You would think that the medicine she took would help her sleep, since it made her so drowsy. But something kept her up most of the night...
A nightmare like no other...
The girl could only see a bright light shining within her eyes as she squints, trying to see just where she was. All she could feel was cold metal underneath her and, once she could focus, realized on why she felt it.
She was laying on top of an examination table.
What was going on? She didnāt recall anything of this happening or how she even got here, but the more she tried to struggle, the more she realized she was strapped down. What?! Blue eyes widened while she squirmed, with only a thin, white sheet laid over her body, and the sight of emerald green light caught her attention. Her SOUL, out in the open, beating rapidly with her growing panic.
And a face above her, with that wicked, broken smile.
The face with the cracks along his eye sockets stood over her SOUL with a tool in his hands, a scalpel, from the looks of it. He only showed that grin growing larger, and the eye lights in his eyes a bright purple, making her terrified further. What was he going to do to her?
Drewās eyes suddenly opened wide and she screamed, so badly that her own SOUL was out in the open, hovering above her chest. It alerted the Pokemon to her screams and, her Meowstic was at her side, trying to reassure the girl that she was fine.
But that nightmare felt too real. So terrified she was, that she was still in a state of shock, that was, till she saw Chii. She struggled to breath for mere moments before she sat up and grabbed her phone, tears stinging her eyes as she called her boss.
ā....L..Licifo...? I-I know its late but...I had a nightmare...ā
āIt felt so real..I think..i..it was a memory...ā
Sorry I kinda worried everyone last night, I blacked out from an incredibly terrible headache and it was the worst one yet.
But not to worry! Doc, Cayden, and Licifo checked up on me today and we had fun hanging out while Licifo and Cayden cooked. Always nice to see the three goofballs once in a while.
The Knightās GambitĀ Ā /Ā Ā rp archival post ft. @kind2afault
italics - cayden, normal - licifo/fleurās grillby, bold - doc
Itās something that pulls and invites where it shouldnāt. Something entrancing and mystifying, it makes you want to come closer and closer until- SNAP! Jaws close on you and you donāt make a sound again. Thatās why Cayden places a hand on his fool best friendās shoulder as they approach the house. āThis doesnātā¦feel right.ā His grip tightens ever so slightly.
āOf course it doesnāt, youāve been hiding away with the timelineās Speaker for weeks now. Nothing is going to feel right.ā Doc replies in turn, feeling nothing amiss. He feels like heās trying to walk on a carousel to get to a piece of it that forever remains ahead and around that bend but hm. He notices not the inconsistencies to his thoughts. Itās normal isnāt it? āItās merely checking up on her and making sure sheās alright.ā
āItās just Drew,ā Licifo pipes up, waving one hand dismissively and putting his hands in the pockets of his flight bomber jacket. āSheās hardly one to be in any trouble.ā
āIf that were true, whyāre we beinā asked ta check up on āer? And fer fuckās sake, Garamond⦠Ye look like yer listeninā to the echoes again. Thatās dangerous.ā
āIām not. I have protection.ā
āNo! Stop! You stay out here while we check up on her. We canāt risk it.ā
āYou worry too muchā¦ā
āI agree with Cayden, actually. You donāt look well. Just stay out here alright?ā
Licifo raises a hand to knock on the door as Doc leans against the wall with a huff. āDrew? You home?ā
The house wasā¦.eerily quiet, usually her Pokemon were running about. But no sounds of them, at least, from what Drew was hearing. She felt rather uneasy about yesterday and how she actually blacked out. It wasnāt from that one medicine that she tried, was it?
When she heard a knock at the door, she blinked her blue eyes in confusion. A visitor? Who could that be? She pulled her oven mitts off and set them on the counter before heading towards the door, only to hear voices on the other side. When she opened itā¦.she was surprised.
āOh! Hey boys!ā She said with a smile on her face, happy to see the three coming for a visit. Other than looking rather exhausted and maybe under the weather, she seemedā¦fine?
