A Bouquet Of Flowers @drowning-thistle - Tumblr Blog

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

Well, to be fair, she does look similar to one. But not right. Not exactly.

"You are odd, I can see that." Somehow, without pupils, he rolls his eyes. "What's your deal?"

“Well!”

[she clasps her hands. Her smile does not fade]

“That is… quite the rude comment. It appears like ive.. jumped worlds? Of some sort. I assume you are called “Painter” here as well?”

"Well to be fair I did assume you were insulting me." He mutters quietly. He raises an eyebrow at that last part.

"How did you manage that? I mean---yeah--I share a name with this other 'painter' guy but... Why do you know another me!?"

“Oh! No no, I’m quite sorry! I ment not to insult you. I just ment that this.. odd hoping of timelines is unusual.”

[she waves her hands dismissively, smiling apologetically.]

“Well. The hoping of worlds- or timelines more commonly- isn’t.. unusual, for us. Though it occurring at random most definitely is. ..it is complicated, I wouldn’t stress about it!”

"You're doing what?" Sure, he'd heard of some crazy things down here, but not that. "How? And why?"

“I am not.. sure of the specifics, simply that a person from where I’m from is capable of it. We can go anywhere- but never anywhere outside of urbanshade, unfortunately..”

[she shrugs.]

“There’s quite a few people in our site. Running out of supplies is inevitable. As much as my gardens provide, it’s most definitely not enough to keep all of us going!”

[she sounds.. oddly chipper, despite the pessimistic outlook.]

"That's weird." He admits, eying her up in confusion. Supplies? Had she really come here for supplies? Must have been an accident. There wasn't anything around in his room, not really.

"I don't... have anything for you? If that's what you're asking."

“Yes I… see that. It must’ve been a malfunction..”

[she hums, tapping her chin]

“Well, as I am here, I do have one single question to ask!”

"Yeah, I'm familiar with those, I guess." It seems he'd shrug if possible.

"Go ahead, I guess? What is it?" He's curious now, it seems.

[they set their backpack on the ground. It looks almost nearly half her size. She digs into it for a moment..]

“Would you like a flower? A nice change from the grey walls?”

[she takes a whole, intact, vase from her bag and smiles.]

Oh, really? He thought she was asking him a favor. It's not like he could really do anything.

"Sure? Where'd you... get that?" She mentioned a garden, sure, but he presumed it'd be fruits mainly. Not flowers. Did she get it from the Urbanshade gardens or her own?

“I grow them! The Divine don’t mind me, so I grow plenty do different things. Flowers included! They’re my specialty.”

[she picks up more things from the bag- roses, lilies, poppies, hydrangeas..]

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

Well, to be fair, she does look similar to one. But not right. Not exactly.

"You are odd, I can see that." Somehow, without pupils, he rolls his eyes. "What's your deal?"

“Well!”

[she clasps her hands. Her smile does not fade]

“That is… quite the rude comment. It appears like ive.. jumped worlds? Of some sort. I assume you are called “Painter” here as well?”

"Well to be fair I did assume you were insulting me." He mutters quietly. He raises an eyebrow at that last part.

"How did you manage that? I mean---yeah--I share a name with this other 'painter' guy but... Why do you know another me!?"

“Oh! No no, I’m quite sorry! I ment not to insult you. I just ment that this.. odd hoping of timelines is unusual.”

[she waves her hands dismissively, smiling apologetically.]

“Well. The hoping of worlds- or timelines more commonly- isn’t.. unusual, for us. Though it occurring at random most definitely is. ..it is complicated, I wouldn’t stress about it!”

"You're doing what?" Sure, he'd heard of some crazy things down here, but not that. "How? And why?"

“I am not.. sure of the specifics, simply that a person from where I’m from is capable of it. We can go anywhere- but never anywhere outside of urbanshade, unfortunately..”

[she shrugs.]

“There’s quite a few people in our site. Running out of supplies is inevitable. As much as my gardens provide, it’s most definitely not enough to keep all of us going!”

[she sounds.. oddly chipper, despite the pessimistic outlook.]

"That's weird." He admits, eying her up in confusion. Supplies? Had she really come here for supplies? Must have been an accident. There wasn't anything around in his room, not really.

"I don't... have anything for you? If that's what you're asking."

“Yes I… see that. It must’ve been a malfunction..”

[she hums, tapping her chin]

“Well, as I am here, I do have one single question to ask!”

"Yeah, I'm familiar with those, I guess." It seems he'd shrug if possible.

"Go ahead, I guess? What is it?" He's curious now, it seems.

[they set their backpack on the ground. It looks almost nearly half her size. She digs into it for a moment..]

“Would you like a flower? A nice change from the grey walls?”

[she takes a whole, intact, vase from her bag and smiles.]

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

Well, to be fair, she does look similar to one. But not right. Not exactly.

"You are odd, I can see that." Somehow, without pupils, he rolls his eyes. "What's your deal?"

“Well!”

[she clasps her hands. Her smile does not fade]

“That is… quite the rude comment. It appears like ive.. jumped worlds? Of some sort. I assume you are called “Painter” here as well?”

"Well to be fair I did assume you were insulting me." He mutters quietly. He raises an eyebrow at that last part.

"How did you manage that? I mean---yeah--I share a name with this other 'painter' guy but... Why do you know another me!?"

“Oh! No no, I’m quite sorry! I ment not to insult you. I just ment that this.. odd hoping of timelines is unusual.”

[she waves her hands dismissively, smiling apologetically.]

“Well. The hoping of worlds- or timelines more commonly- isn’t.. unusual, for us. Though it occurring at random most definitely is. ..it is complicated, I wouldn’t stress about it!”

"You're doing what?" Sure, he'd heard of some crazy things down here, but not that. "How? And why?"

“I am not.. sure of the specifics, simply that a person from where I’m from is capable of it. We can go anywhere- but never anywhere outside of urbanshade, unfortunately..”

[she shrugs.]

“There’s quite a few people in our site. Running out of supplies is inevitable. As much as my gardens provide, it’s most definitely not enough to keep all of us going!”

[she sounds.. oddly chipper, despite the pessimistic outlook.]

"That's weird." He admits, eying her up in confusion. Supplies? Had she really come here for supplies? Must have been an accident. There wasn't anything around in his room, not really.

"I don't... have anything for you? If that's what you're asking."

“Yes I… see that. It must’ve been a malfunction..”

[she hums, tapping her chin]

“Well, as I am here, I do have one single question to ask!”

#smiles #painter… v1

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

Well, to be fair, she does look similar to one. But not right. Not exactly.

"You are odd, I can see that." Somehow, without pupils, he rolls his eyes. "What's your deal?"

“Well!”

[she clasps her hands. Her smile does not fade]

“That is… quite the rude comment. It appears like ive.. jumped worlds? Of some sort. I assume you are called “Painter” here as well?”

"Well to be fair I did assume you were insulting me." He mutters quietly. He raises an eyebrow at that last part.

