|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 8:30 pm
 |
|
|
 |
It started because Thorne wanted to show Chris the plants that apparently populated Coalsmoke in Other Ashdown.
It was a thought Chris distinctly hadn't ever given much mind to, what exactly was or possibly could be in Coalsmoke on the other side. He'd gotten himself familiar with the neighborhood in case he had ended up on there on accident, had made himself familiar with the streets and the crumbling ruins of houses and how to get in and out without getting in trouble. It wasn't that much different really, but he had still made himself learn, just in case something happened. Preventative measures were becoming something Chris was becoming familiar with and he couldn't say he minded, not after the ball. Not after everything that had happened.
But regardless Thorne had wanted to show him and Chris was curious and willing to go along with him, so he put on his boots and some of his studier clothing, packed his ever faithful bag that he took with him to Other Ashdown and let Thorne lead them through a portal. Took his hand and let Thorne lead him to what he wanted to see.
What he was seeing now definitely was not what he was expecting to see at all and it takes him by surprise.
"Wow," He says, looking out over at Coalsmoke and the group in it. "This is.. well. Not what I expected."
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 10:22 pm
|
|
|
|
Whenever Thorne went to Other Ashdown to feed the plant otherbeings he'd made friends of while in Melany's care, he was usually greeted with a herd of them stampeding (gently) around his feet demanding food and greetings. Noeh had taught him how to make their food and she'd even shown him a few tricks in the greenhouse at Court too. It was a fond memory, brushed over by scar tissue and tough sinew, that made Thorne continue his regular visits to Coalsmoke every few days. After he'd attended Court and returned to the greenhouse to let them know of his multiple residences, the plant otherbeings had divided into two parties.
One at the greenhouse and one at Coalsmoke that grew and grew every day.
That he was taking Chris to meet some of the plants wasn't a surprise. In fact, he'd hoped the blond with a green thumb could actually help feed the masses and make friends with them. He'd expected a small herd coming to greet them at the door to Other Coalsmoke, and the smell of soil and petrichor, and everything normal with a visit to this particular sect of this side of the Veil.
Instead, as soon as he entered, there was a riot of chittering, rustling vines and leaves, and one big blemish in the middle of Coalsmoke that far outweighed the rest of the plant otherbeings in it's - girth.
Vines of it had curled around the space they occupied inverted. It was a mass and tangle of growing things. Unlike the small plant otherbeings, it was hard to discern what was what - if it was even a singular plant.
"Um," Thorne said, elegantly. "That's not what I expected either."
A few plant otherbeings crowded at his feet, knocking into his boots. He didn't know their language, but they rustled around his feet all the same.
He looked over at Chris, vaguely bemused.
"As much as I want to say tada, this isn't - normal." He pointed a finger. "I've never met this one. Maybe you have an admirer."
2053 (345+230+244+190+186+265+104+275+126+8 cool
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 10:35 pm
|
|
|
|
"Well, aren't we lucky then," Chris said dryly, but he didn't really mean any harm by it. He knew Throne hadn't been expecting this either from his reaction, he had learned how to read Thorne well enough long ago. He stared at the large tangle in the middle of the room and just - considered. Tried to figure out what to do.
He could hear the vague chattering of the plants near Thorne's boots, the words mostly indistinct but he could catch snatches of their conversation. Random words that he could make out and it seemed they didn't exactly know what to do either. He didn't focus on them too much though, unwilling to eavesdrop on their conversation. They probably didn't think he could understand them.
"I have an admirer?" He scoffed, incredulous, "You're the one who does everything over here, if anything they're here for you." He tilted his head at the plant though, crossed his arms and thought, before finally looking back over at Thorne. "What are we going to do?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:45 pm
|
|
|
|
"You know," Thorne drawled in return, "I'm never sure if we're lucky or if the universe is just constantly trying to trip us when we think we've figured out how to stand."
His eyes roved over the large, bulbous plant in Coalsmoke's inverted reflection. He wondered if they were going to get this thing gone the easy way, or if they were simply going to die in the process, smothered to death by its leaves. He didn't really know how to deal with it himself - the plant otherbeings didn't seem particularly fond of it, and it undulated grotesquely in the center of the room as though it were chortling at their speech.
"God, I really hope not," Thorne said and stepped forward, "I don't need any admirers, and anyways, I've already had to thwart so many efforts." He reached out a hand to prod the otherbeing gently and turned to look at Chris with a crooked smile. "I don't know. Maybe it's just hungry. Feed me, Seymore - ?"
And then, with lightning speed, Thorne's expression of mild amusement fled into shock when a vine tightened around his ankle and - pulled.
