Cherry

@cherryposting

Just a friendllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy it wasnt supposed to happen like this. (Interactions from @dicebagsystem, pfp by @kirbytripledeluxe!)

129 posts

Um… hello! I, uh, felt like I should probably make one of these!! I’ve seen these intros in other people’s bios, so I guess I’ll make one too!

Uh, right- I’m Cherry, I’m 29! I showed up after everything happened, and the S.S. Shepherd had left… I was lucky I had my own little ship! I even managed to avoid some sort of gravitational anomaly because my ship was so small…

That’s uh- beyond the point though! I’m just, here to help! Haha… oh right- this is me, by the way!

Um- hope I can be of assistance! This is, kinda my first job though, so… just, hope I can help.

#cherry’s logs #cherry’s experiences #intro post

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

[Holy shit. Holy shit???

Laddy thought the odd proportions were due to his own poor eyesight, but no. Not at all.

Pink. Tall. Sharp.

These rapid fire realisations left him too startled to move, frozen with a wide-eyed look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. He might have screamed, if not for the fear of being quickly and harshly silenced by those BIG FUCKING CLAWS.

He barely registered the meek greeting, silently shaking his head and leaning away from her the slightest bit.]

h.hah..

[She kind of, just, blinks, for a few seconds, before nervously hiding her hands behind her back. She … honestly should have expected that. Idiot.]

Um. ,,,,,, So, I’m, … I’m a wraith. If. That wasn’t… um, clear. Thank you for… not running away screaming at least,,?

Kinda… half expected you to…

[She doesn’t… seem to know what to do now. Shifting her weight, avoiding eye contact, - speaking of which oh stars her eyes, - all the things that she… also did, back during that cave adventure. It’s still her, just. Terrifying???]

[No, yeah, totally clear. She's a wraith. Awesome. Horrible. Terrifying. Why is he so surprised?

His brow furrows as he stares up at her eyes.]

Y- you. you're, um...

[He clears his throat.]

The whole time? You were...

[She laughs. A nervous, broken thing, lasting only a few seconds, before her gaze locks onto the ground. Her eyes… well, the shape is the same, but her sclera are blacked out, and her iris is pink and glowing brightly.]

,,, yeah. Since um… landing, on the planet. Actually. It’s- it’s a long story.

[… the longer she stands here, too nervous to say more… the stronger the scent of cherry blossoms grows. It has to be coming from her, right?…]

[The longer he stares at her the less sure he is that what he's seeing is real. The scent of cherry blossoms is all he can really be sure of.]

Yeah. A long story. I- I would have preferred you told me. It's dangerous out there even if you're- you know!

[Now that, catches her attention. Her head whips up to lock eyes with Laddy, and for a moment I’m sure he probably thought that was going to be the last thing he ever saw, but she just… stares. Brows furrowed, confused and not understanding.]

I… y. W-what? But you’re… you’re terrified of me. How could you just… how can this not be a betrayal…?

Listen. After all this... everything. I don't. I don't know, okay?

[If his own helmet weren't in the way he'd be pinching the bridge of his nose hard enough to bruise. Instead, his fists are tightly clenched at his sides.]

You're not. You wouldn't hurt me. That's right, isn't it? That's why you came back?

I am. surprised. by all this. Scared. But, fuck, everything on this damn planet is scary.

It's not a betrayal, it's just. God. What is happening?

[He's really starting to feel faint.]

[After a moment, she nods.]

I- yes, of course I wouldn’t. I don’t… I don’t wanna hurt anyone, actually. Never. It’s- it’s why I joined the Rescue Corps to begin with. I’m still- … I’m still… sorry. Um… if- you need to sit down you um, you should. You look a little, um… pale.

[… she still needs to know where Jess is, but if Laddy isn’t feeling good… she can wait.]

I- I'm fine! Just. ugh...

[Despite the risk he was opening himself up to, he caved and crumpled to the floor before the borderline hyperventilation he was experiencing forced him down first.

He looked about as far from fine as possible. Pathetic, really.]

Just need a second, you came out of nowhere and-

[His brain caught up to him then that, well, he wasn't the first person Cherry was intending to meet. Through the subtle flair of indignation, he asked: ]

Does. uh... Jess know?

[She crouches down, but doesn’t approach. Trying to make herself look less imposing maybe? … It kinda works honestly, even with the claw-hands, seeing her fingers wrapped over her knees as she crouches is juuust goofy-looking enough to break the scariness down a bit.]

