[PRP] secondary education (alg & gloom)

[azuredreams]

"Y'let them show y'what they want to." Gloom's eyes were closed as the shadows touched him. Eventually they retracted and he turned his attention back to Algernon.

"They want y'to come over and visit."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Oh.." Alg blinked at Gloom and then at the shadows. With Gloom here he trusted them not to make him disappear into the void or something.

"I'll go where they want," He offered his arm again and moved a bit from his chair to stand, making sure Gloom was secure before he did so. "If you think it's alright."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Gloom was settled comfortably on Algie's shoulders. The moment the man stood, the shadows were wrapping around his ankles and trying to pull him forward and into them.

"Gloom is with y'so y'will be safe," he told him. "Just let them show y'the way."

iloveyouDIE

by stepping through the shadows algernon will find himself in them. this will be a place that is completely black at first but then will be more of a faded out, black landscape.

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Algie was never someone who was afraid of the dark. The things to be afraid of were in the dark and in most cases that meant nothing. There was nothing there in your darkened home or that dark alley or that spooky seeming basement.

Except in Ashdown. And it was the shadows themselves that were alive.

But he wasn't frightened of them, he wouldn't have spent so much time with them, talking and coaxing them. He also trusted Gloom so when the other told him to go with it, he simply did.

The shadows wrapped around him, peculiarly chilled and warm with life at the same time. It was hard to explain. The circled his legs and then he reached and they took his arms as well. As the older man disappeared he could only hope it wasn't a mistake.

Thinks were black and quiet until they came into focus and everything seemed to be dark. It reminded him of the Dark Light, both operational as a light source but darkness all the same. He could see just fine despite the pervasive blackness.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Everything was devoid around him, flat and endless and black. Gloom was pressed close to Algernon's neck, draped and not moving any time soon.

"S'where Gloom comes from," he told the Professor. "This dark place." At his feet something seemed to form, something small and wispy, that curled around his foot like it was trying to hug him. Another one of the living shadows.

Another appeared around his other leg and tugged forward.

"Let them lead y'for a bit." Indulge them was unspoken. The longer that Algie was here, the more he would realize that sometimes he would see the vaguest outline of shapes. Things that were just out of his reach because he was within the shadows.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Somehow it was easier to understand the intentions of the shadows while he was in them. Things were muted, dark, but for the moment he didn't feel in danger. He allowed the smaller wisps to urge him along, moving where they wanted him to go.

The more he was here the more things around him were clearer. Objects, close and far, and even though it was shadow upon shadow he could distinguish more.

Alg's fingers itched to reach for something but instead held back, not wanting to disturb anything on his first venture into this place.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

The shadows, it seemed, just wanted to show Algie around. He had talked with them so much that they wanted him to see their side, their place.

Gloom chittered quietly, tail swishing back and forth slowly. "Y'can travel through here, y'know? That's part of what they're trying to show you. Can y'see how things are changing around ya?"

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

The more he looked, the more his eyes adjusted, he did see around him and into the shadowy realm. He barely felt like he was moving, like a casual stroll, but the things around him changed faster. It wasn't abrupt or taxing, just the shadows coaxing him along as Gloom had taught him to do with them.

"I can.." Alg turned his head a bit to look at Gloom who near disappeared aside from his white eyes and his weight on the professor. "Could I guide them as well? Use this to get where I need to go?"

Usually it just took thinking of something, when it came to the magic, to find a path. Hopefully with the shadows it wouldn't be too different.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Y'could, if they let y'in. Once y'here, y'just gotta find your way around. They'll help if you need it too." Yet it was unspoken that they were shadows and they were playful and mischievous.

"Y'can even get back over to the other side if y'wanted. S'how Gloom crosses over now." There may have been some preening with him saying that.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"That would be handy. I can't get here on my own yet," Alg glanced at Gloom away and then back at his surroundings which had changed again. They were supposedly taking him somewhere but he was recognizing where he could veer off. He could see landmarks (though from odd angles) and details of the town.. but what really was important was getting out once he was in.

The preening of course was responded to with Alg reaching and scritching the shadow marten, "Any tricks to understanding them better?" The whispers had become a bit more clear to him, more tangible, but not always understood.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"They like y'so y'could come here. Y'just got to call 'em to y'over there." Gloom's nose was pressed to Algie's cheek for a moment before he was leaning a little over his shoulder to look down at the shadows at the professor's feet.

A few chitters escaped before he looked back to Algie. "Y'just got to be open. Let y'mind hear them. If y'hearing the whispers, y'doing good." There was a slight n** of teeth against one of Algie's finger, not hard but affectionate and also to get his attention. "Stop? Could y'crouch down? Gloom will help y'more."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

It made sense of course to be open minded and perhaps it was a weakeness of his, or innate distrust, to truly open his mind to the extraordinary. He would certainly work on it.

"Of course," Alg stopped moving as Gloom asked and crouched down. The world around him stopped moving too, though remained equally dark. The shadows around his feet seemed to continue their gentle whipping caresses and he offered his finger out to them as he usually did.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Once he was crouched, Gloom slid further down Algie's torso until it was clear that somehow, some way that was likely magic all the creature's own, that kept him from actually falling off. Or his tail that was curled around Algie's neck was anchoring him.

Either way.

A paw reached for one of the shadows that were at Algie's feet, tugging it closer and chittering to it briefly. Gloom gestured for Algie to do the same, to touch the shadow. "Being in contact can help y'learn how to hear all the time. They don't speak the same way y'do or like Gloom."

The moment that Algie touched the shadow and opened his mind to it, he would sense it. A feeling of curiousity and then excitement as it realized that he was really actually listening. It was a messy jumble, not everything clear, but one thing was: play with us!

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

He was usually resistant to opening his mind to strangers and strange things, but with Gloom's instruction he did so and it was clear that was possibly what he'd been doing wrong all along. He'd been overly protecting himself.

It wasn't hearing so much as knowing their intention and as soon as the jumble met his mind he could feel it, "They want to play.." He said aloud, wonderingly, though Gloom probably already knew.

"I'll play with you.." Though while he said it aloud he let the agreement pour from his mind to the shadows as well.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

There was an excited shiver that seemed to go through the shadows at Algie's response. Gloom himself let out something that sounded like a giggle, mostly because of the excitement that was nearly palpable around them.

"Y'might want to be a little careful, Professor. Shadows are always playful and their games aren't like Gloom's games or human games." Not that he was saying no, just that Algernon needed to keep his wits about him. The shadows were tugging at his legs again and then disappearing. In the distance there was a flicker, a glow-

Something they wanted him to find.

iloveyouDIE