The Door-Way

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

20 hours ago, Ashkaloda said:

In an instant, the spiders freeze in their tracks, staring forward sightlessly as Kevin feels a strange presence brush against the back of his mind. 

Youuu you speak to us?

Kevin blinks. "Uh. Yes? If the alternative is being eaten, very definitely yes? Sorry for eating some of you earlier, I wasn't exactly thinking straight. You know, imminent death and all that. You want some mac'n'cheese?"

He pulls out another box, then frowns. "Where on Earth do I keep getting these from?"

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

2 hours ago, Ink and Embers said:

Kevin blinks. "Uh. Yes? If the alternative is being eaten, very definitely yes? Sorry for eating some of you earlier, I wasn't exactly thinking straight. You know, imminent death and all that. You want some mac'n'cheese?"

He pulls out another box, then frowns. "Where on Earth do I keep getting these from?"

You hurrrrrt us. You took took it from us. 

The spiders start slowly crawling towards Kevin, searing burns into the door they stood upon. 

[___ He/Him]

1 minute ago, Ashkaloda said:

You hurrrrrt us. You took took it from us. 

The spiders start slowly crawling towards Kevin, searing burns into the door they stood upon. 

The boy shoots black fire at the spiders, burning away the closest ones. "Leave him alone. He's got mac and cheese." 

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

1 minute ago, mippo said:

The boy shoots black fire at the spiders, burning away the closest ones. "Leave him alone. He's got mac and cheese." 

When the flames clear, the boy can see the spiders still standing there, entirely unaffected. As one, they turn their heads to stare at him. 

[Verdance he/him]

2 hours ago, mippo said:

The boy shoots black fire at the spiders, burning away the closest ones. "Leave him alone. He's got mac and cheese." 

Nomu cracks open a bottle of Osmosis Water, and suddenly the ocean decides to move into the Doorway.

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

21 hours ago, Ashkaloda said:

You hurrrrrt us. You took took it from us. 

The spiders start slowly crawling towards Kevin, searing burns into the door they stood upon. 

Kevin yelps. "Uh. Sorry? Can I help you get it back?" He regurgitates one slightly mangled spider as a peace offering. 

21 hours ago, mippo said:

The boy shoots black fire at the spiders, burning away the closest ones. "Leave him alone. He's got mac and cheese." 

Kevin is starting to quite like the boy, now he's apparently stopped trying to kill him. For now. Maybe. He gives the boy a thumbs up in thanks. 

18 hours ago, Verdance said:

Nomu cracks open a bottle of Osmosis Water, and suddenly the ocean decides to move into the Doorway.

Kevin wonders if he needs to write the ocean a welcome card, but as now would be a suboptimal time to do so, he just waves. Pun intended. 

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

8 minutes ago, Ink and Embers said:

Kevin yelps. "Uh. Sorry? Can I help you get it back?" He regurgitates one slightly mangled spider as a peace offering. 

Kevin is starting to quite like the boy, now he's apparently stopped trying to kill him. For now. Maybe. He gives the boy a thumbs up in thanks. 

Kevin wonders if he needs to write the ocean a welcome card, but as now would be a suboptimal time to do so, he just waves. Pun intended. 

Give it to usssss. Or we will take it frommmm from you. 

The spider shakes itself and staggers to its feet. 

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

Just now, Ashkaloda said:

Give it to usssss. Or we will take it frommmm from you. 

The spider shakes itself and staggers to its feet. 

"Give you what, exactly?" Kevin asks, holding out a box of mac'n'cheese, in case that's it.

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

2 minutes ago, Ink and Embers said:

"Give you what, exactly?" Kevin asks, holding out a box of mac'n'cheese, in case that's it.

They seem to struggle to communicate for a moment. 

Everythingggg except people and floor. Youuu you took it.  

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

Just now, Ashkaloda said:

They seem to struggle to communicate for a moment. 

Everythingggg except people and floor. Youuu you took it.  

Kevin looks alarmed. "Uh. I did? I don't think I did. Did I? Do you get amnesia from the Doorways?" He thinks for a moment, then reaches a conclusion. "Here, have some mac'n'cheese."

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

1 minute ago, Ink and Embers said:

Kevin looks alarmed. "Uh. I did? I don't think I did. Did I? Do you get amnesia from the Doorways?" He thinks for a moment, then reaches a conclusion. "Here, have some mac'n'cheese."

They shriek in rage, and suddenly the floor is coated in a seething mass of thousands of spiders, crawling shockingly fast at Kevin and with motes of purple light floating off of them. The large spider opens its mouth, breathing out a fine green mist that starts filling the Door-Way. The door that the spiders were climbing on bursts into flames, though they don't seem to notice. 

[___ He/Him]

1 hour ago, Ashkaloda said:

They shriek in rage, and suddenly the floor is coated in a seething mass of thousands of spiders, crawling shockingly fast at Kevin and with motes of purple light floating off of them. The large spider opens its mouth, breathing out a fine green mist that starts filling the Door-Way. The door that the spiders were climbing on bursts into flames, though they don't seem to notice. 

The boy snarls and grabs kevin's arm, and they reappear 20 yards down the hallway. "Those things are annoying." 

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

33 minutes ago, mippo said:

The boy snarls and grabs kevin's arm, and they reappear 20 yards down the hallway. "Those things are annoying." 

The spiders slow as if lost, then start fanning out in all directions, though most head towards Kevin and the boy still. 

