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

[werejew]

I-- Shit! [Annie snarls-- actually snarls-- and swipes her hand in what, to her, seems like the most reasonable solution: cut the piece of the shirt the hand grabbed away from the rest of it.]

[questionauthority]

[Oh hey. Edward recognizes that shriek. Several of those shrieks, actually. But the one that sticks out to him the most is...]

Luke...?

[Cane out in front of him, he moves to investigate.

Sure enough, it is Luke, along with Annie Goldstein and... is that the Once-ler? He picks up his pace, winding up his cane, but before he can strike, he feels a set of hands grabbing onto his ankle. Damn it all. The Riddler lets out an undignified yelp, stumbling and falling flat onto his face. He squirms on the ground, trying to kick off the hands as they drag him backwards.

He'd sooner use his cane to whack them, but unfortunately for him, that little fall knocked the cane right out of his hands, sending it flying forwards towards Luke and the others.]

[hintcoinplz]

[As soon as Annie slashes the fabric of his shirt, Luke squirms free and dashes next to Annie. He squeezes himself between her and the Once-ler out of fear of getting grabbed again.

At least, until he sees the familiar question mark shaped cane sliding towards him. He leans forward to grab it, careful not to leave the side of his current group. And that's when he sees the Riddler being dragged away by more hands clawing their way through the bubble. And my, there's quite a lot of them.

His heart leaps to his throat when he sees where they're dragging him. He's already lost him once, and he doesn't know what happens when someone gets dragged outside the bubble but he sure knows he doesn't want to find out.]

Mr. Nigma!

[And Luke will be swinging that cane at the hands coming towards them, determined to make a path.]

[truffulacide]

[what is even going on anymore, that's what he'd like to know.

it's a pretty widely accepted fact that horrible thing happen every time Edward Nigma shows up, almost always to the man himself. the guy's a walking disaster area, but you can't say he isn't popular. look at all those hands coming at him. seems like everyone wants a piece of him.

Once-ler doesn't have time to fully recuperate from Luke's close call; the moment the boy is back with him and Annie, he jumps right back into the thick of things by spinning on his heel, following behind Luke to chase after Edward. the kid has the right idea by smacking them away and, well... wasn't there a reason behind bringing an axe along?

should be a little more useful than a cane in this situation.]

Grab him grab him grab him!

[he babbles it over his shoulder at Annie before he swings the axe down at one of the arms, closing his eyes right before it (hopefully) sinks into the elbow. they can't keep pulling if they're in pieces.]

[werejew]

[Her first instinct is to fight off the hands, but when she hears Once-ler-- well, Susan would probably be a lot more mad about Luke getting killed than Loser Teacher getting killed. She has to keep her priorities in order.

She lunges forward and scoops Luke up around the waist with one arm, leaving the other one free to scratch at the hands.]

Let him go! He's not fucking worth it!

[questionauthority]

[Wow. Rude, Annie.]

For God's sake, someone help me!

[Someone had better, and soon, because he's still getting dragged along, kicking and screaming.]

[hintcoinplz]

Let me go!

[He won't be losing him again. Not this time. Even with Annie holding him, he's squirming and leaning forward as far as he can to knock away some of the hands reaching for them. As soon as he gets an opportunity, he'll reach out with the cane and try to hook Edward's leg. If he can manage that, he can at least slow him down so the Once-ler can reach him.]

[truffulacide]

[if looks could kill, Annie would be a charred husk by now.]

SERIOUSLY?!

[and people call him heartless.

he raises the axe again and prepares to chop at the other arm, but Eddie's moving too fast; he's several feet away from the edge of the bubble and the distance is only going smaller by the second. Annie's no help and Luke - well, kudos to him, at least he's trying. that burst of quick thinking gives Once-ler enough time to close the gap between them and reach out with his free hand to grab Eddie by the arm. the axe falls to the ground in the tussle, freeing up his other hand and making the ensuing tug-of-war a lot easier on his end.]

Don't you...hnnk...have any upper body strength?!

[werejew]

The fucking bubble's moving, assholes! This shit's slowing us down! [Which is why she'll be stepping back, tentatively though, as if she is somewhat reluctant to leave them behind.]

[questionauthority]

[Is Eddie slowing them down? Yes, undoubtedly. But is he not even worth the effort? Hell no. He's worth it. He knows he is.

The crook of the cane hooks itself around Edward's leg, and once the Once-ler grabs onto Edward's hands, he takes quick hold of the Once-ler's wrists in return. Even if Annie isn't trying, at least these two are are. And for a thirteen-year-old boy and a stringy little beanpole? They're actually strong enough to stop those hands from dragging Edward much further.

With another desperate flail of his leg, Edward crushes the hands against the ground, forcing them to release him. Which means they'll be flying back deeper into the bubble right... about...

Now.]

[hintcoinplz]

[Well, Annie is stopping Luke from being dragged back so there's that. Luke gives one last tug with all of his strength, right as Edward gets free, and it's a good thing Annie is holding onto him right now otherwise he'd be flung backwards right now.]

Whoa-!

[truffulacide]

[Once-ler isn't so lucky. he has the strongest hold on Eddie right now and, with no one to support him, he goes tumbling back with the other man, back slamming painfully on the ground. he groans, but the fact that he can even feel anything is a good sign that means he's still alive, so there's that. silver lining and all that.

he starts to get to his feet - scrambles, really - and scans the area for Edward. he doesn't have to look too far.]

Oh my gosh.

[are you ready for the biggest bear hug ever? you better be because it's coming at you RIGHT NOW.]

You're okay, right? Not missing any toes or fingers? Totally 100% alive?

[werejew]

Oh my fucking God, will you two stop frotting so we can get a fucking move on?

[Can't be having emotional moments when death is on the line, y'all.]

[hintcoinplz]

[And right as Annie is talking, Luke will squirm out of her grip and dash over to Once-ler and Edward. Before Edward can recover from being tackled by by the Once-ler, Luke will be lunging into the pile with a bear hug of his own.]

Don't do that ever again!

[Not that Luke has room to talk, considering how much trouble he gets himself into, but he was scared dang it.]

[questionauthority]

[Before he can even shove the Once-ler off of him with a hasty, "I'm fine," Luke's already joined the pile-up. With the amount of times he's been tackled just now, you'd think Edward's a different kind of Gotham City Rogue altogether.

He wraps one arm around Luke, using the other to push himself up into a sitting position.]

I'll be more careful. You have my thanks.

[And for the first time in... hell, the first time ever, Edward gives the Once-ler a look that isn't laced with contempt. He actually looks grateful for the other man's help.]

Both of you.

[truffulacide]

[has this guy ever said anything nice to Once-ler? that comment alone is enough to get the other man glowing with pride.]

Yeah, well, who'd want to be killed by a bunch of hands? That's not a very dignified way to go out.

[he wags a thumb behind them.]

Neither is being left behind by a giant bubble, so, um! [he claps his hands.] Maybe we should start running?

[werejew]

Way ahead of you nerds already.

[Yep, guess who just kept on walking while this heartwarming moment happened.

This girl right here.]