there's a stranger in my eyes again [November/post-event catch-all]

[incomingchoppers]

Who: Radar O'Reilly (incomingchoppers) & YOU!
What: Radar's fine. Everything's fine. :)
When: Throughout November
Where: Town Hall, the Leeds Estate, Baker Ranch, and the Temple
Warning(s): Some descriptions + discussion related to the Fears, especially Slaughter, Flesh, and Corruption; specific warnings will be on individual prompts/tags



all messed up with nowhere to go [Town Hall, OTA]

A bit over a year ago, Pumpkin Hollow's denizens were coming back from the Black Stag Casino. Radar in particular had just gotten pampered for a week straight in the VIP suites. He celebrated his twentieth birthday with his new girlfriend, a stretch of calm after the island's latest weirdness, and the newfound knowledge that lobster omelettes with goat cheese were really good.

If only the same could be said for his twenty-first birthday.

The Fears' hold breaks, the island slowly picks up the pieces once again, and Radar does what he does best to keep sane: he works. His former Town Hall coworkers see him scuttling around again just like old times, greeting newcomers and processing forms and popping up right where he's needed with anything that might make their jobs easier. Except... it doesn't, always. Forms get mixed up. Files end up in the wrong cabinet. Once, someone asks for a pen, and Radar absentmindedly hands over an ornamental cactus from Mr. Aberdeen's desk instead. Whenever someone corrects him, he just blinks, mumbles, "Oh, sorry sir," and fixes his mistake like nothing happened.

While manning the front desk one afternoon, he even dozes off. Anyone coming into Town Hall will be greeted by a gently snoring Army clerk, hat crooked and glasses shoved halfway up his forehead as he pillows his head in his arms. If they try to nudge him, he'll flail awake like a bomb went off, blurting, "Choppers!" before he gets his bearings.

"Oh, um." Clumsily, he fixes his glasses and adjusts his hat. "Hi. Can I help you?"


i stare at myself in the mirror alone [Leeds Estate, closed to Dahlia]
(cw: descriptions of war-related violence, gore, & body dysmorphia; emeto mention)

If you live at the Leeds Estate, meanwhile, you'll know exactly why he's been so tired.

He doesn't sleep.

Well, he tries, sure. Every night he goes to his own room, and every night like clockwork, two hours after he shuts the door, there's a quickly-stifled scream. (Radar got a lot of practice in Korea, not waking up anybody else with his own bad dreams.) He hunches over his knees with one arm around his bear, the other hand clapped to his mouth, tears streaming down his face as he struggles his way out of the latest nightmare. Battlefields. Blood everywhere. A hot rifle in his hands and a body on the ground that's only got half its head anymore, because of him. Someone peeling away chunks of his torso one strip at a time until he can see his own ribcage.

He can't stand to be touched, either. The guy who's always been so quick with a hug flinches when anyone so much as taps him on the shoulder. He shies away from everyone, even Dahlia, and can't bring himself to go to her room even on the nights Laios or Daisy aren't around. He misses her company so badly, but just the idea of her seeing his bare skin, let alone touching him, makes him want to throw up.

It's not fair. He was feeling so much better about -- about being him, and now all he can do is hide.

(He just wanted to look nice for her.)


it's hard to make friends when you're half in the grave [Baker Ranch, OTA]

When he isn't at Town Hall or the estate, he's out at Baker Ranch. Who knows what the animals might've gone through while the Fears were in charge? Maybe Radar would, if he listened, but there's been so much static in his ears ever since the island went back to normal that he can barely tell what human animals are thinking, let alone animal animals. So he just treats them with extra kindness anyway and lets the comfort of something small, simple, and fuzzy quiet his mind.

Sometimes, he keeps a teddy bear tucked under one arm while he works. It's not the same one he's been hauling around ever since Hawkeye and Phil won it for him a year and a half ago. This bear's even more worn and well-loved, its fur patchwork-thin, one eye missing, a ribbon that might've been white once tied in a little bow around its neck. One morning he walked into his room at the ranch and there it was, sitting on his pillow like it'd just stepped off the ferry from Korea, too: the bear he's had since he was a baby. Boy and he thought he cried a lot before.

That's the same day he just lays down in the grass for most of the afternoon to stare up at the sky. Some of the baby goats come over to investigate him and the teddy eventually. So do a few rabbits. So does Johnny Boy, even. He sits next to Radar with more rabbits in his lap, alternating between keeping watch and gently placing the occasional bunny on top of Radar's chest.

If you approach, the stone construct will turn to you, blink inquiringly, then hold up one of the rabbits. Hello. Would you like a rabbit in these trying times, too? Or perhaps a baby goat?


but i ain't dead yet, and i got something to say [temple, closed to Mulcahy]

And when that's not enough? There are also cats at the Temple.

Radar only saw Father Mulcahy briefly during the Fears -- he thinks; his time in the Corruption is especially blurry -- so he's got no idea how his friend is doing. Bad, probably. Everybody's doing bad. It makes him feel kind of guilty, knowing he's not just there to check up on the Father, but to talk to him parishioner-to-priest too. Because who else can he talk to about what went on? About the drums of the Slaughter, or the weight of the gun as he fired toward the Enemy? If he bottles it all up much longer he thinks he might burst.

