[open] 006: The Human Zoo

[thebeastwithout]

WHO: Beast Boy and You
WHERE: Dreamdive
WHEN: August 20th
WHAT: You know what
WARNINGS: Some mild body horror, violence, can definitely opt out of anything that you'd rather not see.

[He hasn't wanted to make a fuss over it. The timer on his hand... The timer that everyone else had... Of course it didn't feel quite right. It would probably end with the detonation of a bomb that leveled Recolle or something horrible like that. So he ignores the pulsating feeling... ignores the increasing tension and pressure...

Until it is too much to bear.

He collapses in the middle of a street and the world around him vanishes.]

[I: Admission]
[You are in a zoo.

A dark, dilapidated place, falling to pieces. The sky above you is blanketed with billowing, purplish-black clouds. The cages are rusting and all of the animals inside are restless, uneasy. There is not enough space to maintain these exhibits. There is no bedding, no food, no habitat. Just... an empty steel cage.

The animals are commonplace, at first. Raccoons and squirrels and chipmunks and finches. One animal to a cage, every one of them staring out warily at those who pass by. But as you progress, the animals become... more exotic. Cassowaries. Leopards. Caimans. And then... and then you turn a corner and you are face to face with a Tyrannosaurus Rex, barely constrained within a cage in which it can barely move, its razor sharp teeth mere inches from your own.

But it does not attack. It simply glowers... And you are free to move on. ...There is much to see here, if you care to linger. Every animal you could possibly imagine. Maybe some you can't.

...Is that a unicorn?]

[II: Feeding Time]
[The path through the zoo is circular. A wide subtle loop, so that it might not be obvious that you are going around in circles. But as you clear the outermost loop and you progress further into the heart of the zoo, the exhibits change.

Monkeys become apes. Apes become unidentifiable simians. And then...

Humans. Humans in masks. Masks and costumes, each of them standing stock still as if they are made out of wax. There is a boy in a domino mask wearing red and green with a cape billowing out behind him. A tall man, perhaps still a teenager, half his body made of mechanical parts. There are more like this, people who look... exactly like one would imagine superheroes to look. Superheroes... and supervillains. You can take a closer look if you'd like.

At the end of this path, one of the exhibits glances up as you approach. And without any provocation whatsoever...

The figure draws two swords, casually slices through the bars of his cage like butter, and begins to walk straight towards you.]

[III: Special Exhibit]
[You've escaped Slade. Or perhaps you managed to miss his exhibit altogether. You're through the second loop and you're closer to the heart.

And now, the cages become few and far between, but as you approach the first one, you can see that trapped inside... is Gar.]

H... Hello?

Hey... Who is that?

[But if you begin to speak with him, you might find that it's not quite the same Gar you know. For each person who comes by, they'll find someone a little different in each cage...]

[IV: The End]
[You've satisfied the various manifestations of Gar's anxieties and hidden desires and needs and longings. Perhaps they were a little too needy, but... they've let you on towards the end. And it really is the end, at last.

At the very center of the zoo, sitting cross-legged on the ground, Gar is contemplating a thick, tangled knot.]

...Hey, dude.

It's me.

Like... really me. [...] You can tell 'cause I said 'dude'.

Comments

II. im here to chew bubblegum and kick slade in the teeth

[destiny_key]

[This place definitely looks like a Halloween exhibit, but there are no decorations, and all the costumes and masks look more real than fake. Too scary to be fake. There's no sense of temperature here, but Sora still can't help but rub at his arms to try to warm the goosebumps springing up. This entire place sets him on edge, but there's no way to go but forward.

He's had enough experience with dreams to know what this place is, but that doesn't do much to ease his worries. If anything, it makes them worse, because what happens if you die in a dream?

Looking up and around at the exhibits, Sora slowly reaches the end of the path and the last cage in the line. The figure inside reminds him of those trick paintings where the eyes follow you. He's only barely thought this when it suddenly moves, prompting Sora to yelp in surprise and stumble backwards, away from the very dangerous looking man.]

[thebeastwithout]

[The figure is silent as it approaches, and though its mask hides everything but a single eye, it seem as if it's wearing an expression of faint satisfaction.

