mayfield_rpg | event: portal four

Entry tags:

!event

event: portal four | the mountain

The fourth portal, as might be expected, can be found atop the hill known as Makeout Point. The other side of the portal isn't altogether that much different from the side you're entering from, save for the thicker trees and somewhat darker lighting.

The other side of the portal is significantly colder than the Mayfield side; frost covers the ground, and although it's not quite freezing, you'll want to bundle up. A glance at the sky reveals what you might have been dreading: glitch holes, in varying size, litter the skyline. The sun is hidden behind a set of thick clouds, creating a melancholy atmosphere.

The landscape around you is relatively flat, and you can't see too far beyond the forest ahead of you. It isn't until you turn around, facing the portal that you entered from, that you see the rising slope of the ground. The mountain rises high, higher than you can see from its base. There's a rough, primitive path heading up its slope, and for now simply hiking will be sufficient. As you get further, however, simply walking won't be enough: you're going to have to climb...

Somewhere, closer than you might prefer, a single wolf howls, and is shortly joined by more.

Better get moving.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Okay, okay, he gives, he gives ]

Thank you. I'll need them back as soon as things go south.

[ Because he will fight off anything that tries to attack them. ]

[Victory!]

No problem, you're undoubtedly a much better shot than I am, considering the formal training and all.

[Mika will do her best, but she knows she's awful in a fight and really shouldn't be trusted with guns.]

I dunno, it's been awhile since I've had to shoot like this. But I've got the submachine gun-- packs less of a punch but I think I can control it pretty well.

We'll see. Worse comes to worse, we just use more ammo than we mean to.

I trust you more with that thing than I'd trust most people.

[Huffing a little at his comment, she cracks a grin in an attempt at making a joke.]

And if nothing else I'll start throwing rocks like baseballs. Maybe it'll work.

It might, if you act like you're bigger and less scared of them.

[ He's serious. Not that he's fought wolves but, he'd have no regrets. ]

Other wolves don't scare me, they'll just make me irritated if they try to scuffle with us. Don't really have time for petty territory wars right now.

[She seems to tense a little, then all of her fur seems to stand on end, and even her hair seems to fluff up a little.]

Besides, I can look bigger when I want to.

Wish that I could do that.

[ Okay, he might need to take a swig of water. They're getting pretty high and he's not very good... at... breathing. ]

You'd need some fur first you know.

[She huffs in amusement before taking a look around, her ears twitching towards strange noises in an attempt to catch any signs of a threat. Mika does reach over to give his shoulder a faint squeeze.]

Take your time.

I'll be fine once we find this memento.

[ NOPE, NOT SLOWING DOWN, NOT GIVING UP ): Boy doesn't take no for an answer!! ]

I want to get us out of here.

[She huffs a laugh, grinning a bit as she catches up. His determination bolsters her somehow.]

All right, Captain. Lead on, I'll follow wherever you go.

[She thinks that over for a moment.]

Or at least I'll make sure to help you over the rough spots.

Then let's hope I know where I'm going.

[ And then he does lead on, or at least, tries to. He thinks he'll make a trip to the post office some time... ]

Upwards and onwards, I should think. I'll sniff out a path if you need me to.

[Teamwork! Between the two of them, they should get there safely.

Although he'd better hope she never hears about his plans to visit the post office, or he'll find she's incredibly opinionated on the subject. Begging and pleading from a dog is nothing like what she'll throw at him. It's not a safe plan, don't do it Steve!]

Can you?

Hm, is there anything around that smells... like it shouldn't belong here?

[ He knows it's a long shot, but it's worth a try.

And... well, Sora told him the post office would be a good idea... ]

Maybe, let me check.

[She sniffs at the air, head tilting into whatever breeze and air currents she can find. Ears cocked, she strains to hear whatever she can, her tail waving.

Oh nooooo who forgot to tell Sora about all the bad things the post office does. That should be remedied.

Mika huffs, her nose wrinkling and her ears twitching back.]

I can't tell from this distance, the wind's not blowing the right way. I'll keep a nose out for it just to be sure.

Thanks. And let me know if danger's coming, my hearing's not what it used to be.

[ Which was... excellent, thanks to him being super buff and everything ): Wait until he shows around the neighborhood all big and stuff. ]

I'll do my best. They took it from me once, might as well exploit it while I still have it, right?

[She flashes a grin at him, her tail wagging. The sudden change in his appearance might give her a bit of a start when she sees him next.]

Right. Everyone-- they show up here like... one of the drones? Human-bodied, I mean. Or, regular human bodied.

[ Or in his case, just how he was. ]

Yeah...although I knew a guy who didn't get changed, but he was mistaken for a pet. Got run out of every shop in town, woke up naked in the dog house and everything. Probably because he looked more like a velociraptor than human, at least with me all they had to take away...well. It was easier with me, to say the least. At least superficially.

It sucks, but what can you do? [She shrugs, her tail waving.] Did they take something from you too?

That must be awful, waking up like that.

[ He furrows his brows, like it's a long story. ]

They did take something away from me, but it was something I was given. I wasn't always that way. For awhile, I was... way bigger, and stronger. I got to fight in the war, and that was everything I wanted: to serve my country.

To serve this country.

[ Frowns ]

And look at what they've done with it.

He seemed pretty upbeat about it, then again, by the time he was taken away most of the yard was taken up by parts of his pirate ship.

[She huffs in amusement at the memory, but her ears twitch toward Steve as she listens to him. Her gaze is very sympathetic as she watches him, reaching out to give his shoulder a squeeze.]

This can't be all of America in this place. I'm pretty sure this is just an isolated event, isolated to the local area. This can't be what the whole country is like.

[ He shakes his head ]

It's not. I... got to see what America was like in 2012, and I'm sure if this had happened in the 50s, I'd know about it. Or, one of my colleagues would. They said this wasn't a real town, and I believe them. There's no way we'd let this happen to a town.

That's... not what I wanted to protect.

[ But he's grateful for the hand on his shoulder, at least. ]

[She rubs his shoulder with her thumb, her tail waving.]

Trust me, even in my America in 2011, there was nothing like this. I dunno about 2012, but I'm willing to bet it was fine too.

[A brow arches as she cocks her head, smirking a little.]

So, you jumped from 1950 to 2012, huh? Must've been quite a culture shock. How'd you manage something like that?

I uh... I fell asleep in 1943. A really long sleep.

[ He looks sad, like that isn't really the truth but he doesn't really want to talk about it. That year were some of the best and worst moments of his life. ]

[Her eyes go wide, her brows disappearing into her shaggy bangs as she stares at him.]

You're kidding. What kind of a nap is that?

[Her ears flick back as the ramifications sink in. He lost everything, didn't he? Everyone he knew and cared about.]

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry.

It's... alright.

[ No, it's not alright. God, this is never going to be okay, but this is... not the best time to get upset over it. He just hasn't had the time to move on. ]

But you know, I woke up here in this body and I almost thought the last year of my life had been a dream.

[ He'd be in his mid to late thirties, maybe with kids. Maybe the same age as his kids in Mayfield. Funny, how that works. ]

At least I know better, now. That's the first step.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject