[closed] revelry in the dark;

[machismost]

Who: Kirishima and Bakugou

Where: Union Cave

When: Halloween morning/afternoon

Summary: Just spelunking on the second level while Kirishima tries to convince Bakugou to be social. What could go wrong?

Rating: PG-13 at the least for Bakugou's mouth, probably

Log:



It takes a couple of days just to get through the vast upper layer of Union Cave, but Kirishima has been having a good time of it. Sure, there was one day where training for him and his Pokemon had resulted in running from a very offended Onix, which was a bit humiliating. But that had also ended in confronting and catching the Onix, so hey, overall it's been a pretty net positive! He and Machop were able to return to camp and Bakugou with their dignity intact.

Splitting up when they weren't actively traveling along had become a routine. With their PokeGear, they were always just a call away if need be, after all. And it gave them more things to talk about when they met back up for the night to bunker down. Reviewing the map, there were supposedly more levels to Union Cave that were supposed to be a little more challenging and winding. Obviously a little spelunking was in order before they buckled down for the journey to Azalea Town.

It's only supposed to be for a few hours - checking things out, fighting off slews of tenacious Zubats and the occasionally saucy Geodude - with the way generously lit by Bakugou's fire Pokemon. Kirishima doesn't expect to be here long, firstly because they're due to grab supplies soon and secondly... well, he may or may not have some other plans in mind. About two hours or so exploring the first basement floor of Union Cave presents the pretty perfect opportunity when, after a short battle, Kirishima exchanges his contact information with a kid who was adamant about showing them his awesome Rattata. Because of course he does.

"Oh crap, you know what day it is?"

Comments

[machismost]

"Hell yeah!" Kirishima is still quite energetic today in spite of any evidence of the sun. He happily lets Bakugou and his Pokemon take the lead. Everything he's got... well, they're too shy or too big for the passage they're working through, besides Machop. The fighting Pokemon strides up close to Kirishima's hip and keeps his eyes scoping between the lead Pokemon and the dark of the caves they're leaving behind.

Kirishima's happy to watch their back.

And for a long few minutes? Everything is fine. It's long enough the boys might have relaxed and just when they enter into a wider chamber?

It starts with a great sigh, wind much bigger than one man's lungs can do, puffing down the tunnel. What follows is the distant laughter of a child.

Kirishima turns, purses his lips. He thinks about asking Bakugou about it but he doesn't. Trainers are down here, after all.

[apshot]

Whether the Pokemon stay in their balls or not is inconsequential to Bakugou. He hasn't really give it much thought. The bird is only in its ball because flying in the cave just isn't working out for the poor thing. It also has to work twice as hard to walk as well so in the end it's just better to allow the others to roam as they please. Additionally, Kirishima is probably one of the only people that Bakugou is fine at his back.

It's not the laughter that catches his attention though. That great sigh is what brings him up short. Katsuki doesn't get startled. However it does sort of put him on immediate edge.

"You hear that?"

[machismost]

Kirishima could point out that Rookidee could ride on Bakugou's shoulder... He doesn't because he knows the blonde wouldn't take the suggestion. The blonde hasn't obviously warmed to his Pokemon like the redhead has, but that's to be expected. Bakugou treats 'friend' like most civilized people treat four-letter words ( while ironically cussing like a sailor ).

When Kirishima's friend draws up short, the redhead nearly walks into his back because he's too busy looking behind him. Machop's hand tugging at the back of his shirt means he just bumps against Katsuki's backpack.

"I heard something. Not sure what it is..." He replies, uncertain if he's more relieved or unnerved that his more sensible counterpart has addressed the topic. Quiet now, he strains his ears to try and hear something else, but the only thing that comes to him is a yawning silence beyond the sound of their breathing and the crackle of the fire Pokemon.

[apshot]

Too bad that won't be an option once the bird becomes Corvisquire. Granted, Bakugou isn't the warmest and friendliest person. That doesn't mean he isn't getting on with his own Pokemon in his own way. Quilava certainly gets away with quite a lot, curling up next to the blonde to take a nap. Or sneaking away into his sleeping bag. Katsuki tolerates the affection and that, if nothing else, is just as good as embracing it when it comes to Bakugou.

He does make a sound of irritation as Kirishima just about walks right into him. There's almost a comment on the tip of his tongue telling the redhead to look where he's going. What prevents him from doing so is the sound of more giggling echoing against the cave walls.

"You definitely had to hear that."

[machismost]

"Yeah..." And he thinks it's damn creepy, though he soon cuts through his concern with a nervous little chuckle. "It's probably just some trainers in another part of the cave, right? Stuff echoes. C'mon."

He grabs his backpack straps resolutely and begins to take a step around Bakugou only to stop short from a scraping sound coming up behind them. It's a sound Kirishima reads as nails clacking against stone as it's joined with a low growl. He jolts and whirls around, as does Machop. The fighting Pokemon growls right back, shifting into a ready stance for whatever dares to come into the firelight.

