[Log] Homecoming
* Carter[masked] nods -- slowly, carefully. "I see."
Nick_Wright: [...I know this is the only way to keep the King in Yellow from corrupting more souls, but I feel almost a little bad for him.]
* Soze PINs in, finally. Over the last two days, the sleep spells have been getting worse. He has a number of cuts and bruises on his forehead from all the times he hasn't been able to catch himself before sleep hit. His eyes are sunken, his skin is pale, and he weaves a bit as he stands.
Soze: Hi.
Nick_Wright: Oh Jesus, Soze...
Soze: ...yeah.
* Carter[masked] nods to him, as well, and gestures. "Into -- the circle." No greeting, no kind words. All business.
* Carter[masked] is in his SERIOUS BUSINESS place, now.
Nick_Wright: Uh, o...okay.
Soze: *a little skeptical* Y-You're Randolph Carter?
* Nick_Wright walks in without questioning, feeling like his heart's about to beat out of his chest.
Carter[masked]: I am. Of -- Massachusetts, the Dreamlands... and Yaddith. *a bow, all seven feet of him -- showing just how well those robes cover every square inch of him.* Please... into the circle?
Nick_Wright: [Come on, Nick, you can do this. No pressure. It's not like Jeff is rapidly spiraling to a point of no return or anything. No pressure.]
* Soze nods and walks inside. In this state, it's good enough for him. When he's fully inside (and therefore done moving, thank god), he lets himself close his eyes.
* Soze sways a little.
Nick_Wright: U...um, wh...when do you want me to start, Mr. Carter?
Soze: ...do... we sit down...?
* Soze still has his eyes closed.
Carter[masked]: Whichever... you prefer. *he reaches into a voluminous sleeve, and pulls out a bag of chalk-dust* Begin -- when I have completed the circle. *he steps inside, to the outside of the very middle gap-ring, and starts to fill in the missing parts of the binding circle. Working outward. Closing them in.*
* Nick_Wright gulps. "Are you ready for this, Soze?"
* Soze , without opening his eyes, sinks down to his knees. When he's down, finally, his head lolls forward. "Yeah," he says, barely a whisper. "Go ahead."
* Nick_Wright nods and closes his eyes a bit, focusing. The green light which emits from the magatama is the easy part. The hard part is actually going to be getting in.
* Carter[masked] finishes the final circle, and gives a sharp -gesture,- a buzzing, screaming alien noise -- and the chalk seems to alight, glowing bright as phosphorous.
Nick_Wright: [All right... a little focus...]
* Nick_Wright focuses. The process is considerably slower right now, as he doesn't have a hurking powerful psychic around to give him a push, but he does his best. And eventually... he's in.
* Soze slumps, unconscious.
* Nick[dreamscape] 's entrance is APPROXIMATELY as ceremonious as his first attempt at this. At least he didn't fall on his psychic keys this time, though.
Soze[dreamscape]: *Nick should find this all very familiar. Ocean. Night sky. Behind him, darkened tunnels, spanning out great distances, turning in thousands of directions.*
* Soze[dreamscape] is alone at the tunnel entranceway, watching him. This particular Soze is in a much better state than the one back home. He's wearing an expensive, dark suit.
* Nick[dreamscape] does, and he's trying not to freak out a bit. He's had a lot of nightmares in these halls. "S...Soze?"
* Soze[dreamscape] nods, though he doesn't break his gaze. "Nick."
Nick[dreamscape]: I won't... I won't be here long. I just need to find the way to the bridge.
Soze[dreamscape]: I know.
Soze[dreamscape]: Follow me.
* Nick[dreamscape] nods and, swallowing, does so. It's not like he has much of a choice anyway.
* Soze[dreamscape] leads him, then, into the tunnels. There are more people here-- that is to say, more representations of them-- than the last time Nick found himself in this world. Most of the Sozes look on edge, pacing along the edge of the hallways, heads ducked down, silent. A few of them, however, are face down on the ground-- unconscious or asleep.
* Nick[dreamscape] frowns as he passes. [I suppose that makes sense. He's undoubtedly been suffering along with Jeff, so his soul shows it.]
* Jeff[dreamscape] is huddled in a corner, almost invisible. His eyes are wide and staring, and he rocks back and forth, back and forth. He doesn't appear to be aware of anything going on around him.
* Nick[dreamscape] 's eyes widen. "Jeff!"
* Jeff[dreamscape] gives no response, but continues staring straight ahead and rocking, mumbling quietly to himself. A thin trickle of saliva leaks from the corner of his mouth.
Soze[dreamscape]: They come in like this.
Soze[dreamscape]: Sometimes.
* Soze[dreamscape] keeps walking.
