Get On Board (IC)

[GranspearZX]

Marcus sat in his room, alone.

It was unusual for him to be by himself at 7pm. His roommate, Eric Walters, was a nice guy, but he wasn't terribly social. He'd been reluctant to room with anyone, especially someone so much Marcus's opposite, but they got along remarkably well. He didn't know what sort of powers Eric possessed, but he always noticed that he could smell something odd in the air when Eric was around. It wasn't foot odor or anything like that, but it was a strange, almost salty smell that reminded him of the beach.

As it was, he'd managed to exhaust himself pretty well over the past few months, trying newer and bolder things with his ability to create magical items... Once or twice it even came in handy. For now, all he wanted to do was relax, drifting off to sleep while watching the news.

He wasn't sure how long he was asleep, but a loud whistle stirred him to an upright position. He rubbed at his eyes and looked around for the source... and his room was gone. Instead, he was looking out of the window of a train, staring bleary-eyed at hills rolling by against a starry night sky.

"...the hell?"

[GranspearZX]

Marcus was fairly sure he was dreaming. After all, he'd been in the Howling Dream once before, and ever since then, his dreams had been unusually lucid. It didn't surprise him so much as the setting--the interior of the train seemed like something he'd seen in a black and white movie, but the colors were vivid enough. It seemed like something designed in the 1930s, but there wasn't much jolting at all--it made Marcus wonder if it was a maglev train, like the ones he'd read about. He stood up and looked himself over; even his clothes were something out of the ordinary. It was a black suit with a yellow tie, and a Claremont Academy pin on his lapel. He only wore this uniform when he was forced; why he'd actually dream that he was in it was beyond him.

The car was devoid of passengers, and in the quiet, Marcus could hear faint singing coming from one of the cars ahead...

...never heard music in my dreams before. Ah well... There was really nothing for it; all he could do was all he had ever done since getting his magical wake-up call: move forward.

[GranspearZX]

The first thing Marcus noticed was that there were no instruments.

That wasn't entirely unusual; his favorite musical style was, in fact, a cappella. His father had once told him that he was in an a cappella group in the 1970s before his 'accident', and now nothing else sounded quite as good if Marcus heard it with nothing but pure vocal talent. As he reached the door to the next car, he tilted his head a bit; the music was still muted, but the door was blue, with no window to see through to the next car. As if that wasn't strange enough, when it slid open, there was a bright, near-blinding light that threatened to pull him in. The open door provided no change in the music's volume either...

...well. This IS a dream, isn't it? Marcus adjusted his tie and stepped through into the next car, a brief feeling of warmth coming over him before the light faded, and he found himself in another room--not another train car. A group of four stood around a grand piano at the far corner, all singing in perfect harmony as the fifth member of their quintet sang along. He alone looked at Marcus while the others' backs were turned--a man in a bear mask. The singing faded as the masked man stepped forward.

"Ah, Marcus. I was wondering if you'd ever come here again..."

"...again? Wha-... wait." He was dreaming... right? He had to be.

"Surprised? Yeah, I can see that. You... don't remember our last meeting, but that's alright. This won't be the last time either."

[GranspearZX]

"...who are you? ALL of you?"

The other figures shuffled in response... One by one, they simply faded, leaving Marcus, the tall, bear-masked gentleman, and the piano. "...who I am should be obvious, kiddo. As for the rest of us... we live here."

"...so... what are you exactly? Some kind of other version of me?"

The figure laughed--it was a hearty, deep-throated laugh that could probably shake an entire room if this one were real. "Sorta. You do catch on fast... let's just say that I'm a part of you that you'd rather not look into. You're not ready for that yet... hence..." He pointed at the mask. "The first time you were here was an accident. You were a child, scared and begging for help... so, I helped you."

Marcus paused for a moment; the only time he could remember feeling THAT desperate was the night his father was arrested. Something went off in Marcus's mind as he put two and two together, and he narrowed his eyes a bit. "You're... the Beast Rune? You turned me into that monster that night?!"

"Hey! Not a monster." He seemed genuinely offended, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't go around calling you 'furless meatbag' to your face, do you?"

"...I think you just did."

"Details. Focus here, kid." The masked figure shook his head. "You're here because you... we are gonna have to be prepared. Things are about to change for all of us here, shortstack, and you're gonna have to step it up. I can't carry you anymore."

"Carry me? What do you mean 'carry me'? I've been doing this on my own for MONTHS."

The masked figure chuckled. "...is that what you think? Really? ...mm. It doesn't matter..." He looked behind him; a door had appeared against the back wall where there hadn't been one before. "Next time you come here... you're going to have to go through there. Ask yourself what your biggest fear is... and that's what'll be in there waiting for you. I'll do what I can from here, but... hey. This is your world. Right now, you're on a train speeding towards your destiny. When it gets to where it's supposed to be... well, you're a bright kid. Scrawny, but bright. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

[GranspearZX]

*thumpthumpthumpTHUMPTHUMP*

The rhythmic pounding jolted Marcus out of his bed and onto his floor, groaning wearily as he'd managed to land on his shoulder... He growled irritably and started to transform as he stood up, leaving him grouchy, tired, and eight-feet tall. He pulled the door open and snarled at the figure pounding on it. "WHAT?!"

"...dude. I left my key. Were you sleeping?"

Arcturus blinked as Eric poked him in the chest until he moved. If nothing else, Eric was an ideal roommate for the fact that he couldn't be bullied by Marcus's bear form; he was just as strong, and many of the wrestling moves he picked up came from his unfazeable roomate. Pushing the door shut, Arcturus sat down heavily in the middle of their floor, legs crossed as he rubbed at his head and muzzle with both hands. "...dammit, Eric..."

"Sorry... seriously, I need a key chain. Or maybe you should make me one of those runestone things you make, let me pass through the wall next time."

The joking suggestion was met with an irritated grunt as Arc fell backward, sprawled out on the floor. Eric flopped onto his bed and turned the television off. "...so what's wrong? You look like you didn't sleep well at all..."

"Weird dreams. Weirder than usual. Something about a train... and some guy in a mask... and there was this music I can't get out of my head."

"...huh. That sucks. I think." He wasn't sure if Eric was just giving him lip service or if it was genuine concern. Either way, Arc lay there, staring at the ceiling as he muttered the lyrics he could remember in his ursine baritone.

People get ready

There's a train a' callin'

You don't need no baggage

You just get on board...