70. [DREAM/DREAM/DREAM/DREAM]
[So while the rest of Johto alternately panics, cries, or rushes around trying to capture as many of the soulstealing insects as possible, there are dozens of souls floating around in that dream limbo, drifting in and out of each other's slumbering thoughts and visions. Whether it's nightmarish flashbacks or just those dreams where you're at school
( Read more... )
He had already spent the majority of his time in this dream world hopping from nightmare to nightmare to... strange stuffed animal infested playground searching for a way out. So far, his searches had proved fruitless, but he somehow knew that if he kept looking he'd find an exit in a dream world somewhere. So when he somehow stumbled up this creepy door that obviously lead to some place unsavory, he knew he had to push his way forward, no matter how many reservations he had.
With a deep breath to steel himself, he reached out to nudge the door open even more, wide enough for him to enter... well. Whatever this place was supposed to be]
Reply
[But in the long run... things had to get darker before they could get lighter, right?]
[The door comes open slowly. It's heavy, and for good reason-- caught under its edge is a small, straggly mess of wwaterlogged junk-- weeds, old garbage, netting... and sewage. It drags across the floor along with the door with a disgusting squelch, leaving a slimy smear behind it. It stinks. ... And so does the world beyond the door.]
[A soft, blue-green light licks up the curving walls of the tunnel that stretches out before Kaito-- reflections from the gurgling water that's flowing through it. Is he-- ... yes. Kaito is in a sewer.]
[... And it smells like one, too. :(]
Reply
But then... what if the exit was in this one? He'd miss it, all because he was a little squeamish. Like hell he was going to let that happen. With another breath he enters the room, glancing around at his surroundings and quirking both eyebrows when he realizes what they mean.
A sewer, huh... ew.
This is gross :( Still, he presses forward, but not before lifting a hand to his nose]
Who the heck would dream about a sewer... Yeesh.
Reply
[Get used to the smell, though... all the cologne and perfume in the world wouldn't be able to dispel reek down here. The most anyone could hope for would be that sort of nasty combo flowery-toilet smell that public restrooms get when a staff member is sent in to spray air freshener all over the place after the lunchtime rush.]
[Fortunately, there are small walking-intended ledges on either side of the canal-- unless he feels like taking a swim (for... some reason), he won't have to do any wading. At least not here.]
[Unfortunately, although the tunnel he's in meets a 'T' junction about twenty meters forward or so, neither path seems to lead uphill or towards light... this place looks very easy to get lost in... and he's liable to be wandering for awhile before there's any sign of life apart from the constant drip-drip-dripping of the water.]
[When that sign does appear, it's at a junction of tunnels ... and it's hard to tell exactly where it's coming from. There's an echoing ( ... )
Reply
And that growling... uh, gurgling... whatever it was... didn't sound like something he wanted to run into alone.
No matter how hard he tries, though, it's impossible to figure out which tunnel the noise is coming out of, and Kaito lets out a frustrated sigh (which also echos)]
Gotta count on my luck to get me out of here, huh... [He mumbles it to himself, before turning on his heel and taking the left pathway. Let's just hope it was the right choice...]
Reply
[The left tunnel yields more of the same in terms of scenery (honestly, sewers? Not that exciting), but the air seems to be growing a little thicker... more wet. As a matter of fact, the further he goes, the mistier it seems to get-- steam rising off the surface of the water. Such a thing is natural, but that doesn't stop it from being annoying, and reducing visibility by a fair amount, especially straight ahead... but hey, at least he's headed away from whatever was making those weird noises, right?]
[... Well, the sudden, honky bleat that sounds abruptly somewhere on the path ahead would beg to differ... in fact, it's a hell of a lot closer than it was before. But at least it doesn't sound... too threatening?]
Reply
What good would that do, though? It's not like he knows where the heck the right tunnel would've led in comparison to the left tunnel. If he keeps second guessing himself, then he won't get anywhere.
Besides. The sound doesn't sound... threatening, at least? With his jaw set, he reaches into his pockets, fingers closing around his card gun. Thank goodness dream world let him keep this...
With that finished, he presses forward hesitantly, carefully, tense and alert]
Reply
[In fact, he'll see it long before it rears its head clearly, stumbling awkwardly towards him through the fog. It's little more than a bleary shape at first-- fairly short, too-- maybe it's a person? ... A child?]
[... And then it finally blunders into view, mewling piteously.]
( ... )
Reply
Reply
H-he doesn't want any surprise attacks from behind]
Reply
[... but no, seriously, he's got the right idea. At the very least, it doesn't seem particularly fast, although it blunders along after him pathetically, making its weird squalling noises-- though through what is anyone's guess. Is that hole in the middle of its otherwise-featureless face a mouth or an eye? Presumably Kaito's not too interested in sticking around to find out, though, and really, who would blame him? Who would blame anybody?]
[He'll be able to ditch the clumsy creature with ease-- even a brisk walking pace is enough to put some decent space between it and him, but ... the problem with looking over your shoulder is that there might be a missed detail or two waiting in front of you.]
[Another squall rings out ahead. Directly ahead. Another one of the creatures is wobbling its way towards him, its cold-looking marbled skin shiny and wet even in the low light... and beyond it, there's movement. More of them-- in the water. They're clambering up onto the raised walkway, with more of ( ... )
Reply
Except then he notices the swarm of them clambering out of the water through the fog and darkness, and that nearly make his heart stop. What the hell--?!
Where the hell are all of these things coming from?! Kaito takes a step back from the larger group of... things in front of him, sliding his card gun out of his pocket as he does so, finger flexing dangerously over the trigger. He grits his teeth, gaze darting across his surroundings frantically, searching for an exit. There is no way he's going anywhere near the water, not when they look like they wouldn't hesitate to drag him underneath. And there is no way he's ( ... )
Reply
[The one he's got the gun aimed at doesn't seem to care-- or maybe it doesn't even know-- that he's got a weapon. It continues to blunder straight towards him, making its guttural bleating noises. If the path were wider, he could probably run around it... but the little ledge is so narrow that there wouldn't really be anywhere to go but the water, where more of those things may still be lurking...]
[Either way, he'll have to make a decision. Seemingly excited by the fact that he was coming back towards it, the one directly ahead starts to speed up...]
Reply
Once he's within firing range of the sole... thing in front of him (but not so close as to put himself in immediate peril) he aims his gun downward. The exploding sound of his card gun firing echoes throughout the caverns, and he sends two cards flying straight at the creature's feet. After practicing so much with firearms, his aim was good... and he could only home the cards would strike and send the weird thing tumbling to the ground. At least then it would stop running after him, and he could probably jump over it and bolt to safety...]
Reply
[It's not a big creature to begin with, so Kaito should have no trouble clearing it when he jumps-- but as he passes over, the thing is already lurching back to its feet, and perhaps accidentally, may thwack straight into him in the process, with a force surprising of something so clumsy and frail-looking.]
Reply
-- but unfortunately, he miscalculates how fast the creature was able to climb to his feet. It manages to smack straight into him mid-jump with a sickening squishing noise, causing him to yelp out in surprise and lurch forward, crashing head first (well... arms first, he managed to lift them up to break his fall) into the concrete walkway (thankfully landing with the strange creature behind him and the clear sewer tunnel in front).
His landing might have been upset, but Kaito was never the type to lose his footing without recovering, and while on the ground he spins around quickly to face the creature, holding his gun up and ready to fire if it was planning on approaching him again. His elbows and forearms are scraped and bloody, chest heaving with each breath he takes, and he quickly scrambles away from the thing while simultaneously trying to pull himself onto his feet.
... and push the the thought that he actually touched it ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment