kayakking | (no subject)

[ Were we just sassed by a cat in Executive Wonderland using his own voice?

But that little snippet of conversation sets Tim to a more quiet, thoughtful look. And he trails after Algric... doing a last look back at the sound of the worms just to be sure...]

[Once he's sure they're following, the cat leads them carefully through the maze of bookshelves. A lot of weird turns that really should not make sense given how the room was laid out when they came in.

But they do come to another door, the one that unlocked earlier. "Archives". Thankfully the worms haven't come near this part of the room. There's a bit of warmth coming from the space under the door, but the cat looks up to them expectantly.

He doesn't have thumbs, okay.

If they do open the door for him, well...

The other side is definitely Archives. If it had been taken and draped in large, colorful swaths of fabric, reds and yellows and oranges, accents of blues to offset the mannequins and wax figures starting to melt in the hot spots of fire flicking at the edges. It gives the room a bit of a swirling, oil painting feeling of implied motion. The speakers in the ceiling alternate playing tinny carnival and calliope music, and bits of scripted audio.

All in Tim's voice.

"You still don't believe us, do you."

"Oh, sorry didn’t mean to disturb you while you were being suspicious."

"Just stop talking, I’m sick of this, I’m sick of you."

It alternates depending on the speaker they walk past. The flames are ever just at the edges, not really in the main walking area. There's debris all over, making the traverse across the room a bit of a walking hazard. There are recorders here and there, and remote detonators laying around. The cat is slowly picking its way through it all, being careful where to step and hopefully showing them the safe passage across.]

[ Algric will definitely open the door, leading to ...

Oh. Oh god. He pauses here, a hand going to his mouth as he stares at all the flames and colours and - this is the Unkowing, isn't it He's never seen it himself, but it seems obvious enough, doesn't it? ]

Is this what it was like when you stopped it this time?

[ He does, indeed, follow the cat's footsteps, trying to be mindful of the safe path. ]

Yeah. Yeah, close to it.

[ Tim's voice is hoarse from emotions and the smoke quickly settling in there. He knows that music, how it pulls words from the mind and muddles concepts between each other. Somehow, the fire is much, much more comforting.

His eyes are wide, breathing a bit too ragged, and his steps are not nearly as neatly careful. ]

After, anyway.

[The cat never goes too far ahead of them, wary of getting out of their sight. Though occasionally, he does squirm under a piece of furniture or ceiling that fell over to the floor.

It isn't the winding maze of corridor like the Research room, but it's just as hazardous and slow going to wade through. He stops, looking a couple different directions to check for something. One of the mannequin arms leans over in the heat and the support burning out from underneath it. But its fingers reach, grasping for Tim's shoulder. Like finding like, avoiding the cold ice of the Lonely man.]

After. Right. Not - much better, really.

[ He hates this quite a lot in fact. Warily, he picks his way through the wreckage, having to leverage himself against the bits of wreckage. It’s too hot in here for his mists to work properly; they just kind of evaporate as soon as they escape him.

He turns back and — ]

Tim! Look out!

[ He hadn't even really registered the dripping hand of the mannequin, after all, like calls to like. He whirls and, he feels the heat of the fire around, the narrow path of safety- and swats the hand aside to escape closer to Algric. ]

[The cat hears the commotion and looks back, hissing loudly once he sees what's happening. He joins in the (admittedly rather useless) swatting of the mannequin arm further away from Tim. His back paw kicks a bit of plastic in the path, some little trinket of a simple robot toy from some grab bag secret santa years back.

Once the clear and present danger is gone, he moves to sniff up at both Algric and Tim's legs, wanting to make sure they're all right.]

[ God he hates this already. He really does. Algric puts himself between the mannequin and Tim/Joncat, making sure it stays back.

Only once it seems … not … likely to attack immediately does he stoop down and retrieve the funny little plastic toy. ]

I - I really don’t think we should stay in here long.

I'm entirely down for this plan of action.

[ He hadn't really even thought about it, as Algric steps between them, the cold a strange sort of barrier in this place that is somehow home and everything wrong with the world and some unworld living under the paint. He crouches down as the cat sniffs him, his good fingers reaching to scratch at the Joncat's ruff. ]

Can we do fast out of here?

