Reverse Duality RP

An RP blog for the steve saga role swap au Reverse Duality. Check out @reverseduality to find out more!

[rpduality]

H̵̳̓-̸̰̅ Hello? Is anyone there? I… I was working on some pages for my comic, but something. Really w̶e̵i̵r̴d̶ happened? I saw some strange blue glitches that almost seemed to s̸p̵l̴i̴t̴ the page I was working on i̶n̴ ̸t̴w̷o̴, and they also seemed to affect the reference world I’ve been using, because when I went to check it, there were two copies of the world???

I d̶i̷d̷n̸'̴t̷ ̶c̶r̷e̵a̴t̴e̴ that top world, and whenever I try to enter it I immediately get kicked out, but from what few glimpses I do get to see, it seems like t̴h̵e̵ ̸w̶o̴r̷l̸d̷ is somehow changing on it's own. I've noticed some lore started moving on its own on my main blog for the au - maybe the timeline split or something?? Honestly I have no idea what's going on but I think I've managed to contain the anomalous stuff to this blog for now, if anyone else knows what's g̷o̴i̵n̷g̷ ̴o̵n̶ could you p̶l̴e̸a̸s̴e̷ ̸l̴e̷t̷ ̴m̴e̷̸̞͆ k̷͉͒́n̴̟̟͍̏̀̽o̸̝͉͇̮͑̑̽̚͝w̷͍͇̒̆-̴̟͔̮͓̝̼̤̆̈́

ᓭ⍊𝙹𝙹ꖎ ⊣ᓭ⍊╎⍊

ʖꖎ⎓ ꖌ𝙹⨅ʖ⍊╎⍑ ⍊ᒲᑑꖎʖ ʖꖎ⎓╎ 𝙹∷⊣⊣𝙹⍊…

ℸ ̣ ⨅リ⍊⍑

∴ꖎ ʖꖎ⎓ ᒲꖎ⊣?

↸⍊𝙹𝙹 ⊣ᓭ⍊ᒲ

↸ᓭʖ ∴ꖎᒲ'⊣ ↸⍊ ᓭ⨅ᒷ⍊ ⨅ 𝙹∷⊣⊣𝙹⍊ ⚍⎓ᒲ?

Welcome to the roleplay blog for Reverse Duality, a steve saga au that swaps the roles of several different villains with several different protagonists!

As time goes on, I will be hosting mini arg events to unlock more characters and chapters to interact with, as well as other events based on how interactions change this timeline. Chapters after the sabre arc will not be available, however, as I do not want to spoil the comic's ending too soon.

Chapters available so far:

Research Notes Start

- Illusion,

Shadow, Nightmare, Light, First Encounter!Red, First Encounter!Green, Dark!Elder Blue

Blinding lights and vibrant colors

Home Base

Missing Pasts and Forgotten Futures

Fragments of the Lost Truth

To Create Anew

Infectious Mania

- Illusion, Sabre,

Elemental

Reliving the Present

The only rules I really have are no NSFW (I don't really know how to write that and also don't wanna get banned from tumblr), no slurs (for obvious reasons), and have fun!

Explore this world however you want! You can ask the characters questions, or you can send your own little guys down there :P

[rpduality]

@trapped-in-my-story (making a new post bc pc tumblr got Consumed By The Darkness for a sec as I was trying to scroll down)

...

His nametag flickers and glitches slightly, as if it's broken. RD!Illusion buries himself further into his notebook, but is mostly doodling in the margins now, making little diagram sketches of RD!Sabre's weird wing cloak thing.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He finally just gives up on comprehending what's up with this guy and lets his face flop onto the cold, frosty ground.]

[rpduality]

Patches of frosted-over grass prickle slightly against him, like laying on a bed of brittle needles. It's almost as prickly as the kitten's fur is getting as it stares at nothing. A growl escapes from its throat as a snap can be heard, causing Elemental to pass out again, and a green glow begins manifesting near RD!Illusion.

[rpduality]

@trapped-in-my-story (making a new post bc pc tumblr got Consumed By The Darkness for a sec as I was trying to scroll down)

...

His nametag flickers and glitches slightly, as if it's broken. RD!Illusion buries himself further into his notebook, but is mostly doodling in the margins now, making little diagram sketches of RD!Sabre's weird wing cloak thing.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Guess so.

[He curls up a little tighter around RD!Illusion, his fluffy tail wrapping itself around him.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion twitches, stirring a bit and very groggily opening his eyes.

Wha's goign on..?

He sounds. Very out of it, not fully awake, and Elemental gives him an empathetic expression.

You don't have to worry about that right now, just go back to sleep.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion glances at him.]

Yeah. Don't worry 'bout it, you gotta rest up.

[His fur ruffles a little as he stretches.]

[rpduality]

Illusion curls up a bit more, hugging his legs and drawing them closer so that his knees hide his face. He grumbles as he yawns.

Don' wanna. Bad dream.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Allllright-

[He rests his arms on the ground, holding his head up. God, this is gonna be a longggggg night (day? He's not sure anymore.) And holding this specific form is making him tired...]

[rpduality]

... From the looks of it, you'll end up passing out either way.

RD!Illusion shakes his head, sitting up and scooting his way over to a cave wall to lean against.

Not if I can help it...

As soon as he's separated from TWA!Illusion, the small cat's fur begins to prickle again, uneasy.

[trapped-in-my-story]

....yeah I'm pretty sure you will. Cat's on edge as it is.

