On the Road Again...

[mercwamouth]

[Four people are picking their way through the darkness, following a glowing bubble of gold and blue light. The light runs along a wire held by Mu, who is walking at the front, glowing gold. Next is Hei, who is glowing blue and looks pale--he's hallucinating badly. Last comes Deadpool, sans his usual red outfit and mask, his skin covered in scars and tumors, carrying a limp Misaki.]

Just stay awake Misaki, alright? No falling asleep. We're almost there.

Li... [She's not really coherent at this point, wax pale and sweating, her eyes open but not seeming to register anything in front of them.] What happened...?

That's not Li, Misaki, that's Hei. She doesn't seem like she's getting much better.

[Ignoring Deadpool and responding to Misaki] You're injured, likely in shock. I can't see well enough to tell.

We're heading for the b-- [Hei pauses and stumbles a bit before catching himself, forcing himself to focus.] --the ballroom. I think.

Heard about that place. Sounds like a good place to go. Shelter and clothes. Probably other guys too.

So how do we find this place? Everything looks the same and we can't really see well to boot.

I'm following my intuition.

...You really are a woman.

...

[Weak chuckle.] Don't underestimate a Saint.

[She stirs briefly, glaring at nothing in particular. She certainly sounds coherent.] Calling him a woman is hardly underestimating him, Hei. [Blink.] Where did the sky go?

[Smiles to himself.] Didn't...mean it that way, Misaki. [Stumbles again and briefly rubs his forehead.] The stars went out. But they'll be back. And until then we've got some light. [The glow around his outline intensifies a fraction.]

...Anyone know any traveling songs?

[ooc: Believe it or not, this was a pain in the butt to arrange]

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

I agree. How do I retract this wire?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

There's someone screaming in my head, Hei. Kill him, please?

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Looks worriedly at Misaki, but there are now train sounds in the distance! Soon you may see the headlights getting closer, but ZeroLiner (http://i34.tinypic.com/10wtdf9.jpg)'s still a bit aways.]

... It should be here soon.

[contract_star]

[The ZeroLiner's headlights are bouncing and changing colors. It cuts a swath through the purple grass, scattering Gate monsters and odd-looking insects.]

Here. [Gives a tug on the wire and it retracts back into Hei's belt, losing its glow as it goes. Hei remains lit up like a sonic screwdriver, though~]

I would, but we might need to kill him and use him for firewood later, so I'd hate to be wasteful now. [Flinches a bit as a particularly close Gate monster takes a snap at him, two-inch teeth clicking together only inches away.]

[mercwamouth]

...Who exactly is driving that thing?

[lamb_of_gold]

This is one of those few things I'm too grateful for to question. Hei, you can relax.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[And she would be going rigid in Deadpool's grip now, staring at the approaching light, as the stuff IN the gate-creature's bite finally works its way into her system.]

...November?

[mercwamouth]

OK, this is bad enough to break talking order here. Mu? Little help?

[lamb_of_gold]

[Goes over and helps get Misaki off Deadpool's back] What about November?

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

I am. ... sort of. [Shrugs and tilts his head a little, but then the ever-growing light lets Ryotarou see Hei's reactions to the hallucinations. He reaches out to touch Hei, but then remembers what happened last time he did that when the other was hallucinating and holds off.]

Li-san...? [Concerned look to Misaki, but. fklhdskn Too much going on at once. ZeroLiner's definitely within sight, though, and it blows its little musical-ish horn as it nears.]

[lamb_of_gold]

Good timing. Is there somewhere to lie Misaki down in there?

[contract_star]

I am perfectly relaxed.

Misaki. [Goes to her and takes her hand.] Misaki, I know. This is real. This part is real. [Squeezes her hand.] Hold on, alright? Hold onto me.

[Shakes his head.] Ryotarou, I'm fine. We need to get her on board as fast as possible.

[mercwamouth]

[Y'see, right there, Deadpool would have noticed you responded to "Li-san". Luckily for you, however...]

Like a driving power, bit fat tires and everything!

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Doesn't feel him touching her; her whole body is numb and tingling, as though it's fallen asleep. And she can still see November standing in the path of the oncoming train.]

No! [Can't even struggle, but her voice sounds much stronger than it did a few minutes ago.] Move, you idiot! Get out of the way!

