ninception | (no subject)

(no subject)

[To say Sam Porter Bridges has seen some shit would be a gross underestimation. He's seen so much shit, he didn't think anything could possible faze him anymore. Gigantic whale BTs, impossibly tall humanoid Extinction Entities? Four of those fucking lions that Higgs had sent after him, all charging him at once?

Yeah. He's seen a lot.

Too much.

Which is why, when he wakes up in an unfamiliar room, in a house that is absolutely not underground to protect a guy from Timefall, it takes him a solid minute to realize something has happened, and that something leads him straight into a blind panic.

He's exposed, in what might be one of the most dangerous places to be, and to make matters worse, he has no idea where his daughter is.]

Lou? Louise?!

[She's an infant, she can't respond. But that doesn't stop him from rushing down the hallway, to find Lou in her crib. She's in a onesie with strange cartoons on it, but he doesn't care right now. She's here, she's here. The shouting is enough to wake her, and she wails noisily as Sam scoops her tiny body into his arms.]

Shh, shh, shh. It's all right. I'm here, babygirl. I'm here.

[He doesn't know where he is, why he's here, or how he got here. But that doesn't matter. Lou is here.]

Everything's okay.

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[ You know, when he'd woken up in this strange house with two red and white balls clipped into a belt on the little wooden desk, he hadn't thought too much of it. It's not the afterlife he'd expected, mostly because it's the afterlife he shouldn't have. Then again.... who knows where you go when you die on a beach?

Could be someone's taken pity on him, which honestly pisses him off. Like he needs anyone's fucking pity--but that's just an assumption, ain't it? Who the hell knows what's going in here?

Certainly not Higgs... and certainly not the baby that's crying its little heart and lungs out.

Make that a second mystery.

What he does, for a little while as he ignores the infant, is press the buttons on those balls. And to his surprise, two... creatures? emerge. Both similar yet different, and Higgs likes them already. They've got masks just like he does, and they're kind of creepy, the way they float around, but he likes that.

Still has no goddamn clue what's going on, but at least he's got a couple of buddies.

And aside from the two weird critters, he thinks he's alone... which bothers him in some way he can't put his finger on. So he ignores it--until he hears another voice. Immediately, just like that, his day improves and worsens all in one. So Higgs does what Higgs does best: He goes to menace Sam.

Sam wouldn't be blamed for not noticing the guy; for such a big dude, he moves quietly. For a while he just watches. It's several minites before he finally deigns to speak. ]

Awww, that's a real touchin' picture, Sam.

[If Sam has any strange objects clipped to a belt in his room, he hasn't noticed. He has too much of a one-track mind, and after months of carrying his own daughter in a BB pod, it's really not a shock he'd immediately go looking for her, upon finding himself in a strange shelter that somehow isn't one large room.]

Higgs.

[He wraps both arms protectively around Lou.]

How the fuck did you get here?

Edited 2020-03-09 19:30 (UTC)

Awww, is that really any way to greet an old friend, Sammy? After all the moments we've shared together? All those good times?

[ The creatures that've been floating around Higgs's head decide they're curious about Lou... and float right on over. Clearly, they have no concept of personal space, because they're extremely close to the kid.

That's probably comforting, isn't it? ]

Friend?

[Sam's tone is so derisive it borders on a snarl.

And, of course, he's going to do what Sam does best: try to punch the damn ghost monsters that seem to have no sense of boundaries. Not that that's a shock, since they're hanging around Higgs.]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down there!

[ The ghosts get downright freaked out... but luckily, they don't attack. Instead, they make a beeline right back to Higgs, who pats them... well, on the objects they're carrying. It's hard to pat a ghost. ]

They're just curious, no need to get so riled up.

[ At least someone sounds like he's having fun. ]

[The poor Pokemon do not deserve this.]

What the hell are they?

[ The biggest shrug. ]

Wish I could say I've got all the answers, but I'm 'bout as lost as you.

[ But also, he's looking at them like they're the most amazing things? ]

You always try to attack critters you don't know, Sammy?