[He will, however, gladly take the opportunity to de-furry himself. He does keep the fluff around his neck and shoulders, and the tail for the sake of it, but now he's mostly back to his usual floating form.]

...God, who knew being a living pillow would be more exhausting than anything else?

[rpduality]

Illusion watches the other Illusion shift, almost envious.

... wish I had powers...

His blank nametag flickers above his head. He pulls out his leather notebook, writing in it to distract himself more than anything.

[fms-ocs-and-aus-galore]

[He shrugs.]

It's not as sweet of a deal as you might hope for.

[rpduality]

He only looks away at that, furrowing his brow, clearly hiding something.

I believe that would only make your tendency to throw yourself at dangerous situations worse-

[trapped-in-my-story]

True.

[He watches him write, curious.]

[rpduality]

I'm. I'm a player, I can respawn, it's fine-

he continues avoiding eye contact, as if he doesn't believe his own words. He swaps pen colors, going from a glittery, metallic green to a red. He seems to be making color-coded notes on everything he knows about the Sabre that kidnapped him.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Guess so.

[He curls up a little tighter around RD!Illusion, his fluffy tail wrapping itself around him.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion twitches, stirring a bit and very groggily opening his eyes.

Wha's goign on..?

He sounds. Very out of it, not fully awake, and Elemental gives him an empathetic expression.

You don't have to worry about that right now, just go back to sleep.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion glances at him.]

Yeah. Don't worry 'bout it, you gotta rest up.

[His fur ruffles a little as he stretches.]

[rpduality]

Illusion curls up a bit more, hugging his legs and drawing them closer so that his knees hide his face. He grumbles as he yawns.

Don' wanna. Bad dream.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Allllright-

[He rests his arms on the ground, holding his head up. God, this is gonna be a longggggg night (day? He's not sure anymore.) And holding this specific form is making him tired...]

[rpduality]

... From the looks of it, you'll end up passing out either way.

RD!Illusion shakes his head, sitting up and scooting his way over to a cave wall to lean against.

Not if I can help it...

As soon as he's separated from TWA!Illusion, the small cat's fur begins to prickle again, uneasy.

[trapped-in-my-story]

....yeah I'm pretty sure you will. Cat's on edge as it is.

[He will, however, gladly take the opportunity to de-furry himself. He does keep the fluff around his neck and shoulders, and the tail for the sake of it, but now he's mostly back to his usual floating form.]

...God, who knew being a living pillow would be more exhausting than anything else?

[rpduality]

Illusion watches the other Illusion shift, almost envious.

... wish I had powers...

His blank nametag flickers above his head. He pulls out his leather notebook, writing in it to distract himself more than anything.

[fms-ocs-and-aus-galore]

[He shrugs.]

It's not as sweet of a deal as you might hope for.

[rpduality]

He only looks away at that, furrowing his brow, clearly hiding something.

I believe that would only make your tendency to throw yourself at dangerous situations worse-

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Guess so.

[He curls up a little tighter around RD!Illusion, his fluffy tail wrapping itself around him.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion twitches, stirring a bit and very groggily opening his eyes.

Wha's goign on..?

He sounds. Very out of it, not fully awake, and Elemental gives him an empathetic expression.

You don't have to worry about that right now, just go back to sleep.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion glances at him.]

Yeah. Don't worry 'bout it, you gotta rest up.

[His fur ruffles a little as he stretches.]

[rpduality]

Illusion curls up a bit more, hugging his legs and drawing them closer so that his knees hide his face. He grumbles as he yawns.

Don' wanna. Bad dream.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Allllright-

[He rests his arms on the ground, holding his head up. God, this is gonna be a longggggg night (day? He's not sure anymore.) And holding this specific form is making him tired...]

[rpduality]

... From the looks of it, you'll end up passing out either way.

RD!Illusion shakes his head, sitting up and scooting his way over to a cave wall to lean against.

Not if I can help it...

As soon as he's separated from TWA!Illusion, the small cat's fur begins to prickle again, uneasy.

[trapped-in-my-story]

....yeah I'm pretty sure you will. Cat's on edge as it is.

[He will, however, gladly take the opportunity to de-furry himself. He does keep the fluff around his neck and shoulders, and the tail for the sake of it, but now he's mostly back to his usual floating form.]

...God, who knew being a living pillow would be more exhausting than anything else?

[rpduality]

Illusion watches the other Illusion shift, almost envious.

... wish I had powers...

His blank nametag flickers above his head. He pulls out his leather notebook, writing in it to distract himself more than anything.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Guess so.

[He curls up a little tighter around RD!Illusion, his fluffy tail wrapping itself around him.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion twitches, stirring a bit and very groggily opening his eyes.

Wha's goign on..?

He sounds. Very out of it, not fully awake, and Elemental gives him an empathetic expression.

You don't have to worry about that right now, just go back to sleep.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion glances at him.]

Yeah. Don't worry 'bout it, you gotta rest up.

[His fur ruffles a little as he stretches.]

[rpduality]

Illusion curls up a bit more, hugging his legs and drawing them closer so that his knees hide his face. He grumbles as he yawns.

Don' wanna. Bad dream.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Allllright-

[He rests his arms on the ground, holding his head up. God, this is gonna be a longggggg night (day? He's not sure anymore.) And holding this specific form is making him tired...]

[rpduality]

... From the looks of it, you'll end up passing out either way.

RD!Illusion shakes his head, sitting up and scooting his way over to a cave wall to lean against.

Not if I can help it...