They… [A small shudder.] … no. They don’t. I-… nobody does. I’d… ha, hoped to keep it that way. But, um. I ended up tripping and breaking my helmet, and… didn’t, immediately get oxygen poisoning so. I kiinda,,, maybe panicked and ran away like a scared animal?-

[Without shifting out of a crouch, but while avoiding eye contact during that last sentence, she taps her fingers together awkwardly.]

,,, but, um. I’m. … I’m glad I got to, um… talk to you first. You’re my friend too, and, you did help me… get a better grip on myself, so. Thanks, Laddy.

[While she may not have a visible mouth, her small smile is visible in her eyes and clear in her tone. She truly means that.]

[His eyes, still wide, flicked up to meet hers just long enough to watch her crouch down to his level.]

So I. I really am the first to. huh.

[Wait, "friend"?

He really shouldn't have been so surprised to hear that, but considering the events leading up to this, he isn't really all there.]

Uh- yeah, um. Anytime.?

[He gestures vaguely over his shoulder, training his gaze on a particularly interesting blade of grass.]

Last I saw Jess they were, uh, over that end of the base.

[She takes a looooong breath in, and then lets it out niiice and slow…]

Alright. You can do this, Cherry. Just… just go. It didn’t turn out too bad here, right? You can manage it one more time at least.

[… and then stands up again, being very careful to walk around Laddy without getting too close. Mostly for his sanity’s sake, really. Towards that side of the base… through the shadows, as much as possible. Best not to scare people… right?]

#cherry’s experiences #wraith revealed arc #long post

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

[Holy shit. Holy shit???

Laddy thought the odd proportions were due to his own poor eyesight, but no. Not at all.

Pink. Tall. Sharp.

These rapid fire realisations left him too startled to move, frozen with a wide-eyed look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. He might have screamed, if not for the fear of being quickly and harshly silenced by those BIG FUCKING CLAWS.

He barely registered the meek greeting, silently shaking his head and leaning away from her the slightest bit.]

h.hah..

[She kind of, just, blinks, for a few seconds, before nervously hiding her hands behind her back. She … honestly should have expected that. Idiot.]

Um. ,,,,,, So, I’m, … I’m a wraith. If. That wasn’t… um, clear. Thank you for… not running away screaming at least,,?

Kinda… half expected you to…

[She doesn’t… seem to know what to do now. Shifting her weight, avoiding eye contact, - speaking of which oh stars her eyes, - all the things that she… also did, back during that cave adventure. It’s still her, just. Terrifying???]

[No, yeah, totally clear. She's a wraith. Awesome. Horrible. Terrifying. Why is he so surprised?

His brow furrows as he stares up at her eyes.]

Y- you. you're, um...

[He clears his throat.]

The whole time? You were...

[She laughs. A nervous, broken thing, lasting only a few seconds, before her gaze locks onto the ground. Her eyes… well, the shape is the same, but her sclera are blacked out, and her iris is pink and glowing brightly.]

,,, yeah. Since um… landing, on the planet. Actually. It’s- it’s a long story.

[… the longer she stands here, too nervous to say more… the stronger the scent of cherry blossoms grows. It has to be coming from her, right?…]

[The longer he stares at her the less sure he is that what he's seeing is real. The scent of cherry blossoms is all he can really be sure of.]

Yeah. A long story. I- I would have preferred you told me. It's dangerous out there even if you're- you know!

[Now that, catches her attention. Her head whips up to lock eyes with Laddy, and for a moment I’m sure he probably thought that was going to be the last thing he ever saw, but she just… stares. Brows furrowed, confused and not understanding.]

I… y. W-what? But you’re… you’re terrified of me. How could you just… how can this not be a betrayal…?

Listen. After all this... everything. I don't. I don't know, okay?

[If his own helmet weren't in the way he'd be pinching the bridge of his nose hard enough to bruise. Instead, his fists are tightly clenched at his sides.]

You're not. You wouldn't hurt me. That's right, isn't it? That's why you came back?

I am. surprised. by all this. Scared. But, fuck, everything on this damn planet is scary.

It's not a betrayal, it's just. God. What is happening?

[He's really starting to feel faint.]

[After a moment, she nods.]

I- yes, of course I wouldn’t. I don’t… I don’t wanna hurt anyone, actually. Never. It’s- it’s why I joined the Rescue Corps to begin with. I’m still- … I’m still… sorry. Um… if- you need to sit down you um, you should. You look a little, um… pale.

[… she still needs to know where Jess is, but if Laddy isn’t feeling good… she can wait.]

I- I'm fine! Just. ugh...

[Despite the risk he was opening himself up to, he caved and crumpled to the floor before the borderline hyperventilation he was experiencing forced him down first.