"How did you manage that? I mean---yeah--I share a name with this other 'painter' guy but... Why do you know another me!?"

“Oh! No no, I’m quite sorry! I ment not to insult you. I just ment that this.. odd hoping of timelines is unusual.”

[she waves her hands dismissively, smiling apologetically.]

“Well. The hoping of worlds- or timelines more commonly- isn’t.. unusual, for us. Though it occurring at random most definitely is. ..it is complicated, I wouldn’t stress about it!”

"You're doing what?" Sure, he'd heard of some crazy things down here, but not that. "How? And why?"

“I am not.. sure of the specifics, simply that a person from where I’m from is capable of it. We can go anywhere- but never anywhere outside of urbanshade, unfortunately..”

[she shrugs.]

“There’s quite a few people in our site. Running out of supplies is inevitable. As much as my gardens provide, it’s most definitely not enough to keep all of us going!”

[she sounds.. oddly chipper, despite the pessimistic outlook.]

[atlas' signature screeching roar could be heard in the distance. the lights flicker.]

@atlas-hate-posting

[Rose perks, recognising a sound from the halls.. she quickly finishes up wiping the counter that they’ve set her stuff up on. ]

“Well, it doesn’t seem to reach over here at least. Hopefully it says at least mostly centralised.”

[she only shrugs.]

THATS FOR TRUE!

[they lean forward on the counter.]

“I sure if it’s some structure issue that either Sebastian will deal with it, or urbanshade will send some poor expendable to do it..”

I HOPE SOMETHING'S DONE ABOUT IT SOON. I DONT WANNA HAVE THIS PLACE SHAKING LIKE THAT, GIVES ME THE HEEBIE JEEBIES.

#good luck!!!#atlas-hate-posting

“..I do hope.”

[she perks as the water bubbles..]

“Oh! It’s boiling already, wonderful. Now.. lemme see here.. I should have a makeshift grill somewhere.”

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

Well, to be fair, she does look similar to one. But not right. Not exactly.

"You are odd, I can see that." Somehow, without pupils, he rolls his eyes. "What's your deal?"

“Well!”

[she clasps her hands. Her smile does not fade]

“That is… quite the rude comment. It appears like ive.. jumped worlds? Of some sort. I assume you are called “Painter” here as well?”

"Well to be fair I did assume you were insulting me." He mutters quietly. He raises an eyebrow at that last part.

"How did you manage that? I mean---yeah--I share a name with this other 'painter' guy but... Why do you know another me!?"

“Oh! No no, I’m quite sorry! I ment not to insult you. I just ment that this.. odd hoping of timelines is unusual.”

[she waves her hands dismissively, smiling apologetically.]

“Well. The hoping of worlds- or timelines more commonly- isn’t.. unusual, for us. Though it occurring at random most definitely is. ..it is complicated, I wouldn’t stress about it!”

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

Well, to be fair, she does look similar to one. But not right. Not exactly.

"You are odd, I can see that." Somehow, without pupils, he rolls his eyes. "What's your deal?"

#lols it’s Kay #wow yes. grammar. I’m great at jt

“Well!”

[she clasps her hands. Her smile does not fade]

“That is… quite the rude comment. It appears like ive.. jumped worlds? Of some sort. I assume you are called “Painter” here as well?”

[atlas' signature screeching roar could be heard in the distance. the lights flicker.]

@atlas-hate-posting

[Rose perks, recognising a sound from the halls.. she quickly finishes up wiping the counter that they’ve set her stuff up on. ]

“Well, it doesn’t seem to reach over here at least. Hopefully it says at least mostly centralised.”

[she only shrugs.]

THATS FOR TRUE!

[they lean forward on the counter.]

#ok i'm gonna be going to camp for like 12 days #< OH SHIT LOL #riiipp

“I sure if it’s some structure issue that either Sebastian will deal with it, or urbanshade will send some poor expendable to do it..”

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

"Wait, what?" He looks her over. She doesn't look like an expendable. Well then. That's weird.

#I have her description in the pinned post <3 #painter… v1

[well- she has the uniform of one.. but the logo’s been patched over and the o2 tank (including the bit that should’ve shot her) is completely missing.]

“Uhm…”

[..she looks around before looking back at painter with confusion]

“Well that’s.. odd.”

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

"Okay, I've never had someone fall into my room before. That's... New." He eyes the stranger in confusion.

#painter… v1 #? yeah sure that works

[she jumps- before blinking rapidly with an awkward smile]

“Uh-[she clears her throat.]-my apologies.. i don’t.. know exactly how I got here.”

[shes.. oddly polite, looking apologetic]

[atlas' signature screeching roar could be heard in the distance. the lights flicker.]

@atlas-hate-posting

[Rose perks, recognising a sound from the halls.. she quickly finishes up wiping the counter that they’ve set her stuff up on. ]

#stares at me missing 2 days like a Hingis #atlas-hate-posting

“Well, it doesn’t seem to reach over here at least. Hopefully it says at least mostly centralised.”

[she only shrugs.]

(OH?! I THOUGHT YOU WENT ON PERM HIATUS!)

[there’s a thunk somewhere, and a confused groan from someone just out of sight.]

-💐 @drowning-thistle

"....What the heck was that?"

#(i'm presuming you wanna start a thread)#< easier to keep track of threads since it’s a side blog

[a gal comes into sight- she has a large backpack on. She rubs her head where a visible bump is forming.]

“Where in the realms am I..”

zluckychap

my first and only TBS run

final page

[atlas' signature screeching roar could be heard in the distance. the lights flicker.]

@atlas-hate-posting

[Rose perks, recognising a sound from the halls.. she quickly finishes up wiping the counter that they’ve set her stuff up on. ]

[as they came into view, rose could see that they held a paper chef's hat and a spatula in their hands. something also seems...different about them.]

ROSE!!! HOW DO I COOK FOOD! I HAVE TO LEARN PLEAAAASE!!!

[rose startles- not from the sound but their…. New fit? She cant help but quietly giggle]

“Ah.. well…. I’d be happy to teach you but.. I must ask, where did you find that hat?”

[she pats the counter in front of her, inviting them over.]

[they put the hat on, eagerly sitting down. their tail wagged behind them.]

I FOLDED IT WITH OFFICE PAPERS. KINDA JUST, CRUMPLED IT UNTIL IT LOOKED DECENT. AND I STOLE THE SPATULA FROM THE CAFETERIA.

I WAS STRUCK WITH INSPIRATION. TO MAKE GOOD FOOD WITH WHAT WE HAVE. BECAUSE IM TIRED OF EATING ROTTEN CORAL ALL DAY.

“Hmm.. well, I applaud your creativity! So.. first things first. Any dietary requirements? Carnivorous, herbivorous, specifically hot things, etc?”

[she smiles warmly as they sit down.. seems like very few people have stopped by recently.]

FOR ME?¿ NAH, I EAT RANDOM JUNK DAILY. I'M SURE I'LL BE FINE IF I HAVE LIKE. A VEGETABLE.

[they pat their stomach with the spatula.]