As soon as he's separated from TWA!Illusion, the small cat's fur begins to prickle again, uneasy.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Guess so.

[He curls up a little tighter around RD!Illusion, his fluffy tail wrapping itself around him.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion twitches, stirring a bit and very groggily opening his eyes.

Wha's goign on..?

He sounds. Very out of it, not fully awake, and Elemental gives him an empathetic expression.

You don't have to worry about that right now, just go back to sleep.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion glances at him.]

Yeah. Don't worry 'bout it, you gotta rest up.

[His fur ruffles a little as he stretches.]

[rpduality]

Illusion curls up a bit more, hugging his legs and drawing them closer so that his knees hide his face. He grumbles as he yawns.

Don' wanna. Bad dream.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Guess so.

[He curls up a little tighter around RD!Illusion, his fluffy tail wrapping itself around him.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion twitches, stirring a bit and very groggily opening his eyes.

Wha's goign on..?

He sounds. Very out of it, not fully awake, and Elemental gives him an empathetic expression.

You don't have to worry about that right now, just go back to sleep.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes his head.]

You're right. I......do not know what that was, but...it clearly tried to separate us, between the trail and wall....

...

We're not very far from that cave, either. Just....couldn't trust it.

[rpduality]

He goes silent, thinking for a second, before getting up and digging a hole in the frosted-over ground so he can once again fill it up with lava, for warmth.

Well, if he did somehow follow us, then here would be as safe a place as anywhere else.

RD!Illusion fidgets, letting out a small, fearful whimper in his sleep. Once he starts to feel the warmth of the lava, he relaxes a bit, but not fully.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs in frustration, though gives the kitten an amused look.]

Great, great.

Some....a trail of green numbers tried to lead me deeper into the cave, into a hole...We weren't safe in there, it would seem.

[rpduality]

He pauses.

That... shouldn't even be possible. I teleported us tens of thousands of blocks away from that entrance, nobody should have been able to find us that quickly.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion softly cackles as he witnesses the utter sass of this tiny, itty bitty creature. Truly, a cat after his own heart. After readjusting his glasses, he sighs, a little less jubilant.]

Found ya in the snow, after seeing some....unusual activity and a fake wall. You were, quite literally, out cold.

[He reaches over and gives the kitten a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's a blizzard ragin' out there...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives a good purr, before starting to try and lick itself clean, still keeping a wary eye out. It is. Absolutely covered in glowing blood. Its pawprints are now stamped onto Elemental's head.

That's... Strange, I don't remember passing out. The last thing I remember is some strange snapping noise...

The kitten looks up at him, its tongue still sticking out from cleaning.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, shaking snow off his head. His voice echoes slightly.]

This'll do for now, I guess...

[He glances back at the blizzard forming, before trudging in deeper. He doesn't set up shop too close to the waterfall, settling down just far enough to be out of the way of cold winds.]

Ugh, how is it that I end up having to babysit again....damned snow...

[He sets RD!Illusion over his back legs, tucking Elemental into his front paws and mane of fur, trying to re-warm the partially-lava armed Steve.

[rpduality]

It only takes Elemental a few minutes to get warmed back up and regain consciousness, and he looks up in groggy confusion.

Ngh... what just-?

As he says this, the kitten bunches up and jumps off of TWA!Illusion's shoulder, landing on Elemental's forehead and using his face as a launchpad to quickly turn around, landing on the ground and trotting over to where RD!Illusion is, curling up as close as it can get to him and making itself look as adorable as possible as it keeps watch. Conveniently, this snaps Elemental the rest of the way awake.

Oof- Hey! What the... why would you do that??

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs softly. He does NOT trust that cave, he will not be taking these two back inside there...]

Hop on, I'll get us somewhere...better....

[His eyes scan the snowy landscape, finally landing on a new cave to head towards. His fur fluffs up, trying its best to cover both of the unconscious individuals in his arms.]

[rpduality]

The kitten hops up and climbs back onto his shoulder, nestling into his fur. Some lava still clings to one of Elemental's arms, bringing some extra warmth to the party, but most of it is splattered on the ground and already starting to solidify, no longer floating weightlessly around him.

It's a bit of a steep trek downhill, and visibility is decreasing as the snowstorm starts to become a full on blizzard, but they reach a nearby hole in the ground that turns into a tunnel so shallow that grass still covers the ground, crispy with frost. Both ends of the tunnel reach the surface, but one end splits off a new path that leads to a waterfall, which cascades down into a ravine.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As soon as he comes to realize what's happening here, Illusion's form shifts like it did before. His body becomes four-legged, thick fluffy fur partially covering RD!Illusion. He shifts how he's holding him, so he can kneel down and scoop up Elemental.]

Fucking hell-!

[With them both in his arms, he's far too unsteady to get anywhere quick. He huffs, pulling the two of them close as he curls up by the fake wall, looking down at the kitten.]

C'mere, you little smartie pants. We gotta get somewhere warm...

[rpduality]

The kitten gives the tiniest little mew in response.

There's a few caves nearby, and the fake wall is gone now, with the warm, inviting glow of the lava emanating from inside.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He watches the kitten do this, eyes widening before he starts mumbling in irritation.]

God, fuck you too, I can't wait to find a way to rip you limb from limb...

[He quickly heads back towards the "wall," turning away from the strange hole and attempting to pass through the wall.]

This better not close on me-

[rpduality]

sure enough, he passes right through the wall, and it and the numbers disappear as soon as he does. He can almost hear a sigh of exasperation from nowhere.