He looked about as far from fine as possible. Pathetic, really.]

Just need a second, you came out of nowhere and-

[His brain caught up to him then that, well, he wasn't the first person Cherry was intending to meet. Through the subtle flair of indignation, he asked: ]

Does. uh... Jess know?

[She crouches down, but doesn’t approach. Trying to make herself look less imposing maybe? … It kinda works honestly, even with the claw-hands, seeing her fingers wrapped over her knees as she crouches is juuust goofy-looking enough to break the scariness down a bit.]

They… [A small shudder.] … no. They don’t. I-… nobody does. I’d… ha, hoped to keep it that way. But, um. I ended up tripping and breaking my helmet, and… didn’t, immediately get oxygen poisoning so. I kiinda,,, maybe panicked and ran away like a scared animal?-

[Without shifting out of a crouch, but while avoiding eye contact during that last sentence, she taps her fingers together awkwardly.]

,,, but, um. I’m. … I’m glad I got to, um… talk to you first. You’re my friend too, and, you did help me… get a better grip on myself, so. Thanks, Laddy.

[While she may not have a visible mouth, her small smile is visible in her eyes and clear in her tone. She truly means that.]

#cherry’s experiences #long post #wraith revealed arc

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

[Holy shit. Holy shit???

Laddy thought the odd proportions were due to his own poor eyesight, but no. Not at all.

Pink. Tall. Sharp.

These rapid fire realisations left him too startled to move, frozen with a wide-eyed look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. He might have screamed, if not for the fear of being quickly and harshly silenced by those BIG FUCKING CLAWS.

He barely registered the meek greeting, silently shaking his head and leaning away from her the slightest bit.]

h.hah..

[She kind of, just, blinks, for a few seconds, before nervously hiding her hands behind her back. She … honestly should have expected that. Idiot.]

Um. ,,,,,, So, I’m, … I’m a wraith. If. That wasn’t… um, clear. Thank you for… not running away screaming at least,,?

Kinda… half expected you to…

[She doesn’t… seem to know what to do now. Shifting her weight, avoiding eye contact, - speaking of which oh stars her eyes, - all the things that she… also did, back during that cave adventure. It’s still her, just. Terrifying???]

[No, yeah, totally clear. She's a wraith. Awesome. Horrible. Terrifying. Why is he so surprised?

His brow furrows as he stares up at her eyes.]

Y- you. you're, um...

[He clears his throat.]

The whole time? You were...

[She laughs. A nervous, broken thing, lasting only a few seconds, before her gaze locks onto the ground. Her eyes… well, the shape is the same, but her sclera are blacked out, and her iris is pink and glowing brightly.]

,,, yeah. Since um… landing, on the planet. Actually. It’s- it’s a long story.

[… the longer she stands here, too nervous to say more… the stronger the scent of cherry blossoms grows. It has to be coming from her, right?…]

[The longer he stares at her the less sure he is that what he's seeing is real. The scent of cherry blossoms is all he can really be sure of.]

Yeah. A long story. I- I would have preferred you told me. It's dangerous out there even if you're- you know!

[Now that, catches her attention. Her head whips up to lock eyes with Laddy, and for a moment I’m sure he probably thought that was going to be the last thing he ever saw, but she just… stares. Brows furrowed, confused and not understanding.]

I… y. W-what? But you’re… you’re terrified of me. How could you just… how can this not be a betrayal…?

Listen. After all this... everything. I don't. I don't know, okay?

[If his own helmet weren't in the way he'd be pinching the bridge of his nose hard enough to bruise. Instead, his fists are tightly clenched at his sides.]

You're not. You wouldn't hurt me. That's right, isn't it? That's why you came back?

I am. surprised. by all this. Scared. But, fuck, everything on this damn planet is scary.

It's not a betrayal, it's just. God. What is happening?

[He's really starting to feel faint.]

[After a moment, she nods.]

I- yes, of course I wouldn’t. I don’t… I don’t wanna hurt anyone, actually. Never. It’s- it’s why I joined the Rescue Corps to begin with. I’m still- … I’m still… sorry. Um… if- you need to sit down you um, you should. You look a little, um… pale.

[… she still needs to know where Jess is, but if Laddy isn’t feeling good… she can wait.]

#cherry’s experiences #wraith revealed arc #long post

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

[Holy shit. Holy shit???

Laddy thought the odd proportions were due to his own poor eyesight, but no. Not at all.

Pink. Tall. Sharp.

These rapid fire realisations left him too startled to move, frozen with a wide-eyed look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. He might have screamed, if not for the fear of being quickly and harshly silenced by those BIG FUCKING CLAWS.