I GOT AN IRON STOMACH RIGHT HERE.

“Well, that’s simply wonderful then. What would you like to learn first? We unfortunately don’t have much supply of meat- except fish that is- ….unless you’re willing to find an expendable to eat.. euhhgg..”

[she taps her nails on the counter in thought..]

“I do have my gardens, so vegetables and such are not so much an issue!”

IM SURE WE CAN WORK WITH FISH--

[they suddenly get an idea, leaning in.]

YKNOW, IVE THOUGHT ABOUT USING THEM PARASITES IN THE DARK WATERS OUTSIDE. IM SURE WITH THE RIGHT SEASONING 'N STUFF, THEY'D TASTE LIKE LOBSTER DINNER!

“Oh- uh.. creative idea, for sure.”

[they hum for a second, lost in thought]

“I’ve heard places like china eat leeches, so I’m sure it couldn’t be too different.. though preparing them may be a challenge. They are sure bigger than most parasites so hopefully they’ll be easier to craft into something…”

rye-bread-the-2nd

REALLY¿ HOW DO THEY DO IT OVER THERE? WE COULD PROBABLY DO SOMETHING SIMILAR, RIGHT?

[atlas tilted their head with curiosity.]

“Well…I’m not quite sure, but I’m thinking if we boil them first, since that heat will kill off most sicknesses.. and perhaps grill them, I’m sure I can add some seasonings.. perhaps in a salad?”

GRILLING! YES, I LIKE DOING THAT! IM LOVING THIS IDEA SO FAR, AND COLLECTING THE LEECHES SHOULD BE A BREEZE!

“Hmm… well, we don’t want to get BITTEN by the leech… so let me think. Perhaps we could dangle something alive in the water to collect them? That way we don’t get caught as well.”

[they rubbed their hands together. seems like their face was...attempting to smile? it doesn't really change much.]

WE COULD USE AN EXPENDABLE, YKNOW.

[rose cringes, but keeps her usual smile.]

“A bit… morbid, but I… suppose it may work..”

WELL, WE DONT HAVE TO KILL EM. THEY COULD BE OUT THERE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET WHAT WE NEED BEFORE REELING EM BACK IN. WE CAN EVEN LET 'EM HAVE THE MEAL AFTERWARDS!

[atlas leans back, furrowing their brow thoughtfully.]

UNLESS THERES SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO.

[she sighs, waving her hands]

“No, no it’s alright… I suppose they are usually criminals anyways, right..? Or, if we find one already dead, perhaps that would work as well?”

ITS WORTH A SHOT, I SUPPOSE. I GUESS THE PARASITES GO AFTER ANYTHING EDIBLE, RIGHT?

[they spin the spatula around in one hand as they spoke.]

“Anything with blood, yes.. hmmm… I believe I saw the nearest water pool a few halls from here, along Navi’s marked path.”

ALRIGHT! LETS WAIT AROUND THERE FOR SOME UNFORTUNATE BLOKE TO COME ALONG, THEN.

[they stand up.]

“..right, yeah.”

[she picks a small laminated paper from the counter- a map- and trails her finger in a path. She sets it down and smiles at them]

“Alright, fallow me then.”

[it’s a short walk- through a few twists and turns but nothing hard to navigate. Eventually, the floor drops and crumbles into an inky black unlit hall below- an entirely flooded passage way into a broken open part of the facility.]

[atlas follows, eerily drifting behind her. they look down at a bunch of smudged pen markings on their forearm- presumably a map- and trace along it. seems like the path they took matched their shabby mapmaking skills.]

[when they get to the destination, atlas looks over the edge at the depths underneath.]

PRETTY BIG DROP, EH?

“Quite so. Not the biggest I’ve had to drop through, so it does concern me about the stability of the site as a whole.”

[she hops over the ledge to dangle her legs over the drop. The only lights illuminating the darkness below are the red emergency lights.]

“You are capable of breathing down there, yes?”

[atlas drops down the ledge with her, floating over the pit. looking down at the emergency lights.]

YAH, I CAN. DON'T WANNA GET MY CLOTHES SOGGY THOUGH, SO..

[they take off the hat and set it down next to rose. they also lay the spatula next to it. then, atlas returns to float over the pit. they look down at their shirt.]

...HM

“We’ll be coming back this way anyways, you leave them here. I do have scavenged exp jumpsuits, if you’d like to switch? Truly the only thing I appreciate about these things is their waterproofing.”

ACTUALLY YEAH, THATS PROBABLY BETTER..CAN I HAVE ONE¿

[they floated back to the edge of the hole.]

“Of course! They should be off in a room to the left. Doors unlocked already. I’ll be here waiting when you come back!”

OKAY¡!

[they zip into the room. there were a lot of groaning and ripping sounds...yikes.]

[when they come out, the expendable suit looked a little small on them. the fabric around their dark purple arm was completely torn.]

LETS MAKE THIS QUICK, PLEASE..

“Oof.. -[she chuckles a bit at the tire uniform.] -yeah, let’s get going then.”

[..she hops off the ledge and into the water below. In the pure darkness of the water she… seems to faintly glow. Thin strands of something green shining barley through her uniform. Oh well, surely that’s nothing.]

[she’s surprisingly fast under the water- though being a human down here it makes sense to try and be as quick as possible, especially with how her uniform no longer has its O2 tank.]

[atlas tilts their head, noticing the green stuff and the lack of an oxygen tank. they decide to not comment for now.]

YA KNOW, I CAN PROBABLY GO OUT CATCHIN LEECHES MYSELF. NO EXPENDABLE NECESSARY!

[she finds a spot past the hall to breach the water.. they fling water out of their face. She seems… surprisingly not out of breath, for how long she was under.]

“If you want to try, be my guest. Though I wouldn’t suggest it. Those things can be violent little guys.”

BUNCHA BUGS GOT NOTHIN' ON ME!

[they rushed out into the water, holding their arms out for the parasites to latch onto. their pitch black hair blended into the choking darkness of the water around them.]

[she hums before sighing, and dipping back under the waters surface. She watches- surprisingly parasite free. Whatever the glow is it seems to deter them.]

[she watches for a moment, before a low vibration starts to ripple the water into a current. She blinks in confusion, but it dies down after a moment.]

[atlas was completely covered in parasites. from the tip of their tail to their neck. the dark purple parts of them were almost untouched.]

...OW.

[they quickly floated out of the water. they shook the parasites off, making them fall and wriggle around on the floor.]

CAN YOU GET THOSE¿

[she swings herself upwards back onto the ledge- she begins to very carefully pluck the parasites off and into a small pail.]

“..ick.”

[the parasites almost seem to try and avoid her. Wriggling out of grasp, but ultimately into the desired location. She points a finger at Atlas]

“I’m going to need to bandage you.”

[they look down at themself. covered in bites...yeugh. they reached in the back, under the expendable uniform. their hand came back with yet another parasite.]

CAN I GET THIS THING OFF ME FIRST¿

[they pick at the clothes they're wearing. also, the water seemed to have made their hair really droopy.]

