daybreakacademy | restless gremlin syndrome;

Entry tags:

restless gremlin syndrome;

who; pidge and ~~keet~~ keith
when; right now
where; on the way to the outlands + the outlands themselves
what; a couple of restless gremlins need to get away from things ( or attempt to find their family, same difference )
warnings; snark, sarcasm, potentially bad decisions being made? nothing terrible

( she hadn't been naive enough to think that she would be able to find much useful information on her arrival, but with patience wearing thin it really is a wonder it's taken her this long to have an effective fire lit under butt to spur her into motion.

she can't just sit around and wait anymore. she has to do something, because matt is still missing and it goes without saying that she thinks she's waited long enough. time to take matters into her own hands, and get to some action as opposed to inaction.

she gathers what she can to take with her, dumping everything into an old backpack that she slings over a shoulder as she exits her dorm, peering just a bit warily in all directions just to make sure no one notices she's leaving in a bit of a sketchy way; she's been told that there are field trips to the outlands all the time, and it sounds like it's not a huge deal, so she really has no qualms at all about heading out on her own.

the thing is, she isn't expecting to run into anyone on her way out. moreover, she isn't expecting to run into keith.

she nearly smacks right into him as she rounds a corner, and it's enough to see her stumbling back a couple of steps and blinking up at him a bit dazedly, gaze going from his equally surprised face to the bag slung over a shoulder, and then back to his face. ) H … hey. ( a beat. )

What are you doing?

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[Look. Look. There's been a lot on his mind lately and trying to figure out how to undo the clusterfuck that his life has become ever since entering magic school to stop the apocalypse is something that requires frequent breathers and solitude. Not everyone gets to have a nice room all to themselves, Pidgeon!!

But he's also very comically coming to a stop as he belatedly spots a familiar face turning the corner like she's a videogame character on a stealth level and backs up three steps.]

Pidge! [A beat. Ah shit. Is she gonna tell someone?]

Uh.. what am I doing? [Wait for it, he has a perfect excuse for cutting school and everything, okay?! It'll blow your mind. Then as soon as he sees that backpack she's sporting that looks maybe just a pinch overstuffed, he's quick to redirect that immediately. Squinting:]

What are you doing?

[Nailed it.]

( there's been a lot on her mind, too! no one is trying to argue against that, that's for sure.

she just really, really hadn't been counting on running into anyone on her way out, much less anyone she knows, and furthermore … someone that looks like they're attempting to make the same great escape as she is.

she's not going to tell anyone, don't worry; not just because she doesn't want anyone telling on her but because she ain't no snitch, and maybe … maybe she's a little bit curious as to why he's making a break for it. ) I asked you first. ( children. please.

she shuffles her weight from one foot to the other and back again, looking every bit like she would much rather see herself out of this conversation and continue with her plans, but. well. you know. that isn't about to happen anytime soon.

sorry, keet. )

[That response actually gets him to blink and stare for a second or two because, despite the incredibly mature deflection of his own, he just genuinely wasn't expecting that to be fired right back at him. Maybe it says something about the general good will of the people around him that they usually back down and just answer his question the first time around, maybe it says funny things about how bullheaded Keith can get that people have gotten tired of trying to wrangle his shenanigans. Either way, his eyebrows knit together as the initial disbelief fades.]

So? [CHILDREN!! He squints from her shifting feet back to Pidge's face.] Aren't you usually in the library? How come you're cutting class?

[That's how this usually works. right? Hyperstudious types don't skip school.]

Edited 2019-10-07 05:17 (UTC)

( well. maybe she hadn't expected to get the response from him she had — which brings them both to a standstill, an effective impasse that finds them treading water just to keep from drowning, and while it isn't awkward, she's not quite ready to explain why she's sneaking out.

but then he has to go and ask?? why she's skipping class?? god, keith, why are you like this!

she clears her throat, situates the strap of her backpack a bit higher up on her shoulder. ) I'm not always in the library. ( does it sound a little bit sulky? yes. yes it does. because it is. ) I've … got somewhere I need to be. ( another beat of silence. ) Why are you cutting class?