Thorne went down like a tree being toppled, and didn't have a chance to yell before the vine that had slid all the way up to his knee was dragging him forward, closer to the bulbous mass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:59 pm
|
|
|
|
"Both," Chris says decisively and somewhat spitefully, "It's both. The universe hates us and we also get lucky. It balances it all out."
He was also looking over the plant, trying to figure out where it ended, where it begun, what leaves were just extra and what were connected to the plant. It made him feel kind of small, oddly enough, but also made him realize the actual amount of space Coalsmoke had. On the other side it felt fine, cozy even, but here it was... big. Strange. Would have felt empty if it wasn't for the plants and the colossal thing masquerading as a plant.
"I hope it is then," He said with amusement, "Just so I could watch you thwart attempts that would be a good show." His eyes follow Thorne and he watches him carefully, wonders if maybe he should have been the one to touch the plant, what with his immunity. "Don't test fate-" Chris begins to say at the Seymore joke, but it was too late. Thorne was ******** grabbed and Chris was scrambling.
It doesn't take him long to reach part of the plant, to touch it and simply push into it, Nonononono stop stop stop stop, a mass of worry and confusion and slight fear. His other hand reaches out for Thorne to grab at him, to make sure he can't be pulled any further inward. He doesn't want to know what will happen when he gets close.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 6:14 pm
|
|
|
|
"I guess that's acceptable," Thorne replied, laughing a little bit, glancing at the other man. "But as long as it lets me keep finding you, I guess I can't spite it too much."
Thorne had been planning the best route to success against this goddamned plant when it started to rustle and shift. The couch squealed a little bit under the weight of plants and vines, and Thorne winced, hoping that unlike him, this wouldn't affect actual Coalsmoke too much, or the cats freaking out at random points would be completely feasible now.
"Don't test fate - " Chris said, and Thorne groaned and yelled out, rolling onto his belly and clawing at the floor as the vine started to haul him in - not slowly, not gently, but with hungry and quick efficiency. His nails scrabbled at the hardwood - had Noeh ever told him anything about maneating plants? This wasn't the way he wanted to go out!
He grits his teeth when Chris catches him, but the plant is just as insistent.
"Let go," he hissed at Chris, "I don't want you getting sucked in as well - "
The plant meanwhile pushes back at Chris, nothing but rustling leaves and shaking vines. There was something possessive in its intent. It wanted to - not eat. Or devour. Or kill. Just - take? And take? And -
Thorne groaned, wiggling his leg in the vines grasp. It had paused. For the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:18 pm
|
|
|
|
Chris laughed a little as well, giving Thorne a glance. "No, I guess you can't," He said, smiling.
It was amazing how fast that changed with the movement of the plant, the good feeling gone within a second. Chris tried to help the best he could, grounding himself against the floor as Thorne scrabbled against it. He was stupid to think that Other Ashdown would do anything but try and work against them.
"No," He hissed back, glaring at Thorne, "No, I'm not losing you to a ******** plant when this is my territory!"
He focused back on the plant, eyes narrowing. It's intent was... well. Not necessarily malicious but just weird. Really, really weird. And Chris, barely a few minutes in, did not have the patience for this.
"Out," He said plainly, eyes narrowing at the vines, attention off of Thorne for the moment. He pushed the thought into the plant as well, a command, not a question. Lately, he had felt like he had been able to push the limits of commanding plants, of being able to drag them out even if they didn't want it. He didn't out of respect, of course, but this wasn't a situation he was willing to give the plant respect. It was appearing now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:31 pm
|
|
|
|
The vine crept further up Thorne's torso as Chris hissed at him, and the man couldn't help giving out a little bit of a frantic struggle. He really didn't like where this was going for either of them.
"I - " he breathed out sharply, and then everything happened too fast.
The summoning was beyond him to really comprehend - all he knew of it was when Chris focused enough to bring Heddy into Coalsmoke for a few hours so that she could mill around with them to do mundane things. He had no idea what it would be like on the other side, or what was going on until a tangible weight settled down laying on him, and he saw two arms spread and wrap around his neck, holding him in place.
"Go awayyyyyyy," The plant spirit whined loudly, her wobbly voice shrill and angry at Chris. She was no older than twelve in appearance, pouting and unhappy, her eyes baleful and jealous when she peered at Chris. "I want this oneeee, the planties told me he's nice and feeds them so you can't have him he's mine now!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:54 pm
|
|
|
|
The plant was moving fast and if Chris wasn't so focused on trying to pull the plant out, to make it start, Chris would have been terrified. But focus came before fear, something Other Ashdown had taught him, and so he only gave the vine creeping up Thorne's torso a vague thought before he summoned.
Summoning was always strange after that first like, like a breath of air, like something that he hadn't been aware he had been holding in out. It later became a bit of a weight to bear, especially the longer the plant was out, but for now it was just the usual, watching the plant disappear into well. A twelve year old was not something had expected.