Soze[dreamscape]: *Another, more worn-looking Soze, however, stops when he sees Jeff. He's closer to how he looks in the real world, with second-hand shirts and tired eyes. He stands over him for a moment, considers, and then kneels down next to him.*
* Nick[dreamscape] watches this, blinking, but doesn't say anything, instead keeping up with Soze.
* Jeff[dreamscape] doesn't react any more to Soze than he does to Nick. He sits, curled into a ball, lost in his own world.
Nick[dreamscape]: I can only imagine what it's going to be like on his side...
* Soze[dreamscape] leads him into the graveyard. It isn't night like the rest of the world, but instead a misty twilight. There are actually people here this time around. One of them is Soze's nine year old self (uprooted from the LOL, no doubt.) He sits on the edge of a gravestone, legs dangling. Another is maybe seven or eight years younger than his present self, with (freshly) short hair and glasses. He watches the younger one, silent.
Soze[dreamscape]: Me too.
Soze[dreamscape]: I've never gotten close before.
* Nick[dreamscape] blinks. Soze was kind of a cute kid. Go fig.
Soze[dreamscape]: So today should be interesting.
* Soze[dreamscape] continues to lead him, out through the grave yard and back into the tunnels. The red and blue shadows shift.
Nick[dreamscape]: Yeah, tell me about it. I just hope the part I need to access is still good.
Soze[dreamscape]: There's a specific part.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *There's a black and white door, weathered and old, out of place. Heavy oak, with a barred window. Jeff's voice comes from inside, screaming.*
Nick[dreamscape]: Somewhere is a part he's retreated to, somewhere he takes comfort in. I need to find that part.
* Soze[dreamscape] doesn't flinch. "I'm crossing over with you."
* Nick[dreamscape] blinks at him. "Really?"
Jeff[dreamscape]: "The pipes...the *pipes*" he moans from behind the door. Suddenly he breaks into hysterical laughter.
* Soze[dreamscape] tries to ignore it. "...Really."
* Nick[dreamscape] stares at the door. "...something tells me I'm going to need the backup."
* Soze[dreamscape] stops walking suddenly, just in front of the door. He rolls his neck.
Soze[dreamscape]: Brace yourself, because we're going in.
Jeff[dreamscape]: IA! IA! CTHULHU FTHAGN PH'NGLUI MGLW'NFAH CTHLUHU R'LYEH WGAH'NAGL FHTAGN!
Nick[dreamscape]: ...THAT helped.
* Nick[dreamscape] swallows. "On the count of three?"
Jeff[dreamscape]: SHUB-NIGGURATH! THE BLACK GOAT OF THE WOODS WITH A THOUSAND YOUNG!
Soze[dreamscape]: If that makes you feel better about it.
Soze[dreamscape]: I was just going to open it.
Nick[dreamscape]: ...go ahead.
* Nick[dreamscape] really wishes he were a brave guy by nature.
* Soze[dreamscape] opens the door and steps inside.
* Nick[dreamscape] steels himself and follows.
* Jeff[dreamscape] is pacing back and forth, confined to a straightjacket, howling and gibbering.
* Jeff[dreamscape] is doing this on the ceiling. Which...is definitely not right.
* Soze[dreamscape] closes the door behind him-- the click echoes.
* Soze[dreamscape] starts walking again.
* Nick[dreamscape] 's voice squeaks. "Oh, this is nice... man, how are you keeping your cool like that?" He follows Soze.
Soze[dreamscape]: There's a reason why I'm the one giving you the tour.
* Soze[dreamscape] does, in fact, carry himself better than the Soze back home.
Nick[dreamscape]: Huh?
Soze[dreamscape]: Me, and not one of the other versions. They're all freaked out. I'm okay. I deal with things, because that's what I do.
* Jeff[dreamscape] giggles madly behind them.
Soze[dreamscape]: And I want to make sure you don't fuck this up.
Nick[dreamscape]: Oh, gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *The corridor they step into is black and white, with stone and wood and flickering torches. That, however is where the resemblance to the old dreamscape ends. Corridors and windows stack on top of each other in ways that hurt to look at, and hurt even more to think about. At best, it's M.C. Escher on acid. Strangely enough, the dreamscape twists as they walk, arranging itself into a semblance of its old self as Nick passes though.*
* Soze[dreamscape] continues to take him through Jeff's scape. "It has nothing to do with confidence, or how good you are, or how bad you are."
Soze[dreamscape]: You see the situation.
Nick[dreamscape]: Jesus Christ.
* Nick[dreamscape] looks around nervously. "This is... Jeff said his source of strength is his writing. We need to find that part of him."