Edited February 26 by Ashkaloda

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

All harmful effects stop just before injuring anyone. The Doors shake, and glowing signs appear.

No Harm Shall Be Done Within The DOOR-WAY

[___ He/Him]

1 hour ago, EmulatonStromenkiin said:

All harmful effects stop just before injuring anyone. The Doors shake, and glowing signs appear.

No Harm Shall Be Done Within The DOOR-WAY

The boy lights the nearest sign on fire.

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

1 hour ago, EmulatonStromenkiin said:

All harmful effects stop just before injuring anyone. The Doors shake, and glowing signs appear.

No Harm Shall Be Done Within The DOOR-WAY

 The firefight that happened previously. 

The spiders have somehow managed to get this far without harming anybody (unless you count psychologically), despite their best efforts. Regardless, they can neither read nor see nor would care if they could. They continue to spread forward across the many doors of the floor. 

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

18 hours ago, Ashkaloda said:

 The firefight that happened previously. 

The spiders have somehow managed to get this far without harming anybody (unless you count psychologically), despite their best efforts. Regardless, they can neither read nor see nor would care if they could. They continue to spread forward across the many doors of the floor. 

21 hours ago, mippo said:

The boy snarls and grabs kevin's arm, and they reappear 20 yards down the hallway. "Those things are annoying." 

Kevin nods uncertainly. "Uh, thank you very much," he says to the boy, still trying to remember how teleportation works. Was this the quantum physics variety or the Shardic variety or another variety from another of the Doorways?

He sincerely hoped that eating a couple of the hive mind spiders earlier hadn't counted as harm and starts quickly opening and closing Doors, hoping one will lead to somewhere...less actively attempting to murder him, then regrets this decision when one opens into an active volcano. He quickly shuts it and abandons that strategy, as for all he can tell, the spider seems patient.

He then has what might be an epiphany, or just a stressful day. "Wait. You said I stole everything. Are you talking about the Sandwich?"

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

2 hours ago, Ink and Embers said:

Kevin nods uncertainly. "Uh, thank you very much," he says to the boy, still trying to remember how teleportation works. Was this the quantum physics variety or the Shardic variety or another variety from another of the Doorways?

He sincerely hoped that eating a couple of the hive mind spiders earlier hadn't counted as harm and starts quickly opening and closing Doors, hoping one will lead to somewhere...less actively attempting to murder him, then regrets this decision when one opens into an active volcano. He quickly shuts it and abandons that strategy, as for all he can tell, the spider seems patient.

He then has what might be an epiphany, or just a stressful day. "Wait. You said I stole everything. Are you talking about the Sandwich?"

As Kevin starts to speak, the spiders all turn towards him, rushing forwards once more. The large one stays back, clicking its mandibles. 

We have us. We have doors. We have you. You took evvvverything. It’s not there there anymore. We will taaaake it from you. But but more. You will have onnnnly only doors. 

 

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

10 hours ago, Ashkaloda said:

As Kevin starts to speak, the spiders all turn towards him, rushing forwards once more. The large one stays back, clicking its mandibles. 

We have us. We have doors. We have you. You took evvvverything. It’s not there there anymore. We will taaaake it from you. But but more. You will have onnnnly only doors. 

 

"...What?" Kevin morphs back into a pigeon and hovers midair, trying to avoid the spiders on the ceiling. And floor. And walls. He also regurgitates the other spiders he'd eaten earlier, just for good measure. "Uh... would you like a hug?" That occasionally worked with Sandwich logic. The rest of the time, it got you stabbed.

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

10 hours ago, Ink and Embers said:

"...What?" Kevin morphs back into a pigeon and hovers midair, trying to avoid the spiders on the ceiling. And floor. And walls. He also regurgitates the other spiders he'd eaten earlier, just for good measure. "Uh... would you like a hug?" That occasionally worked with Sandwich logic. The rest of the time, it got you stabbed.

The spiders hiss and begin growing in size. 

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

13 hours ago, Ashkaloda said:

The spiders hiss and begin growing in size. 

"...Oh." Kevin starts flapping nervously and looking for other Doorways that might go pretty much anywhere else, while trying to figure out what he's allegedly stolen. "I guess having 'only doors' isn't entirely bad? Maybe?"

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

10 hours ago, Ink and Embers said:

"...Oh." Kevin starts flapping nervously and looking for other Doorways that might go pretty much anywhere else, while trying to figure out what he's allegedly stolen. "I guess having 'only doors' isn't entirely bad? Maybe?"

They leap at Kevin synchronously. 

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

23 hours ago, Ashkaloda said:

They leap at Kevin synchronously. 

Kevin starts flying in circles, desperately hoping a Doorway other than the one with the zombies, or ocean, or another galaxy will appear. "Uh...sorry?"

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

1 minute ago, Ink and Embers said:

Kevin starts flying in circles, desperately hoping a Doorway other than the one with the zombies, or ocean, or another galaxy will appear. "Uh...sorry?"

Quote

The doors don't appear, the whole place is just lined with them. 

The spiders hiss as he flies out of reach. The bigger ones open their mouths, spitting globs of green fluid at him. 

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

On 3/2/2026 at 5:38 PM, Ashkaloda said:

The spiders hiss as he flies out of reach. The bigger ones open their mouths, spitting globs of green fluid at him. 

Kevin wonders if he should be collecting the green fluid. For Science, you see. He manages to dodge some of the larger globs, but gets sprayed on his left wing.