“Of course, of course.”

[she picks up the bucket of parasites. Not the worse but definitely not the prettiest sight.]

[drops of water fly in every direction as atlas shakes the excess moisture out of their hair. then, they zip into the room to change.]

[after a minute or two, atlas returns looking much more comfortable. they still have the bite marks all around their body.]

YKNOW IF THERES ANY MEDKITS NEAR BY?

“I have a supply back in the cafe! Let’s head back there.”

[she stands- before almost tripping as the same rumbling vibration starts again. Just like before, it quickly ends.]

“Wh- what in the world?”

[atlas looks around, furrowing their brow. their eyes land back on rose.]

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT¿!?

“I am… not quite sure? Well… what ever it is, it sounds.. maybe like a creature? I don’t think I’ve found any files on something that makes such a noise..”

[she brushes her pant legs down..]

“It would probably be safer to get away from the ledge in case it breaks..”

RRRIGHT, THAT CANT BE ANYTHING GOOD.

[atlas drifts closer to rose, eyeing around nervously for what could've made that rumbling.]

[rose walks away from the ledge, looking mildly concerned.]

“Well, let’s get going. Need to patch you up, remember?”

YEAH, I DONT LIKE BEING HERE ANYMORE.

[they follow behind her.]

[they sigh, walking through the halls again. The light in the hall flicker a bit..]

“…angler..?”

[…the rumbling resumes- stronger than previous. Rose yelps as she’s knocked off balance. As the rumbling stops she tries to steady herself but ends up misplacing her hands, slicing one on a piece of broken metal..]

[she speaks through gritted teeth. Shaking her hand once she manages to stand] “..that’s unfortunate.. no time to dwell though, my apologies”

UH, NO, ANGLER WOULD NOT BE DOING THIS.

[atlas is unaffected by the rumbling, since they levitate.]

WAIT. I GOT AN IDEA.

[they reach down, crouching a little.]

IF WE'RE BOTH OFF THE GROUND, THE RUMBLING CANT AFFECT US!

“Uhh.. huh?”

[she swiftly tucks her injured hand behind her back. You couldve sworn her hand was an odd color]

“You mean like, how you kinda hover?”

YEA! I BET I CAN KEEP US BOTH FLOATING UNTIL WE GET BACK, BY LIKE. CARRYING YOU OR SOMETHING.

...

I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU HURT LIKE THAT.

[they'd move a little closer to her.]

“I can assure you I am quite alright.. it only caught me off guard. Nothing I haven’t experienced.”

[she smiles, but it seems a tad superficial.]

CANT RISK IT. SORRY FOR WHAT IM ABOUT TO DO.

[they quickly picked her up and plopped her onto their shoulders. then, looking down at their messily scribbled map, they made their way back to the room.]

[now that she's perched up on atlas' shoulders, rose was practically enveloped in their dense, long hair. it felt like a cloud of mist and cotton candy at the same time...somehow.]

[rose freezes- stunned and very, VERY confused.]

“This is. Terribly unnecessary-“

[..she’s cut off by the rumbling resuming, and a locker falls over onto the floor]

[atlas stared at the locker for a second, and then up at rose.]

YA SURE¿

[they continue forward.]

[..she sighs, but does not protest further.]

[eventually, the familiar greens of the of cafe resurface. Vines seem to… putting things into the walls? Bits of the concrete crumbling off from the rumbles, vines working to fit them back into place… it’s oddly mesmerising, almost making you forget vines don’t usually move like that]

[atlas stares up at the vines, squinting and tilting their head. they turn back to rose.]

ARE THEY...SUPPOSED TO DO THAT¿..?

eclipsen-smiles

[she cringes a bit…]

“Uhh… i.. I guess. I don’t know. …can I uh. Be put down now? I keep the medical supplies in the back room.”

[either way, it seems like the vines did a good job keeping everything together. The excess amount of moss and plants held things together like glue.]

YEA SURE

[they pick her from their shoulders, and plop them on the floor. then, atlas sits down and watches as the vines work.]

[she brushes herself off- continuing to shield her hand from view. She scurries into a back room, past a small curtain. There’s the sound of a few things being knocked over.. and she comes back out with a pristine looking medical case.]

“Here we are…”

DOES IT HAVE ENOUGH FOR US BOTH?

[atlas tilts their head, leaning forward to look at the case-- and a little to the side for a glimpse at her hand. their eyesight isnt the best, so it was hard to see the discoloration at first.]

“Well, if I doesn’t i have more. Plus, all I have is a bit of a scratch anyways.”

[she digs out a roll of gauze and disinfectant.]

“..would you mind if I helped? I’m sure you could get most of it but some of those seem hard to reach.”

[atlas sticks out a hand to stop her.]

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST. IVE HAD WORSE THAN A FEW BUG BITES.

[they sat down somewhere, stretching their legs.]

“Hmm? I don’t need it.”

[..she hold up her hand. The cut is gone, replaced with a faintly green scar.]

“I heal quickly, see?”

[their eyes widen in surprise.]

OH..WOW, OKAY..GO AHEAD, I GUESS.

“Lovely! Come on over here, I’ll let you patch up what you can yourself!”

YOU GOT IT, ROSE.

[they stand up, crouching next to rose and pulling up their shirt to show her the hardest bites to reach.]

[she works quite quickly- medical experience coming into use. She hums quietly to the music that plays.]

[atlas waits for her to finish, tapping their fingers along to the beat.]

“Annndd.. there we go! That should hold as long as you refrain from getting it wet!”

[she clasps her hands together, smiling widely.]

HEY, THANKS! I SHOULD BE GOOD ON THE STAYING DRY PART.

[they turn around, pulling their shirt down. then, atlas grabs the gauze and finishes up with the rest of their wounds.]

Wonderful!

Alright let’s see here…

[she picks the bucket back up from where she left it, thinking to herself.]

HOW'RE WE GONNA COOK ALL THAT, AGAIN? WE GOT A LOTTA DIFFERENT ONES, SO THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY WE CAN SERVE 'EM.

“…hmm. Well, I guess we can try multiple ways then. First and foremost, I need to boil these so they don’t carry anything icky.”

[she carries the bucket over to a large pot that seems fashioned out of a locket door- dumping the bucket into it.]

RIGHT, RIGHT, DONT WANNA CATCH MORE DISEASES THAN I ALREADY HAVE.

[..it is unclear whether theyre joking or not.]

[she digs behind the counter for a moment- dragging out a hot plate that she plugs into the wall]

“Well, that’s the goal at least! At least the electricity still works down here.”

THANK GOD FOR THAT, EH?

[they slump over on the counter, resting their head on their arm.]

ARE WE GONNA WAIT NOW?

“Well, boiling water does take a while…”

[she hums..]

“We could talk, or do something While we wait. I’m curious as to what that rumbling was..]

YEAH, I HOPE ITS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN STOP...IF IT WERE AN EARTHQUAKE OR SOMETHING, WE'D BE COMPLETELY DEAD.