He barely registered the meek greeting, silently shaking his head and leaning away from her the slightest bit.]

h.hah..

[She kind of, just, blinks, for a few seconds, before nervously hiding her hands behind her back. She … honestly should have expected that. Idiot.]

Um. ,,,,,, So, I’m, … I’m a wraith. If. That wasn’t… um, clear. Thank you for… not running away screaming at least,,?

Kinda… half expected you to…

[She doesn’t… seem to know what to do now. Shifting her weight, avoiding eye contact, - speaking of which oh stars her eyes, - all the things that she… also did, back during that cave adventure. It’s still her, just. Terrifying???]

[No, yeah, totally clear. She's a wraith. Awesome. Horrible. Terrifying. Why is he so surprised?

His brow furrows as he stares up at her eyes.]

Y- you. you're, um...

[He clears his throat.]

The whole time? You were...

[She laughs. A nervous, broken thing, lasting only a few seconds, before her gaze locks onto the ground. Her eyes… well, the shape is the same, but her sclera are blacked out, and her iris is pink and glowing brightly.]

,,, yeah. Since um… landing, on the planet. Actually. It’s- it’s a long story.

[… the longer she stands here, too nervous to say more… the stronger the scent of cherry blossoms grows. It has to be coming from her, right?…]

[The longer he stares at her the less sure he is that what he's seeing is real. The scent of cherry blossoms is all he can really be sure of.]

Yeah. A long story. I- I would have preferred you told me. It's dangerous out there even if you're- you know!

[Now that, catches her attention. Her head whips up to lock eyes with Laddy, and for a moment I’m sure he probably thought that was going to be the last thing he ever saw, but she just… stares. Brows furrowed, confused and not understanding.]

I… y. W-what? But you’re… you’re terrified of me. How could you just… how can this not be a betrayal…?

#cherry’s experiences #wraith revealed arc #long post

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

[Holy shit. Holy shit???

Laddy thought the odd proportions were due to his own poor eyesight, but no. Not at all.

Pink. Tall. Sharp.

These rapid fire realisations left him too startled to move, frozen with a wide-eyed look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. He might have screamed, if not for the fear of being quickly and harshly silenced by those BIG FUCKING CLAWS.

He barely registered the meek greeting, silently shaking his head and leaning away from her the slightest bit.]

h.hah..

[She kind of, just, blinks, for a few seconds, before nervously hiding her hands behind her back. She … honestly should have expected that. Idiot.]

Um. ,,,,,, So, I’m, … I’m a wraith. If. That wasn’t… um, clear. Thank you for… not running away screaming at least,,?

Kinda… half expected you to…

[She doesn’t… seem to know what to do now. Shifting her weight, avoiding eye contact, - speaking of which oh stars her eyes, - all the things that she… also did, back during that cave adventure. It’s still her, just. Terrifying???]

[No, yeah, totally clear. She's a wraith. Awesome. Horrible. Terrifying. Why is he so surprised?

His brow furrows as he stares up at her eyes.]

Y- you. you're, um...

[He clears his throat.]

The whole time? You were...

[She laughs. A nervous, broken thing, lasting only a few seconds, before her gaze locks onto the ground. Her eyes… well, the shape is the same, but her sclera are blacked out, and her iris is pink and glowing brightly.]

,,, yeah. Since um… landing, on the planet. Actually. It’s- it’s a long story.

[… the longer she stands here, too nervous to say more… the stronger the scent of cherry blossoms grows. It has to be coming from her, right?…]

#cherry’s experiences #wraith revealed arc

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

[Holy shit. Holy shit???

Laddy thought the odd proportions were due to his own poor eyesight, but no. Not at all.

Pink. Tall. Sharp.

These rapid fire realisations left him too startled to move, frozen with a wide-eyed look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. He might have screamed, if not for the fear of being quickly and harshly silenced by those BIG FUCKING CLAWS.

He barely registered the meek greeting, silently shaking his head and leaning away from her the slightest bit.]

h.hah..

[She kind of, just, blinks, for a few seconds, before nervously hiding her hands behind her back. She … honestly should have expected that. Idiot.]

Um. ,,,,,, So, I’m, … I’m a wraith. If. That wasn’t… um, clear. Thank you for… not running away screaming at least,,?

Kinda… half expected you to…

[She doesn’t… seem to know what to do now. Shifting her weight, avoiding eye contact, - speaking of which oh stars her eyes, - all the things that she… also did, back during that cave adventure. It’s still her, just. Terrifying???]

