The second star to the right

[mypartnerintime]

Who: Max, OPEN, and Chloe
Where: All over Neverland
When: Up to about halfway through the event
Rating: Idk PG-13?
Summary: Max explores the island, intent on finding Chloe- and actually succeeds.
The Story:

[A. She woke up on the beach | OPEN]

This is too much like another vision.

Max wakes up on the beach, cheek pressed against the wet sand, warm water lapping at her shoes. Adrenaline fills her the moment her eyes flutter open, and very quickly she's on her feet, wiping sand from her face. She still has her bag: camera, device, Oregon phone, journal, some snacks, pepper spray... good enough. This is another event, of course. They'd all been expecting one.

A nearby forest looms over her and she stares at it with trepidation, biting her lip. All of her reasoning tells her she can't stay on the beach. She needs to find other people, or water and food, or shelter. But the trees seem so dark, the spaces between them like black veils hiding unknown and unknowable things...

She tries to use the device multiple times but Chloe never responds. She's not even sure the calls are connecting on Chloe's end. Her gaze switches back and forth between the forest and the sea, which seems to stretch on forever into a dark and starless horizon. There's only one place to go.

She makes her way toward the forest, clutching nervously at her Oregon phone, the built-in flashlight shining meekly into the foliage. Finally, with one last deep breath, she calls out loudly.

"Hello?"

And determined, she pushes past the border and into the woods, flashlight swinging left and right as she warily scans her surroundings. She has to find her best friend, after all.


[B. Don't you forget about me | CLOSED to Chloe]

It's been days. She's met people here and there, and she's taken to regularly checking the network, too. But none of those strange kids ever seem to reply to anyone- and she's pretty sure by now that Chloe's in the same sort of state.

But after all this time, Max still feels no closer to finding her best friend- her girlfriend. And who knows what sort of terrible things might be happening...

But at some point, her flashlight crosses over a break in the trees, and she spots a girl. She quickly covers the light, crouching down to hide herself, hands shaking slightly. It looked like Chloe- that brownish blonde hair, so reminiscent of their childhood days.

Could Max have possibly found her, by sheer luck and tenacity? And is Chloe still safe?

Max closes her eyes for a moment and begs herself to be brave. Then she calls out in the dark, a low whisper in the otherwise quiet woods.

"Chloe?"

[Will match any format!]

Comments

B; closed

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe hears a voice, one that is both familiar and strange.

She absolutely hates that voice. So it's no wonder that she turns on the spot, slingshot loaded and aimed. Chloe hasn't heard that voice in so long, even before she followed Pan's music to Neverland. The voice is haunting, a reminder of the past she left in Arcadia, of the people who left her.

Chloe hates how Max had to move to Seattle when she needed her the most. Chloe hates Max period.

But she's there. Max Caulfield is right there, looking a little older than most of the kids in Neverland. And in an instant, Chloe knows she's not from around here. Anger starts to bubble when she sees her, just standing there, still looking totally clueless about the world.

Chloe raises her weapon. "What the hell are you doing here?"

[mypartnerintime]

Max freezes the moment Chloe turns to look at her. Then she stands fully, hand picking at nearby tree in nervousness.

It's only Chloe. Her best friend in all the world would never hurt her, right?

...If they even are friends, in Chloe's mind. "I came to find you." She eyes the slingshot in the other girl's hand and feels nervous, but not quite afraid. In fact the sight of Chloe, so young again, fills her with a strong melancholy.

"It's me, Max, your... your partner in time." She resists the urge to step forward. "Do you remember me?"

[mypartnerincrime]

She aims the slingshot a little higher. What a stupid question to ask. "Of course I remember you, Max Caulfield. You're the girl who ditched her best friend for the city."

Chloe continues to look at the other girl, making sure to not let her out of her sight. Yet at the same time, she wants nothing more than to run away from Max and never see her again.

"Why are you even looking for me? I thought you left me for good." And did Max really think that Chloe wants to be found? There's nothing left for her outside of Neverland. No William, no Bonggo... no Max-- even if she's standing in front of her. Even if Max decides to come back now, things will never go back to the way they were. She can never forgive Max for leaving her.

[mypartnerintime]

Max's gaze flicks to the slingshot for a moment, then back to Chloe's face. She picks more nervously at the tree, ripping off little pieces of bark.

Of course, Wonderland just had to remove from Chloe's mind everything that happened after the two of them separated. Max wants to say that she never wanted to leave Chloe, that Seattle was nothing, but that would be a lie- it was big and bright, full of art...

And Arcadia Bay was full of the memory of William, and Chloe's constant need for comforting words...

"Not for good, Chloe. I'll never forgive myself for that- for never even calling you." And that's the truth. Max will always have to deal with the idea of how much shit she put Chloe through. "But I promised that I wouldn't leave you alone, and I'm here now. Forever. I swear."