Soze[dreamscape]: *There's a Soze caught up in all of this. He's crouched on the ground, hands clamped over his ears, eyes squeezed shut. Like the Jeff on his side, he rocks, whining and muttering to himself*
* Soze[dreamscape] doesn't look at the version. "I'm not expecting a map. Are you?"
Nick[dreamscape]: Not really. *sigh* And with everything distorted...
Jeff[dreamscape]: *The corridors, such as they are, are completely empty save for the single occupant. Slowly, however, there dawns a feeling of being watched.*
Soze[dreamscape]: ...
Soze[dreamscape]: Maybe we don't need to go anywhere.
Nick[dreamscape]: What do you mean? *he looks around nervously*
Soze[dreamscape]: Jeff?
Nick[dreamscape]: ?
Jeff[dreamscape]: [I see myself in your mind. I see myself in his soul. Who are you?]
Nick[dreamscape]: ! Jeff? Jeff, can you hear us? It's me, Nick! I'm here with Soze...
Jeff[dreamscape]: *It's not a voice. Nothing is said aloud, but suddenly they both *remember* that something was just said.*
Soze[dreamscape]: ...
Jeff[dreamscape]: *The corridors suddenly peel away, leaving them both hovering in an infinitely large space.*
* Soze[dreamscape] sucks in a breath.
Nick[dreamscape]: !!
Soze[dreamscape]: Fuck.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *The space that can loosely be defined as in front of them suddenly twists, and a shape appears, irregular and writhing. Slowly, it remembers what it's supposed to look like. Arms, legs, head eyes...*
Nick[dreamscape]: [Stay calm, can't panic...] J...Jeff?
Jeff[dreamscape]: [...I remember this now. Three dimensions, yes? Time one bit after the other? Past to future? Up, down sideways?]
Nick[dreamscape]: Yes! Yes, exactly!
* Jeff[dreamscape] 's flesh crawls as he watches them with distant curiosity. Veins and nerves phase through his skin and sheepishly slither back to their proper places. The thing behind Jeff's eyes is ancient and *alien.*
Soze[dreamscape]: ...Jeff.
* Nick[dreamscape] swallows. Eurgh...
Jeff[dreamscape]: [I remember you. You can't be here. Am I hallucinating? Am I finally going mad?]
* Jeff[dreamscape] 's not-voice sounds hopeful.
Nick[dreamscape]: N...no... Jeff, it's me, Nick. Soul-walking, remember?
Nick[dreamscape]: And Soze's here with me.
Soze[dreamscape]: Hello.
* Jeff[dreamscape] tilts his head to one side as if regarding a particularly interesting insect. [You can help me.]
Nick[dreamscape]: Ah... y...yes. We want to help you. We need to help you calm down.
Soze[dreamscape]: Do you know how, Jeff?
Jeff[dreamscape]: [I've been here for a *long* time. Even the part of me that travels doesn't know how *long*.] Anger starts to creep into his thought-voice, and his flesh ripples, getting organ and muscle and brain and bone all out of order. [His mind overflows, it can't *cope* with infinity. Where do you think it all *goes*?]
* Nick[dreamscape] shivers. "I... I don't know, but we need you to find something comforting, familiar. Someone's coming to find you."
Jeff[dreamscape]: [Comfort is at the center of all things. Comfort is the Demon Sultan. *Comfort* will bring me *peace.* I found Him. I led him to the edge but he keeps *fighting*.]
Nick[dreamscape]: ...
Nick[dreamscape]: *looks at Soze* Did that... make any sense to you?
Soze[dreamscape]: You don't want to go to the center, Jeff.
* Soze[dreamscape] looks back at Nick. Apparently, it's enough.
Soze[dreamscape]: I told you.. once... that just because it's easier, doesn't mean it's the right way to go. It isn't better.
* Nick[dreamscape] purses his lips. "Then we need to find what I was originally thinking of."
Soze[dreamscape]: *flat* Do you see us leaving here, Nick?
* Jeff[dreamscape] looks at Soze, peering at every atom from a hundred angles. Finally, he speaks. No thought-voice, this time. "Kill me."
Nick[dreamscape]: What? No!
* Jeff[dreamscape] slowly sinks, his feet touching ground that wasn't there a moment ago. "I can't come back with Jeff. Here in the dimensions he can seal me off, but if I come back with him, he'll remember. *Everything.* Do you think his mind can take infinity without *breaking?*"
* Soze[dreamscape] looks up at Jeff, quiet.
Soze[dreamscape]: Eliminate you, eliminate the problem. Throw out the garbage.
Nick[dreamscape]: ...
* Nick[dreamscape] looks hesitant. He's not the type to hurt others by nature, even if it is a soulscape.
* Jeff[dreamscape] slowly, gradually looks *human* again. Human, and drained past all endurance. "How long do you think he's been traveling? How long has he been lost?"
