The Hidden Door-A Role Play (AKA The Most Dangerous Coffee Shop II)

[HeavensHens88]

The math textbook blurred before Colby's drooping eyes. The too many rows of unsolved fraction multiplication were starting to swim right off the paper and leak out into the undeserving world.
"It's only 5:00, bro. We can't give in now."
He groaned and planted his face into the cherry kitchen table. Neither he nor Nat were exceptionally bad at math, but neither of them completely grasped this concept yet.
Then the wailing started up.
"Okay, that's it. We've gotta blow this popsicle stand. Brumby can go find three quarters and ship it with seven tenths to see for herself what becomes of it."
Colby looked up in her general direction, pretty much blind and deaf to everything except his little sister's cries. To his bleary eyes, Nat was just an indistinct smear of silver and sky blue.
After balling his hands up and stuffing them into his ears the best he could, he got up on weak legs and padded into the living room to where the pink bassinet sat beside the leather sofa. With a dozen layers of lacy ruffle descending down the sides, the thing looked more like a wedding gown than a baby basket. "No, Alexis," he whimpered uselessly to the fuzzy source of all unrest. "Mom's trying to sleep. So...please?" He reached out to touch her black button nose and got his finger locked in a one-toothed bite in return....which somehow actually hurt. But, hey, silence.
Alexis was barely two weeks old and already making her mark on the world. With crazy blue eyes and frost-tipped russet fur, she was the most insanely pretty baby anyone around here had ever seen.
But with visual perfection came came auditive torture.
The last time anyone in the Thomas house had gotten actual sleep was Christmas Eve, ironically enough. Then Christmas Day came, bringing with it this inconsolable screaming bundle. Even though Colby already loved Alexis with nothing short of his heart and soul, he would've been perfectly happy just with wrappable gifts.
Colby sighed and carefully removed his finger from her mouth. Her face scrunched itself up with indignation- a warning that should've sent the both of them fleeing the premises. Then her jaw threw itself open, letting loose a volley of feral screeches that belonged in a horror movie.
Colby backed all the up into the kitchen table, hands up in absolute surrender. "Okay, I agree. How about..." He whipped around with a grin he hoped couldn't be said no to. "A movie? Frozen 2's still in theaters."
Nat stared at him. Her orange lips twitched like she was fighting something unsavory that wanted to come out of her mouth. "Okay, so maybe not that."
"Why?" Colby waggled his eyebrows.
Nat was immediately giggling- precisely the reaction he'd hoped he'd get. "Don't you think we're just a little old for musical Disney princess movies?"
Colby crossed his arms. "It's not a---" He pouted after he'd thought that over. "Okay, fine, so it is, but it's an epic musical Disney princess movie."
Nat suddenly broke out into a suspiciously triumphant grin. "Okay, so you might have a point there. But I've got something that'll decide this once and for all."
"And?"
"Closest movie theater is like forty miles away." It was Nat's turn for eyebrow waggling.
Colby's face reddened beneath his fur. "I totally knew that."
Nat got up from her chair to elbow him in the ribs, but she had to bend over considerably to perform that. When did she get that tall? "But we're skedaddling regardless. Bradley Park. Last one there can't sleep tonight until they finish the rest of our math."
Colby backed up into the living room, shaking his head adamantly. "I can't---I've gotta tell---"
"Then tell her already," Nat grumbled, slouching against the table like she was about to liquefy and ooze onto the floor.
His eyes trailed up the stairs and his tail drooped. "But she's asleep."
Nat rolled her emerald eyes disbelievingly. The smokey plum eyeshadow she was wearing gave them distinct sorceress vibes. "Totally. You either wake her or we go without a trace. Your movie, your choice."
Colby stared at her, deadpan. "We're not actually going to a movie."
Nat threw her hands up in the air. Her palms wore the wore the words Never opened myself and this way. "Same difference."
Frowning, Colby reluctantly angled his head toward the stairs. "Hey, Mom, can we--"
He was forced to halt as Nat madly gestured out a scowling correction.
He sighed. It seemed he'd been committing such acts of roguery more than ever at Nat's encouraging. "Mom, we are going out."
There was a distinctive creaking of the floorboards. "Sure, whatever, Colb." Nola sounded like she was no more responsive than a black bear in January.
Colby didn't look at Nat when he headed for the door.
But, suddenly, the air shimmered and contorted before his eyes, and then there wasn't just a door.
He felt Nat come up alongside him as he stared into a whirling vortex of exotic plants that definitely weren't from around here. Somehow, he knew with certainty that if he took a single step forward, he could experience the foreign forest for himself.
"Oh, we really are going out." Nat whistled long and low, rubbing her hands together with anticipation.
Colby couldn't move anything but his mouth. "That's...no...September was..."
"Yeah, but you left me behind in September." Nat went through the awkward procedure of elbowing him again, but it was nearly hard enough to send him into the intruding dimension involuntarily. "This time, I get to see just how weird things can get for myself."
She offered her hand to him. He reached up to take it, but then his knees locked and he gave no sign of being responsive ever again.
Nat heaved a huge sigh and grabbed Colby by the shoulders, squeezing a yip out of him.
Hugging him tight to her chest, she took a few paces back and flung them into the rift with a running start.
"INTO THE UNKNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN."