( dear lord they're just going to keep talking each other in circles, aren't they? )

[The look of disbelief returns in an instant. Looks like he doesn't believe Pidge's claim about not always being in the library, but you know what? He will (gasp) exhibit a sliver of maturity and let that statement go unchallenged. But mostly because he has bigger fish to fry.

"Somewhere I need to be" presumably doesn't mean a random camping trip out on the Alps, though his train of thought is pretty quickly interrupted by the next question shot back at him.]

I uh... [He glances over his shoulder at his own too-full backpack.] ... stretching my legs. Out here. [....] With some stuff.

[He's being so smooth right now. Give him another second and he'll turns this back around again.]

Where's "somewhere?"

( listen here, keet yeehawson. maybe she's in the library ninety-nine percent of the time, but that other one percent? … she's probably holed up somewhere else, reading. but that doesn't mean you win this one, not in the slightest.

but now it's her turn for eyes to narrow, for brows to furrow because of course stretching one's legs doesn't involve an over-full pack, and she ends up folding her arms over her chest and taking up a bit more of an offensive stance, a small little smile spreading over the line of her mouth like she knows something.

and that something is that he's lying by omission, but it's still a lie all the same.

they're both being so smooth, it's ridiculous. ) Stretching your legs. With a stuffed backpack. ( she sniffs. ) 'Kay.

( but then the focus is back on her and her expression shifts, brows pinching together as she thinks of how she can magically word her way out of this one.

spoilers: she can't. ) Somewhere that isn't the school. ( nailed! it! )

[As obvious as the lie may have been, getting called out on it directly still gets Keith's shoulders to tense up visibly. If his head were more bowed, it'd look almost like he's trying to turtle up, but he's just looking straight at her mumbling monosyllabic noises.]

Um... well....

[Inexplicably, he's starting to feel embarrassed and the feeling starts sinking in more viscerally in the form of heat starting to creep up to his ears, Keith clears his throat. He doesn't have to feel like this, damn it?!]

You know what? Fine. I'm going to the Outlands, and you can't stop me.

[FORWARD MARCH TOWARDS THE CREEPING FOG THEN.]

You better not report me, Pidge.

( what's that? don't like getting called out so blatantly? TOO BAD, MISTER, BECAUSE YOU'RE IN FOR A LOT OF IT WITH THIS ONE.

she's not about to take anyone's bs if she doesn't have to, and knows they're lying to boot. you're not a good liar, keith. at least when it comes to things like this.

her eyes widen just a bit, and somehow, whatever she thinks she might have been expecting him to say, that isn't it; she blinks a couple of times like it might help her clear her suddenly fuzzy mind, and then her gaze is narrowing, shoulders squaring.

is she puffing up? she puffing up. ) I'm not a snitch, Keith! And I'm not your dad, either. I'm not gonna stop you from going anywhere. ( pause. hesitantly: ) Do you … um. Mind if I tag along, though? Since we're going in the same direction …

( eheh. heh. )

[AND THIS BE KEITH COMING TO A VERY ABRUPT STOP TO PEER OVER HIS SHOULDER AT PIDGE.]

....Why are you going to the Outlands?

[Oh no, they've started this again literally five seconds after the last round stopped. He supposes he shouldn't be surprised by this, but again he didn't really think Pidge was prone to adventure seeking in magical territory. Possibly because the Outlands aren't a library.]

( well of course he'd ask her why she's going — it's a perfectly valid question, all things considered, and it isn't like she has to admit right out of the gate that she's finally taking matters into her own hands and continuing the search for her missing-in-action brother.

except why the hell else would she be going to the outlands?

there's a conundrum if there ever was one.

her teeth worry at the edge of her bottom lip, and it's clear that the gears are turning in her head with the way her gaze shifts downward, looking somewhere in the vicinity of his feet instead of his face. )

Solo field trip? ( she tries with a half-formed smile, knowing it won't hold any weight and breathing out a sigh. ) There's. ( hngh. ) I'm looking for someone.