[they shudder at the thought.]

ANY CLUE WHICH DIRECTION IT CAME FROM¿

“Not super sure… it was stronger near the water, so I’d assume somewhere from there?”

“I’m sure this site would hold even in an earthquake. It has before, I’m sure it will continue to.”

OH. THATS REASSURING, THEN.

...

HOW D'YOU KNOW ITS SURVIVED BEFORE..?

“We’re underwater. It’s not a far fetched claim I think.. the ocean floor is always moving, earthquakes are common. I doubt it’s an actual earthquake, it’s probably something inside the site crumbling.”

[they shrug..]

“with how often things ram into walls, I wouldn’t be surprised”

#atlas-hate-posting

[atlas' signature screeching roar could be heard in the distance. the lights flicker.]

@atlas-hate-posting

[Rose perks, recognising a sound from the halls.. she quickly finishes up wiping the counter that they’ve set her stuff up on. ]

[as they came into view, rose could see that they held a paper chef's hat and a spatula in their hands. something also seems...different about them.]

ROSE!!! HOW DO I COOK FOOD! I HAVE TO LEARN PLEAAAASE!!!

[rose startles- not from the sound but their…. New fit? She cant help but quietly giggle]

“Ah.. well…. I’d be happy to teach you but.. I must ask, where did you find that hat?”

[she pats the counter in front of her, inviting them over.]

[they put the hat on, eagerly sitting down. their tail wagged behind them.]

I FOLDED IT WITH OFFICE PAPERS. KINDA JUST, CRUMPLED IT UNTIL IT LOOKED DECENT. AND I STOLE THE SPATULA FROM THE CAFETERIA.

I WAS STRUCK WITH INSPIRATION. TO MAKE GOOD FOOD WITH WHAT WE HAVE. BECAUSE IM TIRED OF EATING ROTTEN CORAL ALL DAY.

“Hmm.. well, I applaud your creativity! So.. first things first. Any dietary requirements? Carnivorous, herbivorous, specifically hot things, etc?”

[she smiles warmly as they sit down.. seems like very few people have stopped by recently.]

FOR ME?¿ NAH, I EAT RANDOM JUNK DAILY. I'M SURE I'LL BE FINE IF I HAVE LIKE. A VEGETABLE.

[they pat their stomach with the spatula.]

I GOT AN IRON STOMACH RIGHT HERE.

[she taps her nails on the counter in thought..]

“I do have my gardens, so vegetables and such are not so much an issue!”

IM SURE WE CAN WORK WITH FISH--

[they suddenly get an idea, leaning in.]

YKNOW, IVE THOUGHT ABOUT USING THEM PARASITES IN THE DARK WATERS OUTSIDE. IM SURE WITH THE RIGHT SEASONING 'N STUFF, THEY'D TASTE LIKE LOBSTER DINNER!

“Oh- uh.. creative idea, for sure.”

[they hum for a second, lost in thought]

rye-bread-the-2nd

REALLY¿ HOW DO THEY DO IT OVER THERE? WE COULD PROBABLY DO SOMETHING SIMILAR, RIGHT?

[atlas tilted their head with curiosity.]

GRILLING! YES, I LIKE DOING THAT! IM LOVING THIS IDEA SO FAR, AND COLLECTING THE LEECHES SHOULD BE A BREEZE!

“Hmm… well, we don’t want to get BITTEN by the leech… so let me think. Perhaps we could dangle something alive in the water to collect them? That way we don’t get caught as well.”

[they rubbed their hands together. seems like their face was...attempting to smile? it doesn't really change much.]

WE COULD USE AN EXPENDABLE, YKNOW.

[rose cringes, but keeps her usual smile.]

“A bit… morbid, but I… suppose it may work..”

WELL, WE DONT HAVE TO KILL EM. THEY COULD BE OUT THERE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET WHAT WE NEED BEFORE REELING EM BACK IN. WE CAN EVEN LET 'EM HAVE THE MEAL AFTERWARDS!

[atlas leans back, furrowing their brow thoughtfully.]

UNLESS THERES SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO.

[she sighs, waving her hands]

“No, no it’s alright… I suppose they are usually criminals anyways, right..? Or, if we find one already dead, perhaps that would work as well?”

ITS WORTH A SHOT, I SUPPOSE. I GUESS THE PARASITES GO AFTER ANYTHING EDIBLE, RIGHT?

[they spin the spatula around in one hand as they spoke.]

“Anything with blood, yes.. hmmm… I believe I saw the nearest water pool a few halls from here, along Navi’s marked path.”

ALRIGHT! LETS WAIT AROUND THERE FOR SOME UNFORTUNATE BLOKE TO COME ALONG, THEN.

[they stand up.]

“..right, yeah.”

[she picks a small laminated paper from the counter- a map- and trails her finger in a path. She sets it down and smiles at them]

“Alright, fallow me then.”

[when they get to the destination, atlas looks over the edge at the depths underneath.]

PRETTY BIG DROP, EH?

“Quite so. Not the biggest I’ve had to drop through, so it does concern me about the stability of the site as a whole.”

[she hops over the ledge to dangle her legs over the drop. The only lights illuminating the darkness below are the red emergency lights.]

“You are capable of breathing down there, yes?”

[atlas drops down the ledge with her, floating over the pit. looking down at the emergency lights.]

YAH, I CAN. DON'T WANNA GET MY CLOTHES SOGGY THOUGH, SO..

[they take off the hat and set it down next to rose. they also lay the spatula next to it. then, atlas returns to float over the pit. they look down at their shirt.]

...HM

ACTUALLY YEAH, THATS PROBABLY BETTER..CAN I HAVE ONE¿

[they floated back to the edge of the hole.]

“Of course! They should be off in a room to the left. Doors unlocked already. I’ll be here waiting when you come back!”

OKAY¡!

[they zip into the room. there were a lot of groaning and ripping sounds...yikes.]

[when they come out, the expendable suit looked a little small on them. the fabric around their dark purple arm was completely torn.]

LETS MAKE THIS QUICK, PLEASE..

“Oof.. -[she chuckles a bit at the tire uniform.] -yeah, let’s get going then.”

[she’s surprisingly fast under the water- though being a human down here it makes sense to try and be as quick as possible, especially with how her uniform no longer has its O2 tank.]

[atlas tilts their head, noticing the green stuff and the lack of an oxygen tank. they decide to not comment for now.]

YA KNOW, I CAN PROBABLY GO OUT CATCHIN LEECHES MYSELF. NO EXPENDABLE NECESSARY!

[she finds a spot past the hall to breach the water.. they fling water out of their face. She seems… surprisingly not out of breath, for how long she was under.]

“If you want to try, be my guest. Though I wouldn’t suggest it. Those things can be violent little guys.”

BUNCHA BUGS GOT NOTHIN' ON ME!

[they rushed out into the water, holding their arms out for the parasites to latch onto. their pitch black hair blended into the choking darkness of the water around them.]

[she hums before sighing, and dipping back under the waters surface. She watches- surprisingly parasite free. Whatever the glow is it seems to deter them.]

