Author Topic: Rollin' in the deeeeeeep! [Tally-poo!] (Read 35522 times)

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #60 on:** November 07, 2013, 08:24:01 pm »

"Well excuse me for having a fucking snake chewing on my goddamned foot and not thinking all that straight!" Heaving a sigh, he pushed onward. He was almost to the end of the tunnel.

"Lucky for you, you're not too bad off. Just keep going on straight. Follow it all the way down, it'll eventually spit you out into another fork. Stay there and don't move. I'll come to you."

Tally · « **Reply #61 on:** November 07, 2013, 08:28:39 pm »

Thank the gods above. He was beginning to fear this tunnel went on forever, just winded its way through the earth with no exit point. The thought sent a shudder through him.

"I can do that."

By the time he reached the opening, his knees and palms ached from the crawling. So this was the reason for the leather gloves and knee guards, huh? Without them, he'd have been a bloody messy by now.

"Okay, I'm here. Gods...it's pitch black."

He really hoped his mental voice didn't sound as small and intimidated as he felt.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #62 on:** November 07, 2013, 08:35:14 pm »

"Alright, good, just wait right there. I'm coming. Almost there."

It was about five more minutes before Cyrus took the turn that lead him out into the fork. In the pitch black, all Temple would be able to make out was the shifting, scraping sounds of dirt as he crawled--a sound that could easily be mistaken for something more malevolent.

"Pssst, Temple. Ya in here?" he called ahead of him as he approached the mouth of the tunnel. He didn't want to freak the poor guy out.

Tally · « **Reply #63 on:** November 07, 2013, 08:40:34 pm »

Something was coming up the tunnels at him. He held his breath, listening. He nearly contacted Cyrus telepathically again when a human voice broke through the numbing darkness.

Temple slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. "Yeah, I'm here. Where are you even?"

He reached a hand out, blindly. This part of the tunnel was utterly black, no light at all, and all of Temple's flashlights had been lost when they abandoned his pack.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #64 on:** November 07, 2013, 08:52:32 pm »

Temple wasn't the only one breathing a sigh of relief. Thank gods. He was okay. Following the sound of Temple's voice, he crawled forward.

"I'm right--mmph!"

Something hit his face, and Cyrus reached up and grabbed it before he realized it was Temple's hand. With a start, he let go and was very glad for the dark.

"I'm right here," he said, and grabbed Temple's wrist instead so he could pull them both to their feet, for the ceiling here was high enough for standing--something Cyrus only knew from memory.

"Goddammit, Temple! Never fuckin' do that again! You're damned lucky it was that tunnel and not one of the others, because if it was...!" He heaved a breath and eased up on his grip when he realized he was squeezing him. "Fuck. I say left, ya go left! Not the backwards left, but left left! The ninety degree true left! Alright? Because down here, with some of these tunnels, a greenhorn like you? Ya get lost, and I can't find ya, there's only two options--get eaten, asphyxiate, or die of hunger or lack of water! Any of that sound fun to ya?"

Tally · « **Reply #65 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:05:55 pm »

Cyrus hauled them up, and Temple flinched, expecting his head to hit the roof of the tunnel, but he was able to stand at full height without touching anything. Where were they? How big was this place now? He'd thought they were still in a small tunnel...would have sworn he could feel the narrow walls closed in all around him. Fuck but this placed messed with your mind.

He opened his mouth to get a word in, but Cyrus just kept on. Pretty much yelling at him. Cyrus was yelling at him over this mess. Well, fuck that. He was not shouldering all the blame for this, and all those things that Cyrus was talking about, the getting lost, the suffocating, all of it—it was all Temple's worst fears about this place, fears that always lurked at the back of his mind down here, no matter where they were, no matter what they were doing, and Cyrus was lecturing him about them like he didn't take this seriously? Like he was fucking careless?

"Are you done?" He didn't pull out of Cyrus's grip. No, he stepped closer, getting into Cyrus's face as best he could in the pitch blackness. "Because maybe you should have included this ninety-degree-true-left-bullshit in one of your goddamn lessons if my fucking life is going to depend on it! What the fuck do you expect me to do? Read your mind? You forbade me from that, remember? So I have to rely on you down here because I don't know what I'm doing so maybe if you want me to go to the true-fucking-left you should fucking say that!"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #66 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:13:12 pm »

Cyrus didn't move back. He held his ground and even drew a little closer. "Well maybe if there's any confusion ya should ask next time, considerin' I had a snake chewin' on me! Did I mention the snake? That was tryin' to eat me? Because it was, and a guy don't exactly think too clear when it's gnawin' on his foot and--forget it! Just fuckin' forget it! Let's go."

