deercountry | If I had died

[Lance doesn't live here anymore, too many memories, triggers for difficult hallucinations and visions because his mind is a mess. Thanks winter lanterns and PTSD. But when he wants to take the risk and challenge his head, or go into his old room where he's still stashing things that are valuable to him, he will be here. And he's almost always wearing dark sunglasses and won't take them off, like a weirdo. His giant white direwolf that he raised with Allura is also regularly with him or sometimes on her own just parked outside of the door to the master bedroom blocking everyone's way because she's the size of a horse.

There's also the piano, which he does know how to play. But he didn't always, he taught himself when he was alone in the house back in Deerington. It wasn't hard since he's already a musician and it's another reason he'll sometimes come back. But he only plays when he thinks there's nobody else in the house. Of course, lately he's been pretty distracted and might have missed that someone is there while he's playing covers of pop songs. Might also play some classics. His glaceon is often with him along with the giant white wolf when he plays, sitting atop the piano and wiggling with the music, accidentally letting off some frost and snow flurries inside.

Otherwise, he can be found in his old room sometimes sitting on the floor with the door cracked slightly where usually it's closed. Is he doing anything of significance? Perhaps. If you consider trying to sit with painful memories and hallucinations and get over it already significant. He can look kinda like he's spacing out, but other times he'll have a box of stuff next to him that he's going through. Pictures and other little things he got in Deerington that he keeps here. If you walk in on him going through it, he'll yelp and shove it under the bed and might also try to… blow your head off. Approach with caution. The wolf will always be with him in here as well, and sometimes his coyote omen Valor.

Lastly, sometimes he'll bring over food he made because since Hunk left, he's not entirely sure about this household's cooking skills and status. So he can be caught putting covered dishes of food in the fridge before trying to make a smooth exit without being seen or… seeing anything. And other times he might just come over to bother Chloe outside her window, Keith too sometimes. He'll use pebbles or knock on the glass, or even raise a boom box over his head and play "music." Feel free to catch him doing this even if it's not your attention he's trying to get. Where did he get the boom box, you ask? Don't worry about it.]

Edited 2022-12-09 17:16 (UTC)

[Adam hadn't meant to eavesdrop, honestly. He'd just been putting the kettle on in the kitchen when he heard music from the other room. No, not just music. There were plenty of people who lived here, either in the past or currently, who played records or songs or other recorded music. This was live music. And if he wasn't mistaken, it was their piano.

In the entirety of his time at Mouse House he hadn't heard a single person play on it. For some reason he'd assumed it was Alluras, another monument to her that Takashi wanted here and preserved but not talked about. Now he realizes he should've just asked.

He's surprised to find Lance sitting there, playing quietly and confidently. Adam smiles to himself as he nods along with the tune, actually recognizing it for once. He wasn't great with music, but even he knew a few pop hits.

It's the wolf that gives him away, spotting him leaning where he was and alerting. Adam straightens and coughs.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I've just never heard anyone actually play on that thing. You're good.

[The piano has somehow just always been here, and he used to always associate the house itself with Allura. He still does. So it's a fair thing to assume, especially since he's been kind of trying to stealth play when he can for a long time. It's not that he's embarrassed, at first it was just wanting to teach himself without an audience and then eventually it became just a little thing he did by himself and he never got out of the habit of sneaking around.

And he's in the zone, so when Edelya indicates that she's spotted someone, he doesn't notice right away, only pausing his playing because he was about to switch to another song. Then Adam's voice startles him into slamming the keys and falling over with a yelp and glowing a little blue-red-gold under his skin. He pokes the top of his head up and raises his sunglasses for a moment to get a better look, only his eyes are visible over the piano. Oh, that must be actual Adam. He's never hallucinated Adam before.]

H-holy crap. [If this is somehow a hallucination Adam, though… then he really hopes nobody else is in the house because then he definitely looks insane right now. He squints.] How long were you standing there??

... Are you. Sneaking food in? Or out?

[Sorry, bud. You've been caught tupperware-handed. So to speak. It's mostly because Shiro and sleep are not the best of friends on a good day. He's gotten better. But still, he keeps odd hours.]

[And naps on the couch when he can. Which is where he's calling out from. That lump of blankets is apparently Shiro, where he sacked out after a Waker shift earlier.]

[Lance had just finished putting the covered dish of tamales in the fridge when Shiro's voice had him jumping practically five feet in the air. He stumbles and catches himself on the wall and looks over at Shiro with wide eyes. And he just stares for a good few seconds like he's not sure what he's looking at.

Then he picks up his sunglasses off the ground where they fell and puts them back on, clearing his throat like he didn't just do something really weird. He's fine, normal. Nothing is wrong with him, shut up.]

Uhhh, what food? I don't see any food, [he glances to the right] do you see any food?

Lance... you're allowed to use our stuff. Or drop things off. You know that, right?

[Maybe that's the issue. Is that the issue? He scrubs his hand over his face, a few times. Waking himself up from the impromptu nap. This is what happens when you close your eyes for a few minutes in a pile of warm blankets after a day of being cold.]

[His hair is sticking up. He doesn't seem to notice. He's more concerned about Lance right now.]

None of us mind.

U-uh, yeah. Of-of course I know that.

[He says awkwardly, shifting his stance awkwardly and pressing his thumb into his opposite palm. With the shades on, it's hard to tell, but he's also very shifty-eyed. He swallows thickly, not sure what to say or do right now when there's a lot for him going on internally. This always happens when he's here.]

... Lance, you - are you okay?

[He's sitting up straighter. Making to haul his dorito ass off the couch. His eyes are totally visible, and they are packed full of concern. Though, he does hesitate, before actually making his way over.]

Do you need to step outside?

[What was that weird tapping on his window? It sounded like... rocks? Keith wasn't sure, but he eventually got annoyed enough to go over and open said window to find out...

Hopefully, Lance wasn't about to throw another rock...]

[He was, in fact, about to throw another rock, and luckily for Keith, it's a small one otherwise it would be breaking the window. It lands square on Keith's forehead, and it's not clear if it was an accident considering Lance is such a crack shot and could hit Keith there on purpose easily.]

[That sure was his forehead... and-]

OWWW FFFFFFUCK! WHAT THE-?!

[He flinched back, only to hit the back of his head on the bottom of the open window.]

SHIT!

Whoops.

[He says without a hint of remorse and a crooked little curl of his lips.]

You alright there, mullet rock?

Do I look alright?! What the hell?

[He pulled back inside the window now, and, uh... yeah... he was just going to move to close that sucker right back up.]

[Lance snickers a bit, but then sees Keith go to close the window and his hands come out urgently in a stop gesture.]

Wait! I was just trying to get your attention, dude. C'mon, it was just a pebble!

[Keith stopped, glaring through the window. But he wasn't going to stick his head back out there, that was for sure.

Well? Go ahead, Lance. You had his attention.]

If I had died

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Piano

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"smooth exit"

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