#cherry’s experiences #long post #wraith revealed arc

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

[He's unable to let out more than a few incredulous squeaks in response. Going out with little to no warning and coming back helmet-less and fine about it??? What is going on and why did he have to get involved?]

I- wh- Scream??? Why would I- if you got mauled out there because you left on your own I swear-

Just get down here already! Before the sun goes down!!

Okay!! Okay, okay fine fine fine fine. Just-! Yeah.

[As Laddy watches her turn and start climbing down… he uh, very quickly realizes a few things in succession.]

[For one, she’s… entirely pink. And a little goopy?? Her dress is made of flowers that also seem to be part of her????]

[Secondly, and this one is only really noticed when she reaches ground level; it was not perspective. She is noticeably taller.]

[Thirdly, SHE HAS BIG SHARP CLAWS FOR HANDS.]

,,, um. H. Hello.

#cherry’s experiences #wraith revealed arc

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

[Like flicking a light switch, his demeanor shifted from worry to something sour. Not that she could read his face from this distance anyway.]

Uh, yeah. Jess is around. They've been worried sick about you! You didn't even- what was so important out there that you couldn't tell us before leaving? You coulda... huh?

[Only then did he notice what was so wrong with what he was seeing. It wasn't just a trick of the light this time.]

You- you're not wearing your helmet!

[Even from this far away, the way she jumps and cringes into herself before freezing is incredibly obvious.]

I. Y- um.

…

Uhhhhh.

,,, yyess…?

Ugh you idiot why didn’t you try to get some kind of helmet first you moron stars damn it now you have to EXPLAIN this and-

,,, look, um, I’m just… gonna climb down. ,,, can you promise me you won’t like… scream? Or something?- Please?

#cherry’s experiences #wraith revealed arc

victusinveritas

[image id: A poem titled “To my friends from LiveJournal” by Hayley DeRoche that reads,

“I still think about you

Wonder if you finally quit,

Do you still speak to your mom?

I remember when you went to Japan

How you swore you'd never forgive him.

I can't remember to take my meds but

I remember you wanted to live on a houseboat.

It's a strange intimacy,

all of us unspooling across decades of internet space

Like balls of yarn

leaving a trail behind us of everywhere

and everyone we've ever been

I hope you got your houseboat.

I hope you got everything.”

end id]

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

[His glasses sitting skewed on his nose, he can't quite make out the details of the silhouette above him. Something was. different. But he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Assured that this wasn't some monster coming to maul him, his stance softened a little. Maybe a castaway found their way to the base? He saw pink, maybe it was-

Then he heard her voice.]

Cher-ry?

[His own voice cracked as he called back to her. At least the others were far enough away to not notice.]

Where have you been? I-I was- you can't just disappear like that!

[He hears her let out a chuckle, and sees the silhouette of her body rub the back of her neck awkwardly.]

Right, ha, yeah um… ssorry. About that. Umm. Is- is Jess around?… If they are I. Um. I need to talk to them. So… if they’re here I’m gonna come in.

[… something’s wrong with the silhouette of her head. The question is if he can tell what…]

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc #(ooc HI IM NOT DEAD GUYS IM STILL HERE I PROMMY)

[From the brush at the edge of the encampment, Laddy could swear he hears movement of some kind… which, ha, that’s not possible, right? I mean, the walls are beastproof, the base is safe!]

[…]

[It really sounds like climbing.]

[He tenses at the sound, a shiver running down his spine.

There's no way he was hearing that right, the sound of rustling just barely within earshot, as if a creature had taken an interest in the nearby area. He'd never heard a creature get this close to the base before, it couldn't be...

Then he heard scraping, much too close for comfort, as if a beast were trying to scale the walls.

Laddy backs away from the source of the sound, head whipping around to see if the others had noticed. Nothing, not a glance in his direction. It must just be in his head, a result of his paranoia filling in blanks in the ambience, like seeing monsters in the shadows.]

That's not- it's fine...

[After a while of the sound slowly traveling up, up, up… a figure comes over the top of the walls. It looks like a Starfolk, but a little… off? There’s something like a dress in its silhouette, and its hands seem sharper than usual… maybe it’s just him, though?]

[The figure cups its hands to its mouth and calls down,]

Laddy?? Is that you??

[… ah… just Cherry. Her voice sounds a little echoey though… probably just the height.]

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc

bark

… wh… what? Is that a rescue pup?…

…

I should have brought Buddy with me…

Um. H. … Hello?

WOOF!!