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Her face feels real.. though it sucks that I can’t pinch myself or something... this has got to be real then.
“Huh.. I.. just found a portal out at the track.. I don’t know if anyone else went through it too.. but we gotta find your niece though.”
Take took his hands away from her face and gave her a wide smile, his snaggletooth no longer existent. He leaned forward and kissed her, shutting his eyes for a moment then backed away, “I’ve missed you.” his gaze drifted down towards the border collie by Blair’s side. He knelt down, grabbing both sides of Kits face, ruffling her fur excessively, “I’ve missed you too Kit!” he laughed excitedly.

He felt real.
He certainly felt real. The warmth of his hands and the gentleness of his kiss. And his laugh when he knelt down beside Kit was something her mind couldn't mimick. Though, her dreams had felt so vivid lately, so vivid she would text him in the middle of the night just to make sure he was alright.
Blair grinned, however, at Kit's excitement. "I missed you, too." She murmured, and when she realized that she might just die inside her heavy winter coat, she pulled it off and set it on the ground. At least it's not my expensive one.
Kit barked happily, planting her front paws on his knees and nuzzling him excitedly, her tongue lolling out.
While Blair glanced around, she tried to spot familiar faces. She could have sworn she's seen the elven eared ginger before, somewhere. And then she recognized Colby as he was deposited not to far away. Kyle and Cam and...Kipp!
Her texts had gone unresponded for the most part, and it had worried her, but he seemed perfectly fine. He was speaking to Cam and she didn't interrupt, so she leaned down towards Take. "Do you recognize any of these other people?"

 

[Rubysword]

Haddie rolled over. And over. She writhed in her downy bed, landing in a position with her legs sticking above her and her head sticking to the side, like a dog you've played with until he begins to nearly enter a stupor. She let out a sigh, a bit of a prrrrrt was more what it sounded like, and lay still for a few seconds before shifting again, this time to her side, and curling up into a ball. It might be worth mentioning that she was a mouse at this point. Suddenly, she heard something. The start of new sounds. Nothing huge, like a banging or ripping, just the entrance of new noises, all at once. She raised her head and sniffed, cocking her head curiously. She hopped down from the couch, the one piece of furniture not covered in lab equipment, and shifted into a golden retriever, shaking herself vigorously to wake up. She stretched, then trotted towards her half open window-she liked sleeping in the cold. She jumped out of the window onto the fire escape and trotted down into the alley, where she saw a tear in our world, hidden behind a garbage can. No way I am going in there. Nope. Still, there was something familiar about those sounds, and that smell. She closed her eyes and sniffed. Izat a cat? Wait... Rylie???!!? She was interrupted from her ruminations by growls coming from behind her. Two mutts began circling towards her. A teenager had his phone out and was urging them on. Well... crap. She let out a half hearted growl back, but her bravado failed her as the smaller one lunged at her. Without another thought, she turned tail and ran through the portal. To her dismay, the two mutts followed her. She sprinted through the woods, but soon one of the dogs caught up and grabbed her hind leg. She let out a whimper-bark, trying to free her leg. This is not how I wanted to spend tonight.