Outside is a seemingly endless plane of snow, sparkling in the moonlight. Elemental is unconscious, a dusting of snowflakes now covering him as heavy snowfall drifts down from the sky. It's freezing cold out here, which only seems to make RD!Illusion's nightmare worse as he starts to shiver. The kitten's fur is fluffed up against the cold as it tries to nudge Elemental awake.

[rpduality]

[A rather.....intriguing individual arrives. Many parts of his black and white and purple and blue body are floating. His scorpion tail rises up as he lands, confused and unsure...]

This.....why was I taken here..?

...

Where IS here-??!

[His wings glitch as he starts to look around.]

He finds himself at a cross-section in a long hallway, with 3 directions to take. The floor is checkered red and white with mangrove and pale oak woods, polished to such a shine that they almost look like ceramic tiles. The walls are black, patterned with vibrant green ones and zeroes that almost seem like they're moving, and lined with bright white quarts pillars that are so frequent they obscure where any other splits in the path or any doors could be in the distance. The ceiling is quarts brick, with a solid stripe of red wood going straight down each hall in the crossroads, and dotted with bright glowstone lights behind iron trapdoors as frequently as the walls are with pillars. The air here smells sterile, like some kind of laboratory or hospital, with a hint of citrus (not that anyone from this world would know what that is) and something metallic. It is eerily silent here.

The hallway to his left comes to an immediate dead end within 4 blocks, with nothing of note. The hallway in front of him also comes to a dead end, but with a path of deactivated redstone dust that heads off from the left between two pillars, straight to the cross-section he's in, and down the final hallway. It's matte and dark against the reflective floor, almost making the dust look like a trail of dried blood. He can't tell how far it goes down the 3rd and longest hallway, which ends in what appears to be a spiral staircase to. Somewhere, but it splits off very nearby to go between two more pillars, just close enough to see that it leads to a green copper door.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He visibly grimaces as he smells the uncomfortably sterility of the place. His head floats upwards a little as he adjusts to his surroundings.]

A lab, huh...?

[He laughs, before heading towards the copper door.]

At least I finally get some me-time...though, depends on this is what I think it is....

[rpduality]

The door seems to just lead to a storage closet, with several chests lining the walls stacked almost to the ceiling.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hm.....meh, I don't even wanna know...those chests are probably full of muck and dust...

[He huffs, before wandering out towards the leftmost hallway.]

[rpduality]

The leftmost hallway comes to an immediate dead end. There's nothing of note here, it's barely even a hallway. Why does it exist..?

Strangely enough, unlike the other two halls, there's no path of redstone on the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares at the walls, before running his floating hands along them.]

What kind of maniac makes hallways useless...? Damned maze...

[rpduality]

The walls feel like solid brick, hewn from some kind of stone. The ones and zeroes flicker and glitch as his hand passes over them, as if they aren't really there.

Behind him, echoing from somewhere the longest hallway, the distant sound of a small metal object clattering as it falls to the floor.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Hmmm...

[He freezes as he hears the near-silent metallic sound, pulling his hands away from the strange walls. His tail raises up in defense as he heads towards the sound.]

Might as well..Curiosity has killed the cat before, though...

[rpduality]

As this facility falls into a dead silence once more, with nothing but the echo of his footsteps, he passes by another seemingly-useless hallway, again with no redstone trail, before coming to another crossroads, with no indicator as to where the sound came from.

Ahead of him is a slightly claustrophobic spiral staircase leading upwards, trapdoors blocking light sources making the climb less than a block wide.

To his right is an impossibly long hallway, with its red stripe on the ceiling being replaced by a a blue one of stripped warped logs. At its very end, just barely visible due to distance, is a wide staircase leading upward, with the glow of daylight shining through from where it leads.

To his left is a hallway that seems to lead to nowhere, with the redstone trail on its floor turning about halfway through it to go between two pillars. Its ceiling stripe is purpur pillar, and, if he looks down it for long enough, he may be able to see a single flicker of what appears to be a blank, glitchy nametag through the wall.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He grabs at his floating ponytail in frustration. He looks longingly over at the sunlight-lit staircase, and squints at the staircase in front of him for a long moment. He finally sighs, his wings glitching a little as he starts down the left hallway.]

This better not be a trap or i swear to God Steve I'll lose it.

[rpduality]

The redstone leads to another green copper door hidden between the pillars, and, before he can consider looking inside the room behind, it swings open, its handle being turned by what appears to be a human with messy, textured grey hair with other colors hidden underneath, a black and white labcoat with a blue and pink inner lining, dark blueish grey pants, and mismatched blue and pink shoes. A blank nametag floats above his head, glitching.

He's slightly older in appearance, somewhere in his twenties, and there's messy silver stubble along his chin, along with a few scarred over nicks, as if a couple days ago he had attempted to shave with a sword. He looks... unkempt, to say the least, coat and shirt rumpled as if he'd just now thrown them on in a hurry, his purple glasses crooked, and he's leaning against the doorframe to keep himself stable, clutching at his own stomach with his free hand in pain. Strange, glowing lines cut through his skin, but right now their glow is faint and his skin is a bit desaturated, as if all the blood had rushed away from his face.

As soon as he sees the strange being in front of him, he lurches back in surprise and fear, causing him to fall backwards. The sudden movement and hard landing cause some strange snapping sounds to come from his stomach, and he winces before looking up in tired confusion, his eyes unfocused, as a small amount of strange, brightly glowing fluid starts seeping through his shirt, staining it. The same fluid stains his hands with a vivid glow.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[For a moment, he stares at the stranger with disdain, before blinking, his scorpion tail slowly lowering. This...judging from his color scheme, it must be another universe's version of himself...He sighs, covering his face with annoyance. Good god, why is THIS what he has to deal with?? His eyes stare up at him through his own glasses.]