With a huff of frustration, he turned suddenly and pulled Temple along with him, pausing only to feel along the wall before picking a tunnel and going down it. Like the chamber they'd wound up in, it was large enough to walk down with no ducking involved, and even when more of the glowing plants began to spring up on the walls, lighting their way, he didn't release Temple's arm.

Tally · « **Reply #67 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:15:51 pm »

So much for clearing the air. Gods! Why did he want to get this guy into bed again?

Temple stumbled along behind Cyrus. This was awkward as fuck, walking like this with Cyrus holding his wrist in a death grip. "Could you let go? I can follow you just fine."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #68 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:23:00 pm »

"Oh? You can follow just fine, can you? That was following just fine? Oh no. That was the complete opposite of fine, Violet. And that wasn't even followin'!"

The tunnel opened up ahead of them and there it was, the huge cavern they'd had to flee when the snake attacked. Tugging Temple along, Cyrus marched them into the cavern and straight for the pack he'd left abandoned there when they'd had to split. Temple's pack wasn't far away. He went for that first, scooping it up and shoving it at Temple's free hand, then marched them over to his pack. Picking it up, he unzipped it and yanked out a pair of handcuffs.

Without a word, he grabbed Temple's wrist and snapped them closed around him, then snapped the other end shut around his own wrist.

"There," he said, holding up the key. "Now you'll follow just fine."

Tally · « **Reply #69 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:30:41 pm »

So real discussion was out of the question? Fine with him.

"Uh yeah. Exactly. Not following. Which, by they way, what kind of sucky subterranean ranger—or whatever it is you are—do you have to be to put the green kid leading the way in front, huh?"

The tunnels spat them out exactly where this whole adventure began. How the hell had the twisted and turned enough to get them right back here?

Cyrus dragged him all over the place, while all Temple could think of was where that snake might have gone and when it would be back. Wasn't this like its home or something? He was so busy watching the entrances he didn't notice what Cyrus was up to until the cold metal of the cuff clamped around his wrist.

He stared at the handcuffs, then up at Cyrus. Of all the questions that occurred to him just then—and there were a lot—he could only manage one. "Do you...always keep handcuffs in your bag?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #70 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:38:03 pm »

Cyrus paused. It hadn't occurred to him until then how odd it might seem to have those conveniently at the ready.

"...Yes?" he said, and made a frustrated sound, waving his free hand around. "I mean, no! The fuck ya think? I mean, look who I'm workin' with here! It was a precaution, alright, and look, I thought I might need 'em, and I did. Point bein', ya ain't gettin' lost now! Oh, and ya had better be damned glad I put ya in front of me, Princess, because if I hadn't ya wanna know where ya might be now? Huh? Meltin' in some giant reptile's belly! Show some fuckin' gratitude!"

He hadn't meant to let go of the key. But as though on cue, and with a final passionate gesture, the key went flying.

Tally · « **Reply #71 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:43:42 pm »

Temple was busy rolling his eyes and pretending to listen to what Cyrus was saying when a dreadful, tiny, metallic ching made him freeze.

Even in the dim light, he could see that Cyrus's hands were empty—no key, where there had been one before. He stared at Cyrus, silent, eyebrows climbing his forehead.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #72 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:49:25 pm »

Cyrus stared silently back, a classic oh shit expression spreading across his face.

"Oh shit."

Without another word, he yanked Temple along as he stumbled in the direction he'd heard the key land. "Shitshitshitshit! Do you see it? Help me, dammit!"

Tally · « **Reply #73 on:** November 07, 2013, 09:54:51 pm »

"Ow!" Cyrus yanking him along made the cuffs cut right into his wrist. "I can't see anything—but you have a spare at home right? Right?"