( there. that's vague enough. )

[An eyebrow practically disappears into Keith's hairline upon hearing the phrase "solo field trip" and her gaze drops down to her feet. He'll let the ensuing silence speak for itself for a few seconds, but mercifully Pidge seems to have enough self awareness to realize that the excuse is about as flimsy as a house of cards.

His expression shifts from outright incredulity to thoughtful. It's not surprising, exactly. Lots of people here have connections to the Outlands for one reason or another, which makes this a whole lot more difficult to guess at than it otherwise could have been. But that said, a certain grainy image comes back to mind. He wondered about it when they first met, though at the time a certain space wolf had been busy playing chase with a jar of peanut butter and his attention had been split.

That said, his body language relaxes a little. Keith unfolds his arms, then places one hand on his hip as he indicates with a nod that she should follow him into the thick cloud of white mist.]

Alright. Guessing you don't want to tell me who, but can I ask what you are?

Edited 2019-10-12 05:56 (UTC)

( there are a lot of things she could say, a lot of explanations she could give but she isn't ready to give them yet, all things considered; she'd gone to a lot of trouble to formulate her backstory, and while sometimes it's a lot to keep that lie going, it's the only thing she has working for her when it comes to this stuff.

she'll. tell him one of these days, all the things she's been keeping from literally everyone — she has the feeling she can trust him, after all, it just feels like she can — but that comes later, when she's gotten over all of the bumps in the road that lead her to where she's trying to go.

but here she is, following him through the mist and ultimately peering up at him with a complete and utter lack of understanding at his question. what is she? ) What— what am I? ( she blinks, like that might help her brain make sense of that question. )

What kind of question is that?

[As they walk into the white mist, they enter an entirely different plane of existence that seems to almost crackle with magical energy. Their point of entry into the Outlands takes them to a dense forest with strange plants that bear a passing resemblance to some carnivorous plant species found on Earth, but are shades of electric blue and magenta. Further ahead, there appears to be a run down stone temple that's been built in the middle of a clearing.

For now though, that isn't what has Keith's attention. He stares at Pidge for another moment with obvious uncertainty.]

Wait, so you're ... not from the Outlands?

[Is her confusion a cover up act? It doesn't seem like it, but then why else would that picture be on a cryptid website??]

( this … this is it, isn't it? her first venture into the outlands, and maybe she'll actually find something, maybe she'll actually find something that brings her closer to her brother —

she stops just inside, caught off-guard by all the bright colors, enough that she ends up shielding her eyes for a small moment while keith works through his next question, and.

what!?

she turns to face him fully again, drawing up to her full height — which isn't impressive in the slightest, it must go on record — almost rocking on the balls of her feet as she shifts her backpack from one shoulder to the other. ) What? No! ( does she sound a little bit offended? maybe, because what the heck, keith. )

Why would I be?

[...Okay, so that's definitely not for show then. Half wishing he could just go back and delete the last five seconds of their conversation, Keith shifts his gaze from Pidge to look above her head at their surroundings. Maybe there'll be something imminently dangerous and they can just move right on along --

But no such luck. Refolding his arms, he frowns.]

There's nothing wrong with being from the Outlands, you know?

[There's a pout for like half a second from wolf-boy before he hmphs and grabs a knife from a side pocket on his bag.]

And look, I asked cuz I saw a picture of someone who looks like you on one of those cryptid websites, okay?

Edited 2019-10-15 01:14 (UTC)

I know there's nothing wrong with it. ( she sniffs, maybe just a little bit sulky, maybe a little bit huffy? it's hard to tell with her, all the little irritated or annoyed sounds she makes on a daily basis, but she knows keith doesn't mean anything by it, so …

she shifts the strap of her backpack again, having little else to fidget with, and in moments like this one, she needs something to fidget with. fiddle with. she's a fiddler. ) I didn't say there was anything wrong with it, I just don't get— ( she blinks, then squints up at him. )

I'm sorry, a picture? On a cryptid website? ( come again? )

You heard me.