....hello.

[Yup, it's definitely obvious who this guy is supposed to be. With how much he's had to deal with Zero and Asra and...everyone, he's used to players in general by now.]

[rpduality]

He freezes, before looking around behind him in suspicion, as if expecting someone to be there, but only seeing small puddles of the same glowing fluid on the ground and some kind of surgical table as what's slowly spreading across the front of his shirt, as well as a scalpel laying on the ground, which must be what made the metal clattering sound before.

After his gaze lingers on the scene behind him for a second longer, this version of Illusion struggles to stand up, once again leaning against the doorframe for stability. He seems pretty out of it, slightly slurring his words.

W- who are you?

[trapped-in-my-story]

I'm you, I guess....

[His five eyes squint back towards the surgical table as his mind tries to make sense of what he's looking at. The mushrooms attached to his head glow faintly as he finally looks the strange player-him in the eyes suspiciously.]

What the hell is going on here...?

[rpduality]

Upon a closer look, the 'player's' aperture-like eyes are extremely dilated, but he stops squinting against the bright ceiling lights to widen them when he hears who the person he's facing is. Only a bit, though, he's met another version of himself what to him feels like a long time ago.

I- I don't know. I woke up several min-nutes ago..

He looks down, as it seems like a wave of nausea starts to rise as he reminds himself of what he woke up to.

Sssomeone did something to me, messed with my head, b-but I don't remember his name. I jjust know I need to get the hell out of here.

With that, he weakly tries to push his way past and leave the room.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He again glances at the room, before grabbing his free hand with a look of disgust as the same glowing fluid gets on his hands.]

...I've seen the stairs outta here, I gotcha...

[His tail twitches. Why??? WHY is THIS what he's gotta deal with now??? He's not made to do this! God Steve knows he's terrible at everything to do with this stuff! He huffs, as he pulls his strange duplicate down the hall. Guess he'll have to make do...at least there's some silence this time around....hopefully.]

[rpduality]

His hand twitches at his touch and is freezing cold and shaking, but he doesn't try to pull away; he's too loopy to think about complaining right now.

Even just a quick glance around the room shows several more items in it; counters surrounding the table hold several surgical tools, all covered in glowing lavender and blue fluid but neatly placed, straight and orderly, except for a small needle and thread that seems much more thoughtlessly set down. There's a few bottles of different colored liquid and used syringes, but what stands out most is a needle laying on the ground in a pool of the glowing substance, as if it was torn out of something, attached to a long tube leading to a large airtight container, filled with somewhere between a liter and a liter and a half of the liquid. Strangest of all, though, is a crossbow on the wall on the other side of the room, with a few boxes of bolts filled with different colored potions beneath it, mostly unlabeled, but some with words like "paralytic", "anesthetic", and "adrenaline" written on the boxes.

Illusion stumbles along behind his alternate self as he's half following, half getting dragged, taking fast and shallow breaths, but not saying a word. He takes a glance at the spiral staircase as they pass before looking at this other Illusion with a questioning look in his eyes, before he spots the wide staircase ahead. They also pass right by another green door. Eventually (and I DO mean eventually, this is an extremely long hallway),right before they reach the stairs, there is another crossroads. Ahead, on the path to daylight, the floor changes from tiled woods to tiled iron and rust-free copper, which seems to have a faint energy coming from it. To the right is a hallway that seems to open up into a room, though what's in it can't be seen from here.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glares at the medical equipment as he holds onto him tighter, vowing to never return to this damned room except maybe to return the blood(?) to his alternate's body. Damned players, so fragile....He keeps his tail raised again, two of his eyes constantly flicking around as his floating hands both hold onto RD!Illusion.]

Damned maze...

[He glances at every door with his topmost eye, glaring intently. He will GLADLY punch the shit out of someone if he must, but by God, He will not let himself get caught off guard.]

[rpduality]

The more metallic floor clanks beneath their feet as they step onto it, now very close to the "exit", and the walls of the hall change to tinted glass. It seems to pass through a pretty expansive cave, but the hall's lights don't illuminate enough of the darkness outside to make out much other than a few glowing berries on vines and the outer pillars holding the hallway up, which seem to be made of iron. There's another room overlooking the cave, possibly what was connected to the rightmost hallway, but it's at too much of an angle to see what's through it's own tinted windows aside from the light trapped behind them and the flick of the silhouette of a wing.

RD!Illusion starts fidgeting with a chunk of his hair, dreading the feeling that they're being watched...

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He stares off at the mysterious room, glaring. Given the nature of the other room RD!Illusion woke up in, he doesn't trust this place one bit. And given how suddenly the hall changed in material.....he doesn't like it at all. He makes sure they stay on the move, wings now flicking in and out of existence as paranoia begins to set in.]

[rpduality]

After only a few steps forward, as they pass the first two pillars of the metal and glass section of this hallway, laughter and lightning striking several points directly above the ceiling can be heard as electricity pulses through the iron pillars and metal floor tiles.

