For lastvoyages Fifth Plan (video+spam)

[alwayshasaplan]

[Accidental video]
[The video screen bounces out a scene of the Deck as Seth runs desperately after something.] Cody! Cody, god dammit--no, don't go down the ramp, ah shit....

[He skids to a stop and lets out a long sigh.]

I fuckin' hate this place.

[A pause, as if he's listening to something.]

Jacob, you are not helping.

[Friends Filter]
Yeah--uh, so, anybody feel like posseing up with me for the stupidest reason ever? I'll owe you one.

[Spam for Wonderland]
[Seth hikes through the high grass in the direction he saw the damn dog go, cursing quietly now and again. He has a leash slung over his shoulder and a bag of doggie treats, and a heavy, stripped-down tree branch to use as an emergency club.  He has no idea how he'll find the damn dog in this mess, and the unexpected help he got from somewhere isn't being...well, much help.

[Jacob walks beside him, semitransparent, his footsteps silent. Seth has never dealt with a ghost before, so he doesn't know how the hell to handle this. He tries to ignore him sometimes, but when he speaks up Seth feels almost compelled to answer.]

You realize that by asking for help you are simply leading more people into danger here, don't you? Though I suppose in your particular case that's not a big deal. It wasn't with us.

Jacob, I have apologized for that twenty fucking times in the last two hours. And might I remind you that I saved your daughter and sent her off with money and my personal .44?

That's very nice, Seth, but at this point I am compelled to remind you, in turn, that she wouldn't have been in any danger if you had not kidnapped us.

Comments

private

[surrenders]

...could use some help.

private

[alwayshasaplan]

Yeah? What do you need, sweetheart?

COOOOODY! Where the fuck are you, you stupid--

Jacob. Shut the fuck up for a second.

[He clears his throat.]

Yeah, I'm all ears.

private

[surrenders]

You want to help me find someone, get him back here? [Well this is concerning; she really hopes that other voice isn't Seth, but with this place...]

With your friends?

private

[alwayshasaplan]

Yeah, Richie's with me. And Jacob, but you haven't met him yet.

I'll help. I'm sure Richie will too. Just let us know where to find you.

private

[surrenders]

Jacob? I'm not off yet, but I'll come find you guys. Bringing something so you can take care of yourself, too.

private

[alwayshasaplan]

Okay. I'm a quarter mile straight out from the ramp, by a purple mushroom with orange spots. We'll wait here. Maybe I'll get lucky and the damn dog will double back.

spam

[surrenders]

[hey Seth here she is. It took Lua a little while to get out there, and she's really hoping the "we" meant him and his dog but isn't too optimistic. Seth is safe, though, or as safe as she can get, so even though this place is nuts and she's got to dodge the police even here, she doesn't look too worried, even though she's searching for Richie as she sees him.] You get in trouble while you were waiting? Seen some of those guys.

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

[Seth is alone for the moment, although when she walks up he is inclining his head as if listening to someone.]

Nah, it was fine. Stupid sonsobitches don't look on top of the mushroom caps. You ok? [He peers at her somewhat worriedly.]

spam

[surrenders]

[She keeps seeing someone out of the corner of her eye. She should know them, she knows, but the body she's seeing isn't connecting to anyone in her head, so it's got to be just the guards, right?]

'm all right. Can't get ahold of Ladd, want to see where he is, if I can get him.

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

Any luck contacting Duo? Damn. [He scrubs his face briefly, and then glances in the direction of the corner-of-the-eye person.

No, Jacob, I am not going to lead her into trouble.

Re: spam

[surrenders]

["Can't rely on him", she almost says, but then "Jacob" and Seth looking past her? The guy she swears she's been seeing is there, but he's not a "Jacob". She knows him, from long ago, and...

No she's not going to make sense of this.]

Seth's safe, all right? I know him.

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

[Seth's lips twitch slightly at the vote of confidence. Except for his conversation with someone who may or may not be there he seems completely steady.]

[He's opening his mouth to speak when a half grown German Shepherd comes barreling into the small clearing, trailing whimpers. He slams into Seth's knees and then hides behind him, tail between his legs.]

[Seth sighs, and pulls out a Red Apple, lighting it up and taking a long draw.]

Well shit. At least we found the dog.

spam

[surrenders]

You lose him too? I know you got the dog, but his owner...

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

It's fine, it's fine. Richie's around here somewhere, he went off for a piss. Yes, Jacob, I know. Jesus Christ.

Did you see Ladd leave or go over the side?

spam

[surrenders]

[The man she's seeing winces, and she looks at him like she's sorry, but she's heard worse language out of him.] He isn't where he should be. Think he's one of them.

