Tried to nurse it behind my mom’s back. [Open]

[justbeingknife]

Featuring: Majima (justbeingknife) and you!
What's happening: Finding old gyms, moving house, let's get drunk on the minibar
Day/s: Throughout March
Content warning: Salty language, drinking, Majima being himself

I feel alive for the first time

[ Ever since they'd found those old boxes of footage, Majima had been wandering further and further out in his explorations, both to get a better handle on the town and because he wasn't so sure their last hit had simply been dumb luck. Sure, coincidences happened, but --

There was a tall building with a white stone facade up ahead, its entrance slightly ajar. Oiling the hinges and pushing the door open revealed a wood-floored room illuminated only by a row of high windows along the back side. PISCINE BOULLINGRIN, read the sign.

It, like its neighbors, looked long-abandoned. But the row of mirrors inside and the markings along the floor suggested that the first room had once been some kind of studio.

ooc: Feel free to stop by and have Majima ask if your character would like to explore the abandoned gym, or find him a little later on rummaging through equipment closets, searching the rooms, or starting some cleanup! This is a general placeholder for any gym-related shenanigans. ]

Each sip hits my lips like a landmine

Uh... thanks.

[ signed Majima as a native carried a bar stool through the doorway and into the house. The man waved enthusiastically at him before leaving once more -- possibly to bump into anyone standing outside.

Should anyone drop by, they'd find that the walk-in basement of Majima's new house was currently filled with random junk Majima hadn't asked for (but appreciated, don't get him wrong): a pair of tonfa, shoes, a 50-pound bag of sand, a dart board... and then there were the boxes of bottled alcohol. These were clustered around the dark wood counter of the mini bar, which to the old owner's credit was beautifully appointed.

Majima shrugged, and plucked the first of the bottles out of its carrying crate -- single malt Scotch, amber in the afternoon light. ]

Guess I'm gonna need a sign.

On the 7th day, it was said God rest/But on the 8th day he made the DVX

[ Later on in the month, with everything squared away, Majima could be found at odd hours behind the bar, cleaning glasses or reading about bartending technique.

Someone who knew him well might think he looked a little more tired than usual, but any new faces? They'd get a smile and a bow from the man at the counter. ]

What'll it be?

Wildcard

[ U know what to do. Additional prompts to follow, maybe. Feel free to hit me up on Tetradecimal or tetra | majima #2434 on discord ]

Comments

[limped]

[ It is a curious question, and Newt notices Thomas look his way. But it's not enough to throw a wrench in Newt's theories. It could be a lie, or like them, Majima hadn't known about the Cranks. Newt spent almost four years in the Maze blissfully unaware of the monsters outside its walls.

It frustrates Newt that he can't decide if Majima is on their side or not.

It'd be hard to miss the way Thomas keeps himself somewhat close to Newt, and the blond knows exactly why, in case they have to run. He's of course, not happy with what they've already found. It follows? It's bloody ominous, and he's seen a lot of ominous graffiti. He remembers seeing ANGRY written in various places where they first met Jorge.

He glances to Thomas, then turns to look behind them, just to be sure nothing is in fact following them. Both the others already know that Newt feels like this is a Bad Idea. ]

We just gonna pretend that that's not as foreboding and ominous as it really is?

[ Look, he's self aware that he's in a horror situation, unlike Thomas. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima had no intention of turning tail: he stood full-height, alert and more determined to proceed than ever. He glanced back at Thomas, however, and in answer to both questions: ]

Dunno if you're gonna believe this or not, but one of the kids here says there might be a monster around. Not the Sound Eaters; somethin' from back home, where he was.

Ain't gonna stop ya if you wanna turn back.

[ But hell if he was going to. His metal-tipped boots tread in silent fashion over the path of sand leading down to the bottom of the stairs, where a half-rotted display stand still held the life-size poster of a ballerina, golden hair piled high on her head.

An empty information booth with rippled glass, old tile on the walls and floors. And stopped at the platform, a stopped subway train. ]

[eachother]

[ thomas is fully aware that, more than likely, they've all just walked into something they're probably going to wish they hadn't walked into. he's not oblivious, he's just... really good at ignoring potential signs of danger until there's some kind of threat to his life and he has to haul ass. there's a difference, and right now, while the spray-painted warning is a little creepy, it's not enough to deter him. ]

What kind of monster?