 

[Yowza Wowza]

He felt real.
He certainly felt real. The warmth of his hands and the gentleness of his kiss. And his laugh when he knelt down beside Kit was something her mind couldn't mimick. Though, her dreams had felt so vivid lately, so vivid she would text him in the middle of the night just to make sure he was alright.
Blair grinned, however, at Kit's excitement. "I missed you, too." She murmured, and when she realized that she might just die inside her heavy winter coat, she pulled it off and set it on the ground. At least it's not my expensive one.
Kit barked happily, planting her front paws on his knees and nuzzling him excitedly, her tongue lolling out.
While Blair glanced around, she tried to spot familiar faces. She could have sworn she's seen the elven eared ginger before, somewhere. And then she recognized Colby as he was deposited not to far away. Kyle and Cam and...Kipp!
Her texts had gone unresponded for the most part, and it had worried her, but he seemed perfectly fine. He was speaking to Cam and she didn't interrupt, so she leaned down towards Take. "Do you recognize any of these other people?"

Take beamed at Kit, feeding her neverending need for affection as he scratched behind her ears. It distracted him from the fact they all appeared in the middle of a forest with numerous portals floating about them. He glanced up at her, Blair if I was short and you were leaning down to talk to me like that.. “Uh..” he looked towards the new faces, “Yeah no. I don’t recognize any of them..” he answered her. He gave Kit one last head scratch before standing up, patting off all the hair that she shedded onto him. So.. there’s Colby... Cam, Kyle, Kipp.. Claire? From the group last year..

 

[FrankieDoodle]

"Yep." Lilith laughed, giving Tru a scratch on the head. "So, you got any other animals, or just chickens?" She asked, looking closer at their surroundings.

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, I have lots of animals. I sorta own a farm. What about you?” He asked.

I look pretty? Heat rose beneath Cam’s cheeks. ”Thank you!” she managed to squeak out. ”You too!” And internally facepalmed.
”No, not everyone is here,” she said. ”I don't know a whole lot of these people, admittedly.” she waved a hand at the teens gathered on the limestone platform.

”I don't know, maybe they followed us through the hole?”
Kyle glanced at the swirling void. ”Either way, I don't think we can get back and that guy is probably sending his chickens to Africa or something right now,” he said, sticking a thumb at Kevin.

Clary sighed. “Great. At least the when it happened in September there was coffee.” She snorted at Kyle’s comment. “So, what happened to you and Rylie after the coffee shop closed down?” She asked.
Kevin couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. “Afri-? Oh!” His eyes widened and he reached through the portal and feeling around until he grabbed one of the shivering chicks, keeping it warm in his large hands.

 

[Rubysword]

Haddie tried to yank her leg out of the dog's, who looked like a pit bull mix, mouth, but only succeeded in helping his teeth tear into her skin. She yelped as the other dog, a weathered old dog who may have had a bit of German shepherd, caught up with them. She barked at the pit bull, telling him to let go and let her have some fun. He growled as an answer. Haddie took their distraction to tear herself away and started running again, towards the sound of voices in the trees. The dogs immediately stopped their argument and started chasing her again, gaining much more quickly due to her injury. The three of them burst into a clearing full of people. Haddie stopped. Plant girl? Tiny dude? Fox boy? And... fox girl??!? She didn't have much time to take in the friendly faces before both dogs jumped on her again.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Haddie rolled over. And over. She writhed in her downy bed, landing in a position with her legs sticking above her and her head sticking to the side, like a dog you've played with until he begins to nearly enter a stupor. She let out a sigh, a bit of a prrrrrt was more what it sounded like, and lay still for a few seconds before shifting again, this time to her side, and curling up into a ball. It might be worth mentioning that she was a mouse at this point. Suddenly, she heard something. The start of new sounds. Nothing huge, like a banging or ripping, just the entrance of new noises, all at once. She raised her head and sniffed, cocking her head curiously. She hopped down from the couch, the one piece of furniture not covered in lab equipment, and shifted into a golden retriever, shaking herself vigorously to wake up. She stretched, then trotted towards her half open window-she liked sleeping in the cold. She jumped out of the window onto the fire escape and trotted down into the alley, where she saw a tear in our world, hidden behind a garbage can. No way I am going in there. Nope. Still, there was something familiar about those sounds, and that smell. She closed her eyes and sniffed. Izat a cat? Wait... Rylie???!!? She was interrupted from her ruminations by growls coming from behind her. Two mutts began circling towards her. A teenager had his phone out and was urging them on. Well... crap. She let out a half hearted growl back, but her bravado failed her as the smaller one lunged at her. Without another thought, she turned tail and ran through the portal. To her dismay, the two mutts followed her. She sprinted through the woods, but soon one of the dogs caught up and grabbed her hind leg. She let out a whimper-bark, trying to free her leg. This is not how I wanted to spend tonight.

