damn hallucinations up for a few fucking hours!

that or getting into fights with people, whether that turns into a brutal physical beatdown or simply picking an altercation just so he can torch the aggressor to death in a second or two, out of smug "self defense" after all. a safer alternative is aggressive gambling at goat turning, a nigh-reckless pace that sees high rolls and higher stakes. which may or may not lead to other violence afterwards for winner and loser...]

General Prompts

Here are four non-event-related prompts that are going to be general setups for meeting and interacting with Dabi.
1) - Convenience Store Broker
2) - Farther Shores Scavenger
3) - Hunter, Getting Started
4) - Night Walker, Gambling or *ahem*
All of these can be plotted out for more specific starters/threads, or you can simply tag into the ones available.

[Open] 🚬 August Flames

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