i go out walking all day long

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

WHO: the Monster in the Darkness and SO TOTALLY OPEN
WHERE: anywhere on the streets between the Porter Building and April's house - but he gets lost so assume "wherever in the city"
WHEN: Today, afternoon/evening?
WARNINGS: only if you ask him what happened back home
SUMMARY: Monster gets ported back in! and then wanders a bunch as he remembers stuff
FORMAT: WHATEVER YOU WANT



[ Monster's first thought was: "this isn't the Astral Plane..."

His second thought was: "Xykon's gonna be so mad at me for getting lost."

His third thought was: "...This place seems familiar."

The Monster wanders out of the porter building, squinting glowing eyes through pitch-black darkness under a bright pink umbrella. He starts to remember bits and pieces. More. Then more.

He finally remembers that he had friends here, good ones! And one of them was gonna ground him for sure so he better get back to her closet.

...Wherever that is.

He also remembers that if he cheers up a bit, he might be able to get out of the dark, but he can't. He's too sad. Not about coming back here, but about Tsukiko and stuff like that.

The Monster wanders the City, getting distracted and sidetracked and lost, but eventually making his way back to the place where all his stuff is.

Wow, he has stuff. ]

Comments

START AT THE END. aka the homecoming

[aggressiveapathy]

[Monster did indeed have stuff. In theory. He might need a little time before he can confirm that fact, though, as April as covered the entirety of their room- closet included- with a layer of mess that boarded on flat out impressive considering how short a time Monster had been gone. The filth demon was, at the moment, laying on her back in the unmade bed, iPad held above her face, wiggling it back and forth with the latest racing game.]

You are a terrible person.

SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

Hi -- [ NOTICEABLE PAUSE AS HE TRIES TO REMEMBER HER NAME oh that's right ] April!

Sorry. I kinda got sent home.

[aggressiveapathy]

While you were grounded. What kind of a person does that?

[This is what happens when April misses you, Monster. Rage at being made to feel it :|]

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

I didn't do it on purpose!

[aggressiveapathy]

You can't use the same excuse twice!

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

But it's true!

Aw man, am I grounded again? I just got back!

[aggressiveapathy]

[That actually has her propping herself up on one elbow, game momentarily paused, so she can fully glare at him.]

No. Grounded is for good people. You are so past grounded. I don't even know what you are yet.

Now where were you now.

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

[ He tries to avoid her gaze, feeling guilty. ]

Oh um, well I was in my box back home while everybody else was angry and murdering each other and stuff. And then we were gonna leave go to the Astral Plane with I was totally looking forward to since it's so pretty, but I ended up back here instead.

[aggressiveapathy]

[...and then he had a bloody story to tell. The glare is momentarily reduced to just staring.]

Were there blood and guts everywhere?

[foreshadower]

[ What was odd about a fellow with a pink umbrella running around? Well, quite a fair amount, but especially when it just seemed to leave a rather heavy shadow, and the Shade knew his shadows rather well.

So of course he would investigate. Which generally meant coming from a great distance back in a few short steps. There was no need to rush himself, so he simply did what he did best and stepped much closer, actually, in front of the monster, the last trappings of a step through a greatly neutered shadow realm flicking off of him like the last flecks of dust when coming inside from a sandstorm. They drifted before dissipating. He stopped his very casual, leisurely stroll, and turned with a small, half-amused smile. ]

My apologies, I didn't intend to stop so close.

[ Well, yes he did, but that was beside the point. ]

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

[ The monster gulps, audibly. Frightened? Of darkness? Him?




Always. ]

OH! Um, hi, there, um, hello.

[foreshadower]

[ Well, it's not like the Shade cares that he's scared, but he looks pretty amused by the perceived prospect. ]

Hello there. Nice umbrella.

[ He was the master of icebreakers. ]

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

[ Squinting at this guy. He seems weirdly familiar. ]

Thank you, Mister...?

[foreshadower]

Black. [ He said it immediately, and then paused to reconsider. ] Or you can call me the Shade. Either or will do. You were the one from the network, were you not? The monster?

[ He recognized the voice well enough, and Shade was good at picking out voices. ]

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

Oh! [ Man that was ages ago, wasn't it? But his memories are coming back. Didn't he talk to this guy one time or something? ]

Yeah, I'm Monster. It's nice to meet you, Mister Shade.

[foreshadower]

The pleasure is all mine, Monster. [ He said it like a joke that only he got, before he lifted his cane, pointing at the deep shadows hidden underneath the umbrella. ]

You never told me you were a shadow monster.

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

What? [ He squints at the man through the dark, and then looks at himself (an entirely useless endeavour) ]

Oh, no, I'm a different kind of monster. These are just supposed to keep me hidden, so I can be a surprise.

[halfwitch]

[Gretel meets him a few blocks from the porter building, hurrying down the street in the opposite direct. When she's close enough to be within speaking distance, she raises a hand to him slightly.]

I haven't seen you around in a while.

[Not that she ever paid too much attention to the network. But she figured that worked for a greeting that didn't bring up the whole 'someone that looked like you almost killed me' thing.]

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

[ It takes a few seconds, but his memories of her start to come flooding back.

He waves enthusiastically back although he's still stuck in the dark and there's no possible way for her to see it. ]

Oh man, yeah, it's been ages. Like, months or something!

[halfwitch]

Yeah. Um, what are you up to? Since then.

[Awkward attempt at normal socializing-Go!]

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

Oh, well, I've been eating things and learning things and um, I lived in a closet for a while and then I got sent to Mexico and then I went back to the closet and then I got sent home and lived in my box for a while, and then some drama happened and things were sad and people were killed, and then I got sent back here today!

What have you been doing?

[halfwitch]

Wait. What? You lived in a closet? And a box? You got to go home?

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

I just got back! It was weird, I didn't remember any of you at all! And Xykon totally wasn't mad at me for leaving, but I guess he also didn't know I came here and I'm so confused.

[halfwitch]

Confused about your friend not noticing? I've heard when we go back it's like time had stopped back home. Maybe to him you'd never left.

[yelloweyesdarksomething]

Oh yeah, I didn't remember this place either. [ Pause. ] Man, that's scary. I dunno if I want to forget everybody here.