But nothing does. The clicking sounds like it stops just short and the flame is wafted by some puff of air. Kirishima imagines some sort of creature breathing just outside the radius of what they can see, kept at bay by the light.

[apshot]

Sounds do echo in caverns. Kirishima isn't wrong about that. However he's not quite sure what they should be hearing from other trainers. They just seem to be either walking in strange circles or just straight up in the dark. Silent. That's the part that is kind of creepy to Bakugou. He can hear the slight concern in the other teen's voice, but there's nothing for it but to move on.

"Ah huh..."

Then there's the sound of scraping and a whoosh as it feels like something has zipped over their heads. Now that does make Bakugou flinch, immediately put on guard. He puts up his hands, even if his Quirk is gone, ready to take on whatever is trying to get at them.

"Stop screwing around with us! Come out!"

[machismost]

Kirishima is tense, waiting for the fight. He doesn't have his Quirk either, but he still takes the same broad, human shield stance he always had. Habits die hard and in the few months they've been here, not all of them have gone away from the redhead. Bakugou shouts his challenge up into the dark...

And only silence meets them. It isn't a perfect silence - there's the breathing between all of them and the distant drip of water from the cave system - but it's enough to make Kirishima wish they could snuff their lights so their eyes had a hope of adjusting to the dark. At the same time, part of him believes they're only safe now because of the light.

Slowly, he backs up until his hand finds Bakugou's side, quickly relocating to the shoulder. They're back to back now, accounting for the backpacks slotted alongside one another.

"L-Let's keep moving, huh? You know the way out, right?" Kirishima's hand moves off of Bakugou's shoulder to lace fingers around his backpack. "We'll watch the back."

[apshot]

It's natural for them, though. They're in training to be heroes. That means that they have to be on their toes for anything. Bakugou's first instinct is to go on the defense. Though it doesn't look like his challenge is going to be answered. All Katsuki can hear is the sound of their breathing and the flames of his Pokemon. That doesn't mean Bakugou is ready to stand down.

He feels Kirishima at his back and, really, in a fight? Bakugou feels a bit more comfortable with that. Shitty Hair is his best friend and there's no one else that he trusts more at the moment. The hand moving to his shoulder is the only reason that Katsuki stands down.

"No I don't know the way out. I've never been here before and there's no map..."

Though he's going to start to move forward anyway. They'll have to run into the exit eventually?

[machismost]

"Crap..." Kirishima can only hush as Bakugou admits he doesn't immediately know the way out. He follows where he feels the backpack in his grip tug. Somehow, Machop seems to know when they move, possibly because the Litwick at their tail blissfully bobs after them and cuts off the light inch by inch. Kirishima's still thinking about a massive creature just beyond it, breathing over their heads. Amazing what darkness can do to the imagination.

"I could send out Onix? She could burrow us a way out!" The redhead offers, a little hopefully, as they move along. Thing is they're now entering into a tunnel where a massive snake made out of rock appearing could make things unstable for them. It's an aspect he's considered, but they can always go back to the open area they just came from, right?

As Quilava, and consequently Bakugou, round the next corner in the tunnel, there's a blood-curdling scream. Nothing jumps out of the darkness, mind, but the blonde might be buffeted back a little with the force of the sound. His backpack jerks as Kirishima jumps and grips it.

[apshot]

That's part of the challenge that Union Cave is supposed to possess for trainers, correct? Have them navigate their way through tunnels and the cave system in general without a map or any means of finding a direction? It is a test of endurance and strength and an opportunity to train their Pokémon along the way. Naturally they aren't going to be able to know the way immediately. Now they had something that could sniff out other Trainers, then perhaps they'd be able to follow that.

"Are you stupid?" Bakugou hisses at the suggestion. "It's way too narrow for that!"

No, they aren't going to backtrack. They're just going to push forward! However, Bakugou does send Litwick to the back to give Machop and Kirishima more light. He can also feel something like a breeze against his neck. Something is having a good ol time at their expense and it is making the blonde quite irritable. This doesn't stop him from also jumping at the scream.

"This is stupid!"

There's definitely got to be a way to figure out what it is that's causing this!

[machismost]

A monster behind them, what sounds like a murder ahead, all the while sealed into a tunnel of stone... Kirishima's never felt like such a caged animal as he does now. Even when he was outmatched in the past, he'd felt like he had some control of the situation by deciding to be in it. Thanks to the dark, however, he can't even see what's stalking them to measure himself against; that makes it even worse than knowing he's going to lose in a way. Bakugou snaps out again, just as helpless but at least echoing Kirishima's own frustrations.

The answer is a distant giggle, nefarious and childlike, followed by whispers that sound like they're coming from the very walls around them.

"Keep goin', Bakugou." There's a tense, growling sort of quality to the redheaded teen's voice. "Find some part that isn't narrow."