Redstone dust connects the first and last metal pillars, as if being placed by an invisible force as the laughter passes right by them, activating the center line and trapping them in this section of the hallway. Suddenly, a familiar smiling figure appears out of thin air, standing just outside the redstone barrier and blocking the exit. He's sporting twin halos of dark steel that cover his eyes, not that he's at much of a vision deficit given the several dark eyes on the halo itself, glowing green zeroes and ones as their pupils pointing in several directions, constantly flicking around as if searching for something interesting to look at, with a few focused on the two Illusions. Most of his body is covered in what appears to be a layered cloak, which opens with an exaggerated flourish to reveal itself as three pairs of wings, each darker than the last with more ones and zeroes spilling out of the bottom pair, and a dark, bird-like tail, all covering up any view of the stairs.

Man, I can't believe you actually FELL for that! I really expected smarter out of someone with your kind of power!

[trapped-in-my-story]

[As the redstone clicks into place, he can feel his powers diminish a little. He growls, his tail tapping intensely against the floor. His eyes flick towards the sound, before quickly resting upon the all-too-familar-face and voice. Using his upper arms to keep RD!Illusion from falling, he raises both hands.]

Finally! I can do this!

...you motherfucker.

[He gives him an irritated grin as he double flips off the angel-like being. His wings flair out as he does so, both which wrap around his other self.]

[rpduality]

He gives a mocking scandalized look, putting a hand on his chest just below where his strange wing-cloak-thing is tied.

And what-EVER did I do to you?

He says this with a shit-eating grin. His form glitches slightly as he steps closer to the redstone line.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply motions to his other self.]

Every. Fucking. Thing.

[Ohhhh, he is PISSED now. If he wasn't dealing with this injured player version of himself, he would crash right through that window and choke this motherfucker to death.]

[rpduality]

Oh please, I just wanted to run a few tests! He'll be fineeeee :)

RD!Illusion shrinks back a bit as he says this, clutching his stomach through his now glow-in-the-dark-tie-dyed shirt. He opens his mouth to ask just what this guy was trying to achieve, but no sound comes out.

Speaking of which, I should really get back to those before before his... more powerful friends get here-

All of his eyes are focused on RD!Illusion now, who tries to step back in fear.

[trapped-in-my-story]

OH, you're NOT doing that at alllllll, not while I'm here!

[He steps in front of RD!Illusion, blocking Sabre's view of him a little better.]

I'd gladly prefer to take a stab at you than vice versa.

[With that, he steps forward, attempting to break the glass.]

[rpduality]

The glass shatters easily, but Sabre's not behind it; somehow, TWA!Illusion ended up attacking a reflection. The glow of the hallway lights spills into the cave around them revealing a strange, lush environment, with the walls of the cave being made of mostly blackstone, with moss and skulk everywhere. RD!Illusion sneezes as some pollen from a nearby spore blossom gets into his nose. Sabre, still standing in front of the trapped exit, simply stays grinning.

Aw man! Ugh! I just installed those!

Having already gotten the mental link he needed, Sabre snaps his fingers and all thought leaves RD!Illusion's eyes, before he slumps over and passes out

Boop! There we go :)

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shakes the broken glass off of him, before rushing to his other self's side, just barely catching him. He huffs, holding him close despite the blood getting all over him.]

God FUCKING-

[He glares at Sabre again, looking even more irritated. It's- it's not even like he CARES about this guy that much, he's just angry that he hadn't seen through the obvious signs that some bitch would, of COURSE, be behind this, and now he's caught up in it. It's not like this matters all that much..]

I'm gonna tear your throat out.

[rpduality]

Oh whatEver shall I do?

Why don't I make it easier for you.

Suddenly, the flesh of his neck goes invisible, revealing the internal organs underneath. Thyroid, trachea, larynx, it's all there. His arteries pulse uncomfortably. It's. Disturbing, to say the least.

The rest of his neck reappears.

Look, you have nothing to do with this, so why don't you just... step away from the "player", leave well enough alone, and I'll let you leave freely? No harm, no foul!

Well...

His right hand and wings shift to press against his chest, as he tilts his head to the side in thought.

I guess one fowl, *technically*, but who's counting?

[trapped-in-my-story]

..Good lorddddd, you're so corny.

[He rolls all of his eyes, still holding his other self, giving him an unimpressed look.]

Well, yes, theoretically I could. But I've spent the last 2 or 3 days with some of the most IRRITATING motherfuckers in the universe, and yet! Guess what! They still don't compare to you!

[He grins, as he carefully wraps his wings and arms tightly around the unconscious player.]

Leaving him behind means letting you get your way, and by GOD, I'm in the mood to be a thorn in your side again.

[rpduality]

Sabre pauses at this, and one of his dark steel halos lifts a bit to reveal. A Few Left Eyes, all with black sclera. While most of his eyes have either a one or a zero in them, one of his left eyes, larger than the rest and where an eye actually should be, has both overlapping each other. While his smile never wavers, growing even wider, his eyes now all show a cold anger, all focusing on TWA!Illusion now as he raises a hand, readying to snap his fingers again. He continues to speak in a chipper tone.

Have it your way then!

As he takes a step forward, he doesn't notice as his foot pushes aside some of the dust on the floor, breaking the connection and now leaving two ways out of the broken loop; either through Sabre or out the shattered window, which no redstone dust had lined.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Very well, it has been a displeasure meeting you!

[With that, his wings glitch, as he leans over and simply falls out of the window. As he falls, his form fully glitches out, still holding tightly onto his alternate self. When he lands, he's transformed into what can best be described as a demonic boar crossed with a griffin or a centaur. His many horns line his forehead and tail, as his still-floating arms latch on tightly around RD!Illusion. His scorpion tail is still somewhat present, the spikes along his tail now holding its paralyzing venom. He starts racing along the cave, looking for a good way for the angelic monstrosity to lose track of them...]