It does not speak. It simply steps forward and slashes.]

[destiny_key]

[Sora jumps back again, this time more prepared for the attack. The Keyblade is summoned to his hand, instinctively making him fall back into a fighting stance before he's forced to move again.

He brings his blade up to block another slash, but this guy is fast; fast enough that it's all Sora can do for a few moments to keep himself from getting hit by the swinging blades. When one of them knicks his arm, he has to force himself to dodge roll away instead of continuing the fight.

Rather than try to test how relentless the figure will be, Sora takes the initiative and fires off a spell to try and push it away.]

Aero!

[thebeastwithout]

[And now a faint chuckle as Sora casts his magic. With deceptive grace, Slade flips back away from the spell and lands on top of one of the cages.]

Hmm... Stronger than you look.

iii

[maidofmistakes]

[Lina runs in and stops when she hears Gar's voice.]

What's going on? Gar, is that you?

[thebeastwithout]

Kara!

[Things are getting a bit murky now here in the realm between dreams and reality. Gar runs to the bars of his cage and shakes them a little bit.]

You've gotta get me outta here, man. I don't know what's going on - I woke up in here and it's been a nightmare.

[maidofmistakes]

[Kara again. Lina shakes her head and runs up to the cage.]

Why is everyone -- Hold on, let me help. What do you last remember?

[thebeastwithout]

Uh -- I don't. I don't know...

[He looks slightly baffled as he backs away.]

I just... It's all kind of... cloudy. I just... it feels like I've been here forever. You gotta help!

III

[fiddlestick]

[Yeah okay, this zoo is awful and Elliot wants out. He's been wandering around, trying to figure out how to get of this place and avoid the creepy mask guy. But he's pretty sure...he's very lost. Man. what he'd give for a map.

Its by chance he comes across a cage with Gar. He gasps when he notices it, running over to the bars]

Gar?!

[thebeastwithout]

...Elliot...?

[He looks out from between the bars of the cage, and for a moment, there is a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Then... it quickly fades and he backs away.]

You've gotta get out of here...

This place is crazy.

[fiddlestick]

Y-Yeah, I've noticed that...

[This place SUCKS. Elliot stands in front of the bars]

I'm not leaving without you though. There's gotta be a way to get you out of this cage.

[thebeastwithout]

[Gar shakes his head slightly.]

Nah...

You... You can't do that, man. I... I've gotta stay here. You're just gonna... waste your time if you try and get me out.

You're pretty close to the end now... I think.

ii returning the favor ??

[dornen_kiste]

<sub>[ Yogi didn't like it here. He wasn't sure how he had ended up here, but he knew he didn't like it. He knew he wanted the swords from his dreams in his hands, but he didn't, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he could use them like in the dream. Scratch that - he knew he couldn't. But it would have felt nice all the same.

He licked his lips, playing with a stray scrap on his shirt as he continued walking through what he assumes is a zoo. His eyes dart back and forth, every hair standing on end. Wrong. Something was wrong. He should leave. He needed to leave, but how?

And... and oh. Oh there was a person, with very sharp swords, coming towards him.

It takes only a moment of debate, and Yogi turns and begins to run. ]</sub>

[thebeastwithout]

[This is very probably a good decision. The man runs towards Yogi swiftly, effortlessly, and as Yogi retreats, he finds himself going back towards the cages of animals.

There's so many cages, though. It's a good place to hide.]

Well, well...

Come here, little mouse...

[dornen_kiste]

_{[ How did someone run that fast? And he sounds so quite, like some sort of big cat, and those swords are fangs. Oh man, he really did not need that image and he really wished for those swords. He looked around rapidly, trying to find another route, knowing he needed to play to his strengths which were... flipping, at this point. Great. He gasped when he heard the voice, turning in tight circles. Was it the man? Someone else...? ]}

L-look I'm leaving! I didn't mean to intrude! I'll go right now!

_{[ If he could find his way out, but it was the thought that counts, right? ]}

[thebeastwithout]

I don't think I can let you do that.

[It's not just that he moves like a cat, he sounds quite like an overly satisfied cat as well. The mercenary/assassin stalks through the cages, tracking his prey.

