realityshifted | hide and seek

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*hide and seek

hide and seek

[A fair amount of time after Wolf's transmission, the lights go out, stars and all. When they snap back on a minute later, anyone currently on the Plane will end up at the gates of a run-down, darkened city that looks a bit like old Tokyo, except with the same Plane sky overhead. There are bent and beat-up posters plastered all over, with illustrations of some horrible monsters and a riddle.]

To win hide and seek,
hide from darkness and seek the light.

[The monsters aren't out yet, and there are no residents to be found except the Plane's captives, but there is an eerie, empty feeling about the place.

On closer inspection, this 'sanctuary' is really a dead end. The buildings surrounding it are high with boarded windows, and the alleyways are quick dead ends.

Also, no one has powers anymore. Sorry!]

[ooc: plot start! There will be a post for prisoners going up in a couple of days.

Threadhopping/threadjacking is much encouraged. Don't worry about order, as I will be jumping in occasionally to screw everything up :D]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, we did. I guess the point of it was a lesson in giving, since it lifted when she gave me clothes to help me blend in while I was there. [He shakes his head, shrugs a shoulder.] I haven't met Agent North Dakota, but I've met someone named Agent Washington.

[He listens to her explanation, nods his understanding. He can definitely see how invincibility could go wrong, even if only slightly. It's probably a good thing she's back to normal, in a way - and he's pretty sure she's glad for it, too.] You know, I had a feeling the wishes wouldn't be perfect. [He sighs, runs a hand through his hair.] ... And I think I'm still waiting on mine.

[He's about to confirm that, yeah, looking in the buildings would be just fine, but he feels that tremor through the ground and stops completely, looking around.]

... What was that?

A lesson in giving? [she blinks, surprised. she hadn't put that together. then again, the only evidence she'd had was her kiss with North, and that had made it seem more like a fairy tale of some sort. but thinking about it, giving makes sense. after all, she'd procured her own food, so the first thing one of them had given to the other had been, well. that kiss] I see. Bit...moralistic for this place. [thoughtfully] But maybe that was Albrecht's doing.

[she chuckles] I didn't even think I'd wished for invincibility in the first place, but you know what this place is like. [she raises a curious eyebrow when he says he hasn't received his, though] Interesting. Everyone else I've spoken to got theirs right--

[she cuts off abruptly as the tremor runs through the ground. and when it fades, she lets out a breath. for a second, she thought they were going to experience an earthquake--and natural disasters really aren't her thing. now that it's over, though, she squints along the path ahead of them, shining her light in that direction again. after a beat, she says:]

I can think of two explanations. If it's an earthquake, we should stay out 'ere. If it's something coming our way, we should probably go indoors. I'd say we should flip a coin, but...I think I'd rather take a look. [she smirks, glancing his way before she picks up her pace, jogging forward to see if there's any evidence of a cause nearby]

[The entire face of a building ahead of Menzies shifts.

... That's not a building. That's a tiger demon and it's tearing down the red lights with its massive head. It leans down to peer at the people in the middle of the road, only about fifty yards away.

Here, you can get a good look at it. Gigantic gnashing teeth about the height of a car each, bulging white eyes with black irises, matted bloody fur and whiskers trailing from its face.]

[He's right behind her as she starts moving, just as determined as she is to get some answers. But when that building shifts into that thing before them, he's instead instinctively reaching out to grab her by the arm (call it a reflex, okay) as he stops moving.]

Look out!

[she freezes as well--but only for an instant. she knows there isn't time to think or consider now. in fact, the only stray thought that crosses her mind is to note that of course it's a tiger. but she quickly clamps down on that and just reacts]

Run!

[since Riku has already grabbed her, she immediately takes off, running full pelt back the way they came with him in tow. she only hopes they can make it to a side street to hide before that thing gets to them...]

[It takes a moment for the tiger demon to give chase. Maybe it's giving them a head start-- maybe not.

The creature moves way too fast for something of its size. It's just wide enough to catch the edges of the nearby balconies as it gives chase, tearing down pieces of debris as it goes. Its massive steps shake the ground as it vaults after them.

Yeah, way too fast. Though there's a side street, it blocks it off with a massive paw, and leans down to try and snag Riku in its jaws. If he's quick enough to dodge, he'll be okay.]

[Don't have to tell him twice!!

He runs with her, easily keeping the pace, but he doesn't need to look back to know that that thing is gaining. Fast. Way too fast. And once that paw blocks off the side street, matters just seem to be getting worse. There's literally zero time left, and though he can probably escape the thing's first snag at him, he's not gonna get lucky again. And he knows it.]