[ if majima says "griever"...

turning slightly, thomas reaches out to touch newt's elbow in silent reassurance, catching his gaze for a second or two just to get the unspoken message across before he starts to follow after majima, his pace slow not only so he can hang back with newt, but also so he can take his time in looking around, sweeping his light back and forth.

the information booth gets a brief peek after thomas wipes a spot clean in the glass with the sleeve of his jumpsuit, but all he finds inside are what look like old, yellowed receipts and a scattering of faded informational pamphlets on which he can't really make out any of the lettering.

it's the subway train that he's really interested in though, and without saying anything, he pulls a little bit ahead of majima to see if he can find a car with open doors. ]

[limped]

[ While turning back sounds like a great idea, it's not one that Newt could actually commit to. The last time he'd just wanted to ignore everything and enjoy the greener grass he'd almost been turned into a human IV bag... or worse. None of them can assume they're immune, not after what happened to Winston. Newt can't help but wonder what they would have done to Winston or whoever else wasn't immune.

He's lost enough in his thoughts that the touch to his elbow sends a shock of adrenaline through him, head jerking to look at where they connected, before glancing up to find Thomas's eyes - a conversation they've had before that words probably couldn't even express if they'd tried. ]

We're not turning back.

[ Newt finds himself more curious of the poster of the blonde ballerina, something itching in the back of his memory that he just can't get to. Maybe it had something to do with the faceless girl that he knew was his sister. No point in chasing ghosts though and he finally follows the other two to the subway train.

There is no way there's not Cranks down here, right? Maybe they couldn't get in the place was boarded off. ]

Where does this lead? [ Sure, he'd seen names written places, but they didn't really mean much of anything to him. ]

[justbeingknife]

He said IT went after kids, mostly. That's what they called the thing -- just IT. Couldn't tell ya what it really looked like, though. Not sure if Eddie could, either.

[ Majima swept his beam across the line of the train... and indeed, one of the car doors was slightly ajar. Enough to admit a person, maybe, if they squeezed in sideways.

But the windows of the cars were filthy, and though Majima stepped up to the side of the car, it was near-impossible to see what was inside. On either side to the front and back of the train, old tracks ran into the darkness.

But there were few if any spiderwebs, and those that were present were ancient, tucked away in corners that ]

End of this line is at Boulingrin -- north away from river, 'bout the same distance from Town Hall or the shared houses. On the other end, it runs south past the Seine and splits into a fork.

[ There was one thing visible from the doors left ajar, however -- a large bag, left up on the luggage rack. ]

[eachother]

You think it's the same thing?

[ the same "it" that's referenced in the graffiti sprayed across the walls. whatever the "it" is, thomas makes a mental note to make sure to check behind them every so often, just in case the warning is still relevant, regardless of how long ago it was painted there.

the slightly-open car door doesn't go unnoticed by thomas. if anything, it captures his attention almost entirely and he creeps closer, slow and careful, his flashlight steady on the opening. if thomas was a cat, curiosity would have killed him, but (thankfully, and perhaps miraculously) his being human has saved him from a countless number of untimely deaths.

thomas stops at the doors, cranking his neck a little to get a better look inside. open enough to admit a person means open enough to admit thomas. he says nothing as he leans his head inside, wary as he sweeps his light back and forth, pausing for a second longer on the bag in the luggage rack both times.

he's gotta know what's inside.

turning his body sideways, thomas steps in slowly with just one foot, leaning his weight onto it gradually both to make sure the floor doesn't give under his foot, but also just in case the floor decides to protest audibly. with his weight distributed between the train and the platform, thomas eases the rest of the way inside with minimal trouble.

he doesn't go for the bag right away, but instead, does a check of the car, peering underneath some of the seats for anything else that may have been left behind, but all he finds is a couple of hard candy wrappers and some single-use metro tickets scattered on the floor.

thomas takes the sand bag from his shoulder and carefully wedges it between his knees, then sticks his small flashlight in his mouth to free up both of his hands so he can reach up to lift the bag down. his movements are slow, cautious, and for no actual reason other than quiet anticipation of something going wrong, he holds his breath. ]

[limped]

So people running around down here could get pretty much anywhere if they wanted?

[ WCKD had been running around similarly, and if there's a way to catch them in the act, well, Newt's all for it. Even if every part of him is waiting for an echo of a shrill Crank screech any moment now. He'd seen enough Cranks for the rest of his life. Though, he's certain, he'll be seeing more despite his wishes. Maybe Sound Eaters were less terrifying in person...?