[He stands there, lights a cigarette and smiles.]

...you stupid bastard. You never let me help--

[Her back arches--her eyes roll up until only the whites show. Her breath comes out in a long, ugly wine, and and then she's in a heap again, still staring at the place where November was, but now there's just a cigarette and a spreading patch of blood.]

...never let me....

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, there is— [lkfdnsk And now it looks like Misaki is hallucinating and in pain too, and the ZeroLiner couldn't come sooner. It stops alongside the group, about two feet away, and Ryotarou leads them inside (http://i32.tinypic.com/2iijpqo.jpg) quickly before making his way to the front control room thing.]

[contract_star]

[Ever hear the phrase, "being around crazy people makes even sane people act crazy?" Well, now Misaki's hallucination is feeding Hei's and giving it strength :\]

November... [And he's seeing him now, with his smirk and his cigarette, still alive and healthy as far as Hei knows. And now there's Nick, and Bai, and Havoc, and the howling is ringing in Hei's ears, making it hard to hear what people are saying.]

[He squeezes Misaki's hand, trying to anchor them both to reality.] I'm here. I'm right here. Hold on...hold on...

[And follows Ryotarou into what looks to him like an enormous, skeletal whale. Ryotarou heads toward the brain, leaving the rest of them near the stomach. Hei sits down on a rib, still holding onto Misaki. He's still glowing, since he isn't sure whether there's light here yet.]

Help her. Mu. Someone.

[lamb_of_gold]

[Puts Misaki on one of the benches, lying her out comfortably.] Hei, let up on your power. I can light this place myself, should there be a need.

[mercwamouth]

Mu, you focus on Misaki for now. I'll try and help Hei.

[SMACK!]

KEEP IT TOGETHER MAN! YOU'RE HERE! ON A... MAGICAL TRAIN!

...

[Am I even sane right now?]

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She's pretty much a sack of potatoes, staring at the ceiling. She wants to move, tries to move, but can't--she's beginning to hyperventilate and there's a little fleck of foam at the corner of her mouth.

A massive spider with Kouno's head stares back at her from the ceiling with a baleful expression. And then it grins, its mouth stretching wider and wider until she can see the remains of a child tangled in iron-colored teeth.

Her eyes widen; she makes a desperate little gulp of sound, but nothing else.]

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[And Ryotarou is up in the front, driving the ZeroLiner and taking them to the ballroom ASAP! ♥]

[contract_star]

[SMACK'D! With a fish, actually. The whale just spat a giant red fish with arms and legs at him. A purple and gold otter is nearby, washing its paws in some stomach acid. And Hei is clinging to the hand of...Misaki.]

Power...power...right. [And the glow fades, and with it goes Hei's strength. He crumples in the chair, but manages to keep holding onto Misaki.]

[mercwamouth]

Ah criminy...

[Starts shaking Hei by the collar to hopefully keep him from passing out]

What the hell is going on with them? Why is Hei hallucinating now? Who's November!? HOW IS THIS TRAIN MOVING!?!?

[lamb_of_gold]

Hei had a bad run in some time ago with the Gate. This has happened since.

[Sighs at Misaki, Glows and pulls her into is mental sheilds. He can see her hallucinations now, but he can also more directly control which way her thoughts go. Deadpool might hear him whisper something about a 'glamour illusion']

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[The spider hisses and retreats, and in its place are seven moths, changing colors gradually, turning into butterflies of various shapes, then birds. June is randomly sitting in the middle of them. He waves to her. She tries to wave back, but--

She twitches and arches into another seizure, this one lasting nearly twice as long; when she comes out of it her lips are edged in blue. June is gone; the moths have turned into dead leaves.]

Not... very...

[contract_star]

[It's all Hei can do just to keep enough focus and enough strength to keep holding Misaki's hand. He no longer has the energy to fight off fish!Deadpool, so he ends up being shaken like a ragdoll. He can't even make sense of what the others are saying.]

[The whale is now flying through a nebula-studded space, singing and moaning. Hei watches things go by through the gaps in its rib cage. The nebulae outside twist and reform into people's faces--Bai, Nick, Havoc, Sam, the Masters, Milo, and so on.]

Misaki...