Go!!

[So he lets Menzies go, pushes her forward as he wrenches away from her, just as he feels sharp teeth take hold of the end of his coat. He does rip himself free, rolls off to the side and away from her, takes off in a sprint while shooting a rather taunting smirk over his shoulder at the demon. He means to draw it after him instead. Just so long as she's safe...]

[she could kill him for this--especially if he gets himself killed. she still doesn't know what he went through before to get her that apple, but she sure as hell doesn't want him putting in a repeat performance. and yet, somehow he's already done it--before she could do anything to stop him. when the creature blocked them, she'd changed course to make for one of the buildings, but before she knew it, he was pushing her forward while it grabbed him]

Riku!

[she'd probably call him more things if there were time for it. her momentum carries her nearly under one of the balconies before she stops, spinning on her heel, ready to go back--but there he is trying to lead it off in another direction]

Damnit...

[she can see his plan--draw it off, outrun it as long as he can. it can't chase both of them, after all. and she knows it's a good plan, and that it makes sense for it to be him. after all, he's faster and more physically capable than she is. but she doesn't want him sacrificing himself for her, and she wishes she could stop him. but that's the other problem. because she knows that stopping now, or trying to draw it after her, would just start a chain reaction that could get both of them caught. she can't waste the time he's buying her like that]

[and so, albeit reluctantly, she does what he said and runs--straight into the building. once inside, she switches off her torch. she knows it'll take time for her eyes to adjust and that it's dangerous in a rundown building, but she can't risk that thing seeing which way she goes. after what Riku's done for her, she has to escape it--no matter what. she only hopes that Riku can find a way to do the same...]

[The demon is sufficiently distracted. It goes for Riku instead of Menzies. Time is running out indeed-- having only a taste of his coat, it swallows nothing, and is furious about it. It roars like a sound of steel on steel, then lunges forward, trying to pin Riku beneath both massive paws so it can get a proper bite.

Meanwhile, something glitters beneath Menzies' foot. Though it ought to be pitch black, there's just enough starlight filtering through a broken window to make this clear.

It's a golden key, the handle emblazoned with a heart.]

[Riku isn't ready for that lunge, end of story. Even though he's moving as fast as he can, there's no way he can keep going forever, and clearly the thing had been playing around until now anyway. So when it strikes, it hits - Riku is knocked to the pavement, paws holding him down an all but smothering him. He keeps that stupid, slightly smug little smirk fixed up at the demon, defiant all the way until the end. Because you know what? Menzies got away. And he knows if anyone can find a fix, it's Menzies.

So hey, it's in her hands now. He's okay with that.

Do your worst. What's another death at this point?]

[Menzies really is going to have to kill Riku later--not that she knows that now. she can hear the noise, of course, but considering the general crashing about that the monster has been doing all along, she can't tell that it's caught him. that's something she'll have to find out from him. for now, she's still hoping that he's found a way to escape--and concentrating on getting away herself]

[despite her hurry, she thankfully does catch a hint of light glittering by her foot. it's so incongruous that she steps back, leaning down to pick up the object. curious, she turns it over in her hand, examining it. softly, she mumbles:] Would you look at that! A key to our troubles, is it?

[while normally a key wouldn't be remarkable, against the grimy ruins of the building, this key stands out like a sore thumb. and on top of that, she can think of only one other thing in all that she's seen of this city that has looked like anything but ruins. because though she only saw the gates from afar, they also shone in stark contrast to the general rundown landscape]

I couldn't be that lucky...

[she frowns, skeptical that this could be as simple as taking the key to those gates. after all, what are the odds that someone would walk into this exact building and find it? she seriously doubts she just defeated the proverbial needle in a haystack. still, it's worth a try, and whatever the key is, she's sure it must be important. she needs it to be, considering what it cost]

[putting it safely into a pouch at her belt, she then hurries through the building toward the back, moving as quickly as she dares in the dark. she's hoping there's an alley behind that she can use to cut along the street for a block or so before she makes her way back to the main road. after all, that creature is still out there, and she's determined not to get herself caught now]

[The end is quick and painless for Riku, at least. The thing's mouth engulfs him, tossing him back into the darkness with one gulp.

Menzies will be able to find a way out. This particular alley takes her back around, close to the sanctuary where all the residents woke up. From there, she should be able to sneak into a different part of town, if she wants. There's no monsters in the main road. Visibly, anyway.]

[ooc: And heading over here to the north gates!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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