It was a brick. A little heavy. A little chilly. Very chilly actually.
A breeze blew through the hole in the little wall and should Ginko peer into the darkness, he would see that it almost seemed to boil with movement. Crumbled cement covered the floor in a fine dust all the way around the bed.
Ginko shivered slightly, pulling away for a moment - and then, against his better judgment (but going along with his stupid curiosity) leaned forward again to examine the hole more closely.
Logically, he knew he should leave it alone... and probably gone to get JW. But the former wasn't really in his nature, and the latter...
He set the brick down on the floor and prodded experimentally at one of the ones still in place.
The brick pushed inward with far more force than Ginko had applied to it and disappeared. However the THUNK of it landing didn't come for quite a while and when it did it sounded very far away. And it echoed.
He almost jerked his hand back, pulling away a little, and then went back to peering into the darkness, frowning. What was under there...?
Ginko glanced over his shoulder, conflicting impulses pushing at each other in his head... then, quick and decisive, he turned back to moving bricks out of the way, making the hole gradually bigger until he could at least stick his head and shoulders in and see if he could see any better that way.
The chilly darkness tugged at Ginko's hair and his breaths did not echo. The space below the bed was immense.
And it grabbed him.
He was yanked downward with all the force of a fish being pulled from the water on a pole outfitted with Spiderwire. The darkness whorled around him and began to change as gravity struggled to sort itself out. Huge lumpy shapes appeared in the gloom--boxes and long poles of some gleaming substance that may or may not have been baseball bats, spheres like planets, cold, unblinking faces set into stuffed animals the size of small mountains, and heaps of crumpled paper, books, chip bags, board games, long cardboard tubes naked of their holiday wrappings and of course dust. Heaps of it. It swelled in great clumps like bushes and gnolls and it draped from everything like spanish moss. Everything was cold in the chilly light from the hole in the world above.
Ginko promptly crash-landed in a pile of socks that could only fit a giant with a foot the size of a semi truck. Dust danced in the weak, hazy beam that penetrated the hidden world and things moved in the tight spaces beyond the circle of light.
As it happened, Ginko had been just about to pull his head back out of the space (and maybe even suck it up and go get JW). The whole mess with the bricks had been one thing, but this was a far-too-large void of endless blackness and he had decided he wanted nothing to do with it.
So much for that.
He let out a startled yelp as he was dragged in, barely noticing the objects around him as he fell before he landed in the enormous sock pile with a grunt. He struggled out of it, staring around wide-eyed at the space around him and waving away a few dust motes.
And then his gaze landed on the hole, too far above for him to conceivably reach.
Dust was thick on the ground like snow. The surface beneath the grey blanket was hard and cold--massive wooden planks.
This time, Ginko's voice did echo.
Claws scraped along cardboard somewhere and congested breathing from several stuffy noses clearly announced that Ginko was not alone. They didn't have a reason to be sneaky. There was nowhere he could go that they couldn't fit should he run.
One of their numbers crept toward the edge of the light. It was small, thin, and hunched with a blunt eyeless face and long ragged ears. Its entire body was fuzzy and grey with flecks of black and blue--the same dust that coated the ground. In one fingerless paw it held a paperclip that had been unfolded halfway to make a suitable weapon for stabbing.
When it opened its mouth to drink in the mushi master's scent, it was red and wet--the only organic-looking part about it.
He froze at the sound, his gaze flicking immediately toward the source. Ginko stared at the creature with a sort of vaguely-terrified fascination, not daring to move, hardly even willing to breathe as it crept closer.
He stood there, stock-still, waiting. It wasn't like there was anything else he could think of to do.
The dust creature listened and gaped and sniffed as Ginko held still. It couldn't see--not exactly. Its pitted face could sense differences in light but that was all. And light usually meant something had been pulled down.
It padded forward and wobbled a little as if it were hastily made and body limbs squashed and stretched to support its weight as it shifted. Ginko smelled warm in the cold dark. Ginko smelled delicious.