They were too close to Lou.

[He says this like it's the most reasonable thing in the world.

Lou is, thankfully, not crying anymore, but he is absolutely protecting the tiny baby.]

Riiiight, right. Not surprised you came together.

[ Meanwhile, Higgs has no baby to take care of.

Tragic. ]

[Yeah, Sam says absolutely nothing to that.

He's already trying to shove past Higgs back to the room he woke up in.]

[ And no one blamed him.

Higgs is absolutely going to follow him, though. He's hovering far too close, but what's new about that? ]

You got a couple of these guys, Sammy? Round out this nice little friend group of ours?

[Of course Higgs follows him.

Higgs apparently spent the last several months following him. And took pictures. And put the pictures up on his wall. What the hell is Sam's life. He's just a deliveryman for God's sake.]

A couple of what? I didn't wake up with any weird animals in my room.

[ This is just your life, Sam. Isn't it grand? At least someone's enjoying this.

And, clearly, he likes having a leg up on Sam. He grins and unclips one of the balls at his belt before tossing it up into the air. He catches it--and does that a couple more times. ]

Came in these things. Not sure how they go on and fit in 'em, but they don't seem too miffed.

Right.

[Is it obvious Sam doesn't believe him? Because he definitely doesn't.

So obviously he's going to continue to ignore Higgs as he makes his way to the bedroom, still holding Lou protectively.

And look at that, there on the dresser sure is one of those weird balls Higgs pointed out. So obviously he's going to poke at it, and it had better not be one of those freaky things...

And that sure is a gigantic dinosaur that only just manages to not hit the ceiling.]

Holy shit!

[ And when Higgs sees it, he lets out a low whistle. ]

Hot damn!

[ Sam might be losing his mind, but Higgs is absolutely loving this. ]

Looks like they come in all shapes and sizes! And look at that, Sammy, it's got a kiddo just like you!

[Apparently this entire world is absolutely insane, because as soon as Higgs points out her baby, the Kangaskhan makes a loud, happy noise.

Lou is very much a preemie, so he is definitely not holding her out to the gigantic dinosaur with a kangaroo pouch, but when it snuffles at him and Lou, it manages to get some of the tension in his back to ease.]

...You're a gentle girl, aren't you?

Awww, ain't that precious?

[ Aren't you lucky, Sam, because you get to deal with this for the foreseeable future. ]

The start of a beautiful friendship, am I right?

[He just. Stares at Higgs, incredibly annoyed.]

Do you ever shut up?

Not a fan of my dulcet tones, Sammy?

[ Translation: Absolutely not. ]

Christ.

[So obviously he's going to do that thing that he's pretty sure pisses Higgs off more than anything else. He completely ignores him in favor of the dinosaur.]

What's your name?

[The Kangaskhan makes some sort of incoherent noise, which Sam interprets as a reply.]

...You don't have one? How's Bonnie?

[That earns a happy noise, and a glance down at the baby dinosaur in her pouch.]

Doesn't have one either, huh? How about Max?

[ What the fuck, Sam? ]

Ignorin' a man who's just tryin' to be friends ain't the polite thing to do, Sammy.

[ he's like, five seconds away from knocking shit off surfaces ]

[Sorry, still ignoring you.

Sam reaches out instead to pet Bonnie, who makes a happy little rumble, nudging his hand with one of her enormous claws.]

Now that's just rude.

[ What does it feel like to have a Yamask just like, swoop right through you? Higgs doesn't know, but it's probably unpleasant. You're welcome, Sam. ]

[Well, he was having a good time talking to his dinosaur kangaroo, and then he suddenly feels like he just stepped inside of a freezer.]

What the fuck was that?!

[He spins around to stare at Higgs, because of course Higgs would send his creepy ghosts after him.]

You think lil ol' me sicced these fellas on you?

[ He's completely unconvincing, and he's at least aware that he is. ]

They've got a mind of their own--can't help it if they wanna get to know you!