[rpduality]

Sabre, taken by surprise at this, fumbles his snap, sounding more like a fwip and having no effect. He stares through the window in disbelief.

Are you KIDDING me!?

He flaps his wings and readies himself to give chase, but thunder rumbles as someone attacks him from behind, trapping him in a sphere of dirt and blocking off his way to follow.

RD!Illusion starts to stir, eyes screwed shut against a pounding headache and the expectancy of the bright lights of the facility.

Ugh... what happened...?

The cave is fairly long, and there's several stalagtites and stalagmites to weave between. The room from the other hallway has a small staircase entrance, only visible from the ground, and the other end of the cave seems to have an opening into a much smaller, more tunnel-like cave that leads elsewhere.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[A couple eyes glance back as he smiles, seeing the dirt pile up. He weaves his way through, eventually slowly down as his wings shake out, his form stablizing into a more simple fluffy boar. His face is mostly normal as RD!Illusion comes to, except for being a bit longer and with horns going up his forehead and on his nose.]

Welp, I think your friends have arrived at last...

[He tucks them both into a corner of the tunnel cave, hoping to let the battle peter out until he can return and meet these "friends" of his...He sits, tucking his other self into his fur.]

Escaped out the window, hah! You shoulda seen the look on his face..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion flinches at the sound of thunder raging on, now coming from above them aboveground. He barely sinks into the soft fur, being surprisingly light. As soon as his friends are mentioned, he looks up, opening his eyes and being suprised at the darkness of the cave around him. His eyes are still too dilated for him to be able to properly see anything around him unblurred, but he can recognize the material that was summoned by color as he squints anxiously at the hallway's exterior.

... Elemental..?

He takes off his glasses to try to clean them and get a clearer view (not that that would have helped), but notices the splotch of vividly glowing blood on his shirt, which has. Luckily? Stopped spreading for now, for the first time.

Ohh that's. Tthat's not good.

His speech is slow and unfocused as he weakly buries his face into TWA!Illusion's fur.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He nods, reaching down, grimacing.]

Here, lemme get those clean for you..

I can't. Really heal much, sadly, so.....for now, just...hold on, okay..?

[rpduality]

He takes a second to process before carefully nodding a little, handing over his glasses with a shivering hand. They're already perfectly clean, the stars decorating the corner of their rims reflecting the glow staining his hands and now the glasses' handles.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He still makes sure they're clean, rubbing off the glowing liquid...gah, he'll have to wash this stuff off later....Still, as he sits there in the cold dark of the cave, he's glad he's here. Kind of. Okay, maybe he still doesn't really want to be here, but he's at least grateful he didn't need to directly fight Sabre. He hands the glasses back after checking them over.]

[rpduality]

He pulls back his coat, something small shifting in one of his outer pockets as he tries to wipe his hands off on a clean part of his shirt before accepting the glasses, giving a look of tired frustration when they don't clear up his vision. He's more anxious than anything, staring up at the cave ceiling as the thunder starts to die down. He tries to draw his knees close to his chest, but winces at the sharp pain in his abdomen. He instead pulls back his sleeve to inspect something on his arm; ten heart symbols, only half of one of which is filled with the same now-faint glow of the rest of the lines engraved into his skin.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, putting a hand to his face.]

God, how the hell are you still livin'...

[He begrudgingly fishes through his pockets, until finding a loaf of bread.]

...Here, I guess this'll help.

[rpduality]

He gratefully takes the loaf of bread, before pulling back his other sleeve to show another set of symbols also with only one half-full.

God, how long was I out..?

He eats the bread, trying to pace himself as a few more of the symbols fill up, but nothing else happens.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Mmmm....not that long, reallly...the guy snapped his fingers and you passed out..

[He grumbles a little when he sees how little the bread helped. He knows he doesn't have any more, and he's not about to make a whole show of digging for more.]

[rpduality]

No, I mean... before...

He searches his own pockets for anything that could help, but they've been cleaned out aside from a leather notebook, as well as something warm and soft in one of his outer pockets. He relaxes slightly when it nuzzles against his hand, but he doesn't take it out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He tilts his head. Oh god, what the hell is that?]

What...?

[rpduality]

He looks up, confused.

[trapped-in-my-story]

What is that in your pocket?

[rpduality]

He silently reaches into his pocket and pulls out a grey and white tabby kitten with a dandelion seemingly made of gold woven into its light blue collar, placing it on the ground, where it sits, looking up at the two Illusions in confusion. It looks small enough that it would fit perfectly loafing in two cupped hands. It seems healthy and well-fed, despite everything.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion's slightly fluffy tail raises up as he looks down at the tiny creature. He tentatively reaches down, letting it sniff his hand.]

It's...so small.

[rpduality]

The kitten cautiously gives his hand a sniff, before starting to lick it.

You can thank the flower for that.

... Someone... gifted it to me a long time ago, claimed it reminded them of me. Don't really see it, though...

He stares down the small cat's friendly gesture with an exaggerated look of betrayal.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs quietly, giving the kitten a pat.]

Ehhh...you ARE a bit of a sad wet kitten, to be fair...

[rpduality]

The kitten leans into his hand, immediately beginning to purr.

Wh- Hey-

RD!Illusion jolts, trying to quickly sit up straight, but the sudden movement causes another snapping sound to come from his stomach, and he winces again.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, petting the kitten with one hand and carefully keeping RD!Illusion in place with the other.]