[she watches for a moment, before a low vibration starts to ripple the water into a current. She blinks in confusion, but it dies down after a moment.]

[atlas was completely covered in parasites. from the tip of their tail to their neck. the dark purple parts of them were almost untouched.]

...OW.

[they quickly floated out of the water. they shook the parasites off, making them fall and wriggle around on the floor.]

CAN YOU GET THOSE¿

[she swings herself upwards back onto the ledge- she begins to very carefully pluck the parasites off and into a small pail.]

“..ick.”

[the parasites almost seem to try and avoid her. Wriggling out of grasp, but ultimately into the desired location. She points a finger at Atlas]

“I’m going to need to bandage you.”

[they look down at themself. covered in bites...yeugh. they reached in the back, under the expendable uniform. their hand came back with yet another parasite.]

CAN I GET THIS THING OFF ME FIRST¿

[they pick at the clothes they're wearing. also, the water seemed to have made their hair really droopy.]

“Of course, of course.”

[she picks up the bucket of parasites. Not the worse but definitely not the prettiest sight.]

[drops of water fly in every direction as atlas shakes the excess moisture out of their hair. then, they zip into the room to change.]

[after a minute or two, atlas returns looking much more comfortable. they still have the bite marks all around their body.]

YKNOW IF THERES ANY MEDKITS NEAR BY?

“I have a supply back in the cafe! Let’s head back there.”

[she stands- before almost tripping as the same rumbling vibration starts again. Just like before, it quickly ends.]

“Wh- what in the world?”

[atlas looks around, furrowing their brow. their eyes land back on rose.]

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT¿!?

“I am… not quite sure? Well… what ever it is, it sounds.. maybe like a creature? I don’t think I’ve found any files on something that makes such a noise..”

[she brushes her pant legs down..]

“It would probably be safer to get away from the ledge in case it breaks..”

RRRIGHT, THAT CANT BE ANYTHING GOOD.

[atlas drifts closer to rose, eyeing around nervously for what could've made that rumbling.]

[rose walks away from the ledge, looking mildly concerned.]

“Well, let’s get going. Need to patch you up, remember?”

YEAH, I DONT LIKE BEING HERE ANYMORE.

[they follow behind her.]

[they sigh, walking through the halls again. The light in the hall flicker a bit..]

“…angler..?”

[she speaks through gritted teeth. Shaking her hand once she manages to stand] “..that’s unfortunate.. no time to dwell though, my apologies”

UH, NO, ANGLER WOULD NOT BE DOING THIS.

[atlas is unaffected by the rumbling, since they levitate.]

WAIT. I GOT AN IDEA.

[they reach down, crouching a little.]

IF WE'RE BOTH OFF THE GROUND, THE RUMBLING CANT AFFECT US!

“Uhh.. huh?”

[she swiftly tucks her injured hand behind her back. You couldve sworn her hand was an odd color]

“You mean like, how you kinda hover?”

YEA! I BET I CAN KEEP US BOTH FLOATING UNTIL WE GET BACK, BY LIKE. CARRYING YOU OR SOMETHING.

...

I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU HURT LIKE THAT.

[they'd move a little closer to her.]

“I can assure you I am quite alright.. it only caught me off guard. Nothing I haven’t experienced.”

[she smiles, but it seems a tad superficial.]

CANT RISK IT. SORRY FOR WHAT IM ABOUT TO DO.

[they quickly picked her up and plopped her onto their shoulders. then, looking down at their messily scribbled map, they made their way back to the room.]

[now that she's perched up on atlas' shoulders, rose was practically enveloped in their dense, long hair. it felt like a cloud of mist and cotton candy at the same time...somehow.]

[rose freezes- stunned and very, VERY confused.]

“This is. Terribly unnecessary-“

[..she’s cut off by the rumbling resuming, and a locker falls over onto the floor]

[atlas stared at the locker for a second, and then up at rose.]

YA SURE¿

[they continue forward.]

[..she sighs, but does not protest further.]

[atlas stares up at the vines, squinting and tilting their head. they turn back to rose.]

ARE THEY...SUPPOSED TO DO THAT¿..?

eclipsen-smiles

[she cringes a bit…]

“Uhh… i.. I guess. I don’t know. …can I uh. Be put down now? I keep the medical supplies in the back room.”

[either way, it seems like the vines did a good job keeping everything together. The excess amount of moss and plants held things together like glue.]

YEA SURE

[they pick her from their shoulders, and plop them on the floor. then, atlas sits down and watches as the vines work.]

“Here we are…”

DOES IT HAVE ENOUGH FOR US BOTH?

[atlas tilts their head, leaning forward to look at the case-- and a little to the side for a glimpse at her hand. their eyesight isnt the best, so it was hard to see the discoloration at first.]

“Well, if I doesn’t i have more. Plus, all I have is a bit of a scratch anyways.”

[she digs out a roll of gauze and disinfectant.]

“..would you mind if I helped? I’m sure you could get most of it but some of those seem hard to reach.”

[atlas sticks out a hand to stop her.]

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST. IVE HAD WORSE THAN A FEW BUG BITES.

[they sat down somewhere, stretching their legs.]

“Hmm? I don’t need it.”

[..she hold up her hand. The cut is gone, replaced with a faintly green scar.]

“I heal quickly, see?”

[their eyes widen in surprise.]

OH..WOW, OKAY..GO AHEAD, I GUESS.

“Lovely! Come on over here, I’ll let you patch up what you can yourself!”

YOU GOT IT, ROSE.

[they stand up, crouching next to rose and pulling up their shirt to show her the hardest bites to reach.]

[she works quite quickly- medical experience coming into use. She hums quietly to the music that plays.]

[atlas waits for her to finish, tapping their fingers along to the beat.]

“Annndd.. there we go! That should hold as long as you refrain from getting it wet!”

[she clasps her hands together, smiling widely.]

HEY, THANKS! I SHOULD BE GOOD ON THE STAYING DRY PART.

[they turn around, pulling their shirt down. then, atlas grabs the gauze and finishes up with the rest of their wounds.]

Wonderful!

Alright let’s see here…

[she picks the bucket back up from where she left it, thinking to herself.]

HOW'RE WE GONNA COOK ALL THAT, AGAIN? WE GOT A LOTTA DIFFERENT ONES, SO THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY WE CAN SERVE 'EM.

“…hmm. Well, I guess we can try multiple ways then. First and foremost, I need to boil these so they don’t carry anything icky.”

[she carries the bucket over to a large pot that seems fashioned out of a locket door- dumping the bucket into it.]

RIGHT, RIGHT, DONT WANNA CATCH MORE DISEASES THAN I ALREADY HAVE.

[..it is unclear whether theyre joking or not.]

[she digs behind the counter for a moment- dragging out a hot plate that she plugs into the wall]

“Well, that’s the goal at least! At least the electricity still works down here.”

THANK GOD FOR THAT, EH?

[they slump over on the counter, resting their head on their arm.]