Nick[dreamscape]: I... a few days, maybe?
Soze[dreamscape]: Longer.
* Soze[dreamscape] suddenly has a gun. Has it always been there? "Okay."
Nick[dreamscape]: !
Soze[dreamscape]: You wanna kneel down?
Nick[dreamscape]: B...but... what happens to the rest of Jeff? If we kill this thing, he's still out in the dimensions...
* Jeff[dreamscape] looks at Soze and nods. "He's seen worlds born and die. He's seen the universe from every conceivable angle. He doesn't know, because his mind can't *fathom* it. And what he forgets, I *remember*. Billions of years of *memories.*"
Soze[dreamscape]: The aim is to calm him down.
Nick[dreamscape]: ...
Nick[dreamscape]: I... I see.
* Jeff[dreamscape] looks at Nick, then quietly sinks to his knees. "I'm only a part of him. His true self is beyond this place."
* Nick[dreamscape] closes his eyes. "...Soze... you're better at this sort of thing than I am..."
* Soze[dreamscape] approaches Jeff.
Soze[dreamscape]: *to Nick, flat* Ha ha.
* Nick[dreamscape] turns his head away. Even if this is necessary, he can't bear to watch.
* Nick[dreamscape] hadn't actually meant it as a joke.
* Soze[dreamscape] thinks it's a little funny-- nothing more. He puts the gun to Jeff's head. "Are you ready?"
* Jeff[dreamscape] looks into Keysers eyes. "You have no idea how long I've been ready." He closes his eyes and smiles.
* Soze[dreamscape] fires.
* Nick[dreamscape] winces at the sound of the gun.
* Jeff[dreamscape] vanishes in a flood of blinding white light. Eventually, it fades, revealing an ordinary stone corridor, at the bottom of a set of stairs. Candlelight can be seen flickering in from the entrance above.
* Nick[dreamscape] opens his eyes and looks around, somewhat bewildered. He looks at Soze. "...I'm sorry."
* Soze[dreamscape] lowers the gun.
Soze[dreamscape]: ...
* Nick[dreamscape] looks up the stairs. "...we should head up."
Soze[dreamscape]: ...Right.
Soze[dreamscape]: We're on the right track.
* Soze[dreamscape] starts walking up the stairs. He tucks the gun his suit.
* Nick[dreamscape] follows. He feels a little sick -- and a little guilty he didn't have what it took to do it himself.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *They emerge inside a familiar church, though the services appear to have ended a long time ago. It's silent and empty, save for a lone figure standing in front of the wide double doors at the entrance. The doors are flung wide open, and through them can be seen a limp figure, collapsed on a plain of black sand beneath a deep red sky.*
* Jeff[dreamscape] turns around, relief plain on his face. "You made it," he says.
Nick[dreamscape]: !! Jeff!
* Nick[dreamscape] runs towards him.
* Soze[dreamscape] lingers back, watching.
* Hastur arrives, or at least that's the impression. A yellow light fades into view.*
Nick[dreamscape]: !
* Jeff[dreamscape] looks at Nick. "Thank you," he says.
Nick[dreamscape]: I... it's no trouble, really...
Hastur: *The light fades in closer, starting to coalesce into something of a form.*
* Soze[dreamscape] glances over at the light, expression unchanging.
* Jeff[dreamscape] turns to the light and smiles sheepishly. "I'm...afraid I gave you quite a bit of trouble, haven't I."
* Nick[dreamscape] stares at the light.
Nick[dreamscape]: [No, Jeff... it's the light that's troubled you.]
* Nick[dreamscape] turns to Soze. "We've done what we need to."
* Jeff[dreamscape] turns back to Nick. "This couldn't have happened without you, you know."
Soze[dreamscape]: ... *nod*
* Hastur appears, solidifying into the Pale Stranger, yet something different, ethereal and shifting.*
* Nick[dreamscape] closes his eyes. "...I had to do something, Jeff. I couldn't just lose you like that." He opens his eyes. "We'll see you at home."
* Soze[dreamscape] dissolves away.
* Jeff[dreamscape] nods and smiles. "See you at home. Don't...be too hard on me when I come back, okay? It's been a rough few days."
Nick[dreamscape]: Trust me, I won't.
* Nick[dreamscape] closes his eyes and, following the green light, manages to work his way back. It's a bit of a longer process for him, though, since he has to weave his way back out through Soze, but when he comes to...
* Hastur 's voice fades into Jeff's hearing* ... you won't hear the flutes ...
* Nick[dreamscape] opens his eyes, and looks at Carter. "He's there. Do it."
* Soze sits up, groggy.