āUhhhh come on in, I didnāt know you were visiting. I just finished up some gingerbread if you like some and hot cocoa too.ā Strange..she seemed fine.
Drew IS actually asleep and, covered up by a blanket in her bed. No physical harm has been done to her, and sheās sleeping quite soundly. However, her SOUL is still out, the bright, emerald hue beating above her. What was it still doing out?
....And why were there small nicks and cracks in it?
{Silence, insolent pests.} He's lost his patience with these creatures. With barely a gesture, they too are restrained and this time all of them are silenced with something disgustingly cold and slimy. Tendrils perhaps of living darkness. {Let us see about how this little fly will attract the right spider without attracting the whole nest.} Not all that glitters is gold. Not all that is gold should be reached for.
Claws brandished as torture devices brush against the side of the displacement's face, in a falsely caring manner. {So much to look forward to.} He chuckles darkly, sound comes off as layered and cacophonous. A dangerous lullaby, a siren song. {Now for those pesky strings of yours-- ...} The lights in his eyes go dark for a time. Silent, rigid. Then it becomes a four point red star. {3ļ½ļ½ ļ½ļ½ ļ½ļ½ļ½ ļ½ļ½ļ½ ļ¼} HIS FINEST EXPERIMENT. The one who escaped him. A shard glitters gold past his vest.
Drew has no idea what was going on, limp and out cold. Chii was chirping loudly to try to wake up the girl, only to see how helpless her trainer was.
That serene smile that played on his skull curls slowly into a sinister grin. Foolish girl. His closed eyesocket creaks open like a hinge that hasn't been oiled well- a terrible sound of screeching metal. Debilitating. {Can't have you running off and alarming anyone now can we?} The darkness cast by his cloak ties the Pokemon up. {No... No, we cannot have you doing that.} He kneels down to pick up Drew, hypnotic lights swirling in his sockets. {Sleep, dear pet. Remember not darkness but light.}
{Make myself at home?} Oh if only she knew what she had brought upon herself. {If you so insist.} That which haunts a shadow bears no shadow of his own, not there yet not here. Fragmented across Space and Time. A Fragment cursed- or perhaps blessed- with unimaginable power... but he must first be INVITED. But for now he would blend in as much as possible. There are strings here that he mustn't pluck. A spider would surely come stalking for a fly.
Drew nodded her head, already feeling rather dizzy. Just what had Inkwell given her?
āI think I need to...ā
Before she could finish, she lost her footing, soon collapsing onto the floor. With Chii nearby, she saw the whole thing, letting a growl bubble up from her throat.
{Indeed.} He is patient with the questions. Earn her trust no matter what. {I make medication specifically for the ones who aren't human. I can make human concoctions, but I tend not to.} He reaches into his coat to take out a small capsule inside an equally small container. {This is a test medication I have been working on for you. It should work immediately if it works.} In reality it was just a relaxing pill. But it was meant to relax the soul, unwind the tangles of the mind.
Huh, no wonder the medicine worked so well. Maybe she was part monster. Boy, wonāt Grillby be surprised by this.
āHm?ā She blinked with the little container was handed to her and she took it into her hands, possibly something to help with the headaches. Some part of her mind was screaming, saying not to take it. But Inkwell has only helped her so far. Itāll help too, right?
āO..Okay, Iāll go and get a glass of water. Um, make yourself at home. Iāll be right backā¦.ā
{Working well?} Curiouser and curiouser. He absently scratches at his jaw, running the 'pads' of his phalanges against the cracks. {Have you considered that you're part monster?} His medication is meant for those who harbor monster heritage in their veins. Magic as a key component of their soul.
āPartā¦monster?ā
Drew had never considered that at all really. She knew she was human, that much was certain, but there were things that werenāt normal for humans. Her magic, for one, with how strong it was compared to Syphoriaās own. And she did have larger canine teeth than other humans did. But thatās just a random coincidence.