[mypartnerincrime]

For a while, Chloe doesn't move or say anything. Still aiming the slingshot at her, Chloe ponders over Max's words and her attempts to comfort her.

Then slowly, she lowers her slingshot, and speaks out loudly, so Max can hear her clearly and not mistake what she's about to say.

"I don't care. You're too late." Because she is, Max is too late. She wasn't there when Chloe needed her. And now, Chloe doesn't need her anymore.

So instead of wasting her time asking why Max left her, Chloe just turns to leave.

[mypartnerintime]

Wha- no no. Chloe can't just leave, not after Max spent literally days looking for her to make sure she's okay. All these Lost Ones are a dangerous bunch and she doesn't want Chloe to spend another day with them.

And for god's sake, Chloe belongs with her, not some dark, dangerous forest!

"Chloe, wait!" She strides forward through the underbrush, but slows down as the various twigs catch on her pants. She kicks forcefully, trying to catch up to Chloe. She is not too late. She won't accept that. "Please-... I can explain everything to you. Just- just listen!"

A

[mourning_ghost]

[Nageki is curious by the light, far brighter than anything he's seen in five years. His own lantern, which he keeps carefully lit, is the brightest thing he's seen for five years. With the darkness and his limited knowledge of humans, he can only guess that she's an adult by the fact he hasn't seen her at the campfire.

Peter has warned him how adults are and Nageki has every reason to believe it. Before Peter saved him, Nageki was all alone. Everybirdie ignored him even when he stood right next to them. He'd had no parents; no family or friends at all. An adult like Max would make him return to that lonely existence. She has to leave.

While Nageki is not the best fighter of the Lost Ones, but he's played with them for five years. He knows how to fight and he carries throwing stones with him.

The adult unwittingly lets him know where to aim with her flashlight. He keeps his eyes on it so that he'll know when she spots him - with his lantern, he can't see her overlooking him - and takes aim. He gives a mournful coo. The sound isn't loud but it carries well. Then he throws one of his stones at her with all his might. He frowns when he hears it thud against a tree instead. But maybe that is enough to make his point?]

Go away. [he says coolly and takes another stone into his free wing.]

[mypartnerintime]

[The moment Max hears the thud of something striking the tree next to her, she ducks behind another tree. Thank god she's thin enough to hide behind these things...

She gasps, wide-eyed, hiding her flashlight behind one hand, so as not to give away her hiding spot. She frantically tries to make out the object that fell near her, to see if it's some sort of weapon, but everything is so dark.

There was some sort of bird call right before it happened and- and she thinks she recognizes that voice.]

Nageki? [She calls out in the dark, listening.]

[mourning_ghost]

...!

[He freezes, eyes narrowing, as he keeps his eyes on the last place he saw the light.]

Who told you my name? [he asks slowly.]

[mypartnerintime]

You did. [At least he's not throwing things anymore. Finally her eyes begin to adjust to the lack of light and she's able to make out that he had thrown a rock. That's not too bad...]

We're friends. You just don't remember. But the Nageki I know... wouldn't hurt me.

[mourning_ghost]

[Does she think he's so stupid that he'd fall for such an obvious lie? If she were a bird it would be at least somewhat somewhat believable.]

We aren't friends. You aren't even supposed to be here.

[mypartnerintime]

I don't want to be here. [Max mumbles to herself, a little annoyed. She can't help everyone, but she has to at least make sure Nageki is doing alright during the event.]

...Are you actually happy here?

A

[punful]

[He doesn't go near the beach very often. It's too far from the spring. It's not wise to wander too far from the spring, but...the spring has been more dangerous than usual lately. Adults keep showing up, or bullies, which are just about as bad. So maybe he's kind of pushing it, being this far away, and he's feeling it as a sort of thin feeling in his marrow. But it's fine. It's not bad yet, and he just needs some time to get his head together. That's all.]

[He's walking along the forest floor, angling his way back toward one of the good climbing trees, thinking maybe he'll just go take a nap. Then he sees light bobbing toward him. Someone with a torch? He squints and ducks behind a bush to see who it is.]

[It's...a kid. A little older than most of the Lost Ones, but still in the right age range. He doesn't know everyone on the island, so maybe they're just new.]

[They're heading toward him, so he stands up and watches them approach. If they turn out to be mean, he can just hightail it into a tree. He's still doing alright from his last trip to the spring.]

hello?

[mypartnerintime]

[Max jerks her light toward the voice she hears, stopping dead in her tracks before finally catching sight of the skeleton.] Sans! [She takes a few thoughtless steps forward, so glad to see a familiar face. One that isn't throwing things at her, anyway.

She isn't sure how much Sans would help her, but she likes to think he'd do something.

Then she stumbles to a stop. Looks at him warily. Runs a hand across her forehead.

He's not the Sans she normally knows, is he?]

[punful]

[She calls out his name and he takes a few steps back, eyesockets going wide. He doesn't know her; she's a complete stranger.]