Last time I went over, I got killed. [THe implications are obvious here.]

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

...shit. OK. Well, if he didn't get absorbed by this place, and he isn't making a visible or audible mess somewhere, he might be in that crazy bitch queen's prison. Question is, can we bribe or sneak our way in there to check it out?

--what are you talking about, Jacob? It's a great plan.

spam

[surrenders]

Might be making a mess somewhere else. [She nods to the guy like it might not be a good idea, but she's got better.] Maybe we could see what the dog smells?

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

Huh. Good idea. I don't know if he'll go for it, but he found us with his nose. Do you have anything of Ladd's? [He bends down to pet the dog.] Sounds like you might get a chance to make up for dashin' off like that, furball.

spam

[surrenders]

[She picks around in her bag and there's something, some cloth she thinks will scent more like him than her to the dog, and she offers it to her cautiously.] Give it a shot? Go on.

If it doesn't work, we'll look around, all right, you guys?

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

[Seth waves it in front of Cody's nose. Cody snuffles at it, sneezes, and then starts sniffing around on the ground. He then barks and starts tugging on his leash--pointing them right at the hedge maze.]

Well shit. Okay. If you're sure about this, we should go. I don't suppose you've got any guns on you or anything?

[He looks back over his shoulder as a raspy voice starts up.]

You don't need a gun. Ask for a knife or something quiet. If you set off a gun in that maze the guards will come straight for you, and they know the way a whole lot better than you.

[Seth sags slightly.] Okay, you've got a point there.

spam

[surrenders]

[Lua learned a lot from her time with Amanda, and one of the more important things now was to never leave this boat without anything she gave her. She doesn't even hesitate: there's a knife out from behind her back and offered out to Seth as soon as he says it.] You sure about this?

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

[He takes the knife and rolls it over his hand, then nods grimly.]

No way I'm letting you look for him alone, doll-face, all right?

Let's do this.

[He starts walking, looking a bit grim.]

spam

[surrenders]

[She follows, and so does the other guy. They're all quiet, ducking away from the strange flat men, but before they enter the maze she gives him a look. How did you get here? she wonders. You die after her, or before?

But she doesn't think of it for long, instead having to pull him back out of the way with a hiss.] Careful, papa, we don't know if you'll come back.

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

[It is kind of difficult to be sneaky with a young dog schlumping along ahead of you, but he manages to get them to the first guardpost. There are two guys, backs to them. Crap.]

spam

[surrenders]

[She sees what's up a second after Seth does.] You guys got this? [There's a difference between protecting yourself and taking a guy out, and she doesn't know if she's up for the first.]

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

Yeah yeah. Hold Cody's leash for me. [He passes it over and starts sneaking down the lane toward them. He raises his knife to drive it into the first guy's face-slit as soon as he turns around, and then taps him on the shoulder.]

[It's a clean kill, but then his knife gets knocked away by the guy's partner and he finds himself wrestling on the ground with the sonofabitch.]

spam

[surrenders]

[She gasps and lets the dog go on purpose, letting the animal maybe distract while she goes for the knife looks to him but he's useless, and rushes forward to look out, still trying to stay out of the way. She hopes it's over quick.]

spam

[alwayshasaplan]

[Seth's brave little derp of a dog immediately bounds over and sinks his teeth into the second guard's ass where it gaps over the top of his armored leggings as he wrestles with Seth. The guy lets out a startled yell, sits up--and Seth punches him under the chin with all his strength. Down the guy goes, nearly landing on Cody, who yelps and jumps away.]

[Seth gets up, covering his embarrassment by scowling and brushing off his clothes.] Welp. That happened....

[The heavy clatter of multiple sets of armored boots starts heading their way.]

...shit.

[spam!]

[notafuckingnut]

[Have your brother giving you a very uncomfortable look, Seth. He'll probably see the preacher in a minute, but right now you look like a crazy person. And that's about the last thing he ever expected to associate with you, you're supposed to be the one with the good head on your shoulders, not him.]

Uh. Seth? You feeling okay there, brother?

[He's already been wandering for probably over an hour by now, and he doesn't like this place. Not even a little. It's like the Barge last Halloween, only at least then it looked normal most of the time. Here everything looks like a bad trip and you can't get away from it.]

[spam!]

[alwayshasaplan]

I don't know, Richie. My dog's missing, I'm being haunted by Jacob, and this place is making me dizzy in the who-slipped-mescaline-into-my-coffee kinda way.

...fuck it. We find the dog, we find some food and we get the hell back to wait this out. Can't be that hard.

[He watches a dragonfly flutter past spouting flames.]

...fuck.