The light changed and the creature jerked its head toward the new shadow, ears pinning. It hardly had time to let out a shrill rabbit scream before a white shape rushed onto the scene and its head was lopped clean off. When it hit the floor, it fell apart in an almost comical puff of dust. The nondescript slimy organ that had served for its mouth wiggled around for a few moments before it lay still. The body collapsed similarly around the rest of its guts.
Between Ginko and the fallen monster, stood a tall, thin man with brilliant white wings. If one didn't look too closely, his bathrobe could be mistaken for some otherworldly military uniform. The pajama pants, however, just looked like pajama pants. A small hoop of gold hovered above his head and lit the world around them far better than the beams from above. He let out a shaky huff before turning and glaring at Ginko.
Only it wasn't JW. He had a normal human nose instead of JW's beak. His left eye was un-scarred and his cheeks weren't hollow. Also he'd combed his hair.
"What on EARTH were you thinking," demanded Not JW. His accent was gone and his voice was noticeably higher He fanned his wings out and threw his hands in the air. "We asked you to one thing! ONE thing!"
Ginko let out a startled sound and staggered backwards, landing on his rear as the creature collapsed into dust. He stared at it in shock before turning his attention to his apparent savior, his single eye wide.
He stayed silent as the man spoke, staring at him as if he had a third eye, and when he finished, all Ginko had to say was, "Uh... sorry?"
Harmony opened his mouth and made half of a frustrated sound before he remembered himself and slowly un-ruffled. His wings closed neatly behind him and their tips trailed in the dust.
"It's...no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted, forgive me." He extended a hand--no cuts and scars, no swollen knuckles. "This must be incredibly awkward for you, let me explain."
Harmony had all of the strength JW could have had if the man took care of himself and easily pulled Ginko upright. He quickly withdrew his hand and fumbled with the collar of his robe.
"My name is Harmony and...we weren't supposed to have met, honestly. I hope you'll forgive me for spying on you."
Otherwise, no one would have known about their one-eyed visitor's abrupt disappearance. Harmony brought his hand to his chin and looked Ginko up and down. As fit as Harmony was, Ginko was just bigger all around.
"...When were you spying on me? And what do you mean, we weren't supposed to have met?" Unfortunately he had way too many questions to just ask all at once - and they had other things to worry about at the moment.
He looked upward, and then at Harmony, frowning. "Is there no other way out?"
Harmony muttered something and coughed but it sounded suspiciously like "Most of the time."
He quickly straightened himself up and became all business again.
"I'm afraid so. We're just going to have to build a...a structure! And you needn't worry! My brother is keeping our host distracted so that he won't find out that you were ever down here!"
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Harmony was suddenly fluttering away to where an empty casette tape case was leaned against a shoe. He grabbed it from one end and started to scoot it back toward the circle of light. Luckily, his halo cast enough light to warn him about any intruding dust creatures.
"Er--yes." His first explanation hadn't been stellar. "I'm...I guess you could say a spirit. A guardian. A guide! Yes, a guide! Everyone has that voice inside them--one that tells them when something is right or wrong. I'm obviously the better one." He stopped near Ginko and flipped the tape case onto its side so that he could preen. "My brother is named Havoc. You can guess what he's like."
NOTHIN' LIKE DRAGGIN' SOMEBODY WHO ISN'T HERE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE WRONG.
"A... spirit?" Wow this was a lot to take in. Ginko's brow furrowed as he considered that. "...So, are you saying that everyone has... people who look like them, but not really, following them around?"
And watching their friends constantly. He won't even comment on the bit about Havoc.
"What else should we get to keep building? I can help move things."
Harmony made another face. He'd never explained this to another person before. Not someone who was JW and had to avoid squashing him. But it was also exciting because Ginko was the first person he'd seen at his own height in...well. It had been a long time since he'd left the Scape.
"James is an unusual case. We're always around, but usually only in here." He tapped his forehead. "Our Host fell through a rift and our worlds rubbed together too violently and a hole appeared. It's a long, complicated story."
But Ginko asked a good question. This was going to have to be quite the tower. He looked above at the hole and made a humming sound. His halo lit up.
"Right..." The whole thing still seemed a little odd, but he didn't see any real reason to disbelieve it. And he supposed that could explain the whole "watching him" thing, at least to some extent. "Guess now isn't really a good time for long stories, huh."
