[log] Disappear [closed]

[thewarningafter]

Characters: Stephen, Peter, Bucky, and Steph
Location: The area that once contained building 279
Date: Morning 265
Summary: This building is pining for the fjords
Warnings: Mass confusion

[279: THIS BUILDING DOES NOT EXIST.

This looks like any place in Norfinbury that doesn't have anything there: just empty snow and rubble. When a person tries to traverse it, they will realize that they've gone around the area instead of through it after they have gone around.]

Comments

[thewarningafter]

There'll be other entrances.

[Stephen shakes his head.]

Try walking it again, maybe.

[advanced]

[He shrugs, there's no reason not to, there's still time before lockdown.]

Sure.

[Without further preamble, he turns and begins to walk the same route again, this time deliberately trying to make sure he goes in a straight line.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen watches -- even knowing what he's looking for, it's hard to see the moment when Bucky turns, but suddenly he realizes the man's been angled in a different direction for several strides.]

Stop -- there! Back from there, you turned.

[advanced]

[He stops dead in his tracks and turns back towards Stephen, brow furrowed.]

Where exactly? Feels like I'm heading straight.

[thewarningafter]

A stride ago, maybe two. Check your footprints?

[advanced]

[He glances down at his footprints and they do curve, which isn't good.]

Come here, push me towards the area I can't get into, see if I can fall into it.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen hesitates a second, then cocks his head in a shrug. He'll come up to Bucky, positioning himself where he thinks he needs to, and give him a good push...

...away from the theoretically empty space neither of them can quite perceive.]

[advanced]

[He stumbles a step, going with the shove rather than resisting it, and then rights himself to look around... and only then noticing what's happened.]

You pushed me the wrong way.

[thewarningafter]

No, you didn't --

[Stephen turns and looks -- the footprints don't lie. He stands there, looking befuddled.]

...Maybe you try pushing me.

[advanced]

Yeah, okay.

[Bucky checks the footprints first and braces himself in place, definitely facing the right way, before he even thinks to reach out to Stephen. Except when he does, he ends up pulling the man instead of pushing him.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen is anticipating the push -- not bracing against it, per se, because the point is to let it happen. He's expecting to stumble forward, though, not get yanked back. Bucky jerks him off balance, and Stephen will likely go over backward on top of him if Bucky doesn't correct for it.]

[advanced]

[He doesn't quite knock Bucky over too, but he does stumble a couple of steps before scowling at Stephen as though it was his fault.]

What the hell?!

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen scrambles to his feet as soon as he's hit the ground, heart thumping -- it's stupid; it's still just the two of them out here, but the unexpected direction has made his adrenaline kick in. He doesn't look back toward where the building should be, but keeps his attention trained on Bucky in return.]

You tell me!

[advanced]

I meant to push you, I thought that's what I was doing.

[That's at least proof, if nothing else, that this building really is doing something to repel them.]

[thewarningafter]

Yeah, well.

[He's suddenly jumpier than he was a moment ago, standing out of arm's reach. The memory of other hands on him, pulling him where he didn't want to go -- no. No, don't dwell, don't let his mind land on that.]

Psychological barrier. We're not going to get anywhere with the nanites active.

[advanced]

Yeah.

[He doesn't particularly like it either, taking a half step back away from the area they can't get into.]

Might be worth asking the Admin about.

[And by that, he means Stephen asking the Admin.]

[thewarningafter]

Sure. Yeah. I'll, uh, get on it.

[He just wants to leave at this point.]

I'm -- going. North. Have something I need to do.

[advanced]

Fine.

[And that's it, a sudden termination to their brief period of working together. Bucky turns deliberately south and starts to walk away.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen won't stop him -- indeed, he turns the other way and does the same.]