2nd Metal / open spam covering the next few days

[godsays]

[ He never had thought of Mistborn powers as being an addiction, but this may force him to admit he was wrong. He craves the metals, craves the sensations that come with them. He feels as though his body has been wrapped in cotton; no longer can he distinguish the grains of wood through his fingertips, or hear the whisper of a heartbeat from a room away. He can't use lines of metal to sense movement and to chart his surroundings. Can't fall and fly. Can't lean on the emotions of those he meets. He's trapped in his skull, a prisoner of locked doors and gravity.

This is what drives him to some desperation.

There are many risks that come with seeking out metals not metallurgist-crafted. Alloys can be impure; they can be of an incorrect mixture. It's hard to flake off bits of metal. Chewing on them will only result in certain trace metals in the system, and those could be burned off easily and quickly without much benefit.

So: find him anywhere in a public area, focused on some sort of metal. Perhaps determinedly working at the tines of a fork or attempting to chew on a pipe. Licking, in an attempt to taste the composition of an alloy. (This is unsurprisingly ineffective.)

And then, at some point, he may succeed in flaking/bending off/acquiring some metal that can be swallowed. Unfortunately, alloys of incorrect percentage give him a blinding headache and leave him nauseated and down for the count. So feel free to also find him curled into a ball really wishing he hadn't just tried to do that. ]

Comments

[wecanavenge]

[He opens his mouth to object when he realizes what Zane's doing, but it's swallowed down before he can speak and he's left staring, lips parted and what in the world is happening? His eyes dart from Zan's head to his toes to his stomach, and he can, distantly, feel the bit of copper disappear.]

It's magnetism. It works on all metals. [A flash of irritation; it's not a trick.] What did you just do?

[godsays]

[ The copper's burning very fast. Ordinarily, this would last him hours, at a slow burn, especially if he didn't need to shield himself the whole time. But this one's going quick; it might be gone before fifteen minutes are up.

He consciously eases off on it, keeping the burn as slow as possible. Is there something wrong with the copper in this place? ]

I'm burning it. And magnetism doesn't work on all metals. And it isn't usually mind-controlled.

[ Just pointing that out. He's interested. ]

That's a superpower, isn't it?

[wecanavenge]

[The corner of Erik's mouth twitches up, because, well. Got him there.]

It's a mutation. Are you one? [He's curious; it's been so long since other mutants have come on board, and they've all known what they are. He's already assuming Zane is something else.]

[godsays]

No. I'm Mistborn.

Can you tell the composition of the metals?

[wecanavenge]

[He shakes his head.] No, that's not in my power. What's a Mistborn? [The question comes almost distractedly, though, because the copper has made him curious, and he can feel other metal in Zane, something that isn't dissolving.]

[godsays]

[ The spike is solid steel, all one alloy, the flat of it above Zane's ribcage and the point protruding about a centimeter between his shoulderblades. It goes directly through where his heart should be.

And yet.

He is obviously disappointed, at the answer. Retreats slightly. ]

One who uses metal for power.

[wecanavenge]

[He almost doesn't hear, his eyes tracing the position, the shape, over Zane's skin. It's wrong. Everything about it is wrong - his heart should be there. When he answers, it's distracted at best.]

Then why not Metalborn?

[godsays]

I didn't name us.

[wecanavenge]

[He snorts a little at that, because really - Erik probably wouldn't have chosen mutant.]

Fair enough. [But he can't let it go, so he taps his own chest, where he can feel that spike.]

What is that?

[godsays]

[ He experiences a sudden and intense surge of defensiveness. ]

It's nothing.

[ He's not even really sure what Erik is asking about. His mind skitters away from it, when he tries to think about it. ]

[wecanavenge]

It's not nothing. [If he liked Zane a little less, he might even try shifting it - but he's certainly not on Tony Stark's level, so he just points at Zane's chest again.]

There's metal in your chest.

[godsays]

Leave it alone.

[ His tone is strong, angry. His mind is racing, his head pounding.

If Erik doesn't stop him, he'll turn to go. ]

[wecanavenge]

[He thinks about stopping him, because that is Erik's reaction in the face of strength and anger: Be stronger and angrier. He restrains himself, though his brow is angled down as he turns to watch Zane go.]

You can't keep it hidden forever, [He points out, though really he only means hidden from him.] Pleasure meeting you. [He could not be more sarcastic if he - okay he could.]