Because otherwise he would absolutely be asking.
"Got it." He looked around, for a pair of shoes if he couldn't find shoelaces on their own, and headed for whatever he could catch sight of.
With Harmony's light, they abandoned the pile of socks in search of shoes. There had to be at least one that hadn't been stripped for material. He paused at the end of a long cardboard tube and peered down its length to see if it led anywhere.
"You know, I have to admit, it's nice to finally meet you. Officially, I mean."
Ginko looked around, starting to point out a shoe before realizing that its laces had long been removed. He gave a frustrated huff and kept looking, giving Harmony a glance.
"Yeah? Good to meet you, too, I guess." Even though he had no idea Harmony existed until a few minutes ago.
And was promptly slammed face-down into the dust by yet another winged JW look-alike. This one dressed in a dark suit and outfitted with distinctly more draconic extremities, save the dainty hooves that were not planted right on Harmony's shoulders.
"What are you DOING!? You were only supposed to watch him! We're going to get in trouble!"
For a moment Harmony was still. His halo had fallen crooked and dust filled the circle of light. When his breath returned he glowered over his shoulder.
"Watch him get torn apart by dustbunnies? I don't think so. You know how important he is to the boss!"
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theattic2015-08-13 03:59 pm
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A breeze blew through the hole in the little wall and should Ginko peer into the darkness, he would see that it almost seemed to boil with movement. Crumbled cement covered the floor in a fine dust all the way around the bed.
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Logically, he knew he should leave it alone... and probably gone to get JW. But the former wasn't really in his nature, and the latter...
He set the brick down on the floor and prodded experimentally at one of the ones still in place.
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Ginko glanced over his shoulder, conflicting impulses pushing at each other in his head... then, quick and decisive, he turned back to moving bricks out of the way, making the hole gradually bigger until he could at least stick his head and shoulders in and see if he could see any better that way.
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And it grabbed him.
He was yanked downward with all the force of a fish being pulled from the water on a pole outfitted with Spiderwire. The darkness whorled around him and began to change as gravity struggled to sort itself out. Huge lumpy shapes appeared in the gloom--boxes and long poles of some gleaming substance that may or may not have been baseball bats, spheres like planets, cold, unblinking faces set into stuffed animals the size of small mountains, and heaps of crumpled paper, books, chip bags, board games, long cardboard tubes naked of their holiday wrappings and of course dust. Heaps of it. It swelled in great clumps like bushes and gnolls and it draped from everything like spanish moss. Everything was cold in the chilly light from the hole in the world above.
Ginko promptly crash-landed in a pile of socks that could only fit a giant with a foot the size of a semi truck. Dust danced in the weak, hazy beam that penetrated the hidden world and things moved in the tight spaces beyond the circle of light.
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So much for that.
He let out a startled yelp as he was dragged in, barely noticing the objects around him as he fell before he landed in the enormous sock pile with a grunt. He struggled out of it, staring around wide-eyed at the space around him and waving away a few dust motes.
And then his gaze landed on the hole, too far above for him to conceivably reach.
"...Dammit."
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This time, Ginko's voice did echo.
Claws scraped along cardboard somewhere and congested breathing from several stuffy noses clearly announced that Ginko was not alone. They didn't have a reason to be sneaky. There was nowhere he could go that they couldn't fit should he run.
One of their numbers crept toward the edge of the light. It was small, thin, and hunched with a blunt eyeless face and long ragged ears. Its entire body was fuzzy and grey with flecks of black and blue--the same dust that coated the ground. In one fingerless paw it held a paperclip that had been unfolded halfway to make a suitable weapon for stabbing.
When it opened its mouth to drink in the mushi master's scent, it was red and wet--the only organic-looking part about it.
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He stood there, stock-still, waiting. It wasn't like there was anything else he could think of to do.
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It padded forward and wobbled a little as if it were hastily made and body limbs squashed and stretched to support its weight as it shifted. Ginko smelled warm in the cold dark. Ginko smelled delicious.
