bottlecaplogs | mist on the grass

Entry tags:

mist on the grass

Who: Ingo and Emmet
What: Exploration of the Middle Forest
When: Late April
Where: Middle Forest
Warnings: Hallucinations, dissociation, minor injury

[The middle forest, much like the time they explored the northern end, is blanketed with fog almost as soon as they enter the shadows of the trees. Ingo ignites his flames, as usual, but it's little use. Purple light refracts off the thick mist, as well as the faint red glow of Emmet's eyes and markings.

It's a little spooky. Ingo tries to keep his eyes off them. Telling Emmet about his experiences with Zoroark was probably, overall, a good thing to do. He's not longer lying to him, even if only by omission. But it probably makes some of his less-than-kind responses a little more obvious...]

I am sure any marks we leave will simply change again, but we could make an attempt anyhow.

[Today's another scouting mission, more than anything. Ingo's more relaxed about that than about rescue missions, but their strange experience in the forest last time still has him keeping a sharp eye out, as well as he can.]

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He only has a Staraptor and a Mr. Mime, otherwise. But he gets on well enough with all of them, now! He got over the difficulty with Pikachu at some point or another - really, by the time I met him, it seemed almost entirely over with.

[It's a little strange to discuss as they walk through the fog, but they do seem to be making decent progress. Maybe simply trying to get back home has appeased it; they're no longer exploring.]

[ It was like this last time too, wasn't it? Forward progress was fought against, hard to make. Finding the way back— not as difficult, even with a battered and bruised Emporio and Firepaw in tow.

Emmet just hums thoughtfully as he muses on Ingo's response. Maybe there was a response of his own coming, but as it is, Emmet's attention is drawn elsewhere as he draws up short in response to... Yep, this is the bottom of the cliff from earlier.

He did say it'd probably be best to try to find a way around, but still, he's going to give the raised earth an evaluating look first, head cocked to the side. ]

Oh, this is it, isn't it?

[Now that he's back here, Ingo can recognize the bottom of the cliff! He half-stands to peer upwards as well, but drops quickly back down to all fours; there's still a painful pull in his side.]

Yep, it is. Aaaaand we are not climbing it.

[ Probably for the better, even if Ingo weren't injured. If Emmet's realistic, he doubts he would have managed it anyway. Claws or not, it's not exactly like he's ever learned. Maybe he should.

Settling back onto his haunches to glance at the forest around them doesn't reveal any real indicators for which direction to go from here, though. The ground is fairly level all around; no way to tell which one's more likely to lead to somewhere they could get back up more easily than the other. ]

Pick a side and follow the cliff, then?

I suppose so.

[Ingo hesitates to choose at first. He's only just finished trying to wander off into the fog, after all. But after a moment, if Emmet doesn't pick, he will start slowly moving towards the nearest side of the cliff.]

[ It's kind of weird, how habit manages to conflict with itself now; Ingo's here, and he's used to falling in and following the older twin's lead. It's a familiar pattern, familiar tracks even if left disused and without maintenance for some time. There's a decent part of him that's ready to, inclined to wait for Ingo and match and support, still, whenever they're together, part of what allowed them to be so in sync on the Multi lines back then,

just as much as there's a significant part of him that's gotten used to being on his own, and being the one to take charge and push forward (and keep going forward, one day at a time). They were perfectly capable of splitting up before, of course, functioned perfectly fine as separate units then, but that's different. It's different because Ingo is here and Emmet is still leading.

His indecision plays out for a moment like this before Emmet seemingly shakes his head in response to nothing and reinforces his smile. ]

Let's go left. If it doesn't work, we can follow the cliff back and go the other way.

[ His very sophisticated method of deciding— mental eeny meeny miny moe— has spoken. ]

Very well.

[Ordinarily, Ingo would have thought nothing of taking the lead. Just now, though, he does not trust his own instincts. He follows, still sticking close.]

...did it...seem like a specific forest, to you? Back there?

[And sort of still, if less so now.]

Yes. No. I don't... really know.

[ All the wishy-washy, ambiguous statements are bothering him. This forest is good at that, it turns out. ]

What I know. It was familiar. I've been there before. Apparently. It felt true. Still does, sort of. But a specific forest ... harder to say. I thought it might have been a few different ones. Not sure which.

Why?

I am not sure what it means, that it felt familiar to me as well.