So Mulcahy will find him sitting at the base of the Temple's tree, Christopher Mango cradled in his arms like a ridiculous furry baby. He looks up and tries to smile. "Hey, Father. Sir."

Christopher Mango sticks out a paw to lay it on Radar's cheek, juuuuust a little too close to his mouth.


wildcard
[plot with me/request a custom starter in the usual places!]

Comments

but i ain’t dead yet

[lovethyneighb_or]

His arrival is plenty visible, but whisper-quiet. Padding alongside is Thomas, the massive black maine coon who is very vocal about demanding pets and loves rubbing his big wet nose on people’s faces.

He pauses in his step as Radar says sir. “Please,” he says, raising a hand. (His voice is so quiet too. At least it carries in the vast space.) “Just ‘Father’ will do.”

But he does cross the rest of the way, sitting down next to Radar beneath the tree’s protective canopy. Thomas immediately shoves himself onto Mulcahy’s lap and gets fur all over his robes.

“I’m glad to see you, Radar. It’s a lovely place to rest here, isn’t it? Especially with the cats. It’s too bad they can’t tell when someone is allergic.”

[incomingchoppers]

Honestly, the quiet's kind of a relief. Radar's head is noisy enough without anything external making it louder.

"Yeah. I think they do it on purpose, finding the people who're gonna sneeze the most." It's said fondly, like pretty much any other time Radar talks about an animal. Christopher turns his face to wedge it against Radar's belly. "I dunno why there's so many more than when I first got here but it really is nice."

A pause; then, softer, "And it's always quiet here. Even when it's not outside."

[lovethyneighb_or]

"That's what these places are for," he says. "Sanctuary."

Of which he will take advantage of as much as he can—which is quite a lot, seeing as he works here, and thank goodness for it. Work for a place both sacred and safe, where blameless animals roam. It's a good place to put his focus.

He skritches both sides of Thomas' big face. "What a tiresome season it's been."

[incomingchoppers]

"Oh gee," he says on an enormous, wobbly sigh, "it really has been, huh."

You'd never know it to look at the cats, at least. That's one reason Radar's always liked animals: they're so much simpler than humans.

He swallows. "Is it... is it okay if we talk a little? With you being a Father and me being a corporal I mean?"

[lovethyneighb_or]

Ah, of course. Frankly he’s exhausted, but this is his job, he’s on the clock, and he knows he’ll only feel better for having done it. It’d be worse if no one ever asked this of him after something like that.

Besides. He always has time for Radar.

“Of course. What’s on your mind, my son?”

all messed up with nowhere to go

[deepbluerevue]

The lady standing in front of his desk blinks, one delicately pencilled eyebrow ticking slightly up her smooth forehead. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, sir,” she says, more or less politely. (She thinks: surely Town Hall doesn’t seem that understaffed anymore. Where’s Ms. Birnbaum? Or Miss Leeds?) “I was looking for some help with my residence paperwork? There might’ve been a misfile.”

[incomingchoppers]

"Um -- " He finishes getting himself as presentable as possible, trying not to wince at the grumble of disapproval that shakes the woman's thoughts. "Right. Yes ma'am, I can take care of that for you. ...What's your name?"

If he weren't so tired, he'd already be halfway to the cabinets to pull the right file without her even saying another word. But, alas. The horrors.

[deepbluerevue]

“Grace Holloway,” she provides, smiling patiently. (Well, he looks on the young side. She might as well give more details, help out the poor lad. It’s not like she’s in a rush.) “Like hollow-way, one W. I was here the first time two years ago, and I came back here a few days ago. I’m working as an entertainer, you see, so I’m moving back to my old building, but it seems that hasn’t been arranged yet?”

[incomingchoppers]

"Holloway, one double-you," he mumbles about half a second behind Grace, nodding to himself. "Okay. Yeah I'm real sorry about that, we're still kinda gettin' everything back together after the Fears left so it might not've gotten squared away yet, I'll go check and see -- "

He shuffles toward the cabinets, still mumbling "Holloway, one double-you, Holloway, one double-you" under his breath so he doesn't lose track of what he's looking for.

[deepbluerevue]

“I did hear about that,” Grace says, leaning on her cane. “Take your time.” Poor thing. Must’ve been put through the ringer. Maybe he’s been having trouble sleeping, that’d explain him sleeping on the desk when he seems like an eager sort. Of course, there’s plenty of sorts who can’t help getting sleepy when nothing’s happening, or speaking over other people. Who knows?

These observations processed, Grace’s irritation subsides a bit, though her face hasn’t changed at all.

it's hard to make friends when you're half in the grave

[chenpathy]

"Is that as therapeutic as it looks?"

Alex stands over him and his menagerie, shadow and silhouette against the late fall sky, wrapped up in a sweater and with the end of a guitar case sticking up over her shoulder. It's a question asked more to announce her presence than because she expects any answer but the obvious—even being out here on the ranch, far away from downtown and the emotions that are running so high in these days after the nightmare ended, is already calming her down.