* Carter[masked] is there, the circles still burning bright between them. His eyes, those dark, inhuman eyes, meek Nick's, and he nods.
* Nick_Wright is tired. It was a successful trip this time, but it still took a lot out of him.
Soze: ...we got him?
* Jeff[dreamscape] closes his eyes and smiles. "Please. Take me home."
Nick_Wright: If this works, yes.
Carter[masked]: *Claws. That's the only word for it. Hard, and cold, an insect's body, moving through Nick's soul, tearing through the connection, racing faster than thought toward Jeff and Hastur. And those claws, those sharp, terrible claws, close tight around the both of them, and PULL. Out of this mindscape. Into the three-dimensional world.*
* Hastur curls Jeff into his robes to take him back to three-dimensionality. And is suddenly grabbed.*
* Nick_Wright detects SOMETHING. What the -- ?!
* Hastur ... can't ... move....
Jeff[dreamscape]: *Soze's chest suddenly glows brightly, and strange, geometric tendrils begin to flow from his chest.*
* Soze yelps, scrambling back.
Nick_Wright: ?!
Carter[masked]: *when he reaches the edge of the circle, it's as though he hits a wall. Trapped inside.*
* Carter[masked] just keeps his eyes on Soze, not even speaking, or clicking, or -- anything. All his power focused on turning this long, tangled connection inside-out.
* Soze hits the edge, feels it like a -wall-, a PRISON, and then promptly begins to freak out.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *Since the geometric forms are coming *from* Soze's chest, the only effect of backing away is that the tendrils lengthen, still rooted in the other man. The other end begins to spin in midair, becoming larger and more complex.*
Soze: WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?
* Nick_Wright watches, somewhat horrified.
Hastur: *the geometric thing seems to be pulling something else through with it... thin and winding painfully*
* Soze breathes panicked and shallow breaths. His eyes are locked on THE THING COMING OUT OF HIS CHEST.
Soze: ...oh god...
Nick_Wright: Jesus Christ...
Jeff[dreamscape]: *Crystalline light continues to pour out of Soze, pouring into what is becoming a complex pattern of geometric shapes, all orbiting around each other in complex patterns.*
* Carter[masked] seems to be having a staring contest with the thing, or with Soze's nipples. The binding circle crackles with energy.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *The shapes begin to unfold now, assembling like a jigsaw puzzle. Now the crystal has bits that resemble a hand. A leg. A torso. A face. More and more complete as the light returns home.*
Hastur: *more tendrils of yellow. They wind and writhe*
* Soze is pressed up against the edge of the circle, sweating bullets. "N-nick... w-what..."
Nick_Wright: I... I don't know, this is Carter's domain...
* Soze shudders, closing his eyes.
Jeff[dreamscape]: *For a moment, what appears to be a statue of Jeff hangs in midair, constructed of clear glass. Slowly the glass fills with color, softening the crystal and turning it into flesh.*
* Soze is going to need to drink tonight.
* Carter[masked] finally makes a noise. A low, rattling -hiss,- as his mind.. self... soul... reaches out into the circle, wrapping around what of the yellow it dares to hold. Those sharp claws, again, and in the warping of physics and dimensions, they're almost visible, horrid disembodied appendages shining with a slick, rainbowy film. Out. Come OUT.
* Nick_Wright too.
* Jeff[dreamscape] hovers in midair a moment, complete. Then, without ceremony, he drops to the grass with a muffled *thump,* out cold.
Nick_Wright: ! JEFF!
* Soze opens his eyes when he realizes that it's -Jeff- he's sensing, not something foreign or terrifying--... and then around the time Jeff passes out, he finally loses it too. Whoops.
* Soze slumps over.
* Nick_Wright rushes over to the pair of them.
Hastur: *The rest of the yellow energy tendrils are pulled out, writhing free into the air inside the circle, formless, shuddering and whipping frantically. Convulsing through a series of forms, contained within the barrier.*
* Jeff[dreamscape] seems unharmed for the most part, though bruises that match Keyser's can be seen on his temple and on his knuckles beneath a thick layer of dirt and dust. He's barefoot, and his clothing is in shreds.
Nick_Wright: Oh Christ... I've gotta get these two to the Clinics or something...
Carter[masked]: *he won't be able to leave! D:!*
Nick_Wright: !!
Carter[masked]: *there is a reasson it's a binding circle. :(*
* Nick_Wright puts his hand up to the circle, somewhat bewildered. He hadn't been aware it was for the LOT of them.