The light changed and the creature jerked its head toward the new shadow, ears pinning. It hardly had time to let out a shrill rabbit scream before a white shape rushed onto the scene and its head was lopped clean off. When it hit the floor, it fell apart in an almost comical puff of dust. The nondescript slimy organ that had served for its mouth wiggled around for a few moments before it lay still. The body collapsed similarly around the rest of its guts.
Between Ginko and the fallen monster, stood a tall, thin man with brilliant white wings. If one didn't look too closely, his bathrobe could be mistaken for some otherworldly military uniform. The pajama pants, however, just looked like pajama pants. A small hoop of gold hovered above his head and lit the world around them far better than the beams from above. He let out a shaky huff before turning and glaring at Ginko.
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Only it wasn't JW. He had a normal human nose instead of JW's beak. His left eye was un-scarred and his cheeks weren't hollow. Also he'd combed his hair.
"What on EARTH were you thinking," demanded Not JW. His accent was gone and his voice was noticeably higher He fanned his wings out and threw his hands in the air. "We asked you to one thing! ONE thing!"
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He stayed silent as the man spoke, staring at him as if he had a third eye, and when he finished, all Ginko had to say was, "Uh... sorry?"
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"It's...no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted, forgive me." He extended a hand--no cuts and scars, no swollen knuckles. "This must be incredibly awkward for you, let me explain."
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"'Incredibly awkward' is one way of putting it, yes..." Of course, 'confusing' or 'terrifying' could also work. "...Who are you?"
Because, no matter how much he may resemble him in a weird, slightly-off way, this guy is not JW.
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"My name is Harmony and...we weren't supposed to have met, honestly. I hope you'll forgive me for spying on you."
Otherwise, no one would have known about their one-eyed visitor's abrupt disappearance. Harmony brought his hand to his chin and looked Ginko up and down. As fit as Harmony was, Ginko was just bigger all around.
"I'm not entirely sure I can carry you."
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He looked upward, and then at Harmony, frowning. "Is there no other way out?"
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He quickly straightened himself up and became all business again.
"I'm afraid so. We're just going to have to build a...a structure! And you needn't worry! My brother is keeping our host distracted so that he won't find out that you were ever down here!"
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He nodded, slowly, glancing at the opening again. "Right... what do you mean, 'host'? Are you talking about JW?"
That was his best guess, but... he was still really confused.
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"Er--yes." His first explanation hadn't been stellar. "I'm...I guess you could say a spirit. A guardian. A guide! Yes, a guide! Everyone has that voice inside them--one that tells them when something is right or wrong. I'm obviously the better one." He stopped near Ginko and flipped the tape case onto its side so that he could preen. "My brother is named Havoc. You can guess what he's like."
NOTHIN' LIKE DRAGGIN' SOMEBODY WHO ISN'T HERE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE WRONG.
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And watching their friends constantly. He won't even comment on the bit about Havoc.
"What else should we get to keep building? I can help move things."
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"James is an unusual case. We're always around, but usually only in here." He tapped his forehead. "Our Host fell through a rift and our worlds rubbed together too violently and a hole appeared. It's a long, complicated story."
But Ginko asked a good question. This was going to have to be quite the tower. He looked above at the hole and made a humming sound. His halo lit up.
"We need some shoelaces! I can make a rope!"
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Because otherwise he would absolutely be asking.
"Got it." He looked around, for a pair of shoes if he couldn't find shoelaces on their own, and headed for whatever he could catch sight of.
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With Harmony's light, they abandoned the pile of socks in search of shoes. There had to be at least one that hadn't been stripped for material. He paused at the end of a long cardboard tube and peered down its length to see if it led anywhere.
"You know, I have to admit, it's nice to finally meet you. Officially, I mean."
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"Yeah? Good to meet you, too, I guess." Even though he had no idea Harmony existed until a few minutes ago.
1/2
And was promptly slammed face-down into the dust by yet another winged JW look-alike. This one dressed in a dark suit and outfitted with distinctly more draconic extremities, save the dainty hooves that were not planted right on Harmony's shoulders.
"What are you DOING!? You were only supposed to watch him! We're going to get in trouble!"
2/2
"Watch him get torn apart by dustbunnies? I don't think so. You know how important he is to the boss!"
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i think this is the first time i've used this icon in a thread
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