*the kitten wiggled after him, excited for food* meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow
°Despite everything, a soft chuckle escaped him. He rinses off the plate the kitten used last time and takes another patty out. He sets it down in front of them. Guess this is your plate now huh?°
*the kitten sat at his feet* mew mew mew mew mew mew mew
°He set his phone down, clicking the screen off. First sent, second saved.°
°..What is it little guy? Hungry? He gives Jim's pulse another check- still going- before pulling himself up and heading towards the kitchen. There's probably a little more burger left..°
°The stream of texts had been chaotic and long as CJ has more or less dumped the events of the past few.. days? Weeks? Into the little messege box. He'd thrown the emergency basics out there, and that they needed him to come over asap- @anon-driplier should know about the crash first and foremost- but the next messege he was writing was eating up the character limit.°
°From the seeming mystery of their first interviewee (who wasn't even there, just an admittedly aesthetic lady who was being cryptic), to the supernatural kidnapping, the 'lighthouse makeover' as a result, to the run for supplies that ended in Jim being injured and although alive, unresponsive. He left out the part with the doll though, he'd already unloaded enough onto Doc at once, he could tell him that later, probably.°
°He didn't actually send the mega-text, though the car crash info did go through, he'll just let him read it in person. It seemed like in-person sort of info.°
*the kitten woke up next to RJ.* meow *it stretched and yawn. he looked away and saw CJ busy calling... someone* meow?
°CJ looked up from his typing for a brief moment, setting down the phone for a second. Just getting some help Snow, you have a good sleep I hope?°
*the kitten smiles* mew mew :3 *he purrs at his feet*
°CJ smiles back softly and sits down on the edge of the matress, reaching out to gently pet the kitten. There's a shuddery intake of breath, and he's looking at his phone. How is he supposed to explain any of this to 911...°
*the kitten hops on the mattress and placed his paws on his arm* mew mew *his cuts and bruises started to heal. he stopped bleeding*
*The injuries don't go all away, but it certainly helped. His breathing eases further, and it looks more like sleep and less like unconciousness.*
°He finds his phone and looks over just as Jim starts healing. He just, he really needs a nap. Thank you, Snowy.°
*the kitten sneezes and a portal opens to show the living room* meow *he leads the way*
°It's pretty obvious he didn't really expect that to work. Kitten is just full of surprises. He speed walks through the portal after them and into the room, moving to lay Jim down gently onto the matress. Ok, he needed to get a doctor here, where's his phone-°
*the kitten rubs his head against RJ* mew *they purr loudly*
*RJ doesn't stir at the embrace or the gentle rubbing, but his breathing looks a little easier.*
°CJ adjusts himself, preparing to actually lift him up. He doesn't think Jim is bleeding anymore, but the muted red on his shirt, head, and the seat are worrying at best. He looks at the kitten. Do you happen to have any portal tricks? He adjusts himself and Jim again, before lifting.°
°The air is oppressive here, the colors muted to the point where one could barely make out what had looked like what. The signs read 'R!dge' and 'Ashwor+h', and right at the mouth of an ally way, the remains of a crash are present. It was hit from the side, the impact zone crunched like a punched aluminum can. The other car is nowhere to be seen. Actually, nothing is to be seen. There are no people here...°
°Except for one.°
°CJ doesn't know the exact moment that despite the air that feels like a punch to breath in that he starts running, he doesn't know when he touches the door why it seems to not quite feel like he's touching it, or why when he pulls it the door rips off like paper, like in a dream, and he doesn't know when he started cradling RJ like he's a small child who's only just fallen asleep, or how he got him out in the first place.°
°He doesn't know when the tears started, but he knows when they change. He knows why they change as his fingers still find a pulse benieth them.°
°His brother is alive. And he's going to keep him that way.°
°He needs to get out of here and to a doctor though, fast.°
*The kitten drops the box and started sniffing* sniff sniff *they smell* sniff *they smell... peppermint and Irish Spring. RJ* meow meow! *he starts leading the way*
°RJ raises an eyebrow.°
°Where are you going?°
°he follows anyway though°
*as the kitten drags the box, they see him struggle. they hope he'll be alright* meow meow
°He glances over at them, his breathing had picked up, he needed to hurry. I'm ok, we should find him soon. He begins scanning the street signs, making sure not to look directly at them for too long, least they change on him.°
*even though CJ went in this strange portal, the kitten follows happily. he still drags the cracker box*
°You are just full of determination little guy. He smiles a little at them. The kitten was like a living cat motivational poster with their crackers and sweetness. He keeps walking, the air was getting heavier.°
*They walked through the portal with CJ.*
°He glanced around, blinking in the new space. It looked like... downtown? There's a tension in the air though, and the colors are muted, like the world is a bowstring strung tight through a camera filter. It's familiar, and not just because it looks like the streets he'd driven down with RJ a thousand times.°
°...°
°He starts walking forward°
*They waited in confusion.*
°He pulls his hand out and looks at it for a second.°
°...Just testing the waters. He steps forward and slips through the portal, really hoping this was the right choice.°
Ⓐⓛⓡⓘⓖⓗⓣ. *They walk toward the portal with you.*
°CJ stops just before entering, and sticks his left hand in to test how it feels, and if something was going to eat it off.°
Ⓝⓞⓣ ⓘⓝ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓢⓛⓘⓖⓗⓣⓔⓢⓣ.