Take beamed at Kit, feeding her neverending need for affection as he scratched behind her ears. It distracted him from the fact they all appeared in the middle of a forest with numerous portals floating about them. He glanced up at her, Blair if I was short and you were leaning down to talk to me like that.. “Uh..” he looked towards the new faces, “Yeah no. I don’t recognize any of them..” he answered her. He gave Kit one last head scratch before standing up, patting off all the hair that she shedded onto him. So.. there’s Colby... Cam, Kyle, Kipp.. Claire? From the group last year..

Haddie tried to yank her leg out of the dog's, who looked like a pit bull mix, mouth, but only succeeded in helping his teeth tear into her skin. She yelped as the other dog, a weathered old dog who may have had a bit of German shepherd, caught up with them. She barked at the pit bull, telling him to let go and let her have some fun. He growled as an answer. Haddie took their distraction to tear herself away and started running again, towards the sound of voices in the trees. The dogs immediately stopped their argument and started chasing her again, gaining much more quickly due to her injury. The three of them burst into a clearing full of people. Haddie stopped. Plant girl? Tiny dude? Fox boy? And... fox girl??!? She didn't have much time to take in the friendly faces before both dogs jumped on her again.

Kit jumped off of him, sitting at her owner's side. However, she could tell that her owner was anxious, for her fingers dug into her scruff. She was rather confused when her owner took off, growling at another group of dogs.
Blair had rushed forward when a golden retriever burst through the clearing, being chased by two larger dogs that quickly gained up to her. She wondered if it may have been Haddie, but didn't stop to ask.
"Back off," she snarled, eye glowering as she loomed over the dogs. The two stopped, staring at her and shrinking back. "No. Leave her alone."

 

[RiverStorm]

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, I have lots of animals. I sorta own a farm. What about you?” He asked.



Clary sighed. “Great. At least the when it happened in September there was coffee.” She snorted at Kyle’s comment. “So, what happened to you and Rylie after the coffee shop closed down?” She asked.
Kevin couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. “Afri-? Oh!” His eyes widened and he reached through the portal and feeling around until he grabbed one of the shivering chicks, keeping it warm in his large hands.

Lilith shrugged, watching as he grabbed one of the chicks, before also reaching into the portal and grabbing its sibling which he had previously plopped down next to it. "Just me and Tru in my apartment, try'na work up as much money as a photographer to move out to the countryside." She said, tightly gripping Tru's leash in her metallic hand and gently holding the little golden chick in the flesh one.
"Since the portals are shifting, seems like there's no way we can just step back to our respective homes..." She sighed, staring at the rips in space. "Great, bunch'a strangers stuck in a dark forest. This'll end well."

 

[Rose Quartz]

I look pretty? Heat rose beneath Cam’s cheeks. ”Thank you!” she managed to squeak out. ”You too!” And internally facepalmed.
”No, not everyone is here,” she said. ”I don't know a whole lot of these people, admittedly.” she waved a hand at the teens gathered on the limestone platform.

”I don't know, maybe they followed us through the hole?”
Kyle glanced at the swirling void. ”Either way, I don't think we can get back and that guy is probably sending his chickens to Africa or something right now,” he said, sticking a thumb at Kevin.

