[PRP] the shadow knows (alg & ???)

[iloveyouDIE]

It was his first foray, without Gloom that is, in using the shadows to travel. Algernon found a spot behind the shop, somewhere he'd often felt and heard the shadows where others may not have looked twice.

He was of course a bit nervous to give himself over in this way to the shadows and clutched his bag tightly at his side. He knew very well that this method of travel was entirely at the mercy of the living shadows, that should they want to they could reject him, but as he reached forward he heard them whisper and curl around his fingers. He felt his arm slip through just as it had before and it made him smile to be accepted.

From the wrist to the elbow and soon the entire professor had slipped through into the shadow world. Perhaps calling it a 'corridor' was more accurate, as it was a passage more than a world.

It looked just as he remembered it, the world around him discerned like a shadow negative of the original. He knew very well that all he had to do was find a decent spot and step out to the other side. It would, if gone according to plan, leave him in other ashdown.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

Algie would sense it almost immediately. The whispers of the shadows increased, as if they were trying to engage him in conversation.

What were they saying?

Any attempts to step back out, to move towards other ashdown, were met with resistance. The shadows were not releasing him.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

He did notice the sound of whispering at a level he wasn't used to. When reaching out to pass through the shadows to the other side Alg found nothing. There was no barrier to cross, like it had been pulled away from him. Any barrier he was met with simply didn't give.

There was an initial shock of panic, a feeling of being trapped, of being held. Algernon took a steadying breath and remembered Gloom's advice.

Listen.
The shadows liked to play.

So the professor calmed himself and closed his eyes. He didn't want the surroundings to distract him from hearing what the shadows were trying to say.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

Once he started to focus, Algie would hear the words of the shadows: play play play.

There was even what sounded like the faint laughter of children.

Stay stay stay.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Alg inhaled deeply, exhaled, and listened. Only to hear the desire for play. The creepy children's laughter was not promising but he didn't have much choice but to go along.

"Alright then.." His hands extended to the shadows, expressing his willingness to participate, "Let's play."

He wouldn't, if he had his way, be staying though.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

The laughter got louder, less faint, and then a tiny cheer was heard.

In the distance a dark light was visible, flickering every so often and bobbing back and forth. First, it seemed, it was another game of capture yet he could not cheat as he had before ...

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Alg's lips quirked in faint amusement to the cheer. It was a bit spookier without Gloom to lighten the mood but the professor was happy to oblige the game.

HIs feet again picked up off the ground in a hover and he shot towards the darklight in front of him as fast as he could muster.

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

His fast enough was not, as likely expected, fast enough. Especially when it winked out of existence and reappeared behind him.

Worse, it seemed as if his feet - despite floating - were being slowed down. The shadows were like sludge.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Alg spun as the darklight appeared behind him, hand swiping.

His legs felt bogged down, like he was being held back, and the floating was rather pointless as it was right now. The professor sunk to the ground looking to gain purchase. His own strength would make it easier to work against being restrained.

ashdown whaler

 

[azuredreams]

The moment he sunk to the ground, shadows surged up and wrapped around him. (The giggles increased; playful but still unsettling.) It seemed as if they were pulling him down, into a deeper darkness.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

The surge around his legs caused a mild tremor of panic. He wasn't sure he trusted being pulled further into the dark.

Around his fingers sparks leapt lightly. They weren't harmful, would barely hurt a person and produced very little light. It was like a light static shock and Alg attempted to swat his legs free, also pulling with his knees. Settling on the ground had been a mistake it seemed.

"I'll be no fun trapped.." He mused helpfully and aloud.

Around his shoulders the bear arms appeared with a surge, going for the orb or darklight when he could not.

ashdown whaler

 

[azuredreams]

Claws closed around the darklight but did not actually seem to save Alg at all. If anything, it suddenly seemed as if it had been a game of chase that turned into Alg being the one that was chased.

The air around him was not heavy, not like Ashdown, but somewhere in between where he could tell that magic was at his fingertips.

Shadows surged upwards, curling around his fingers even as they tried to sneak back from the sparks of light.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

It became very obvious very quickly that catching him was the true game. He knew very well the shadows liked to play but he was not a plaything. He was not something to be caught and kept.

He didn't want to hurt them but needed to either put on a good game or put it to an end. Either way, he needed to get out.

With the air light, magically free, he used what he had going to his advantage. The shadows didn't seem to like the electricity so he boosted it as much as he could and it crackled around his hands as he pushed shadows off of his legs. He began to pull up again, to float away from the ground, and as he did so bubbled a barrier under his feet to cut them off and attempted to take flight.

Maybe they would play chase instead of catch right now..

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

It was enough to get him free, the shadows retreating and the laughter turning to shrieks.

Happy shrieks.

With the bubble barrier under his feet, blocking the shadows, they seemed to push at him. Run, chase, catch. It was chanted over and over.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Alg complied, not all out of obedience but out of need. He needed to find a way to have them let him go.

He moved as fast as he could in the circumstances, feet bubbled and ghosting him through the shadow corridor. He began to reach, to test the walls as he brushed past them, pushing to see if they gave and let him pass.

"If you catch me.." He looked around, murmuring to them, "..and keep me.. we won't ever play again. Now, I don't want that. Do you?"

ashdown whaler