110. [Action for NIGHTMARE EVENT, backdated]

[foolishwren]

The low moan of the wind was practically alive in these drafty stone corridors, and the sound of her boots on the floor seemed almost deafening.

And it was cold.

Those were a few of the many differences between this and the Otherworld, which had been cramped and often grotesquely warm, with her footfalls echoing only dully on the dusty (or sometimes meaty) floors.

It wasn't really a question of which she liked better, because frankly, she didn't like EITHER.

But the similarities were, weirdly, more comforting than the differences.

She stopped as a non-windy sound drifted towards her from down the hallway, her steadily-bouncing flashlight beam stilling.

That was something that was similar. The light by her collar (not in her pocket this time-- but close enough) and the knife in her hand and the familiar buzz of adrenaline to sharpen her senses and mind.

And the creatures, whose eyes were now visible, gleaming in the gloom ahead.

They were perhaps, the most familiar of all, even though it had been years since she'd seen a real one and not one of the magical creatures inhabiting her new home. Magical creatures that she, in fact, was LOOKING for now.

But these weren't Pokemon.

And they could be killed.

Her grip tightened on the knife and she started forward once again.


[OOC: This is a catch-all log for all the nighttime adventures Heather had in the Nightmare Castle, whether it's fighting monsters or finding her Pokemon. Open to all, feel free to start any scenario you want. Doesn't have to be connected to the prose above!]

Comments

come on heather let's fight monsters

[show_my_cannons]

He's with her. Honestly, he's probably never left, if he could help it. The girl is important to him -- one of the few people left here he has. He will guard her with his life, if necessary. It isn't that he believes she needs protecting. She's scrappy enough.

But this is his duty.

He must.

So he prowls the hallways behind her, looming, having swapped out the knife for a rolling pin -- at least he can bludgeon someone, or something, with it.

IRONHIDE WITH A ROLLING PIN IS A BEAUTIFUL IMAGE

[foolishwren]

There had likely already been multiple jokes about housewives and baking cookies, just because Heather knew she could get away with it.

And because jokes were the only way to lighten this dark night a little bit.

"Just like old times, huh?" she said jokingly after a time, pausing to tilt a door open and peek around it. "You're not gonna steal my thunder and beat all the monsters t death before I can get to 'em like you did that other time, right?"

8D

[show_my_cannons]

She could get away with it -- hardly any one else could. At least, not without getting themselves punched. He'd threatened to do it a couple times, but with Heather, he'd never carry it out.

"Looks that way."

He peers over her head, in order to see into the hallway too. "Maybe. If you are not quick enough."

[foolishwren]

"We're not in a dream this time, old man."

THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK HEATHER

"I think you'll find I can outrun you any day now that you don't have legs as long as telephone poles."

She'd been speaking with a sly grin on her face, but it promptly disappeared as a clank was heard further down the hall. Instantly and instinctively, she froze, holding up a hand.

[show_my_cannons]

"And? You think that changes things?"

He doesn't think it does. Dream or not, he's always going to be a soldier. And always know how to fight. Always try to protect his charge.

"Kid, you think everything is speed... you would be surprised."

Nevertheless, he halts. The sight of the hand in the air is ingrained -- a honed instinct. He knows that sign. And he freezes.

[foolishwren]

If she hadn't abruptly changed modes to listen, she probably would have come back with something along the lines of 'It's not everything, but it is a LOT!', but to her credit, caution came before quips in situations like this.

Her head tipped slowly to the side as she listened in silence-- yeah there was definitely something ahead of them.

They could both hear it.

She swapped the knife to her other hand, then reached down to the makeshift belt she'd fashioned out of twine.

"Okay, taking bets on whether or not this'll be a knife case or a fire-poker one," she whispered.

[show_my_cannons]

"I will bet on fire poker."

It was all he said. And even then, he kept his voice low, the sound vibrating in his chest. Easy enough for her to hear, without alerting their adversary. His grip on the rolling pin shifts, tightening. It's probably only good for a few blows before it'll break.

But he's practiced enough with his fists before.

"Let us see what this place has to offer."

[foolishwren]

Fire poker it was.

She'd picked one up earlier, and she unhooked it from the twine and swung it up, hands easily playing with its weight. It had been some time since she'd truly wielded a weapon, but her muscles never truly forgot the feeling.

Another creak sounded and at last, something emerged from around the corner.

That something was man-sized and shadowy... and to Heather, it looked familiar. Whether or not Ironhide saw the Closer-like thing that she did was up to him, but either way, she was grinning and bounding ahead.

"DIBS."

[show_my_cannons]

What the hell was that. It looked like someone took one of Soundwave's drones and mashed it together with a lot of organic... stuff. Meat. Whatever they called it.

"Dibs? What is dibs?"

It was all he managed to get out before the girl took off. And, fire poker or no, he couldn't just let her do this alone. Not when it was -- whatever that was.

He followed, rolling pin raised. It probably looked ridiculous, but it wasn't as if he had a choice.

[foolishwren]

No time to explain human slang now!

She was already swinging the poker back-- he probably couldn't see it from behind, but there was a giant grin on her face. A positively maniacal one, actually.

"Oh yeah, come to papa!"

The thing came to papa.

And with one vicious swing, the hook of the poker buried itself in the creature's head.