[He leans up into that hand before giving an affirmative little chrrp. On his way past, he rubs against Algric's leg as well. Stepping gently over some remotes and busted cell phones. But he does lead the way across the room, something large and dark and low to the ground up ahead.

A few small fires spurt out at them as they go, a few other pieces and figures falling around them again. He's at least trying to lead them through the easier path with more open space, but it does leave them a bit more vulnerable to the elements around.]

[ Yeah um. Algric is NOT enjoying the random gouts of fire. He tries to pick up what he can has he goes to make the path easier, at least, intending to dump everything somewhere safer at the end. A few remotes end up in his pockets for now. ]

I - I mean, as fast as we can. There. May not be any kind of fast option.

[ Tim is less careful about that. He's more inclined to kick a broken cellphone out of the way than pick it up. Not anything from here. Absolutely not anything from here.

Still... he tries something that may or may not be a good idea. For the first time, he tries controlling one of those flames, to try to push it back. ]

[The fire answers the call, initially sparking closer, trying to wrap itself around Tim at first before it starts to back off. Each spout goes through the same sequence: a small controlled explosion, reaching for Tim as he walks by, then backing away out of their path.

The cat is focused, eyes only on the exit ahead, though his ear swivels when he hears one of the kicked cellphones hits a wall with a click. And a larger, less controlled explosion goes off just ahead of them. The cat stops for a second, rubbing at his face and backing away from it, even as some of the loose sparks land on its fur with a hiss and a whine.]

[ The fire is alarming - Tim's control over it arguably moreso - but Algric manages to just look nervously relieved every time Tim does that. ]

God. After - after all this is done, we really need to. Figure some things out.

[ He hopes Tim is okay with being a monster, because he's not sure he has a choice.

But when the explosion goes off - Algric lets out a yelp, instinctively moving to put a little wall of fog between the explosion and the cat. He's not quick enough to keep the sparks from hitting Joncat, though he does extend a small tendril of cold to put them out, if needed. ]

What - what did you just kick!

[ Like the Eye, the Desolation always begins with making itself oh, oh so useful. Power and pleasure, the thrill of control and revenge... And well, that conversation with Algric, he'd already made his choice... it's just whether he's realized it or not.

Probably not by the concerned and mildly confused look he gives Algric. ]

Sure? I mean...

[ And then that click goes off, the boom follows right after. Tim ducks down as a reflex, heart thudding- and his control of the fire lost in that instant. ]

SHIT!

I don't know?! I was paying attention to the, you know, DEADLY PARTS.

[As the cold hits and starts easing the heat, it's clear there are plenty of singed bits of fur and skin. He rolls on his back a few times, making sure it's all out.

Okay.

Okay.

A few rubs at his ears from the explosion and a deep breath. He has to get them out of here now. He lets out a loud meow for them to hurry and follow, starting to skip ahead a little faster than he was before though not without a limp here and there.

He stops when he gets to a large, dark coffin. Stands up to try and nudge and paw at the lid to get it off.]

W-well clearly everything in here is trying to kill us! Just like the real thing!

[ Okay, they're hurrying, that's good. They need to get out of here, so -

Oh. Oh no. Hell no. Algric draws up short at the coffin, then takes a step back. ]

The traps in the real thing weren't for US.

[ The coffin itself would certainly be enough to draw up Tim short as well, but if there's the DO NOT OPEN on it, there's an extra step back. He remembers that statement. ]

Uh...

[Whatever apprehension the two have is clearly not shared by the cat. He's almost desperately pawing at it trying to have it open, even as the burns begin to settle into his skin.

When it's clear it won't budge, he cried a loud meow up at the both.

Come onnnnn]

[ All right. Fuck it. He steps forward and gives the coffin lid a good heave. And looks to Algric for an assist on it. ]

[ AaaaAAAAAAAA

Algric is still frozen for a critical moment, shaking his head. ]

No - no - I won't - don't you two go in either -

[ Does he really have a choice? They can't stay here either. ]

[The cat hops over to Algric, tugging on his pant leg with his teeth a couple times before going back to try and help Tim.]

So, what? We take the cat and go back to worm hell? Come on, help!

[ He really puts his back in this time, feet crackling in the concrete, wax and cinders. ]

W-worm hell is - at least it's not the Buried -

[ But fine! FINE!! He hates every part of this and also both of you. After a moment more, Algric goes to Tim's side and puts his shoulder into it too. ]