From a distance, there come the sounds of metal screeching -- it starts up and then continues relentlessly. Yogi might be able to guess that the man is cutting through all of the cages in his path to get to him.]

iv

[usurpers]

[ we’ve been through a deep spiral to get here. animals, people and animals alike in cages and exhibits (that was horrid, he probably broke everything), the masked man, gar— finally seeing the boy free makes the gnarl of foulness in the pit of eren’s gut unloose.

he can’t quite smile yet, coming over to him with question and slight apprehension. nothing seems to be coming for them now, does it . . . ]

What’s that?

[ it’s a knot, he knows, but truth be told, eren’s been curious about knots ever since he’s done his puzzle. ]

[thebeastwithout]

I'unno.

[Gar shrugs a little without looking up.]

Some kinda... lame, symbolic thing or whatever, I guess. ...It's coming apart.

[He scootches to the side so Eren can see more clearly. The lame, symbolic thing is still a coiled-up ball, but true enough, it seems to be loosening in some areas.]

Guess that's 'cause of you guys.

[usurpers]

[ eren sees, but not close enough— the man is more than six feet, he is a tree and can’t see from so up high, so, it isn’t long at all until he crouches over next to him. ]

Including you. [ there would be nothing to untangle without him heading some of his dream followers, at least. ] Does it make you feel anything?

I

[frostythehitman]

[ James wanders the ruined landscape, contemplating the cages. Who set these up here, and why? He almost feels like he's in a zoo, or a circus, but it's so isolated and desolate here he can't imagine that's what this is. Like somebody got halfway to setting one up and then abandoned it.

He's so disinterested in the animals themselves, rather than the cages and who put them here, that it takes him a while to realize that these are rare creatures. Until he walks up to the T-Rex cage, anyway. Then he does a double take, trying to see if there are any other dinosaurs or extinct animals here, not that he...would really know what other extinct animals would look like.

But he turns back to the T Rex and stares curiously at it for a few moments. Then, not knowing why, exactly, he extends his arm into the cage. The metal one, of course--better safe than sorry--but he's calm. His palm is face up and relaxed, and there are no weapons in sight. This is him just...being curious. ]

[thebeastwithout]

[what
why would you do that

james please

The T. Rex... sniffs the arm for a moment, then opens its mouth and chomps on it.

Surely this is not a surprise.

...But it definitely is not happy about having bitten down on solid metal and immediately spits it back out.]

[frostythehitman]

[ i don't know what i expected.gif

Thank goodness James doesn't have any sensation in the arm beyond pressure. It's a little uncomfortable, sure, having his arm get bitten into, but it doesn't hurt. When the T-Rex spits it back out, the forearm is deformed and its saliva has started to seep into the newly formed cracks between the metal plates, causing the internal circuitry to spark. His fingers twitch randomly, no longer able to operate properly. ]

Are you hungry, or do you just do that to everything?

[ He isn't really expecting a response. ]

I

[chaoticwhimsy]

Well this is the worst zoo ever.

[Luna had done a circle of all the sad looking animals after she'd found herself here, first just looking for other people then trying to figure out how the cages worked, and finally just realizing whatever it was going on didn't make a whole lot of sense, really.]

I mean, except for you two.

[She glanced up at the cage she had stopped next to, peering at the unicorn, and then across the way at the T-rex because dinosaur and unicorn. OMG.]

Not sure how to get you out though. Preeeeetty sure I can't teleport anything this big. Hmmm...

[Also she didn't want to get eaten. That was key.]

[thebeastwithout]

[The pretty pretty unicorn tosses its rainbow unicorn mane and looks majestic. The dinosaur just growls and drools.

Lumina should totally steal the unicorn.]

[chaoticwhimsy]

[Luna had a soft spot for gross monsters, though. But still...when forced to choose between them, she was definitely going to pick the pretty, pretty unicorn.]

Sorry.

[She said cheerfully to the T-rex, before vanishing in a swirl and appearing inside the cage of the unicorn, standing a bit off, hands held up what she hoped was a disarming fashion.]

Hey girl...

[Slowly approaching.]