[What's familiar to Emmet should be familiar to Ingo as well, but largely, this has not proven true. He doesn't feel much when he's told about Pokemon he used to partner with, or places he once lived. Maybe if he saw them, though, it would be different...?

This ground feels unstable. Conversationally, mostly, but it gives him an excuse to keep his eyes on the damp grass beneath his claws.]

The voices still feel true to me. I think there are lost passengers out there...somewhere...

I don't know either. As for the voices ... I still haven't heard anything. And I've been trying, since you mentioned it.

But you said Typhlosion are guides for lost souls. If it's true, then maybe ...

[ But if they are real, then ... then what. Go back again, some time, with more preparation (somehow) and try to push through the fog to whatever lies beyond it? ]

That is true! Though - I would hardly have been able to guide them like that.

[Even if he'd kept his wits about him, Ingo doesn't actually have some instinctual knowledge of how to shepherd lost souls into the afterlife. At least, he doesn't think he does? Maybe if he'd come face-to-face with them, it would have come to him.

Ingo suspects, though, that he would have just ended up equally lost.]

I wonder if anyone else has heard any such thing, out here.

Not that many of us have gone this way yet. Have we?

[ ... didn't the last batch of newcomers come from here? not all of them ended up in town, either... ]

We can probably warn them. If no one else has. To keep an eye or ear out for ... anyone still lost in the woods?

[ Is that what it is, though? Or is it something more esoteric than that?

Because it's still true that there weren't any reports of missing Pokemon or rescue missions for this part of the woods. ]

...I suppose...

[Ingo, for his own part, is quite sure that it's more complicated than that. He'll have to try and explain it to them - he doesn't think this should be treated as a regular missing Pokemon case. He doesn't think they ought to rush to send anyone else out here.]

[ An ear flicks. He glances to the side and over a shoulder at Ingo... who is, presumably, still watching the ground. ]

That doesn't sound very sure. Okay. What part? Do you disagree with, I mean.

Hm?! Oh, nothing really. Only, I do not think it will be as simple as that. They're...in the fog, whatever that means.

[He darts a quick glance back over his shoulder. But there's nothing there.]

You are saying they are completely uncoupled from themselves.

[ Well now he's also turning his head to see what Ingo might be trying to spot back there, but it is, of course, nothing! ]

... The Swoobats and other aggressive Pokemon, do you think?

[ The oddly mindless, unreasonable ones. Infer the question. ]

Ah - maybe so! That is a frightening thought!

[Ingo hadn't quite carried it that far, too consumed with worrying about their current state. But it does seem rather logical.]

We have not...been able to speak with any of them afterwards, have we? None of us. Even after they fainted.

What else would you have meant by 'they are in the fog?'

[ As opposed to being in the woods, which happens to be full of fog, ]

... If anyone has been able to speak to them. I am not aware of it.

I hadn't quite considered that connection. That they may be lost in spirit, but very present in body...

[Would that have happened to him?]

Hm. Curious. Perhaps we ought to try and bring one back sometime. One that can be easily contained, of course! [back to the lack of Pokeballs in some ways]

[ Would that have happened to him, indeed.

There's a stutter-skip in the fall of Emmet's steps, not to the point of tripping, but noticeable as he exhales a long and shaky breath. ]

... I am Emmet. I am verrrrry glad I did not let you go into the fog.

Might be easier to bring back something smaller, though.

[ Back to the lack of Pokeballs. ]

......well, certainly not one of those Swoobat.

[He noticed the slight stumble, though. Ingo's not immediately sure if he ought to address it at all. It's not like he can't extrapolate; he's not an idiot. But, he's here now...]

Are you alright...?

Haha. Not really.

[ Denying it would— very much stretch the limits of belief. He knows that much. That said: ]

But now, here, is not a good time for it. And I am not hurt if that's what you mean instead, so we should focus on getting back first. ... We can talk about it later. If you want.

Ah, no, that is not quite what I meant.

[It feels like an obvious deflection, but Ingo's too polite to call it out. Maybe he would have if it were Akari or someone he felt like he knew very well, but. For now, Emmet is right; let's just focus on getting back.]

We ought to be close by now.

[ It is an obvious deflection. Obvious enough, even, that it hardly manages to be a deflection at all. Deferral, maybe. ]

Not quite where we started from, but the distance seems about right, yup. If we head ... that way? We should probably see the edge of the forest soon.

[ Unless the forest decides to play tricks on them again, but. ]

[Ingo sighs.]

That is a relief. I am quite done with being here!

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