[Don't shoot the messenger, PIdge, jeez!!! Keith doesn't bristle exactly, but his eyebrows knit together before he lets out a deep sigh and starts walking towards the stone temple.]

Look, it's not like I put the picture there. But it made me figure this whole time maybe you were related to some Outlands species. Guess I was wrong.

[There's a speck of disappointment in the downward turn of his lips, but it's also besides the point. If Pidge is just a normal human, there are gonna be more than a few Outlands species that'd consider her dinner. Best stay focused on the task at hand.]

( she's quiet for a second. maybe a handful of seconds that end up turning into a full minute before she speaks up again, because does it look like there's a smidgeon of disappointment about a pidgeon in is expression? yes? hm.

sorry to disappoint you, keet. but she really is just a garden variety human bean. that can talk to plants and make golems that are sooner, rather than later, going to punch riddling sphinxes.

she breathes out a small noise, a hum of contemplation. ) Did it … say what I was supposed to be? Was I in the realm of Bigfoot, or anything? ( aha. ha. please.

there's another beat of a pause. ) Are you into that kinda stuff? Conspiracies, urban legends, whatever?

[His attention's fixed on the path ahead, so he doesn't meet Pidge's eye when she asks the questions, but the mention of Bigfoot earns her a dubious look over his shoulder, then an outright laugh. One day, he'll learn not to laugh at Pidge's stature, but today is evidently not that day....]

Mole people, actually.

[Sorry, Pidge. But turning back towards the path, he cuts through some foliage obscuring the way forward. There's a few beats of silence as Keith swings his knife and strange Outland plants fall to the ground and wither. It'd be easy enough to be flippant in his response here, but at the same time..... he's making an effort to be honest. If only for other people to be safe around him.]

Something like that.

[Deep breath, then he exhales slowly.]

Always thought they were kinda cool, but... I guess the truth is that I was looking for people. Like me, I mean. Before Daybreak I didn't really know supernatural things were real. Thought something was really wrong with me.

Edited 2019-10-21 22:10 (UTC)

Don't laugh! ( she could totally be within the realm of bigfoot! somehow! curse her short stature but no … the laughter is valid, because honestly her stature is laughable, and of course that means there's a reason she puffs herself up more often than she doesn't. she's intimidating, damn it.

don't laugh at her, keet yeehawson. you might regret it one of these days. ~~when she sics her golem on you instead of the sphinx.~~

she goes quiet, though, as they progress, more than content to let him lead the way because he seems to know what he's doing far better than she does; she's never been this far out before, never been to the outlands, period and it goes without saying that she's more than just a little bit out of her element, but she. she trusts him to guide her. guide them.

he takes in that deep breath and lets it out, and she catches up enough to walk next to him, peering up at him with some measure of curiosity in her expression, even if she tries to keep it mostly to herself.

mostly. ) Wait, you're not a mole person, are you? ( she wouldn't know about the woof thing, right? ) I mean! There's nothing wrong with it if you are, I. ( her lips purse, and she sorts through her words carefully. ) One, I can tell you for sure there is nothing supernatural going on with me. Two, there's nothing wrong with you if there is. ( her smile is lopsided, something she hopes comes across as genuine. ) I've always been fascinated by the supernatural, if I'm honest. Way cooler than me.

What? No!

[he stops dead in his tracks, wondering where he could have gone so wrong that he gave her that impression. a beat, then:] Not that there's anything wrong with being a mole person.

I'm a wolf. [then catching the softness of her smile, he deflates a little, sighing.] I know there isn't anything technically wrong with me, but it's hard not to think of yourself as abnormal when you think you're the only one.

[he resumes walking, tone and expression more subdued as he continues clearing the path ahead. in the back of his mind, he's beginning to wonder why there aren't any predators in this forested area. an optimistic interpretation would be that the local critters can smell he's a wolf, but the more pessimistic side of him is inclined to think it's because they're wandering in claimed territory. eyes narrowed, he squints around the trees before continuing to proceed up to the stone steps ot the temple.]

Anyway -- if you're at Daybreak though, doesn't that mean you have magical powers? What can you do?

