Astral Projection event (day 8)

[fancy-shooting.livejournal.com]

[Those who had been "affected" finally detect a change. It's a sensation of being pulled. Wherever they are, no matter how far from it, they suddenly find themselves forcefully yanked back into their bodies, and the connection is reestablished at long last. All the people that fell a week ago are waking up...]

((Event end! The "affected" are now back in their bodies. ...But if something happened to the body during the week, they have to deal with it. There's no magic healing.))

Comments

[starofchaos]

[Darkness.

There's no air, nothing but the pressure of earth on him. He can't breath. What's going on? It takes him a moment to realise. He's alive. He's alive, but how- and why? But there's no time for that, and he's just relieved that Ocelot didn't put him in a goddamn coffin and nail it down or else he'd be in big trouble. He sneezes, a quiet warning before he begins to struggle.

By the time his fingers break through the dirt, his gloves are torn and he's struggling with the effort. But there's air and light, even if it's just a little. It's enough to make him struggle harder.]

[fancy-shooting.livejournal.com]

[Ocelot is on some other floor, prowling the halls like yesterday.]

[starofchaos]

[Ocelot better hope his goddamn ass isn't too far. Because it takes Liquid all of his willpower to fight his way out, and by the end he's drained far more than usual; emotionally more than physically. It's been hell and he allows himself only a moment's respite before he struggles to his feet and fumbles for his phone.]

[CALL]
PUSH SELECT

Pick up...

[fancy-shooting.livejournal.com]

[Ocelot picks up his radio, and when he sees the frequency calling, he frowns.]

[He was sure he left Liquid's phone on his body. So either someone robbed his grave, or copied the frequency. Either possibility brings venom to his voice when he answers.]

Whatever game you're playing, I don't care for it. You'd better explain yourself.

[starofchaos]

Adam... I am going to goddamn kill you if you don't get here right this instant!

[Liquid slumps against the wall, his words coming out a little more desperate than he likes.]

I'm where you left me.

[fancy-shooting.livejournal.com]

[Ocelot's not sure what to think. All he knows is he has to see for himself to believe it. So he hurries to the room, unable to trust himself to respond any further on the radio while he's so uncertain.]

[He shoves the doors open and hurries to the spot where he buried Liquid.]

[starofchaos]

[Torn open from beneath, the grave lies open. And from the side, wordlessly, filthy and uncaring, Liquid Snake strides forward and draws him into a tight embrace.]

[fancy-shooting.livejournal.com]

[Ocelot stiffens in shock, too surprised to understand the dirty figure clutching him tight.]

This isn't--...

[Uncertain hands reach up to Liquid's back.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[And suddenly, Liquid snapped back awake in his bed. All he could do was lie there as his mind rushed to keep up with the new sensory overload. He hadn't been expecting that, not after day seven and he still hadn't returned.]

[The room was filthy, but he knew that. He had seen Mantis break down at the knowledge he was sleeping next to a corpse. But combined with just returning to his body, Liquid knew he couldn't walk through that and not be injured. And he wasn't quite wanting to be injured so soon.]

[So he tried to call Mantis via Codec.]

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't have to.]

[The sudden reemergence of Liquid's mind in the nexus is like a floodlight among oil lamps. The shocking flare in the void has Mantis flying through hallways and up stairs with dizzying speed.]

[The door to their room nearly falls from its hinges as it slams open, revealing Mantis's hovering form.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

Mantis. [His voice was rusty with disuse, croaking.] Mantis, I have no explanation to give, no idea what had just happened for seven days.

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[Silently, he drifts inside, the door shutting behind him. The psychic still doesn't speak or move any closer to the previously dead man. His painfully thin body is trembling and his raspy breaths become even harsher.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[Liquid stood slowly, his muscles still regaining their memory of how to be used.]

Stop being so silent, Mantis. I'm aware you wish to yell at me for dying again.

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

/Idiot!/

[Mantis's feet hit the ground at a run as he throws himself at the risen man. Thin arms wrap around the blond with surprising strength, pulling Liquid into a tight hug.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[What in the world-!]

[He hadn't expected this. Not a hug, such open and needful display of affection, not from Mantis. Liquid had expected anger, thrown objects, or worse. His own arm wrapped around the far too skinny psychic, pulling him even closer.]

[He didn't deserve it.]

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[He holds on, breathing harshly to keep himself from breaking down entirely.]

/Don't you ever...you're not allowed...not again, bastard.../

[neurotic-insect.livejournal.com]

[OH GOD THE HEADACHE, NEXUS WHY MUST YOU BE SO CRUEL.]

[Dimitri came back to life with a garbled groan of pain and misery. Everything felt stiff. Stiff and achey. He sneezed. There was dust in the mask. After several minutes of getting into the habit of moving again and hauling all one-hundred-and-twenty or so pounds of him, he managed to sit up, hearing an unholy number of joints protesting.]

Oh..... Fffffffffuck my life... [It took him over an hour to get out of bed and shower, but he managed. He was drugged up with aspirin and tapped on the terranium glass. Mira looked up at him all hungry and pissed, and he offered up three silkworms, some bean shoots and one raspberry. She nipped at his hand, but ate otherwise.]

[knivesandblood.livejournal.com]

[Vamp had just been floating around the Nexus, feeling pretty down about this whole situation. It had been a week already, and still nothing...]

[So when he's suddenly yanked back into his body, it's with a startled gasp and a violent start out of... bed?]

[sinsofliberty.livejournal.com]

[SDSFSDFKSLFLSDK-]

[And guess who was lying right next to you and just pretty much flew out of bed and hit the floor?]

[knivesandblood.livejournal.com]

[He breathes heavily, hands touching his face and then resting over his heart to hear the beat. So he is alive again...]

[And then he turns to Jack, mouth hanging open a little as his mind tries to figure out what's going on.]

...Jack?

[sinsofliberty.livejournal.com]

[And from the floor, Jack just stares at him. Really, he has no idea what to think right now.]

...

[knivesandblood.livejournal.com]

[He then notices his alternate chained to the couch. They exchange startled glances, though Vamp knows his Jack well enough to understand the significance of that.]

Jack. [He crawls across the bed, now staring down at Jack while he lies on the ground.] ...Hello.

[sinsofliberty.livejournal.com]

[He gapes at him for a moment, struggles to say something, then gives up and just launches himself at him... and pretty much clings to him.]

The hell have you been?!

[knivesandblood.livejournal.com]

[Oww goddamn that body is uncomfortable. Still, he returns the hug, making sure to avoid the spikes.]

I left my body suddenly, but I wasn't dead. No matter what I tried, I couldn't make you see me.

[sinsofliberty.livejournal.com]

[He didn't know how to respond to that; but he does realize his body must make this uncomfortable. Wordlessly, he picks up Vamp and walks out of the room with him. He gets to the human room, puts Vamp down, steps in, then re-launches himself at him. Fuck it, he missed him.]