Newt's attention is suddenly very taken up by watching Thomas put himself in a very precarious situation. It takes everything in him not to actually speak and ask if he was alright. He can see the flashlight moving through the windows, so some of his anxiety ebbs. How he had known there hadn't been something in there waiting to bite his face off was a bloody mystery.

Newt's pretty sure, Tommy's gonna be the death of him somehow.

He looks to Majima to try to decide what the other man is thinking, whether he thinks Tommy is just as jacked as Newt sometimes thinks. ]

You doing alright, Tommy?

[ Leave it to Thomas to be the one to charge blindly into the dark creepy places when he knows things like Sound Eaters and Cranks exist. ]

[justbeingknife]

I don't know.

[ Majima said to Thomas, quite truthfully. No sense beating around the bush about it -- Eddie and his friends were the experts on IT, not him. He couldn't even really tell them what IT would look like, as the answer was apparently 'anything'. ]

Be a good shortcut, if the entrances weren't blocked up. And if there's nothin' else down here.

[ Aaaand Thomas was trying to get at the bag. He was being very careful, very cautious -- that Majima could attest to as he followed Thomas inside, intending to get the other side and hopefully forestall any noise. It was almost too late that he noticed the hole on the far end of the bag. In the slight jostling, something slipped through; Majima went for it instinctively, entire body tensing as it dropped into his hand...

Thin and light and white and birdlike. A human phalanx bone.

His other hand went out to tap Thomas on the shoulder, signal him to stop... ]

[eachother]

[ for as quiet as they all are, none of them are completely silent, and while thomas is focused on the bag he's bringing down, he's not so hyper-focused on it that he doesn't hear majima stepping into the train, though he doesn't know it's majima specifically. he does pause for half a second to listen, experiencing a split-second of doubt that maybe it isn't majima or newt behind him, but something else, but if that were the case, he figures he'd probably be dead right now.

his suspicions are cleared when he catches majima's form in his peripheral.

it's as he starts to move again with the intention of setting the bag own on the floor that he hears the quiet but sharp rustle of clothes in junction with majima's sudden movement. the tap on his shoulder is enough to make him pause again, and he turns his head to look at majima, flashlight still held carefully in his teeth (sorry for the light in your face, man), and his brows wrinkled curiously. he tilts his head down slightly, shining the light at majima's palm, at the little white object in his hand.

it's a bone. thomas knows that much.

slowly, he looks up at majima again, his head turned slightly this time so he doesn't shine his light directly in his face this time. with his hands full, he can't really say or text anything, so despite majima's warning, thomas very carefully continues to lower the bag, setting it down across the seats below the luggage rack as quietly and as gingerly as possible, mindful of the opening at the one end of the bag.

as soon as his hands are free, he takes his flashlight out of his mouth and the sand bag from between his knees, resting it up on his shoulder again before immediately sliding his phone out of his pocket. he shoots newt a message, then shines his flashlight at the windows, shaking his hand back and forth to get his attention. ]

Found something. Get in here.

People in the mountains. Mountain people. That's your plan?

[limped]

[ Majima's right, it would be a good shortcut, might even be a good place to fall back and hide if those things ever attacked.

At the demand, Newt does step through the door, having no issue squeezing through, but not stepping to Thomas's side, because three lanky males in one car trying to get to one place is probably a recipe for noise. Newt doesn't like the something they've found, and that becomes clear when his interest falls from Thomas to what's in Majima's hand. ]

Bones. You called me in here. For bones?

[ His dark eyes shift from Thomas to Majima then back to Thomas. Sure, it's only one bone, but if there's one bone that means there's others somewhere, probably nearby. Probably in that bag. Newt is no doctor, but he has a sinking feeling it's probably human. And if it isn't, that still means something died here. And if they kept getting distracted by silly things like bones in cramped rickety spaces they wouldn't be better off.

Cowardice has nothing to do with his pragmatism, sure, he's scared, but he's been scared since the day he woke up in the Box with no memories. Thomas just forgets to assess the situations he gets himself into sometimes, and Newt has yet to see Majima act anything but calm. He wonders if that would falter if he were face to face with a Griever or a Crank. ]

Go on then, what else did you find? [ Because Newt really hopes they found more than a bag full of bones. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima unzipped the bag, allowing them to view the contents of the bag by the illumination cast by Thomas's flashlight. The bone appeared to be part of several bones making up a human finger; around the thickest of the pieces was a slender gold band. More of what had probably once been a full human skeleton was also tucked in the dark canvas.