( so maybe that first bit had been a bit of a tease, because there is nothing mole-ish about him in the slightest, and when he admits right after that he's a wolf —

oh. oh that makes so much sense and she hums a bit under her breath at the admission, pleased at his honesty even if there is no real reason for him to keep that sort of thing to himself. she knows there are supernatural beings wandering around, but maybe she'd never thought she'd end up being friends with one. ) That makes sense, actually. ( her grin is wide and amused. ) But no, I get it. When you're not sure if you're the only person with … ( she waves her hands around, because she's not sure the words she's looking for exist. ) When you're not sure if there's anybody else like you. You know?

( she follows close behind, letting him lead the way because she trusts he knows where they're going, and at the question she rolls her shoulders in a tiny little shrug, because she tends to think more about her skills with golems than anything else. ) Oh, um. I can … talktoplants. ( does it all come out in a whoosh? yes. does she think it's not all that important? also yes. )

But I'm also pretty good with making golems? ( and yep, she's beaming at that. because: ) My dad taught me.

[there's a fractional pause as he debates the merits of asking why it makes sense to her that he's a wolf, though ultimately he decides against it. if it's meant as some backhanded commentary on his general demeanor or mannerisms, he doesn't want to hear about it. he may or may not be pouting a little, pidgeon, even if it doesn't last long.

truth be told, he's actually a little surprised that she's turning out to be a good listener. the conversation (if it could be called that) leading up to them running off into the outlands together had been pretty misleading in that sense, and he relaxes a pinch further against his better judgment.]

Yeah. Definitely wasn't easy. [to put it mildly, but he's eager to try and shift the focus away from himself for a little bit. he wants to ask about her dad, but then some other thought crosses his mind first.] Wait, you can talk to plants?

[did he hear that one right? he stops right before slashing through another low hanging branch that's sprouting white and magenta tentacle like vines.] ....They're not screaming right now, are they?

[he looks... somewhat guilty now.]

( he could have asked, and she would have tried to find the words for what she'd meant to begin with; it isn't really a backhanded anything regarding his mannerisms, his demeanor, his anything. it just makes sense in her head and she can't really explain why, but it does and that's all there is to it.

and maybe they'd gotten off on the wrong foot, or maybe they just hadn't figured out how to deal with one another just yet — they're a little too much alike, she's beginning to realize — but she's getting a feeling that they're going to end up coming out of this a little closer than they had been. don't ask her what it is, it's just a feeling.

she almost wants to laugh at his question, because she honestly hasn't been paying attention to the foliage around them as he cut them a path forward. she does now, though, leaning a little further to one side like she's actively listening. she is, honestly, but she's not hearing anything out of the ordinary. maybe outlands plants are different? that would kind of make sense, but … ) They're not screaming. ( pidgeon …

what are you doing. ) They're saying some pretty nasty things about your grandmother, though. ( hey, it's not like she knows anything about your family.

foot in mouth in three, two, one … )

[he blinks looking damn near owlish. that's the last thing he was expecting to hear and being as caught off guard as he is, he simply blurts:]

What? But I don't have a grandmother....

[the gears turn a split second later and his expression sours when it dawns on him that pidge is probably trolling him. before he can say anything else though, one of the vines shoots up to ensnare his wrist. luckily for keith though, he's got a fast set of reflexes and manages to hack at the base of the vine with the knife and quickly pulls himself free.

he looks away from pidge, moving forward again. he grumps.]

Very funny.

( she doesn't have much time to react before he's being grabbed, and it's only the dawning of the realization that she'd hecked up monumentally by mentioning family; she's always been a pro at sticking her foot in her mouth when it would mean the absolute worst, and she can only watch as he frees himself with a crestfallen expression.

keeping her distance for a second or two. ) No, they … they aren't really saying anything. Or if they are, I can't understand them. ( she looks to the ground, arms curling around her middle because she doesn't know what to do with her hands. she feels like a complete and utter heel. )

I'm sorry. I was just trying to be funny.

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restless gremlin syndrome;

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