[He's definitely not the Sans she knows normally. He's a whole foot shorter and much younger. He's wearing a ratty, threadbare, too-big jacket that might have once been blue but is now more gray and brown than anything.]

h-how do you know my name?

[mypartnerintime]

[This is the second time she's been asked that question. She looks over his clothes, his size (smaller than the already small Sans), his wide-eyed, unrecognizing expression. She lowers her light so as not to blind him, but she appears disappointed.]

You don't remember me, Sans. We're friends.

[Friends. She pauses, unsure.]

Do you know someone named Chloe?

[punful]

[He doesn't remember her? That...that makes no sense. His memory is one of the good things about him. Pretty good, at least. She's not from the Underground. There's no way she was in the Underground.]

[He takes another step back.]

...i don't know you...

[It's a trick of some kind. Maybe she's...maybe she's just an illusion. A hallucination. They happen all the time.]

[The name is familiar. He's pretty sure there's a Lost One here with that name, though he doesn't know her well. She's older, and tough.]

never heard of her. anyway, i don't hafta tell you anything.

[mypartnerintime]

You do know me. I swear. You have a brother named Pa-... [God, why does she have to be so bad at names? Come on, it's a font right?] ... Papyrus.

[She takes a step forward, instantly regrets it. Sans is so small and she can't scare him away... he's one of the few leads she has. Otherwise she might spend the whole event wandering through the forest, starved and tired.]

And I have a partner. Her name is Chloe, and I need to find her, so please... I promised that I wouldn't leave her, Sans.

a

[thesamurai]

It's a fourteen-year-old Michonne that watches from the dense foliage. But then she curiously peeks out, narrowing her eyes a little, hand on a spear that's sharpened and laced with poison. Her first instinct isn't to actually kill anyway, but she is protective of Neverland. She still has her trademark locs, and pint-size Michonne is still incredibly well-versed in being alone and watching people creepily.

"You're not supposed to be here."

[mypartnerintime]

Max starts at the words, jumping back a step. Talk about high-strung! She jerks her flashlight this way and that, trying to find the source of the voice- and after a moment's frantic searching, catches sight of Michonne.

Oh god. Not Michonne. Max is sure she'll just flat-out lose any sort of physical confrontation here. And the tip of Michonne's spear glints menacingly in the light of Max's phone.

She can feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, the dampness of sweat on her forehead, the slight shaking of her hands.

"N-no, I... I'm looking for someone."

a;

[chocolatepudding]

He sees a light. It's shining, and not a lantern at all--Dustin hasn't seen a flashlight for a very, very long time.

At least it feels like a long time. He's not one of the older lost ones, but he's been here long enough to know how things work. He knows enough to know that adults leave them--everyone leaves. He barely remembers any of his life before, and it's better that way. He's not interested in remembering.

He's interested in that light. And that's exactly why Dustin sneaks closer to his target. He's not stealthy, but he can use the wind to cover his noisiness, because Dustin is nothing if not clever. They all are.

With a tremendous yell he jumps out of the bushes once he's close enough, spear aimed directly at her heart. Dustin can be surprisingly intimidating--or maybe that's because, at the moment, he really doesn't have a problem with stabbing the girl.

"Go away. You're not welcome here."

[mypartnerintime]

One moment Max is worrying about her supplies and how exactly she's going to get more food, and the next moment some sort of crazy child is leaping out of the bushes screaming like a banshee.

She yelps and stumbles backwards, tripping on her own feet (it couldn't even be a damn root or something, of course she trips over herself), falling painfully on her rear. Instinctively she hugs her bag closer to her side to protect the camera inside, while at the same time trying to scramble to her feet while still backing away.

"Shit-!" She glares at him, both angry and scared out of her wits. "What the fuck was that for?"

[chocolatepudding]

She scrambles and falls and, if Dustin hadn't been so apt to take her stuff, he probably would have made some sort of sarcastic remark. Ten point landing goes to Caulfield.

Now, though, he's got his spear and his knife and he wants that light, because light is useful around here. The girl's a complete sucker, anyway. Even scared, she certainly isn't intimidating in the least.

"Gimmie," he nods to the phone, "and maybe I won't kill you."

[mypartnerintime]

She glances down at the phone in her hand, then glares at him, carefully coming to her feet while backing away.

"Put down the spear," she challenges in turn, "and maybe I actually will give it to you."

Except that she won't. The light is too useful for this mission of hers. But she has to think of some way to get away from him, and currently nothing is coming to mind.

[chocolatepudding]

He has a knife. He doesn't want to give up his spear, but he likes having the idea of a flashlight so much--something to combat the darkness and, maybe, the nightmares--that he has to acquiesce somehow. He has to compromise.

It's not like he isn't completely unarmed, right? He can still get out if things get rough.
"Fine. But if you try anything, I can still kick your ass."

And, slowly, the spear is lowered.

"Now gimmie."