There were other items to be found inside, too: bracelets, rings, watches, knives, many wrapped in individuals bits of gauzy cloth. There were also a scattering of silvery pieces that Majima didn't immediately recognize... at least until he did.

Teeth.

you knOW WHAT

Majima set the phalanx bone down with the rest of it. He didn't consider himself particularly squeamish, but frankly he wanted nothing to do with the macabre collection.

Maybe he'd come up with a snappy one-liner about this

like

later

For now, all his expression basically said one thing: ]

What the fuck?

[eachother]

[ thomas takes a half step back as majima moves to unzip the bag, but keeps his flashlight aimed low. half of him is weirdly eager to find out else is inside ( he knows for sure that it's not empty, because it would have been lighter when he was taking it down ), but the other half of him doesn't really need or want the confirmation that the rest of the body that bone came from is tucked away inside. because he's pretty sure it is, and he isn't so sure he wants to know what that means.

he only leans in a little once majima's got everything unzipped, his flashlight sweeping slowly back and forth, shifting from object to object to get a better look. it's pretty much exactly what he feared they'd find. but where did the bag come from? was it left behind by a passenger who left in a hurry, and if so, what the hell were they doing with human bones in their luggage? or was it hidden down here, tucked away where someone else thought no one would think to look for it? how long had it been down here in the dark?

thomas's eyes shift back and forth as his mind races, his brows furrowing slowly. he looks up as majima sets the smaller bone down with the rest, then looks over at newt. he says nothing, but that's because he doesn't have to; they've got this way of having whole conversations conveyed through glances and subtle expressions.

for the most part, he's calm. confused and unsure of what to do with this discovery, but a bag of bones isn't exactly a threat so he's not scared. not yet. thomas presses his lips together, then turns his attention back to the bag. after a moment, he steps forward and crouches down slowly, and with a steady hand, he reaches out for what looks like the handle of a knife peeking out from a thin bundle of gauze.

no harm in having a little extra protection down here if this is the sort of thing they're going to be stumbling upon. he leaves everything else, straightens back up, takes a step back. another glance at majima, and then he's tapping out a response on his device. ]

... Do we keep going?

[ because he's pretty done with this bag-o-bones business, but he's still down to explore the subway. honestly, if majima decides he's had enough for the day, thomas will more than likely keep looking around without him, because now he's got hundreds more questions, and the only way he's going to get any of them answered is if he stays.

thomas looks to newt then, silently asking him the same question. newt is probably the one person who could convince him to leave immediately. ]

[limped]

[ Well, he's glad to see that someone is reacting to a bag of bones and teeth the normal way, but somehow, Newt isn't actually as alarmed by the teeth, if anything, he'd been expecting it to be packed to the brim with bones, so this is a lot better. His attention flickers from both his adventure companions, lingering on Thomas as they exchange a look.

Finally, he steps a little closer, getting a better look, and what alarms him more is the fact that there are knives. This is definitely someone's secret stash, and while he normally wouldn't care about it, he looks up to Majima before shifting slightly to type on his device and hold it up to him and then to Tommy. ]

Is it safe to leave this here. If whoever left it comes back they'd be right below us with these knives.

[ In Newt's opinion it's all junk, other than the knives, but it feels like something someone left to fall back on. Sure, there's no evidence that whoever left this is even still alive, but if they'd been morbid enough to pry teeth out of hopefully dead bodies or skulls, he doesn't want to know what they'd do to a living person.

Of course, he's making a lot of assumptions, about this person, who was probably a Crank and long dead now anyway. And while he hates to admit it, it unearths a lot of new questions Newt has about this place. Clearly someone had been in here. Were they living in it? Were they using it to travel? Was it something else? Newt's getting vibes off of all of it, but nothing incredibly worse than that creepy mall had given him. At least this time, they know what they're up against.

He lowers his device, watching Thomas type out a message to Majima too. Newt rolls his shoulders, looking back at the door they'd wedged through. Then Tommy's looking to him with the same question, and Newt find himself nodding, even if almost every fibre of his being says that it's a bad idea. Staying out in the Maze during the night had been a bad idea to him too, as had running out into the Scorch, and yet both of them had ended up working out for the best. ]