ARE WE GONNA WAIT NOW?

“Well, boiling water does take a while…”

[she hums..]

“We could talk, or do something While we wait. I’m curious as to what that rumbling was..]

YEAH, I HOPE ITS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN STOP...IF IT WERE AN EARTHQUAKE OR SOMETHING, WE'D BE COMPLETELY DEAD.

[they shudder at the thought.]

ANY CLUE WHICH DIRECTION IT CAME FROM¿

“Not super sure… it was stronger near the water, so I’d assume somewhere from there?”

“I’m sure this site would hold even in an earthquake. It has before, I’m sure it will continue to.”

#atlas-hate-posting

[atlas' signature screeching roar could be heard in the distance. the lights flicker.]

@atlas-hate-posting

[Rose perks, recognising a sound from the halls.. she quickly finishes up wiping the counter that they’ve set her stuff up on. ]

[as they came into view, rose could see that they held a paper chef's hat and a spatula in their hands. something also seems...different about them.]

ROSE!!! HOW DO I COOK FOOD! I HAVE TO LEARN PLEAAAASE!!!

[rose startles- not from the sound but their…. New fit? She cant help but quietly giggle]

“Ah.. well…. I’d be happy to teach you but.. I must ask, where did you find that hat?”

[she pats the counter in front of her, inviting them over.]

[they put the hat on, eagerly sitting down. their tail wagged behind them.]

I FOLDED IT WITH OFFICE PAPERS. KINDA JUST, CRUMPLED IT UNTIL IT LOOKED DECENT. AND I STOLE THE SPATULA FROM THE CAFETERIA.

I WAS STRUCK WITH INSPIRATION. TO MAKE GOOD FOOD WITH WHAT WE HAVE. BECAUSE IM TIRED OF EATING ROTTEN CORAL ALL DAY.

“Hmm.. well, I applaud your creativity! So.. first things first. Any dietary requirements? Carnivorous, herbivorous, specifically hot things, etc?”

[she smiles warmly as they sit down.. seems like very few people have stopped by recently.]

FOR ME?¿ NAH, I EAT RANDOM JUNK DAILY. I'M SURE I'LL BE FINE IF I HAVE LIKE. A VEGETABLE.

[they pat their stomach with the spatula.]

I GOT AN IRON STOMACH RIGHT HERE.

[she taps her nails on the counter in thought..]

“I do have my gardens, so vegetables and such are not so much an issue!”

IM SURE WE CAN WORK WITH FISH--

[they suddenly get an idea, leaning in.]

YKNOW, IVE THOUGHT ABOUT USING THEM PARASITES IN THE DARK WATERS OUTSIDE. IM SURE WITH THE RIGHT SEASONING 'N STUFF, THEY'D TASTE LIKE LOBSTER DINNER!

“Oh- uh.. creative idea, for sure.”

[they hum for a second, lost in thought]

rye-bread-the-2nd

REALLY¿ HOW DO THEY DO IT OVER THERE? WE COULD PROBABLY DO SOMETHING SIMILAR, RIGHT?

[atlas tilted their head with curiosity.]

GRILLING! YES, I LIKE DOING THAT! IM LOVING THIS IDEA SO FAR, AND COLLECTING THE LEECHES SHOULD BE A BREEZE!

“Hmm… well, we don’t want to get BITTEN by the leech… so let me think. Perhaps we could dangle something alive in the water to collect them? That way we don’t get caught as well.”

[they rubbed their hands together. seems like their face was...attempting to smile? it doesn't really change much.]

WE COULD USE AN EXPENDABLE, YKNOW.

[rose cringes, but keeps her usual smile.]

“A bit… morbid, but I… suppose it may work..”

WELL, WE DONT HAVE TO KILL EM. THEY COULD BE OUT THERE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET WHAT WE NEED BEFORE REELING EM BACK IN. WE CAN EVEN LET 'EM HAVE THE MEAL AFTERWARDS!

[atlas leans back, furrowing their brow thoughtfully.]

UNLESS THERES SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO.

[she sighs, waving her hands]

“No, no it’s alright… I suppose they are usually criminals anyways, right..? Or, if we find one already dead, perhaps that would work as well?”

ITS WORTH A SHOT, I SUPPOSE. I GUESS THE PARASITES GO AFTER ANYTHING EDIBLE, RIGHT?

[they spin the spatula around in one hand as they spoke.]

“Anything with blood, yes.. hmmm… I believe I saw the nearest water pool a few halls from here, along Navi’s marked path.”

ALRIGHT! LETS WAIT AROUND THERE FOR SOME UNFORTUNATE BLOKE TO COME ALONG, THEN.

[they stand up.]

“..right, yeah.”

[she picks a small laminated paper from the counter- a map- and trails her finger in a path. She sets it down and smiles at them]

“Alright, fallow me then.”

[when they get to the destination, atlas looks over the edge at the depths underneath.]

PRETTY BIG DROP, EH?

“Quite so. Not the biggest I’ve had to drop through, so it does concern me about the stability of the site as a whole.”

[she hops over the ledge to dangle her legs over the drop. The only lights illuminating the darkness below are the red emergency lights.]

“You are capable of breathing down there, yes?”

[atlas drops down the ledge with her, floating over the pit. looking down at the emergency lights.]

YAH, I CAN. DON'T WANNA GET MY CLOTHES SOGGY THOUGH, SO..

[they take off the hat and set it down next to rose. they also lay the spatula next to it. then, atlas returns to float over the pit. they look down at their shirt.]

...HM

ACTUALLY YEAH, THATS PROBABLY BETTER..CAN I HAVE ONE¿

[they floated back to the edge of the hole.]

“Of course! They should be off in a room to the left. Doors unlocked already. I’ll be here waiting when you come back!”

OKAY¡!

[they zip into the room. there were a lot of groaning and ripping sounds...yikes.]

[when they come out, the expendable suit looked a little small on them. the fabric around their dark purple arm was completely torn.]

LETS MAKE THIS QUICK, PLEASE..

“Oof.. -[she chuckles a bit at the tire uniform.] -yeah, let’s get going then.”

[she’s surprisingly fast under the water- though being a human down here it makes sense to try and be as quick as possible, especially with how her uniform no longer has its O2 tank.]

[atlas tilts their head, noticing the green stuff and the lack of an oxygen tank. they decide to not comment for now.]

YA KNOW, I CAN PROBABLY GO OUT CATCHIN LEECHES MYSELF. NO EXPENDABLE NECESSARY!

[she finds a spot past the hall to breach the water.. they fling water out of their face. She seems… surprisingly not out of breath, for how long she was under.]

“If you want to try, be my guest. Though I wouldn’t suggest it. Those things can be violent little guys.”

BUNCHA BUGS GOT NOTHIN' ON ME!

[they rushed out into the water, holding their arms out for the parasites to latch onto. their pitch black hair blended into the choking darkness of the water around them.]

[she hums before sighing, and dipping back under the waters surface. She watches- surprisingly parasite free. Whatever the glow is it seems to deter them.]