[incomingchoppers]

The listlessness and worry commingling around Radar briefly lift. "Oh hey Alex. I didn't hear you come over."

(Which says a heck of a lot about his current state.)

"Yeah, it's pretty nice. You wanna sit down too? Scooter's gotten good about not chewing anybody's glasses anymore."

He pats a spot of grass next to him. Johnny Boy watches all this with benevolent interest, ready to deploy a bunny if needed.

[chenpathy]

"Yeah, I think I could use some of that, let me just—"

She slips her guitar case off her back and sets it down on the ground before sliding down to join him, lying flat for a second before having to sit up a bit to adjust her positioning a bit and then settling once more.

She holds her arms up. "Alright Johnny Boy, bunny me up."

[incomingchoppers]

Your wish is his command!

With great gravitas, and the sound of stone grinding on stone, Johnny Boy nods, then selects the smallest, fluffiest rabbit of the lot to place in Alex's outstretched hands.

[chenpathy]

"Thank you, Johnny Boy."

Very carefully, she lowers the tiny little fluff down to her chest, holding and petting gently the way Radar taught her to. Almost immediately, she settles a little easier, looser.

"...yeah, this is definitely pretty nice."

half in the grave

[hate_gettin_older]

Edgar's there at Baker Ranch, of course, except for how he kind of isn't; how he takes an extra second or long to respond to anything, how he sometimes moves slow like he's half asleep, sometimes throws himself at a task like he's fighting it for his life. How he barely seems to eat.

If Radar's heard who was running the train up to the Safe Zone, or who left on the ferry the day after the Fears lifted, he didn't hear it from Edgar.

[yournewsidekick]

Coincidentally -- totally coincidentally! -- on the same day Radar's having his Field Time, a giant pink thoat lumbers up behind Edgar and slowly, sloooooowly starts shoving him in the direction of Radar and Johnny Boy. (Tars gave her some pointers on what a thoat looked like at the gala. She's got it pretty down by now.)

"Wonk," she says, very seriously.

[hate_gettin_older]

The first shove gets no response.

The second gets a low, hoarse "Cut it out, bug."

[yournewsidekick]

"Nope. I unionized the animals and now we're all on strike to defy The Man." Nimona gives him another little shove. "C'mon. Even Radar's chilling. Five minutes?"

I stare at myself in the mirror alone

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia, of course, hears him.

She's been dealing with her own troubles. The fact that she spent two entire weeks shoveling human meat into her mouth like her life depended on it. The fact that Daisy brought her a man's heart and she bit into it like an apple, uncontrollable. The fact that she feels so... invigorated after it all. She hasn't needed to eat real food in a week. But it's not because all of this makes her avoidant of Radar or any of her other partners, but more because she knows Radar doesn't want to discuss it. So she doesn't push.

But enough nights spent wandering the house, unable to sleep, asking Tenna to show her one of those same movies over again, and hearing Radar cry out... There's only so many repeats she can bear to hear without addressing it.

So this time, she knocks.

[incomingchoppers]

Oh no.

Radar freezes. Dahlia will hear a brief silence, followed by a few thumps and rustles on the other side of the door, before he pulls it open. He's yanked the entire quilt off his bed to wrap around himself; he didn't bother trying to find his glasses, either, and squints blurrily at her silhouette against the light.

(Maybe if he can't see her too well, he can pretend Dahlia can't see him very well, either.)

"...Hey." His voice creaks with unshed tears. "Sorry, um. Did I wake you up?"

[thethirteenthchild]

"No, I was already up," Dahlia murmurs, wrapping her arms around herself to try and simulate the hug she doesn't feel she can have. "Bad dreams. I figure it's the same for you...?"

[incomingchoppers]

Radar nods. He tries, and fails, to suppress a sniffle.

And steps back to make some space as he says, "You wanna come in?"

It doesn't mean he has to take off the blanket. (Or anything else.) They can just -- be together for a little. Right?

half in the grave

[glaceir]

Noelle hasn't been feeling well since Dess left, but at least the Fears have provided her with some decent cover. Everyone is hurting; everyone is frightened. It means Noelle can go relatively unnoticed, even in a house full of people.

If Radar has been over to the Leeds mansion over the last few weeks, he might have seen Noelle there, polite but distant. Dahlia's party taught Noelle that this place can take people away on a whim, so why bother getting close to anyone? Best to keep her distance.

But she can't stay cooped up forever. And she's always liked Baker Ranch, and maybe she can just spend some time with the animals, instead of the people. It might even be nice. She approaches the stone construct with the rabbits, taking one, before she realizes Radar is lying there in the grass. Noelle looks down, still holding the rabbit.

"Oh. Hi, Radar."

[incomingchoppers]

"...Noelle?"

Radar blinks in surprise, his mind coming back from wherever it went while he was staring at the clouds. He even smiles, tiny and tentative as it might be. "Hey. I didn't know you were out here too. How's it going?"

What a dumb question. But Radar's from the American midwest; ingrained politeness won't be stopped by a little thing like everybody getting stuck in their worst fears for two weeks straight. And besides, he hasn't had a chance to talk to Noelle in a while, what with only seeing her from a distance during his own puttering around the Leeds Estate.