°Peachy. He goes back to studying the portals. Was there any tell to see? Or did he really just have to flip a coin, with three sides, yeah he was tired. He gently lifts up the kitten and approaches the leftmost portal°
🅘 🅒🅐🅝'🅣 🅣🅐🅚🅔 🅨🅞🅤 🅣🅞 🅨🅞🅤🅡 🅑🅡🅞🅣🅗🅔🅡, 🅑🅔🅒🅐🅤🅢🅔 🅢🅞🅜🅔🅣🅗🅘🅝🅖 🅘🅢 🅜🅔🅢🅢🅘🅝🅖 🅦🅘🅣🅗 🅜🅨 🅚🅝🅞🅦🅛🅔🅓🅖🅔, 🅑🅤🅣 🅘 🅚🅝🅞🅦 🅗🅔 🅘🅢 🅞🅝 🅣🅗🅔 🅞🅣🅗🅔🅡 🅢🅘🅓🅔 🅞🅕 🅞🅝🅔 🅞🅕 🅣🅗🅔🅢🅔 🅣🅗🅡🅔🅔 🅟🅞🅡🅣🅐🅛🅢, 🅢🅞 🅣🅐🅚🅔 🅨🅞🅤🅡 🅟🅘🅒🅚.
°CJ shifts his gaze over to the portals, eyeing each one in turn, before looking back at you.°
°Do you know where each one leads?°
🅘'🅜 🅢🅞🅡🅡🅨 🅐🅑🅞🅤🅣 🅣🅗🅐🅣.
°His expression doesn't change much. Maybe a little more thoughtful, though.°
°Acknowledged. Would you mind telling me what this is about then? I need to get to Jim.°
I’ll try my best, same goes for you! -Neb
°That is fair, thanks Neb°
*Misfortune reappears.*
°CJ jolts a bit in surprise before fixing them with a stare. You're back.°
Hey, it’s fine! You didn’t drag me into anything! -Neb
°Still, you be safe too, yeah?°
Hey, it’ll be ok. I’ll try and help in any way I can. It’s gonna be fine. -Neb
°I have to believe that, otherwise I don't think I will be able to leave. Thank you, I'm sorry to drag you into this..°
*the sirens are muffled, the world is muted, a fog that settles over everything like an illusionary blanket. RJ stares into an allyway, opening up and gaping like an infinite serpent's mouth. Does he stay here?*
*...It seems strange. What even happened? He'd been on a bit of an untitled wild goose chase, and had ended up in the city to buy supplies for.. a cat? He'd been heading home when... Something... Now he felt weird, like a dream, like he was both very alone and being watched. Something with reflective eyes peaked out from behind a trashcan lid, and he starts spying more collections of eyes watching him from every dark corner, not all were coming in pairs of two.*
*Oddly enough, the allyway lacked the weird peering eyes that the area behind him was rapidly filling with. Not sure what he's supposed to be doing, he moves forward a little towards the dark maw, not quite catching on to the fact that he can't feel the few footsteps he took.*
CJ?? Are you alright?? Oh no this is such a mess... Where even is this place? -Neb
°he pushes himself up, wincing slightly but nodding°
°I don't know where this place is, or what it is, I-°
°his hands drop mid sentence, there's a look that crosses his face before he forces it into being neutral. It's pretty obvious though, a flash of helplessness. He just, he wants to sleep, but he has to get RJ, he has to save him.°
°...You could say that again, about it being a mess. I'll figure it out though, I won't give up.°
*the kitten lays next to him, careful not to scare him. both are scared*
°CJ shudders slightly in his curled up position, but he recognises the kitten's shape next to him. His side hurts, but nothing is broken he doesn't think. Where are they? He needs to get back, Jim is hurt and-°
°You didn't run? Snow Ears, are we both trapped?°
*The stop talking and stare at him for a while, before sending him through a portal.*
°His eyes go wide and he curles up like a cannon ball as he falls, not knowing what else to do and terrified of what might be below°
CJ, I can’t read it that well, but the closest I can get is Ashworth and Ridge. I’m sorry I couldn’t make out more- Do those sound familiar to you? -Neb
°...Yeah, it does I think, I'll get there soon. Yell if anything changes, please? I can't thank you enough Neb.°
*The chanting stops and the entire room seems to be looking at CJ. The smiling objects seemed to be talking to each other as Misfortune's head looked from left to right.*
°CJ continues to stare, he's not wavering now°
I.. I couldn’t see what street he was on initially.. I’ll look around. *She goes back to RJ and tried to look for a street sign* -Neb
*The street signs looks like it says Ashworth and Ridge, but you can't completely tell, as for some reason they seem to blur and shift, letters missing or a new word. Ashworth, or at the very least "Ash" is the most common, and the "R" never leaving from the other*
*They continued chanting and everything seemed to smile.*
°His glare intensifies. Alright you bundle of half off kindling, I don't know what your issue is, but you are keeping me from my brother. So, either you put me down, and we both walk out of here, or I get to go anime protagonist on your ***. Your call, haybale.°