Before Temple could even try to look, though, movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. The sliding, slithering movement of a long snake body. Remembering at the last minute not to speak, he instead punched Cyrus in the shoulder to get his attention, then grabbed his shoulders and made him turn around to see what he was seeing.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #74 on:** November 07, 2013, 10:08:28 pm »

"A spare?" The question made Cyrus break out into hysterical laughter. He bent down and frantically started digging around the rocks. "Start lookin', already! It's gotta be around here some--ow!"

He whirled around, about ready to lay into Temple for hitting him, but then Temple grabbed him and turned him around and the words shriveled up on his tongue. He swallowed hard and held his breath.

Holy hell.

"Don't move," he thought, as "loudly" as he could, and hoped that was how it worked, that Temple could hear him or...or however the hell that shit worked!

The snake slid into the cavern, all of the many, many feet of it, and its nostrils flared as it sniffed for their scent. Then its head jerked and swung around in their direction. Sweaty and adrenaline-fueled as they were, it hadn't taken long.

"Alright. Alright. It's okay. We got this. We're just gonna have to forget the key. So okay. On the count of three, we fucking run, you got it?"

It was coming toward them now. Cyrus glanced around the cavern to orient himself, and then picked a tunnel, because fuck everything, they were ending this trip now.

"One...two...three.. .GO GO GO!"

He took off as quickly as he could, and if Temple didn't hurry it up, he'd fucking drag him out of here.

Tally · « **Reply #75 on:** November 07, 2013, 10:25:35 pm »

Temple nodded. He had no intention of moving. He was rooted to the spot just then. He was also so fucking done with this snake thing. They either needed to haul ass out of here completely, right now, or he was going to kill this thing and probably take them out with it because seriously fuck this place.

To Cyrus's further direction, Temple caught his eye and nodded again. Running, yes. He was definitely on board with getting the fuck out of here. They could worry about the cuffs later. He followed Cyrus's line of sight to the tunnel he'd chosen.

On Cyrus's count, they bolted. Temple, for once, kept pace just fine.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #76 on:** November 07, 2013, 10:39:18 pm »

Several hours later and they were back in Teinar. Several hours later, and almost an entire day earlier than planned.

Cyrus lead the way back to his place, exhausted, filthy, hungry, and done with everything. The handcuff issue didn't even register. All he could think about was getting home and collapsing somewhere for the next few hours and just...never talking about this first excursion again, because it had been a disaster.

Way to look competent in front of the newbie!

He opened his door and held it open so Temple could go in first, rather than get the door shut on him since they were so awkwardly attached. "I hope ya don't expect a fancy meal," he said as they went inside. "'Cause today's more of a fend for yourself day, after that."

Tally · « **Reply #77 on:** November 07, 2013, 10:42:02 pm »

Temple dragged himself inside and tugged Cyrus toward the couch. "Food? All I want is a shower and sleep."

Gods above. He'd known venturing into the subterrain would be dangerous and exhausting. He hadn't quite expected those things on that level, though.

Whatever. They were here now. Cyrus could call a locksmith, get them detached, and then they could fight each other for first rights to the shower.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #78 on:** November 07, 2013, 10:50:32 pm »

Shower.

Sleep.

That was when it all came rushing back to him.

Staring at Temple, he jangled the handcuffs between them. "Uh, yeah, not until we get these off, so you're just gonna have to wait. Gods, I can't believe this. Of all the fuckin' things..."

Pulling Temple along with him, he trudged his way to the kitchen and picked up his phone, then grabbed a heavy book from the cabinet above and thumbed through it. Finding the number, he dialed it and waited.

"Hello? Yeah, it's Cyrus, Cyrus Amadori, I need a locksmith over here STAT. Uh huh. Yeah, it's, uh..." Fuck his life. "It's...I lost the key to my handcuffs, see?" Fuuuuck he wished he didn't have to be here when the guy showed up. "Yeah. Mhmm. Right, the model's 4707-Weston. So when can someone be over here?"

There was a long pause. Cyrus's eyes widened, and for an even longer moment, he was silent.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, still here. That's...uh...you...you really can't be here sooner?"

Another long silence.

"I...see. Uh. Alright. Thanks."

Click.

He turned toward Temple and gave him a look. Wow. Where to even begin.

Tally · « **Reply #79 on:** November 07, 2013, 10:54:01 pm »

Temple was getting a sinking feeling.

He returned Cyrus's look with pretty much the exact same flat stare he'd given him in the cavern when that key had gone flying.