āI..I donāt know. Iāve been trying to remember who I am, but I never thought of that being a thing. Is it why the medicine has worked so well?ā
Something wicked, yet familiar, this way comes. A dark shadow growing that much darker, only for an unforgettable rumble of a voice (not unlike the sound of a thunderstorm in the dead of night) to speak again. {Drusilla, my dear. Apologies for being out of touch as of late. You know how work can be.} He's smiling warmly, and it looks real. {Have you felt any improvement in your headaches, or have they worsened?} He is a d o c t o r after all, and he wants his new PATIENT to be well.
Something familiar was definitely true, though she wasnāt expecting any sort of company today. She jumped though with hearing the voice and turned about, only to recognize that it was Inkwell.
Oh dearā¦.those headaches were coming back, though dull at first.
āOh! Hello! I umā¦.they have improved a little bit. The medicine you gave me has been working very well.ā A little too well, if she wanted to be honest but, she wasnāt going to dare question why. With the headache slowly getting worse, she groaned, rubbing her head a bit with a sigh. āNot again..Youāll have to pardon me, I might need to take some more of the meds. Iāll have to see if I have some left.ā
Ā Ā āĀ G blinked when he heard the girl insist that he could not leave that time line. Ugh, how annoying, he did not feel like arguing about it, really. He decided to donāt reply to the first thing she said, because it was not necessary. But then, he ended up opening his mouth when he heard the last thing she said. Yes, about the experiments from that lab that stayed to help her.
Ā Ā Ā Ā ā Iāll never understand these experiments. If they had freedom why to stay a place they hate? ā He asked but then sighed. ā Maybe you enchanted them with your kindness, as you always do. Whatever, Iām going out, I need air. āĀ
āI didnāt do anything to make them stay.ā She retorted, already showing a bit of agitation from the skeletonās griping. āThey stayed upon their own free will, because many of them donāt have anywhere else to go. As long as they help me in some way, they can stay. That is their choice to make not mine.ā
Drew turned her head just enough to hear him speak of stepping out for some fresh air. Good, do both of them a favor and let her be at peace with her work. āFine, but please, donāt wander off too far. I donāt want to have to explain to those outside of the lab about you. Thatās a headache just thinking about it.ā
Ā Ā ā But you can find these materials, you just need to research around this place. If not, I can go to other timeline and get your materials. But if youāre too stubborn with it then go ahead, but you will spend weeks without knowing how to fix that formula. āĀ
After that the skeleton turned around and stared at one of the boards with other formulas. Well, that girl was very smart, right? He did not want to be there, he wanted to die at once, but instead he had to take medication and stay in the lab until he could leave on his own. Even if he could teleport, using his powers would only break his soul more, so he had to be careful, his body was unstable after all.
He really was going to do this, wasnāt he?
Maybe she should of yeeted him out of the timeline when she had the chance to.
āYouāre not leaving the timeline, weāve already discussed that! Youāre in too frail of a condition to teleport. If you try now, youāll be reduced to dust.ā She said sternly, almost like a scolding mother.
Drew went back to her work studying the boards that she had formulas written on, taking into consideration of the ingredients sheād need for the other one. She didnāt want to leave G unattended in the lab, that would cause enough trouble. But she couldnāt exactly take him with her either. āIāll just ask one of the experiments to pick up the materials. Wonāt be the first time theyāve done it for me.ā
Ā Ā Ā ā ā¦ā¦ I know I said Iām not going to help and I should take a rest but what are you doing is wrong. Why donāt you try the other formula? This one may contain worse side effects than the other. I know you didnāt test it, but I remember you who was the scientist here. ā
....Why did she allow him to stay? Oh right, her kind SOUL wouldnāt let him leave. That constant reminder..
āBecause I donāt have enough materials to create the other formula. This one does have bad side effects, but Iām working what I have on hand. I know what Iām doing, G.ā