RK800 #313 248 317 - 52 // Connor (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
missiondeterminant) wrote2018-06-11 10:50 pm
missiondeterminant) wrote2018-06-11 10:50 pmEntry tags:
[Open Post]
[Toplevels in the comments below! Canonmates, cross-canon, rp-canon, etc is all good.]
missiondeterminant) wrote2018-06-11 10:50 pm
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I can also see in the dark.
[Which, he realizes, he probably should've lead with. The tunnel is already dark, and unless Maki has a flashlight somewhere, they'll have to rely on his scanner after only a very short distance.]
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She can't really argue with that, so she follows after him, a sour look on her face. No, she doesn't have a flashlight, but her Digivice could've done something maybe... maybe. ]
Should I even ask how you can see in the dark, or is it some secret Detroit Police thing?
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[Sort of. Not really. But he's going to take the opening that's offered as he continues to lead the way into the cavern. It's strange, he feels... Almost agitated, and not in the sense of his usual restlessness, as they continue further into the cave; it isn't quite fear, but something like it, and he suddenly wonders if this is why so many humans are claustrophobic.
There are just more and more downsides to this whole deviant thing, he's realizing.
But what they're doing is more important than that, especially as it gets too dark for the receptors in his eyes to pick anything up and instead he has to rely on his scanner. The passage continues to slope steadily down, and they're nearing the larger room he had 'seen' before.]
Are you doing alright, Maki?
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I'm fine. Just keep going, I'm right behind you. [ And then, because it just occurs to her-- ] I think I smell water. Wet soil. [ Water being odorless, she corrects herself. ] Are we almost there, Mr. Sees In The Dark?
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[It does seem to be getting wetter, although most of Connor's focus is on mapping their path rather than more in-depth perception of their surroundings.]
We're almost there, yes. It isn't much farther to the larger cavern.
[And as they continue approaching, he realizes it isn't just his scanner giving him information now; he's starting to be able to see again, and a moment later he sees why. The rock walls ahead of them are faintly glowing, not enough to see well but enough to at least see something, as Connor pulls himself out of the passage they were in and into the larger room.
It isn't a lot larger, maybe twenty feet long and six across, but it has a higher ceiling and Connor is able to stand up and step to the side so Maki can climb out, reaching up to the ceiling to touch the faintly glowing rock in fascination.]
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She's seen so much that she's slow to react to anything these days, but this is undeniably beautiful. The sight wars with her childhood memories of mysterious lights, of how they can heal, transform, and destroy. ]
We should look for a water source. [ Snap back to business, Maki. Forget about the Digital World. It's... it's over for you. ] We won't last long without it.
[ She turns to the cavern wall and places a hand flat against it. The rock is damp and cool. She feels around that spot for a little, and when she finds a place where it seems damper, she follows it. Following the water, in essence. ]
I think it's this way. Do you see anything I can't?
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But water flow in a cave also often leads to an exit, so it's worth following for that reason too. He draws his hand away from the ceiling, nodding in agreement, stepping up beside her to analyze the indicated direction. His scanner does indicate more moisture in this area, leading into another crevice, although at least this time it's just narrow; they can still walk through it.]
No, nothing yet. It does seem this direction may lead us to water, so it's worth following this path.
[And he'll even let her go first this time if she wants, now that it seems to be less dangerous and the rock is glowing. Which is still... Something, but convenient.]
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Progress. [ she murmurs. She doesn't sound excited or anything, but the fact that she can acknowledge that is something in and of itself.
She makes a bit of a show of the fact that she's shocked he's letting her go first, but then sidles right in ahead of him. ]
There's more moisture on the walls, but there's nothing aboveground. If anyone lives here, they probably live somewhere underground. They must see by... those strange rocks.
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He brushes the feeling aside as he continues following Maki, considering her comments instead as a distraction.]
If they have a need to see. The phosphorescence is limited and although it is better than nothing, relying upon it seems impractical for anything that might live here.
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[ Maki Himekawa does not know how to let things go. Also maybe she's starting to be less miserable and therefore poking fun at the only other person here.
The soft sound of water flowing slowly reaches them after a little while, and soon enough Maki is stepping out into a cavern about twice as big than the last. Along one side of it is a stream she can't figure out the depth of. She sighs as she walks over to it, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders. ]
Can you tell if there's anything in there that'll bite me if I scoop up some water?
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I can, but just as you could navigate by scent, it isn't a primary sense.
[So unless whatever lives down here--if anything--is very adapted to the low light conditions, they probably rely on another sense as their main way of navigating.
It feels like a success to find water, and he follows her to the edge of the bank before kneeling down to scan it. It's deep, deeper than his sensor can pick up, and the currents are deceptively quick and complex underneath the surface. He can't pick out any living creatures, but the currents make it difficult to be sure if that's because there is nothing to find or because his scanner is thrown off.]