(Oatchi excitedly barks and runs up to Cherry, Pikpik carrot in mouth. He slows down as he gets closer, dropping the carrot. He gives her a good, long sniff..)

sniffsniffsni ffsniffsniff

(..before BITING HER on the hand! Ouch!)

(He then picks the carrot back up and runs away.)

[And it’s a good thing he ran off, too, because the cry of pain that came from Cherry at the bite was definitely not fun to stay near!]

[After a few moments of panting, catching her breath and looking at her hand, she just… morphs it back into place, wincing. She looks even more down, now…]

… expected that.

Benefits of this, I guess, haha… healing factor…

[She looks off in the direction Oatchi ran, and then shakes her head, turning towards the camp and walking that way.]

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc

bark

… wh… what? Is that a rescue pup?…

…

I should have brought Buddy with me…

Um. H. … Hello?

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc

yo homie u look dry i gotchu *waters u*

[Seeing as she was walking under a bundle of grass, getting watered by one of the Chorus stops her, spluttering, in her tracks.]

[Dripping fucking wet, she looks up in outraged confusion… and then starts to grow.]

[Only what would be a few inches to a human, but enough to notice. … if you’re anyone BUT cherry, apparently, because she just shakes herself off and mutters “not the time, Chorus” before continuing on her way.]

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc #(i dont normally answer these mid arc but this one was funny AND makes the next interact intresting)

amalgam-posting

[guess who was in the woods...!..!.!!.! amalgam was trying to practice tossing yellow pikmin at a high target, but she was very clearly missing each time. eventually, she grew too exasperated to continue, and sat down against a blade of grass.]

uuoughh... .. ... whyye is aiimning soo hauurd..........

(@cherryposting)

[Now that she isn’t actively focused on something, Amalgam can hear something like rustling, coming from the east of her… and, sniffling?? Like- ‘trying not to cry’ sniffling. What in the goddamn…?]

amalgam-posting

hhhuhwhhuwh.............. pimmin,,,, goo,...inveustugaite.. ..

[the pikmin were too tired, it seems. amalgam groaned and pulled herself up, shuffling over and peeking to the source of the sound.]

whouu'se theure ,, ??

[… there’s a clearing, past the brush. A small one, mind you, but still. And opposite Amalgam is… a, starfolk-shaped… pink? Thing?? … it seems to be trying not to cry.]

[The shape of it is vaguely familiar, and it has an empty Rescue Corps suit next to it, with a shattered helmet.]

[… the whole clearing smells like flowers…]

amalgam-posting

[amalgam's stem began to wag. something smelled really nice.. before she knew it, she had sat down next to the strange pink figure. she blinked, not sure what was supposed to happen next.]

uuhmme ,,,,, helloe ?.. ?? hie ?

[she felt a bit calmer than before, but couldn't put a finger on why.]

[The being sniffles, and turns their head to look at Amalgam… and seems to smile, though you can’t see a mouth.]

Oh… snff, hi, Malg… I. … I fucked everything up…

[Its tears are, somehow, petals, fluttering to the ground and melting into nothing.]

[… is she supposed to know this… pink, thing? The voice sounds familiar, but… watery, echoing slightly. Just a bit to the left.]

amalgam-posting

[she furrowed her brow, glancing off to the side before looking back at the being.]

um ..,

aaahm.. .

howwe do yuu knouwe mye nayme ?..? hauve we mett befouur ?

[her leaf tilts to the side, and she scratched her head while avoiding eye contact. did she say the right thing? was this pink creature gonna get mad? what did she fuck up anyway?]

[the voice was too familiar to ignore. she pulled down on her stem as she thought, trying to remember anything about who that voice belonged to.]

yuuoiur uh ..,,,, yuu sounde lieke summone i knouww ...

[A saddened chuckle leaves the being, and they look down at the ground again, curled into a ball as they are.]

… it’s… it’s Cherry, ‘Malg… I’m. I’m glad you’re okay… after so long…

[… ah. Then the only question left is… what happened to her? Both in terms of where she went, and… well, why she’s… like this. Pink, goopy, sadly sitting under a 10-Pellet Posy.]

amalgam-posting

[her eyes immediately widened. that's why she sounded so familiar! she immediately sprung up.]

CHERREY?!?!! HWAT !!WHYE AR YOU PINKE ??? AURE YUO OKAIYE!???

[she concernedly paced around her friend, occasionally stopping to look elsewhere at whatever could have caused this. then, she settled down next to cherry again.]

yyou dountt hauve to worrye abouute me . caan yu tell me whaut happuened ..??.

