Oak Forest Outskirts - Overlander Overboard

[Leda]

Twigs snapping and leaves rustling around her feet, Rouge gingerly treaded along the beaten path just outside of her home, Meadowood Village. Her hands clasped together behind her back just below her tightly tucked wings, and her eyes scanned the ground carefully, apparently in search of something.

[Jamie Lee]

Rob walked along silently beside her, idly twirling one of his arrows through his fingers. He glanced over at the bat and noticed the intent look on her face as her eyes darted about "Lose something milady?"

[Leda]

At that moment the bat paused to kneel next to some foliage, poking amongst the underbrush carefully. "No, nothing's lost," she softly replied. "Just looking for more stones..." Rouge let out a short sigh; apparently the stop hadn't yeilded her any treasures. She glanced briefly at the hedgehog as they resumed the walking pace. "The noise earlier was awfully loud..." she commented at length.

[Jamie Lee]

The hedgehog's eyes glanced down where the bat was looking. Seeing her come up with nothing he began glancing around the ground himself "Manic was blasting that bloody music of his. I don't think there's a soul in the village who couldn't have heard it," he took to scratching the side of his head with the arrow's tip and sighed "Bean put an end to it, thankfully, though his methods were less than preferable. You know how he likes to solve his problems."

[DB]

And although not an unusual stone, not far from view was an alarming sight- a crumpled figure lying collapsed on the ground. The strangeness of this event was only furthered by the fact that the figure was rather large compared to the average Mobian… and not to mention seemingly nearly completely furless (though with rather striking red skin, actually), but seeing as the figure was wearing a great deal of black clothing it was hard to be sure. The figure’s face was obscured, partially by an arm and partially by the ground, as they were more or less lying face down in the dirt.

[Leda]

Rouge continued on in her meandering search, then stopped with a startled gasp as she rounded one of the large oak trees her home was known for. There was a large creature in the middle of the path ahead, apparently unconscious. The bat blinked once and slowly let her breath back out, creeping cautiously toward the prone figure. He was clearly still breathing... but also clearly not a thrope. Kneeling next to what she quickly realized was a young overlander, Rouge's lips pressed into a thin line. "This... is not a rock*."


((*Raki wanted me to use this line, and I couldn't think of anything any better. X3))

[Jamie Lee]

"... Certainly not," Rob said with a moment of hesitation as he placed the arrow back into it's case. He crouched down beside the prone human and gave him a firm nudge "Ah... sir? Are you alright?"

[DB]

At being nudged, the figure moved a bit, but not by much. Apparently they were a bit out of it.

"Sun... trying to kill me..."

Yeah. Definitely out of it.

[Leda]

"He's got heat stroke," Rouge observed, gently rubbing his back. "He needs nourishment, and a cooler environment." The bat latched her arms beneath the human's shoulder and lifted him up as much as she could.

[Jamie Lee]

"Aye," he agreed, grabbing him from the opposite side, the hedgehog hefted the larger body to the best of his ability "Get him to one of the elevators. He'll be easier to take care of if he can get him into the village."

[Leda]

Grunting with effort, Rouge helped Rob half-carry, half-drag the young overlander back to the outer limits of their tree-borne village. Upon reaching the nearest elevator, the bat pulled the lever and then leaned on her knees to pant. "Whew..."

[Jamie Lee]

Rob huffed and leaned against a tree for a moment, hand placed over his heart as the log platform that served as the elevator wheeled it's way down.
"Phew, heavy one, isn't he," he stated the obvious he pushed himself off and stretched his back untill it popped. With a loud exhale he moved back and grabbed the human in the same place he had carried him earlier "Alright then, almost there..." he said moreso to himself then to Rouge as the two hoisted the boy onto the platform and propped him up against the railing. Content that all was secure, Rob stepped over and began working the pulley ropes (with some strained effort) and began lifting the group toward the village.

[Leda]

"Don't strain yourself," Rouge panted wearily, taking her place next to Rob and assisting him with the pulleys. With their combined effort, the pair eventually managed to get the elevator level with the lowest platform of their arial village. As the bat and the hedgehog resumed their struggle to move the unconscious overlander, Rouge mumbled, "I hope no one reacts too strongly to him..."

[Jamie Lee]

"If anyone has a problem, they can write them down and sit on them. His condition is top priority right now."

[DB]

The Overlander stirred in two's grasp, slowly regaining consciousness.

Dizzy- Very dizzy, lightheaded, and even nauseous. Not to mention his skin stung like it was on fire. Yes, it was official, Nik did not like the sun, he did not like it at all.

And yet, he was incredibly relieved, for as he slowly came back to consciousness he could hear voices speaking and felt others around him. Finally! Other people! Obviously someone noticed he was gone from home and had wandered to the surface to find him, and thankfully, they had! His nightmare was over and he'd never have to feel the sun's wrath again, and he could back to air-conditioned paradise and eat pizza all day!

Or so he thought, until his vision cleared.

People? No. Not people. Animals, or something like them. One covered in sharp spines and the other with demonic-looking wings and enormous ears, both with rodent like faces, and both standing on two legs and speaking as humans would.

He'd heard of things like this, and he'd never thought he'd actually ever come across them- Beasts!

Horrible, savage Beasts! One of the many reasons that humans such as himself left the surface, to be away from these primitive and vile things!

His nightmare hadn’t ended, it’d just gotten worse, and now these, these monsters were probably dragging him off to their… their… nest or something… and then eat him!

THE HORROR.

So Nik did the only logical thing.

He screamed like a ninny and made a run for it.

[Leda]

The bat's ears drooped as she watched the overlander scurry down the boardwalk. All that effort, and they'd lost him. Although from the sound of it he'd be easy to find; just follow the girly shriek. Letting out a weary sigh, Rouge began the trek after Nik.

[Jamie Lee]

The hedgehog just watched him somewhat blankly, then sighed heavily and began messaging his temple as he followed after Rouge "... And after I just finish telling Manic about his absurd racket."