I'm not sure.
[But as he says it, he reaches his hand out toward the water to touch his fingers to it, giving a few seconds to watch both with his eyes and his scanner for anything to come after him. Nothing, and he lifts his hand to touch his fingers to his tongue, analyzing the water.]
It's safe to drink, and nothing attacked me, but be careful. The currents below the surface are very strong.
i rolled monster c':
As it is, she kneels on the bank of the deep, deceptive stream and dips her hands in. The water is cool, not frigid. She scrubs as much of the dirt off her hands as she can, then bends down to drink from her cupped hands.
Which is when a creature emerges.
From somewhere in the depths, it swims up with enough speed that breaching is clearly part of its normal behavior. Maki only sees it when its gaping mouth and rows of sharp teeth are mere inches from the surface, just close enough that the light reflects off it. Luckily, her reflexes are sharp enough that she jumps back before it can do more than graze the back of her hands with those razor sharp teeth. The mutant piranha-looking thing's jaws snap shut on air, and it seems to hiss before it dives back down into the swift currents in the dark depths. ]
Holy shit.
[ Maki doesn't swear much, but this... kind of merits it. ]
yes good
[Connor states it casually and matter-of-factly, though underneath it he's somewhat annoyed with himself over it despite that he'd been completely aware there was a possibility that something evaded his scanners. He doesn't like to be wrong, he's realizing, although that makes sense for a being that was created specifically to succeed.
But that's a thought for another time; Maki seems fine as far as the thing having caused no injury, but she still needs to be able to drink some water if they're going to continue.]
Do you think you could lure it to the surface again?
[Because if so, he can make sure it isn't a further problem. In a cave system like this he can't imagine the water having enough food to support more than a few of those things, so chances are good that if they deal with this one she'll at least be able to get a drink.]
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Like bait. Of course. [ The miserable side of her thinks that of course she's the would-be sacrifice here. The rest of her just wonders why this is her life.
But okay. She figures he's been competent enough this far and probably has a plan, so she goes back to the edge of the water and repeats her attempt to drink. At first, it seems she's safe, but as soon as she has a mouthful of water, the piranha-monster jumps back up with a hiss, flipping in the air and looking for all the world like it's diving at her this time.
Connor help pls. Humans are squishy and easy to bite into. ]
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It flops on the ground, teeth gnashing, and Connor watches it for a moment before looking back at Maki.]
It should survive for a short time out of the water. Once you are done drinking I'll return it to the stream.
[No need to kill the thing unless it becomes totally necessary, after all. He'll just keep an eye on it while she drinks in case it tries to go after them despite being on land, but it seems too preoccupied with its current situation to be aggressive.]
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You shoud drink now too. I can't do what you just did.
[ She'd probably shoot to kill it, honestly. This is survival we're talking about. In fact, she's tempted to take her sweet time here, just to make sure it won't be a threat again, but wasting time seems unwise.
When she's finished drinking (and has rinsed her face for good measure) she looks over at Connor. ]
I wonder if we shouldn't kill it for food later, if it's edible at all.
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But first--]
I won't be able to tell if it's safe for consumption while it's still alive.
[Which his voice gives away is something he'd like it to be. He won't stop Maki if she does want to kill it, because food is important, but if it's up to Connor he'd rather return the creature safely to the stream.]
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Well, I don't need to eat yet. [ and she can tell he Cares about this thing that tried to eat her face ] Maybe when I do, we'll have plants to eat.
[ So fine, Connor. The fish monster can live. ]
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[And for that fish it's probably smaller fish, but those smaller fish have to eat too, and so on. It's possible they'll find something edible down here, although Connor hopes they'll just manage to find a way out and have that way out somehow lead some somewhere that isn't just endless nothing.
But since Maki is done drinking and seems willing to let the fish go, Connor carefully picks it up by the tail before depositing it back into the stream; it quickly disappears into the depths once again, and Connor looks toward Maki.]
Are you ready to continue?
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It's not every day you meet a person who spares an animal's life in a potential survival situation like this. Is he vegan or just really kind? Probably the latter, she thinks. He'd seemed pretty concerned when she said she nearly drowned, and he'd tried the water before her. That means she can trust him not to murder her if things go to hell. ]
Yeah. [ She nods at him and starts walking again.
After a few seconds of no conversation, she glances back at him. There doesn't seem to be any danger up ahead. ] I have two questions for you. What do you hope we find, and if we find a way back to where we came from, would you take it?
[ It's something she remembers talking about with her fellow Chosen as they'd wandered the Digital World. Kids have a different perspective on life. Back then, she'd wanted to stay with her partner. Now... if going back means drowning, she's not sure she'd take the option. ]