[Despite everything, she can’t help but feel calmed as well, by her friend’s actions. At least Amalgam isn’t going to be upset at her for what she is…]

… I’m… well, ha, a wraith. I-I always was. I… woke up, I guess?, a day or two ago, down in a cave, and… and Jess rescued me. We got out, got back to camp. I still can’t find my ship. Um. At the camp, this…

[She takes a deep breath, and launches into the explanation proper. About the drone, the way she just knew it was scanning her, the way she panicked, broke her helmet open, the way Jess looked at her with confusion, concern, and what Cherry thought was dawning realization.]

… and if I go back, I… I think that they might hate me? Or- or report me to the HQ? Or something?- I-I-I dunno, I just wh.. I want to help people, but I’m, not… a good person.

amalgam-posting

[she blinked slowly, taking in the information. someone else was listening, as well. once cherry was done explaining, amalgam laid on her back and took a while to think.]

ummms ....maybuee you can seundd them an explaunstioune ?? so they knouw its you ??

iiiie dount know why yuou say yourre a bad peurson . thaut is sillye .justte beeinge a whrauith doeesnent make yoou bad !! youur actionnse maukeyou bad . and youuurur actieons hauve beene tha beust ,mostte heulpful ,,, EVAr !!!

sooouu ...yah . goode persone i thinke .

[After several seconds of just… silence. She lays down too, on her back, next to Amalgam.]

… I killed two people in my first few years of awareness.

I don’t. I. … I… appreciate, the… the kind words. But. I-I practically infiltrated the Rescue Corps, I’ve, honestly kind of sucked shit at my job?, most of the others don’t seem to like me, ALL the Rescue Pups are suspicious of me if not, like, outright violent, and I just-

…

I’m. scared.

amalgam-posting

[...Well .]

[she took a while to think about it. one of her best friends, killed two people. well.]

th.... .. thautt . was inn the passte . i meene suure , it hauppenned . youu cante chaunge that .but ..

youure diffeurente naow .yuou canntr let yuour past deciude the direuctione yyuou alwayse go .

besiuudse . youuve heulpde me ,auund probley soume ofheuur peouple too . iits alwauys betterr thaun notthinge ,i .. guesse .

[she didn't really know where she was going with that, anxiously side eyeing cherry to determine how it was received.]

[Cherry is. Quiet, for a while… and once she comes back to herself, she slightly leans against Amalgam, voice soft.]

… thank you, Malg. I-… I think I needed to hear that.

… I. I’m gonna… need some time, before I can go back, I think. It’s. … I need to make sure they won’t… I dunno, just, overreact? Ugh I’m not making sense again- Just, um, thank you.

amalgam-posting

[amalgam smiled, patting cherry's back.]

glaade i couulde heulp !!.! i houupe theyyre kinde to yuyou .

i cuould staeye withyyu for abit if youuwaunt

[She nods, and then just… stays there. Watching the sky.]

[For an hour. Then two. Then four, and only after seven entire hours… does she stand up and brush herself off. Looking down at Amalgam with a small smile.]

I, um… just… thanks. [A small smile.] I think I’m gonna … try to make my way back, now.

I’ll… I’ll come visit after. All of this, uh, settles…

[She gives her a small smile, and a wave, before turning and walking away… with only her Rescue Corps pad. Her suit is left on the ground; she doesn’t need it anymore. Everyone knows by now, anyway. Right?…]

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc

amalgam-posting

[guess who was in the woods...!..!.!!.! amalgam was trying to practice tossing yellow pikmin at a high target, but she was very clearly missing each time. eventually, she grew too exasperated to continue, and sat down against a blade of grass.]

uuoughh... .. ... whyye is aiimning soo hauurd..........

(@cherryposting)

[Now that she isn’t actively focused on something, Amalgam can hear something like rustling, coming from the east of her… and, sniffling?? Like- ‘trying not to cry’ sniffling. What in the goddamn…?]

amalgam-posting

hhhuhwhhuwh.............. pimmin,,,, goo,...inveustugaite.. ..

[the pikmin were too tired, it seems. amalgam groaned and pulled herself up, shuffling over and peeking to the source of the sound.]

whouu'se theure ,, ??

[… there’s a clearing, past the brush. A small one, mind you, but still. And opposite Amalgam is… a, starfolk-shaped… pink? Thing?? … it seems to be trying not to cry.]

[The shape of it is vaguely familiar, and it has an empty Rescue Corps suit next to it, with a shattered helmet.]

[… the whole clearing smells like flowers…]

amalgam-posting

[amalgam's stem began to wag. something smelled really nice.. before she knew it, she had sat down next to the strange pink figure. she blinked, not sure what was supposed to happen next.]

uuhmme ,,,,, helloe ?.. ?? hie ?