Carter[masked]: *and that's when the chanting starts. Soft, as first, barely a whisper, like the buzzing of a fly on the other side of the house. But growing louder, and all in languages that Hastur will easily recognise.Calling on the All-in-One and One-In-All, the gate and the key and guardian of the gate, beloved 'Umr at-Tawil Most High,a summoning and an entreaty. Bind this one, this being who has trespassed on the laws of your most sacred dwelling
Hastur: *The chanting might or might not be heard and understood by its intended subject, still inside out and writhing in agony beyond senses. But it is heard and understood by that which it is directed to. For miles, maybe even further, light can be seen, in every colour imaginable and plenty that are not.*
* Nick_Wright , being the only other conscious figure at the moment, stares at the scene. It's beautiful, and yet horrible all at once.
* Carter[masked] entreats The Lurker at the Threshold, he whom Carter owed, and has given, so much. He goes through all the proper motions, learned from the Necronomicon and other, less infamous tomes, the ways to please and plead with a being like this. He explains why he wishes this particular punishment -- such a newfound love of the human form, it is only fitting, yes?
Hastur: *There is a response from the light, which would sound incomprehensible to anyone else, a thousand kinds of music, a million voices. The request will be granted.*
Hastur: *all goes still for a beat*
* Carter[masked] thanks you, Lord of all Spaces and all Times, Most Ancient and Prolonged of Life, in your majesty. He flattens himself in his gratitude, on all six legs, his robe in the dirt.
Hastur: *There is a huge detonation of light. A scream of incomprehensible agony than only the truly attuned can hear. Form shifts. Writhes. Strains against the barrier, flickering through countless shapes until the light rushes in on itself with a rumbling whoosh and enough power to leave a small crater in which lie, unharmed, Jeff, and Soze. And one other.*
* Nick_Wright shields his eyes against the light and shudders at the scream. Oh. Christ on a crutch...
Hastur: *The colours vanish. All is quiet.*
Carter[masked]: *the glowing chalk circle begins to dim, to flicker out. Carter looks up from the dirt, his mask cracked through the middle.*
* Nick_Wright slowly begins to move his hands from his eyes, shaking.
* Soze grimaces, stirring.
Jeff[dreamscape]: Nnnn...
Nick_Wright: Th...th...that...
* Carter[crackedmask] scuttles forward, not bothering with rising from his sexpedal stance. The light of the circles gutters out, and Carter crosses the chalk lines with no impediment.
Nick_Wright: You didn't... warn me about...
Jeff_Levitt: !
* Jeff_Levitt slowly raises himself on his elbows. "N...Nick?"
Carter[crackedmask]: What muzzzt be done -- muzzzt be donnne. *buzzing, as he approaches. Going over to then, checking them for injury. Jeff and Soze and Nick, at leat. The Other left for last.*
* Nick_Wright looks at Jeff. He's white as a sheet, and looks tired to boot.
* Soze 's eyes shoot open. His hand immediately goes to his chest. There's a gaping hole in his shirt, but that it's. Oh. Oh. Thank God.
* Soze slowly sits up.
* Jeff_Levitt slowly pulls himself into a sitting position. He flinches at Carter's touch, but other than a few superficial bruises, but is otherwise okay.
Soze: Jeff.
* Nick_Wright ...can't seem to stop shaking. We're sure this will go away in a couple days, but.
* Carter[crackedmask] moves, then, to the last. And you, you poor fool?
* Hastur is profoundly unconscious.*
* Soze is shaking too, but you have no idea how -relieved- he is. Heck, it's even audible in his voice. That really says something. "Jeff, you're..."
* Jeff_Levitt looks around, eventually focusing on Soze. "K-Keyser? What...where am I?" He's shivering now. The clearing feels so *open* and *wide* and *exposed*.
* Carter[crackedmask] raises himself up, onto his back legs, crouching. Come on, then. He gathers Hastur up in his arms. "Come. Your PINpoints -- will function as they should."
Soze: The Nexus. Hi.
Jeff_Levitt: H-Hi.
* Jeff_Levitt looks around. "I w-want to go inside. Please."
* Soze stands, a bit shaky. He offers a hand to Jeff.
* Carter[crackedmask] rises. and goes over to them. Arms full -- will someone lend him a PINpoint hand?
* Nick_Wright is still shaking. He can't seem to stop.
* Jeff_Levitt takes Keyser's hand and hauls himself up. His teeth are chattering, and he doesn't seem to want to raise his eyes higher than about knee height.
Jeff_Levitt: T-too empty...I w-want to go *inside.* *Please*.
Nick_Wright: I... y...yes.
Soze: S-ssh. Okay.
Hastur: *still unconscious*
* Jeff_Levitt is holding on to Keyser's arm perhaps a bit too tightly.
* Nick_Wright reaches for his own PIN. He has a hard time grasping it due to the shaking.
* Soze doesn't exactly have a loose grip himself. He still can't believe it actually -worked.-
* Nick_Wright finally manages to get a solid grasp on it.
