event: portal seven | the void

[mayfield_mods]

The final portal doesn't seem to be a portal at all. It's a glitch hole.

Located on the lawn of the library is a hole much like the ones that have plagued every new location for the past week. As with them, it hurts your eyes to look at too long, but even if you should muscle past the pain and stare straight into it, you can make out nothing on the other side. Nothing, save for a shifting, twitching, swirling void.

Unlike the portals, which were vertically placed like doorways, the hole at the Library is strewn across the lawn: if you want to enter it, you're going to have to jump. Of course, there's no guarantee it will even lead anywhere. Touching the hole or sticking your arm in doesn't have any effect: you'll pull your arm out unharmed. As far as jumping in completely goes, those who jump in disappear from sight. As long as you're on the Mayfield side, there's no way to tell what lies beyond the hole.

There's only one way to find out.

[ooc: Feel free to roleplay up to the point your characters jump in, assuming they do. A single group subthread will be created in a few hours revealing what happens on the other side.]

Comments

[ceasetoexist]

Yeah and they're idiots to.

Tell me. How good a chance do you think we have of getting out of here alive?

[truffulacide]

[a shrug.] I've been called worse.

[no immediate reply. Once-ler glances off to the side, chewing on his lower lip.]

...A 30% chance, and even that's just wishful thinking. [pause.] I hate wishful thinking, too.

[ceasetoexist]

[Pokey gives a small snort to that. The sound makes it easy to see why there's a comparison between him and pigs beyond the obvious.]

Wishing is for idiots. I prefer to make things happen.

...But 30% sounds about right.

Most people are here too because they think it's the right thing. ...That bothers me I guess.

[truffulacide]

It's not really the "right" thing, so-to-speak. It's the only thing.

It's either this or watching things go to heck up there. The alternative should bother you more.

[ceasetoexist]

Both bother me.





You're a geek and a jerk, but you probably don't deserve this place nerdlinger. I uh....I'm sorry you and most people have to be trapped here.

[truffulacide]

[he opens his mouth with a comeback on the tip of his tongue, but it dies when Pokey finishes his train of thought. it's an oddly sincere little sentiment from such a rotten little boy. Once-ler doesn't know Pokey that well and the same goes vice-versa, but even he can recognize that the other means it.

they're more alike each other than the grown-up would like to admit.]

Don't be. This was out of our control. I'm beyond the point of thinking that this is just a bad dream, but... I think I'm okay with that.

[because even if he hadn't come down here, even if he had never been taken to Mayfield to begin with, someone else would have. someone nice and good who doesn't deserve to be hurt, like Rapunzel or Roxy or Audrey. maybe even Audrey's friend from the future - the boy.]

...We don't know anything about each other, do we?

[ceasetoexist]

No. Why you wanna go steady. Cause sorry but I can't I'm spoken for.

[And Pokey smirks and sneers as a mean little boy would. But in many ways it's obvious what the crude jokin is for: a way to mask his fear.]

....It isn't worth knowing much about me.

[truffulacide]

Your robot doesn't count as a girlfriend, sorry.

[he's obviously joking, but if it isn't apparent at first it will be when he reaches down to ruffle the boy's hair. he's obnoxious like that.]

Maybe to some people. It is to me, though.

[ceasetoexist]

Good thing I'm not talking about her, jerk.

[Was that defensiveness? Yes it was! Pokey tries to lean out of the hair ruffling as well. But not too much.]

...I'm just a bad kid. What's there to know?

[truffulacide]

You're an inventor, right? You made those robots and you have that giant one. That's really cool.

[it's not a wheedling tone of voice that he speaks in per say, though it should be obvious that he's trying to goad the other into elaborating.]

What else do you like to do?

[ceasetoexist]

...I guess. I haven't made them yEt.

[Pokey thinks for a moment before shrugging awkwardly.]

I don't know. Maybe that's a cop out but....I dunno. Hobbies and spare time isn't something I've put much thought into.

[truffulacide]

[he frowns.] What do you mean?

That's hard to believe. Every kid has a hobby or a niche. Mine's been inventing ever since I was your age.

[ceasetoexist]

I mean I didn't make them yet. They're from the future. A lot of stuff I've seen her is from the future.

....I guess it's easy to say I had hobbies. But I've changed. And I'm not interested in them anymore.

[truffulacide]

...Oh. That makes a little more sense. [I think.]

It happens.

[he punctuates it with a shrug and for a few seconds it seems like that's that. he looks down at his shoes, thinking.]

Are you looking forward to it?

[ceasetoexist]

Am I looking forward to what?

[In the back of his mind, Pokey has an inkling of what he thinks the Once-ler is going to say. Is he looking forward to going back home. Because that's the big question on everyone's minds, as far as Pokey can tell.

And like everyone else, Pokey has an answer.]

[truffulacide]

The future. Going back home so you can see what it's like for yourself.

[he's genuinely curious but it is an abrupt question. he peeks up expectantly.]

Sorry, I know it sounds weird. You don't have to answer it.

[ceasetoexist]

I'm not leaving.

[And that's a matter of fact.]

[truffulacide]

What?

[ceasetoexist]

This is my home. I'm not leaving.

[Even if he wasn't born here. And the home thing isn't that important, even if this town is the first place he's ever felt at home in. There's too many reasons he just can't go back, and Pokey doesn't feel like expanding on them.]