[she felt a bit calmer than before, but couldn't put a finger on why.]

[The being sniffles, and turns their head to look at Amalgam… and seems to smile, though you can’t see a mouth.]

Oh… snff, hi, Malg… I. … I fucked everything up…

[Its tears are, somehow, petals, fluttering to the ground and melting into nothing.]

[… is she supposed to know this… pink, thing? The voice sounds familiar, but… watery, echoing slightly. Just a bit to the left.]

amalgam-posting

[she furrowed her brow, glancing off to the side before looking back at the being.]

um ..,

aaahm.. .

howwe do yuu knouwe mye nayme ?..? hauve we mett befouur ?

[her leaf tilts to the side, and she scratched her head while avoiding eye contact. did she say the right thing? was this pink creature gonna get mad? what did she fuck up anyway?]

[the voice was too familiar to ignore. she pulled down on her stem as she thought, trying to remember anything about who that voice belonged to.]

yuuoiur uh ..,,,, yuu sounde lieke summone i knouww ...

[A saddened chuckle leaves the being, and they look down at the ground again, curled into a ball as they are.]

… it’s… it’s Cherry, ‘Malg… I’m. I’m glad you’re okay… after so long…

[… ah. Then the only question left is… what happened to her? Both in terms of where she went, and… well, why she’s… like this. Pink, goopy, sadly sitting under a 10-Pellet Posy.]

amalgam-posting

[her eyes immediately widened. that's why she sounded so familiar! she immediately sprung up.]

CHERREY?!?!! HWAT !!WHYE AR YOU PINKE ??? AURE YUO OKAIYE!???

[she concernedly paced around her friend, occasionally stopping to look elsewhere at whatever could have caused this. then, she settled down next to cherry again.]

yyou dountt hauve to worrye abouute me . caan yu tell me whaut happuened ..??.

[Despite everything, she can’t help but feel calmed as well, by her friend’s actions. At least Amalgam isn’t going to be upset at her for what she is…]

… I’m… well, ha, a wraith. I-I always was. I… woke up, I guess?, a day or two ago, down in a cave, and… and Jess rescued me. We got out, got back to camp. I still can’t find my ship. Um. At the camp, this…

[She takes a deep breath, and launches into the explanation proper. About the drone, the way she just knew it was scanning her, the way she panicked, broke her helmet open, the way Jess looked at her with confusion, concern, and what Cherry thought was dawning realization.]

… and if I go back, I… I think that they might hate me? Or- or report me to the HQ? Or something?- I-I-I dunno, I just wh.. I want to help people, but I’m, not… a good person.

amalgam-posting

[she blinked slowly, taking in the information. someone else was listening, as well. once cherry was done explaining, amalgam laid on her back and took a while to think.]

ummms ....maybuee you can seundd them an explaunstioune ?? so they knouw its you ??

iiiie dount know why yuou say yourre a bad peurson . thaut is sillye .justte beeinge a whrauith doeesnent make yoou bad !! youur actionnse maukeyou bad . and youuurur actieons hauve beene tha beust ,mostte heulpful ,,, EVAr !!!

sooouu ...yah . goode persone i thinke .

[After several seconds of just… silence. She lays down too, on her back, next to Amalgam.]

… I killed two people in my first few years of awareness.

I don’t. I. … I… appreciate, the… the kind words. But. I-I practically infiltrated the Rescue Corps, I’ve, honestly kind of sucked shit at my job?, most of the others don’t seem to like me, ALL the Rescue Pups are suspicious of me if not, like, outright violent, and I just-

…

I’m. scared.

amalgam-posting

[...Well .]

[she took a while to think about it. one of her best friends, killed two people. well.]

th.... .. thautt . was inn the passte . i meene suure , it hauppenned . youu cante chaunge that .but ..

youure diffeurente naow .yuou canntr let yuour past deciude the direuctione yyuou alwayse go .

besiuudse . youuve heulpde me ,auund probley soume ofheuur peouple too . iits alwauys betterr thaun notthinge ,i .. guesse .

[she didn't really know where she was going with that, anxiously side eyeing cherry to determine how it was received.]

[Cherry is. Quiet, for a while… and once she comes back to herself, she slightly leans against Amalgam, voice soft.]

… thank you, Malg. I-… I think I needed to hear that.

… I. I’m gonna… need some time, before I can go back, I think. It’s. … I need to make sure they won’t… I dunno, just, overreact? Ugh I’m not making sense again- Just, um, thank you.

#cherry’s experiences #Wraith Revealed arc

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