Soze: We'll take you to a side room.
* Soze pulls out his PINpoint and keys in the sanctuary. Plink!
* Jeff_Levitt nods. And vanishes!
* Nick_Wright looks over at Carter for a bit.
* Carter[crackedmask] looks back, over the body of the once-god. His mask, even broken, as unreadable as always.
* Nick_Wright is just feeling a wee bit too petty right now. He PINs out, sans Carter.
* Carter[crackedmask] tilts his head, a fraction of an angle. -Well.- He looks out through the trees, toward where he knows the Sanctuary is. And he starts walking. You'd have to know Nug-Soth body language, very well indeed, to be able to see the exhaustion in his steps.
* Carter[crackedmask] will still though, make it to the siderooms by morning, where he shall lock the doors and sleep. For quite a long time indeed.

***

* Soze appears via PINpoint with Jeff in tow! He has a gaping hole in his tacky-shirt-of-the-week and a couple of bruises on his forehead, but otherwise seems okay. (Read: not fatally wounded.)
Phoenix_Wright: !!
Apollo_Justice: !
* Apollo_Justice glances over to Soze, his eyes wide.
* Luc looks up at the apparently injured, curses softly in untranslatable Latin again.
* Zane is not sure what is up, but the tone of the room just got alarming again.
Jess_Byrd: o.o
* Nick_Wright PINs in shortly afterward. He's shaking, and he looks tired.
Apollo_Justice: !! Mr. Wright!
* Jeff_Levitt is hanging on to Soze, though he relaxes slightly now that he sees that they are inside. His clothing is in shreds, and he's covered in a thick layer of dirt. He's shaking badly.
Nick_Wright: A....Apollo...
* Soze , this close to Jeff, is also shaking. Augh.
Phoenix_Wright: For the love of -- what the hell? Jeff? And Soze? What's going on here?
Ears: o,O
Jeff_Levitt: I'm home. I'm...I'm *home*.
* Apollo_Justice rushes up to Nick, wrapping his arms around his mentor's waist, looking worriedly up at him. "Is.. Is everything okay?!"
* Jess_Byrd stares. Shit.
* Jeff_Levitt starts to laugh. It's...a little hysterical sounding.
Ears: Doesn't look it to me...
Soze: *low* Jeff, let's go to a sideroom.
Phoenix_Wright: J...Jeff...
Luc: "Glad to hear it, sir." Luc gets up and approaches Jeff /very/ delicately to look him over for injuries.
Luc: "What's happened? Are you all right?"
* Nick_Wright looks down at Apollo, then just sort of hugs him back. He's still shaking, though.
* Soze is going to gently tug him that-a-way. Come on. You're unnerving all the nice people.
* Apollo_Justice blinks, his arms tightening about Nick's waist, unsure of what to do in the moment. "C-Come on, Mr. Wright... Let's get you somewhere comfortable.."
Nick_Wright: Um, y...yeah...
* Jeff_Levitt is all right for the most part. There are a few bruises on his forehead and on his knuckles, but nothing too serious. His laughter trails off..."I..." He blinks suddenly. "I don't remember. But...I'm *home.*"
* Jeff_Levitt allows himself to be tugged.
* Phoenix_Wright looks sort of hopelessly lost, and watches Jeff as he's tugged out of the room.
* Apollo_Justice helps Nick to one of the couches, his face pale.
* Soze disappears with Jeff into #asideroom , only this time, it is not for makeouts. :-(
* Luc isn't in his jurisdiction, nods and lies back <s$gt;atop witht Zane.
* Nick_Wright sits down and closes his eyes, trying to breathe steadily. "Damnit... he could've warned me..."
* Ears slumps, watching.
* Zane oofs and watches around the room. Long as everyone who's flipping out has someone taking care of them, it's probably alright...right?
* Apollo_Justice shifts uncomfortably before running into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water, bringing it to Nick, looking worried. "..."
* Nick_Wright takes it, but it sloshes a bit out because he's shaking.
[* Apollo_Justice grasps his mentor's wrists, kneeling down onto the floor in front of him, trying to hold his hands steady. "N.. Nick...?"
* Jess_Byrd squirms.
* Ears thinks so, Njoki's-friend.
Nick_Wright: I... I'll be all right eventually. Just... wasn't supposed to see those sorts of things... that bastard. He could've told me he had to trap us all in that circle...
* Apollo_Justice ... blinks.
Nick_Wright: [That scream, those lights... I'm going to be seeing those for a while...]
Zane: O__o
Zane: "People are getting trapped in circles?"
* Luc grimaces, absolutely clueless as to what to do about the subject.
Nick_Wright: We needed... we needed to limit the King in Yellow's power. To get him to stop t...tainting others. And we needed to get J...Jeff back as well...
