Post by ThePopcornFairy on Feb 23, 2020 21:02:41 GMT -5
"Uuuuuggghhh..."
In the alleyway behind a restaurant, a low moan and a quiet ensemble of shuffles and clatters emanated from a half-open dumpster. Scattered bits of rubbish slipped out and the second, closed lid bucked a few times as its occupant started to stir. A clawed, furred, purple hand gripped the edge of the waste receptacle, pulling its owner to a slouched but slightly more upright position.
Danny lazily slumped over, letting himself hang halfway out the dumpster. His bright orange eyes were half open with fatigue. His head was pounding like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. His nose twitched from the olfactory bombardment he had woken up to. "There's a metaphor here somewhere..."
After taking a deep breath through his gritted fangs, Danny once again propped himself up and continued his struggle to climb out. Once he had liberated his other leg, he promptly and inelegantly fell onto the pavement below, flat on his back, groaning from both pain and frustration. He spent a good minute or so sprawled out on the ground, stewing in his discomfort, only bothering to ask the hard-hitting questions in the last couple of seconds. Namely, where was he and what the hell happened?
Finally, Danny sat up and rubbed his head, willing himself into motion. He soaked in his surroundings, minimal as they were, easily recognizable as a suburban alleyway. Had he somehow taken a spill on the streets of Radiant Springs? How could he have? The last thing he remembered was trekking through the woods with Kiko and Ara, nowhere near Radiant Springs.
He shakily stood up and started walking, stopping where the alley opened up into the streets, leaning against the wall and resuming his investigation. This didn't look like any part of Radiant Springs that his companions had taken him through. Maybe it was some other Agarthan town? It still wouldn't answer how he wound up there, but the least he could do was ask one of the people walking around what this place was.
Hold on...
Danny straightened up slightly and rubbed his eyes, confused at first, then second-guessing himself, then completely blown away when his initial impressions were confirmed.
The people walking up and down the streets... They were humans.
"I'm..." Danny blinked repeatedly, letting the sight sink in, proving to himself with his sudden alertness and a pinch on the arm that he wasn't dreaming. "I'm home??"
The human passersby didn't seem to notice him, but he couldn't help but stare at them. It felt like it had been ages since he'd seen a human being; sure, that was a tremendous exaggeration, but the time he had spent in Agartha so far had been the longest week of his life. It was going to take a moment for him to fully accept his sudden return to the surface.
But even still, he didn't recognize this city. His confusion continued to mount as he studied the skyline, unable to discern any familiar landmarks. Then he looked directly into the sky, immediately shielding his eyes with his hand. Agartha was by no means devoid of light, but the sky down there was much dimmer than it was up here. His eyes were not accustomed to this amount of daylight anymore, not helped by his enhanced-
"DAHH-!!!"
Danny stared at his hand in horror, acknowledging his sharp claws and purple fur, realizing that despite finding himself among humans again, he still wasn't one of them.
He anxiously looked around, checking to see if anyone had spotted him. Then he turned and high-tailed it back into the alley, tripping and landing on his face once, then picking himself up in a mad scramble and hurling himself back into the dumpster.
Maybe this wasn't a dream, but it might as well have been the ultimate nightmare scenario.
In the alleyway behind a restaurant, a low moan and a quiet ensemble of shuffles and clatters emanated from a half-open dumpster. Scattered bits of rubbish slipped out and the second, closed lid bucked a few times as its occupant started to stir. A clawed, furred, purple hand gripped the edge of the waste receptacle, pulling its owner to a slouched but slightly more upright position.
Danny lazily slumped over, letting himself hang halfway out the dumpster. His bright orange eyes were half open with fatigue. His head was pounding like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. His nose twitched from the olfactory bombardment he had woken up to. "There's a metaphor here somewhere..."
After taking a deep breath through his gritted fangs, Danny once again propped himself up and continued his struggle to climb out. Once he had liberated his other leg, he promptly and inelegantly fell onto the pavement below, flat on his back, groaning from both pain and frustration. He spent a good minute or so sprawled out on the ground, stewing in his discomfort, only bothering to ask the hard-hitting questions in the last couple of seconds. Namely, where was he and what the hell happened?
Finally, Danny sat up and rubbed his head, willing himself into motion. He soaked in his surroundings, minimal as they were, easily recognizable as a suburban alleyway. Had he somehow taken a spill on the streets of Radiant Springs? How could he have? The last thing he remembered was trekking through the woods with Kiko and Ara, nowhere near Radiant Springs.
He shakily stood up and started walking, stopping where the alley opened up into the streets, leaning against the wall and resuming his investigation. This didn't look like any part of Radiant Springs that his companions had taken him through. Maybe it was some other Agarthan town? It still wouldn't answer how he wound up there, but the least he could do was ask one of the people walking around what this place was.
Hold on...
Danny straightened up slightly and rubbed his eyes, confused at first, then second-guessing himself, then completely blown away when his initial impressions were confirmed.
The people walking up and down the streets... They were humans.
"I'm..." Danny blinked repeatedly, letting the sight sink in, proving to himself with his sudden alertness and a pinch on the arm that he wasn't dreaming. "I'm home??"
The human passersby didn't seem to notice him, but he couldn't help but stare at them. It felt like it had been ages since he'd seen a human being; sure, that was a tremendous exaggeration, but the time he had spent in Agartha so far had been the longest week of his life. It was going to take a moment for him to fully accept his sudden return to the surface.
But even still, he didn't recognize this city. His confusion continued to mount as he studied the skyline, unable to discern any familiar landmarks. Then he looked directly into the sky, immediately shielding his eyes with his hand. Agartha was by no means devoid of light, but the sky down there was much dimmer than it was up here. His eyes were not accustomed to this amount of daylight anymore, not helped by his enhanced-
"DAHH-!!!"
Danny stared at his hand in horror, acknowledging his sharp claws and purple fur, realizing that despite finding himself among humans again, he still wasn't one of them.
He anxiously looked around, checking to see if anyone had spotted him. Then he turned and high-tailed it back into the alley, tripping and landing on his face once, then picking himself up in a mad scramble and hurling himself back into the dumpster.
Maybe this wasn't a dream, but it might as well have been the ultimate nightmare scenario.