I'm.... pretty? Kipp eyed Cam with a sideways glance, not sure how to respond to that. He looked down at the blaze orange bird shoes encasing his toes. She probably just didn't know what to say either. But so much for taking my sweater off, I'll just have to suffer.
"Who's Noah?" He asked trying to change the subject.

Haddie tried to yank her leg out of the dog's, who looked like a pit bull mix, mouth, but only succeeded in helping his teeth tear into her skin. She yelped as the other dog, a weathered old dog who may have had a bit of German shepherd, caught up with them. She barked at the pit bull, telling him to let go and let her have some fun. He growled as an answer. Haddie took their distraction to tear herself away and started running again, towards the sound of voices in the trees. The dogs immediately stopped their argument and started chasing her again, gaining much more quickly due to her injury. The three of them burst into a clearing full of people. Haddie stopped. Plant girl? Tiny dude? Fox boy? And... fox girl??!? She didn't have much time to take in the friendly faces before both dogs jumped on her again.

A bloody golden retriever dashed out of the trees it's bright blue eyes staring up at them in a panic. Haddie? Two large dogs bounded through the trees behind her, and suddenly there was a mound of growling and snapping fur and teeth in front of them.
"HEY!" He shouted, grabbing the pit bull by the wrinkled loose skin of its neck and punching it in the face. The dog turned, snarling and snapping it's teeth at him. "Leave her alone!" The dog twisted grabbing Kipps forearm in it's teeth and biting down. He clenched his teeth in pain, "NO. BAD DOG! DROP IT!" He growled as forcefully as he could muster, hitting it over the head a couple more times. He wasn't even sure if these were real dogs or people, but it was worth a shot.

Kit jumped off of him, sitting at her owner's side. However, she could tell that her owner was anxious, for her fingers dug into her scruff. She was rather confused when her owner took off, growling at another group of dogs.
Blair had rushed forward when a golden retriever burst through the clearing, being chased by two larger dogs that quickly gained up to her. She wondered if it may have been Haddie, but didn't stop to ask.
"Back off," she snarled, eye glowering as she loomed over the dogs. The two stopped, staring at her and shrinking back. "No. Leave her alone."

At Blair's arrival the pit bull let go, to cower next to it's companion.

Kylan stared at her, immediately deciding that he did not like this girl. "Look, no one here knows where we are, or why we're here." He snapped, glowering at her. "I'm just trying to find my little brother. So stop acting like you're the only one in this predicament!"

"Why would I be-" She was cut off by Aella.

Instead of crying out in pain, Aella merely grimaced for a moment, bending and rubbing her shin. She straightened, and just laughed at the girls growl.
She stepped forward until she could loom over the smaller girl. "No one's going to notice, kid. Aliens. Wipe people's memories. Or..." she pressed a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Alternate timeline?" She glanced at Kylan, then back at Juliana. "Who knows. Anyway, police didn't find me here, they aren't gonna find you either."

"Aliens?" She paused to look back up at Kylan skeptically. "You're all insane!" She she stepped away from them wide eyed, bumping into Kevin, who was pulling chicks out of a portal. She stared up at him overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation. THIS is insane. All of this. This isn't real. This can't be real!
"Out of my way!" She yelled slamming her hand into his ribs as she stormed past.

 

[Rubysword]

Kit jumped off of him, sitting at her owner's side. However, she could tell that her owner was anxious, for her fingers dug into her scruff. She was rather confused when her owner took off, growling at another group of dogs.
Blair had rushed forward when a golden retriever burst through the clearing, being chased by two larger dogs that quickly gained up to her. She wondered if it may have been Haddie, but didn't stop to ask.
"Back off," she snarled, eye glowering as she loomed over the dogs. The two stopped, staring at her and shrinking back. "No. Leave her alone."

Haddie was curled up in a ball when the two dogs left her. She raised her head cautiously and looked out at all of the people-some familiar faces, some new ones. She carefully stopd up, limped to a tree, collapsed, and shifted back into a human. "Thanks for the help." She said, wincing ad she touched her ribs and her hand came away with blood. She looked around. "Anyone know what's going on?"