[show_my_cannons]

He was about to tell her she was not a parent, and certainly not one of the paternal nature. But he'd rather raise his own weapon to strike, instead. Wood probably won't help against metal but, the fleshy parts are another matter.

She gets the hook buried in the creature, and he swings his pin. Both hands, in an overhand strike, for the neck.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Thump.]

[Thump.]

[a distant, growled] Fuck.

[Thump.]

Piece of shit!

[Clang.]

[Around the corner, Heather might find Blake. He won't see her, though. He's busy jabbing the butt of a curtain rod against a locked door.]

[He pants a couple times. He brings the rod down. He leans on it and gives the door a hard kick. The raggedness of his voice indicates he's been at this for a while.]

Open fucking sesame, cocksucker.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[When she first heard the thumps, she went silent. An instinctive response your body learns after being in mortal peril one too many times. Hearing a thump isn't just hearing a thump, it's hearing it and then figuring out what kind of thump it is. The thump of a door swinging open and shut in the wind? The thump of footsteps? Or the thump of a bony body hauling itself across the floor in your direction?]

[So she listened with proverbially cocked ears... until she heard the cursing.]

[Monsters don't use the F-word. ... Well, not usually, anyway.]</sub>

... Having trouble there?

_{[He'll find her standing behind him-- though not close enough to be potentially in range of WHOA PANIC striking. That's one thing she knows better than to do.]}

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake slams his shoulder into the door.] Come on!

[When he backs up for another go, there's somebody there. He stops shock-still.] Heather? You're stuck here too?

[He gestures at the door.] There's gotta be a way out. I've tried everything else, it's gotta be one of these locked doors.

You shouldn't be here. There's some kinda fuckin'-- things around here.

[Blake wouldn't admit it in a million years, but the note in his voice hints that he's spooked.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Yeah, she can tell he's scared. But she's not gonna judge him for it, not even close. No one is ever prepared for stuff like this, not unless they've been through it before. And most people haven't. No shame in that.]}

I don't think ANY of us should be here, but here we are.

And yeah, I know about the things.

Run into a few of 'em already.

<sub>[She doesn't sound... scared, exactly. Because she's not. On-edge, a little. Alert, certainly. But not quite frightened. This place is weird, but it's no Silent Hill.]

[Still, she sort of nods at him.]</sub>

You okay?

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Who the hell could ever go through something like this before? Blake thought he'd seen everything, but the everything he'd seen always had its goddamn eyeballs in the right places.]

[Blake takes a few steps back from the door.]

Then the thing to do is get-- [He charges forward and slams his shoulder into the door with all his weight] --out!

[The wood barely shudders.]

[A full half of his body aching, Blake growls] Fucking goddamn piece of--

[He breaks off and turns to Heather, face full of surprise and dismay.]

You ran into those things? Shit, forget me, did you get hurt? You must be damn fast to outrun them, they're a whole lot quicker than they got any right to be.

[foolishwren]

_{[Spoiler warning, Blake-- humanity has not yet tapped all the dark secrets of the earth, and a few unfortunate people have the displeasure of finding them themselves. Or of creating them themselves.]}

Bumps and bruises but nothing serious. Anyway, lucky for me I only had to outrun a few.

_{[And then, as proof, she holds up a fire poker. It's a pretty ordinary poker all things considered, but the pointed end glitters wetly in the light of the flashlight. And there's... stuff ... stuck to it.]}

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Humanity has plenty dark secrets of their own. Blake's seen what some people have in their cellars.]

[Blake's about ready to get back to teaching that door who's boss when the poker Heather holds out catches his eye. It's smeared with something, and there's chunks.] Are you saying you...

[Blake breaks into a slow grin. It's full of pride.]

Kid, you are something else.

[foolishwren]

_{[Despite her serious tone-- because sassy-sounding or not, she had meant what she'd just said to him in stone-cold, deadly earnest-- a smirk dragged one corner of her mouth up.]}

You have no idea.

_{[... But he might get a clearer picture if he sticks around. :I]}

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake claps her on the shoulder.]

Not bad. You know how to fight back some, huh?

Now you can leave the rest to me.

[Luck and guts got her this far, but a teenage girl couldn't have lasted long against monsters on her own, even a tough one.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Although she grins at the shoulder-clap, she can't help but raise a brow at that second bit.]}

The rest?

You ever killed a monster before, Detective?

Silent Hill Flashbacks, let's go!

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[Harry has managed to find a fire poker that is serving as a weapon right now.]

Not as handy as a gun, but I think we'll manage.

How are you holding up?

[foolishwren]

I'm okay.

_{[Part of that surprises her... and part of it doesn't.]}

S'just like old times, huh?

_{[There's a snide laugh in her voice at that.]}

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[He sighs at that. But it's mostly at the situation not her.]

Just about.

We got through that though, we can get through this watered down version of it.

[Because as terrifying as this place is, they're together and that just takes away half the terror Harry faced in Silent Hill the first time.]

Do you want either of them to have found any of their Pokemon yet?

[foolishwren]

_{[The worst part about Silent Hill had always been the isolation. That's how Heather had always felt, anyway. 25% of the fear came from the creatures. The other 75% came from being alone.]}

Yeah.

'Course we can.