173rd page

[curseshit]

Moss, moss, everywhere. Luckily the terrain is getting smoother, no more sharp rocks underneath the green moss, waiting to break your ankles. The forest looks like no one has been here for ages. No B&B for you. The good news is that the animals don't fear humans and you should have no problem catching yourself some dinner.

[ mission: camp, try not to die, etc. ]

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[armedarchaeologist]

[oh

takes really cartoonishly wincing steps forward, then, shuffling forward with one toe and all his weight on his back foot, all the grace of someone who was caught unawares by a pressure plate like an hour ago.]

[forestcrap]

[next step feels springy]

[and then the vines snap and you find your leg in a hole

[armedarchaeologist]

[throws his weight back onto his ass and sort of sits down with dramatic windmilling of arms and a newly bruised tailbone.]

I miss my machete.

[hasn't had a machete since peru. fifteen years ago. pulls his leg up, grabs a handful of vines over the hole, and yanks.]

[forestcrap]

[vines tear and snap]

[the hole seems to be pretty fucking big. like the whole floor has dropped out to the level below]

[armedarchaeologist]

Oh.

[flashlights into floor below.]

[forestcrap]

PUT THAT MUTHAFUCKA OUT

[flaps into his face before haphazardly flying out of the room]

[armedarchaeologist]

[scrambles backwards yelling halves of obscenities and wishing his flashlight was still connected to his p90.]

I FEEL A HUNDRED PERCENT LESS BAD ABOUT KILLING YOU.

[forestcrap]

AWW HELLL NAW---K

[frantic flapping noises before a death rattle from down the hall]

[armedarchaeologist]

[stops, because he. hadn't been talking to the bird. and last he checked he doesn't have the power to kill things with his mind anymore.

slowly turns his flashlight behind him, to where the bird met its presumably gruesome (but totally not his fault) end.]

[forestcrap]

[nothing but a few feathers remain on the floor where there used to be the abyss staircase]

[armedarchaeologist]

[slooowly stands up and feels his way over to where his back's against a wall. does he really want to call a tiny perky woman for help. no he does not. he does not want to call anyone for help, he would just like very much to not be in this temple anymore. and he used to like temples so much.

hey, at least it's going better than the

oh.]

[yeah genius maybe you don't need to call clara in to help you. leans in to talk to radio.]

Clara—Daniel. Listen, I think this place is moving, quickly enough to squish things, or there's... Something that just ate one of those talking birds, so be very, very careful where you step.

[recurred]

[thats enough incentive for her to turn back]

Kind of difficult when I can't see. I suppose I'll head back to where I got in.

[armedarchaeologist]

[winces.]

Right, right, sorry, I forgot. Yeah if you can still find where that is, that sounds like a really good idea. Look, stay close to the walls, pay attention to where your feet go and if you feel the floor giving way then step back somewhere you know is secure.

Are you... Are you alone down here?

[crossmyhearts]

No, I'm here too now.

[leaning over her shoulder to talk into the wrist comm, voice a little lower than usual]

Daniel, is it? How about you? Are you alright?

[armedarchaeologist]

[who the hell—

stares at his radio for a moment before he remembers the gangly guy with the bowtie and reapplies a name (sort of) and face to the voice.]

Yeah, uh. Doctor, wasn't it? I didn't catch any more than that, sorry. I'm fine, I just wanted to warn Clara that there are apparently gaping holes in the floor that sometimes eat birds, so. Both of you be careful where you step?

[crossmyhearts]

Roger that, sir! [gives a little salute, grins like an idiot at Clara.] I love saying that.

Let us know if you need us to come to your rescue. [spoken like he has the upper hand in this whole situation.]

[he doesn't.]

[armedarchaeologist]

No, I'm not really— You don't have to— I mean Daniel's fine, I guess "doctor" would work too, but— Daniel's fine.

[oh my god he can't win with these guys they either think he's some kind of nerd or he's gi joe. at least nobody's been openly passive-aggresively hostile (it's a complicated look, but derek pulled it off) since the werewolf left with sookie.

pans his flashlight down the corridor. so there's where he'd been, the patch of floor that ate the gird and the secret door that led to (bum bum bum) certain death. great.]

Ye-ah, I... Will definitely do that. You do the same.

[crossmyhearts]

Doctor! A doctor meets the Doctor. Or the Doctor meets a doctor, that works too.

[well this guy here isn't a fan of ranks either, honestly. and he just likes smart people. as long as they're not smarter than him

or archaeologists.]

[oh he's just going to love you, daniel.]

I might just stick to Daniel for now. And we'll see you when we get out of here.

[armedarchaeologist]

A...h.

[open-mouthed staring at his radio. this guy. if the others give daniel shit for talking too much, he can only imagine how much they must like this guy.

ok, daniel kind of likes this guy.]

Or that— Yeah, that. Daniel's good. See you guys soon.

[radio off.]

[recurred]

[closes wristcom and turns to look up at him]

So what's the plan? [you never have plans why am I even asking]

[crossmyhearts]

The plan! Plan. My plan. [good thing you ask clara because he has the perfect plan and his perfect plan is he will do whatever comes to mind and see what happens.]

[bright side is there's no 'right way' for this plan to unfold so there shouldn't be a possibility for this to go so very very wrong.]

My plan... [feels around the edges of one stone in the wall] ... is to... [touches the next one, and another one, down a row until he finds one that seems to please him, and he grins] ... do this!!

[the stone is a button

and he just clicked it]

[forestcrap]

[stone shuffling of the slowest measures]

[but eventually the wall opens up to a staircase with a brief light pouring in from the top]

[recurred]

Good one.

[what i knew that was there....]

[calms down the impressed eyebrows and starts heading up them]

[crossmyhearts]

[that was... slightly disappointing and definitely anti-climatic. he could almost hear the catchy orchestra tune playing in the background.]

[still, he smiles at her and climbs up the stairs too.] Told you this was a great idea.

[recurred]

[you tried, doctor]

Definitely better sitting and sulking at camp all night. [in that breathless sort of nonchalance. but not really nonchalant. ever so often remembering what she'd just ran away from before bumping in to help save him from the moss]

[reaches the top of the stairs and puts her hands on hips as they stand in a new chamber. more foliage and vines and a bit of moss pouring in from the top. three directions to choose from, but none of them telling to which is the best choice. they all look the same.]