* Apollo_Justice shakes his head, getting to his feet and fumbling for his PIN. "Let's... Let's g-get you home, Mr. Wright.."
Zane: "Wait. Wait, this is that Stranger guy, right?"
Jess_Byrd: "Son of a bitch."
Zane: "So is that what all this was? It's over?"
Nick_Wright: A...Apollo. I... may need you to handle s...some of the affairs around the office for a bit... *he looks to Zane* Uh, y...yes.
* Jess_Byrd makes an eep face. D:
* Apollo_Justice shakes his head again. "Mr. Wright, be quiet. We'll talk about it at home."
Zane: "Is he dead now?" Zane's a bit on the fence here. I mean, he believes the guy's a bastard...but he's a bastard who gives good backrubs.
Nick_Wright: Not... dead, just... bound. Y...yeah, Apollo. Um.
Luc: "You get home and rest, sir." Luc, feeling helpless, gives Apollo a 'good luck' sort of nod.
Apollo_Justice: ... "Um"?
* Apollo_Justice glances at Luc, nodding in return.
* Nick_Wright will PIN out with Apollo.
* Apollo_Justice PINs out to their apartment.

***

* Soze leads him in and shuts the door, trembling slightly.
* Jeff_Levitt follows Soze inside, eyes darting all over the room. He forces himself to let go of Keyser's arm, and takes a seat in one of the chairs, hugging himself.
* Soze takes the chair next to him.
Soze: You're out.
* Soze forces a smile.
* Jeff_Levitt nods slowly, staring at the floor. Unconsciously he runs his hands over the arms of the chair, as if assuring himself that it's real. His fingers leave multicolored streaks on the fabric.
Jeff_Levitt: ...I'm *home.*
Soze: ...
Jeff_Levitt: ...Something terrible happened, didn't it.
Soze: Yes.
* Jeff_Levitt finally looks up. "I can't remember," he says after a pause. "All I know is I was lost. And now I'm home."
* Soze carefully takes his hand.
Soze: You should get some rest.
* Jeff_Levitt takes Soze's hand in both of his, almost as if he's scared to let go.
Jeff_Levitt: I...
* Jeff_Levitt looks down again. "I don't want to be alone." The words come out quickly, embarrassed.
* Soze is a comfort to someone. He'll never understand it. (He doesn't even know if he likes it.)
Soze: *simply* I wasn't planning on leaving you here alone.
* Jeff_Levitt looks up, surprised. "Th...thanks," he says quietly.
Soze: ...Yeah.
Soze: Do you need fresh clothes?
* Jeff_Levitt finally gets a good look at himself. Holy shit. "Uh...yeah. And I'm just gonna..." He gestures vaguely bathroom-wards. And then shuffles in that direction.
Soze: I'll be right back-- laundry room.
Soze: Is that okay?
* Jeff_Levitt hesitates, then nods. "Yeah, 'sfine." He closes the bathroom door, and presently running water can be heard.
* Soze heads back into the main sanctuary.
* Soze comes back in with a pile of fresh clothes.
* Jeff_Levitt emerges from the bathroom, freshly showered and wrapped in a towel. He tosses the remains of his clothes into a nearby wastebasket. "...Thanks," he says again.
* Soze is wearing a fresh shirt-- in this case, a blue collared shirt a few sizes too big. He hands the clothing to Jeff.
Soze: Don't mention it.
* Jeff_Levitt takes the clothes and ducks briefly back into the bathroom again, emerging considerably more decent.
* Soze is meanwhile removing a cot from the closet.
* Soze sets it up, popping the legs out from under it one by one. It's so much easier to cope with everything that's happened this week if he can focus on whatever's right in front of him.
Jeff_Levitt: ...I'm sorry.
* Jeff_Levitt sits on the bed, watching Soze tiredly.
Soze: About what?
Jeff_Levitt: You were right.
Jeff_Levitt: None of this would have happened if I'd listened.
* Soze looks up.
Soze: Just don't make the same mistake again.
* Jeff_Levitt snorts. "No chance."
Soze: How are you feeling?
Jeff_Levitt: ...Tired.
Soze: You can go to bed.
* Jeff_Levitt nods slowly. That...that's probably a good idea.
Soze: I don't know if I'll be sleeping, but I'll be here.
* Soze gets off the ground and moves to the light-switch.
* Jeff_Levitt slips beneath the covers and curls up. He nods. "Okay," he says quietly. "...Good night, Keyser."
* Soze sounds weaker than he means to. "Night."
* Soze turns off the lights.
* Soze sits down on the end of his cot. The mattress squeaks briefly-- and then nothing. He holds his head in his hands.