[she watches for a moment, before a low vibration starts to ripple the water into a current. She blinks in confusion, but it dies down after a moment.]

[atlas was completely covered in parasites. from the tip of their tail to their neck. the dark purple parts of them were almost untouched.]

...OW.

[they quickly floated out of the water. they shook the parasites off, making them fall and wriggle around on the floor.]

CAN YOU GET THOSE¿

[she swings herself upwards back onto the ledge- she begins to very carefully pluck the parasites off and into a small pail.]

“..ick.”

[the parasites almost seem to try and avoid her. Wriggling out of grasp, but ultimately into the desired location. She points a finger at Atlas]

“I’m going to need to bandage you.”

[they look down at themself. covered in bites...yeugh. they reached in the back, under the expendable uniform. their hand came back with yet another parasite.]

CAN I GET THIS THING OFF ME FIRST¿

[they pick at the clothes they're wearing. also, the water seemed to have made their hair really droopy.]

“Of course, of course.”

[she picks up the bucket of parasites. Not the worse but definitely not the prettiest sight.]

[drops of water fly in every direction as atlas shakes the excess moisture out of their hair. then, they zip into the room to change.]

[after a minute or two, atlas returns looking much more comfortable. they still have the bite marks all around their body.]

YKNOW IF THERES ANY MEDKITS NEAR BY?

“I have a supply back in the cafe! Let’s head back there.”

[she stands- before almost tripping as the same rumbling vibration starts again. Just like before, it quickly ends.]

“Wh- what in the world?”

[atlas looks around, furrowing their brow. their eyes land back on rose.]

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT¿!?

“I am… not quite sure? Well… what ever it is, it sounds.. maybe like a creature? I don’t think I’ve found any files on something that makes such a noise..”

[she brushes her pant legs down..]

“It would probably be safer to get away from the ledge in case it breaks..”

RRRIGHT, THAT CANT BE ANYTHING GOOD.

[atlas drifts closer to rose, eyeing around nervously for what could've made that rumbling.]

[rose walks away from the ledge, looking mildly concerned.]

“Well, let’s get going. Need to patch you up, remember?”

YEAH, I DONT LIKE BEING HERE ANYMORE.

[they follow behind her.]

[they sigh, walking through the halls again. The light in the hall flicker a bit..]

“…angler..?”

[she speaks through gritted teeth. Shaking her hand once she manages to stand] “..that’s unfortunate.. no time to dwell though, my apologies”

UH, NO, ANGLER WOULD NOT BE DOING THIS.

[atlas is unaffected by the rumbling, since they levitate.]

WAIT. I GOT AN IDEA.

[they reach down, crouching a little.]

IF WE'RE BOTH OFF THE GROUND, THE RUMBLING CANT AFFECT US!

“Uhh.. huh?”

[she swiftly tucks her injured hand behind her back. You couldve sworn her hand was an odd color]

“You mean like, how you kinda hover?”

YEA! I BET I CAN KEEP US BOTH FLOATING UNTIL WE GET BACK, BY LIKE. CARRYING YOU OR SOMETHING.

...

I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU HURT LIKE THAT.

[they'd move a little closer to her.]

“I can assure you I am quite alright.. it only caught me off guard. Nothing I haven’t experienced.”

[she smiles, but it seems a tad superficial.]

CANT RISK IT. SORRY FOR WHAT IM ABOUT TO DO.

[they quickly picked her up and plopped her onto their shoulders. then, looking down at their messily scribbled map, they made their way back to the room.]

[now that she's perched up on atlas' shoulders, rose was practically enveloped in their dense, long hair. it felt like a cloud of mist and cotton candy at the same time...somehow.]

[rose freezes- stunned and very, VERY confused.]

“This is. Terribly unnecessary-“

[..she’s cut off by the rumbling resuming, and a locker falls over onto the floor]

[atlas stared at the locker for a second, and then up at rose.]

YA SURE¿

[they continue forward.]

[..she sighs, but does not protest further.]

[atlas stares up at the vines, squinting and tilting their head. they turn back to rose.]

ARE THEY...SUPPOSED TO DO THAT¿..?

eclipsen-smiles

[she cringes a bit…]

“Uhh… i.. I guess. I don’t know. …can I uh. Be put down now? I keep the medical supplies in the back room.”

[either way, it seems like the vines did a good job keeping everything together. The excess amount of moss and plants held things together like glue.]

YEA SURE

[they pick her from their shoulders, and plop them on the floor. then, atlas sits down and watches as the vines work.]

“Here we are…”

DOES IT HAVE ENOUGH FOR US BOTH?

[atlas tilts their head, leaning forward to look at the case-- and a little to the side for a glimpse at her hand. their eyesight isnt the best, so it was hard to see the discoloration at first.]

“Well, if I doesn’t i have more. Plus, all I have is a bit of a scratch anyways.”

[she digs out a roll of gauze and disinfectant.]

“..would you mind if I helped? I’m sure you could get most of it but some of those seem hard to reach.”

[atlas sticks out a hand to stop her.]

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST. IVE HAD WORSE THAN A FEW BUG BITES.

[they sat down somewhere, stretching their legs.]

“Hmm? I don’t need it.”

[..she hold up her hand. The cut is gone, replaced with a faintly green scar.]

“I heal quickly, see?”

[their eyes widen in surprise.]

OH..WOW, OKAY..GO AHEAD, I GUESS.

“Lovely! Come on over here, I’ll let you patch up what you can yourself!”

YOU GOT IT, ROSE.

[they stand up, crouching next to rose and pulling up their shirt to show her the hardest bites to reach.]

[she works quite quickly- medical experience coming into use. She hums quietly to the music that plays.]

[atlas waits for her to finish, tapping their fingers along to the beat.]

“Annndd.. there we go! That should hold as long as you refrain from getting it wet!”

[she clasps her hands together, smiling widely.]

HEY, THANKS! I SHOULD BE GOOD ON THE STAYING DRY PART.

[they turn around, pulling their shirt down. then, atlas grabs the gauze and finishes up with the rest of their wounds.]

Wonderful!

Alright let’s see here…

[she picks the bucket back up from where she left it, thinking to herself.]

HOW'RE WE GONNA COOK ALL THAT, AGAIN? WE GOT A LOTTA DIFFERENT ONES, SO THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY WE CAN SERVE 'EM.

“…hmm. Well, I guess we can try multiple ways then. First and foremost, I need to boil these so they don’t carry anything icky.”

[she carries the bucket over to a large pot that seems fashioned out of a locket door- dumping the bucket into it.]

RIGHT, RIGHT, DONT WANNA CATCH MORE DISEASES THAN I ALREADY HAVE.

[..it is unclear whether theyre joking or not.]

[she digs behind the counter for a moment- dragging out a hot plate that she plugs into the wall]

“Well, that’s the goal at least! At least the electricity still works down here.”

THANK GOD FOR THAT, EH?

[they slump over on the counter, resting their head on their arm.]

ARE WE GONNA WAIT NOW?