"Oh," He said rather smartly, tilting his head at the plant. He would have been more amused at the whine and the pout if she hadn't been what looked like trying to eat Thorne. "I'm afraid that can't do, princess. Gotta share him with everyone."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:08 pm
|
|
|
|
"I'm not sharing him with anything," The girl said in such a whiny voice that it was amazing she wasn't wearing a tiara. "He's miiiiinnnneee, I want to have someone to care about me tooo you can go home and get someone else, I can't."
Thorne groaned beneath her, his head on the floor, having given up attempting to get away at all. He looked half snared in the greenery of the plant.
"Come on," he said softly, peering half up at the girl, "I promise I'll take care of you just like all the rest of the plant otherbeings here. But I can't do that if I'm all tangled up."
Petulantly, the plant spirit responded with, "I'm sure you get all tangled up with him and don't mind."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:35 pm
|
|
|
|
Thorne stared up at Chris when he started speaking, his expression puppy-like, so perfect in its conception that it was nearly flawless. He could probably convince someone to commit murder for him with that face. It was a secret weapon, was what it was.
Save me, it said.
"But he could be special to me toooo," the whiny plant sniffled, kicking her feet, and Thorne winced as her boots ground into his shins. "Marié deserves happy things too, things that feed her and give her attentionnn. You were thinking about how to get me out of here weren't you! It's not my fault I'm big!"
She wasn't though, really. Summoned, she was pretty small.
"If I get off of him," she added suspiciously, "You'll just take him away."
"Please, darling," Thorne said as soothingly as possible, "I'll drop by just as frequently to see you with the rest of the plants if you get off of me. Everyone will get food, but first you have to learn to share. Don't you want to share and have a lot of people with you instead of just one?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 9:31 pm
|
|
|
|
That look, that one right there? That was a look that could topple nations. The fact Thorne hadn't used it on Chris once was a miracle of some type and Chris knew, in that very moment, he had to become resistant to it or else he was going to be in a huge amount of trouble in the future.
But in the moment, he was going to do everything in his power to save Thorne.
"No, no I wasn't," Chris says, trying to soothe, no longer whiny. Being whiny wasn't going to work at all. "You can stay here, Marié was it? You can stay here, of course you deserve those things."
If he wasn't trying so hard to placate her, he would've winced at the boot kicking as well. Instead, he just grit his teeth.
"Here, I'll stay here," Chris said, sitting on the ground exactly where he was, "And you get off him and I won't move. You can even sit on me instead, to make sure I won't move. You need to get off him first if you want him to do anything too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 10:19 pm
|
|
|
|
Thorne actually whined the next time Marié kicked him, head thumping to the floor. He wasn't about to push a tiny child off of him, no matter how much the vines were uncomfortable and how little Marié weighed compared to him. So he was just going to sit here and be pathetic until Chris saved him.
"How do I know you're telling the truth," Marié said suspiciously, clinging tighter to Thorne's shoulders. "People say things all the time. The fetch told me she had a dad once but I never had a dad so I want one now. I want a whole bunch of dads. I want people to say nice things to me too. Will you say nice things to me if I stay?"
"I cannot believe this is Mare's fault," Thorne says from where he is laying down. He turns his head to Marié, looking a little bit desperate. "Marié, you can have two dads if you want, but I can't do much of anything if you keep sitting on me like this. Do you know what a lot of dads do for their children? They give them hugs. I can't do that if you're pinning my arms to the ground."
"Blehhhhh," Marié responds, still suspicious that they're lying.
"Listen," Thorne says, "If you don't trust me, trust Chris. He'll hug you first."
Marié stares at them both like she doesn't trust anyone to do what they say.
"Okay fine," she says and sits up on Thorne's back. "But you have to come to me first."
Thorne sends Chris a please help stare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 10:41 pm
|
|
|
|
Chris wanted to laugh at Thorne's misery, he really did. He could think of a million and one things this was payback for, including several baked goods arguments and at least three sabotaged games of Just Dance. He wasn't even the one fighting Thorne for it too, he was just sitting on the sidelines. But Thorne was his boyfriend and he was obligated to save him and well, the puppy eyes were still partially in effect.
"Yes, I'll say nice things," Chris said patiently, still on his place on the ground. His eyes cut to Thorne, a half amused grin on his face. "I can absolutely believe this is Mare's fault and I've only met her twice," He replied, watching the interaction between Marié and Thorne. Really, it was kind of sweet she wanted a dad. But mostly, she needed to get off Thorne first.
"Okay," Chris agreed, getting up from his place on the ground. He crawls over to Marie and Thorne on his knees, being careful, before he opens his arms for a hug. He'd allow her to come to him and initiate, in case she decided to back out and do something else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