See? Wet kitten. Can't even keep your guts all in one place!

[He says this purely to be a bother, but he does worry when he hears how damn loud that snap was....Hopefully, his friends find them soon, because he certainly ain't a medic.]

Like, seriously, Zero and Asra have been better at keeping themselves from death's door than you have in the last....ten minutes I've met you.

[rpduality]

I. Have no idea who those are.

>:|

It's not exactly like I *wanted* to be kidnapped and used as a test subject for who knows what-

These are just. Unusual circumstances.

The sounds of battle have already died down to a halt above them a while ago, and now only a far off low rumble of unrelated thunder and the nearby high-pitched rumble of the kitten's purring remains.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Yeahhhh, but who the hell ends up IN these kinds of circumstances, huh??

[Some of his eyes have taken to staring off near the facility, wondering if it's safe to venture out yet.]

Only someone who doesn't have a clue what's goin on, that's what.

[He shrugs.]

[rpduality]

How was I supposed to know he could affect my mind...

He squints up at twa!Illusion, before taking out his leather notebook. He removes the cap of one of 5 pens strapped to it, a glittery yellow one, and flicks it to the side of the cave. The kitten immediately chases the new toy, running just out of reach. No more petting.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, watching as he does so.]

Once we're outta here, I don't mind a more in-depth discussion, I guess...

[rpduality]

Yyeah...

He sits there for a second, watching the kitten play, before he looks up at the cave ceiling. Thunder rumbles off in the far distance.

Lightning'ss been gone ffor a while... d'you tthink it'ss safe to go back out?

He opens his pocket and the kitten, after noticing, jumps back in carrying the pen cap. He then carefully stands up, stumbling a bit and swaying on his feet, even more lightheaded than before. He looks like he's going to pass out, the glowing lines on his skin flickering between being barely visible in the dim cave and being completely snuffed out.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Whoa- whoa-

[He grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him.]

Do n o t stand up. Probably, yes...Let's get outta here.

[He picks him up again, stretching his hooved legs a little as he makes sure he's not gonna worsen his injuries.]

I'm not dealin' with whoever or whatever your friends are alone...

[He looks up as he starts snaking his way out of the cavern, his many eyes glancing upwards and towards the facility, occasionally down at RD!Illusion.]

[rpduality]

I'll be ffinee, I just. Don't wanna be hhere muchh longer...

He goes limp as he's picked up, the allure of sleep increasing with his wooziness. He perks up a bit when he hears the mention of his. We'll, he doesn't know if they're his friends... allies? What even makes someone your friend, anyway? How can you even tell if they consider you one? He's not exactly a mind-reader.

You sshould be all- alright... it's just Elemental and Origin, tthey'vve been pretty nice to me-

The window that they left through is too high up to reach without flight, and the only other options out of the cave are the staircase into what looks to be some kind of viewing room, and maybe deeper into the tunnel cave they were hiding in.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He just. Stares down at him as they approach the facility. He's seen enough of those two through memories, he doesn't exactly consider that a positive thing.]

...

[Then again...ugh. New universe, new rules. He looks up at the viewing room, glaring at it before adjusting how he's holding his alternate self. His fluffy fur is oddly cozy, though smells faintly of...metal, oddly enough. His body glitches, reforming wings.]

Alright I guess..

[He huffs, before flying up to the window, transforming into a much smaller beast form so he can fit through the staircase easier. He's still fluffy, of course.]

This better be simple..

[rpduality]

The 3 block wide staircase leads up to an oak forest on the surface through a large, fancy, obvious entrance. The corners of the entrance each have a red nether brick wall topped with rusted copper lanterns, the flames inside which are glowing bright green. Behind them is a large mountain covered in more forest, and while the sky itself is a normal bright blue, it's half-covered in cotton candy pink splotches. Thunder rumbles in the distance fairly frequently, but it doesn't seem to be related to any fighting as it rings out in random directions. RD!Illusion doesn't even seem to notice it as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

The landscape is dotted in towers of dirt, as if whoever summoned them was trying to capture someone mid-flight, but nothing else was summoned, as if the one being attacked didn't even try to create any blocks to fight back.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs, giving the rusty lanterns a quick middle finger as he stares begrudgingly up at the sky and the towers of dirt.]

Nothin' is ever easy..

[He continues forward, walking out towards the furthest towers he can see, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two RD!Illusion mentioned...]

[rpduality]

It doesn't take long to find someone among the summoned structures; a red figure weaving between pillars and trees, seemingly searching for something or someone. Blobs of water and lava float around and cling to his arms, not dripping, in the way that water floats in wobbly balls in zero gravity environments, and vines are woven through locks of his hair the way they would a small tree, tightly enough to choke it out. Some of the vines twist around each other to form a leafy crown atop his head.

He spots TWA!Illusion as quickly as he is spotted, and takes a step back cautiously...

Who-

... before his golden, glowing eyes widen as he notices who he's carrying.

... what are you doing with him?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He goes to raise his hands in defense before stopping himself, not wanting to make this whole situations much worse.]

I got him outta the lab, I did not hurt him! That motherfucker- presumably, the guy you were fighting- did it!

[He steps forward, mostly just tired of carrying the guy at this point. His voice is.....distinctly VERY familiar....He offers up the nearly-dead "player" up to him.]

...I can't really heal, but I got him away :/

[Elemental can see a strangely fluffy half-boar....thing...that seems to bear similar colors to his companion, but more....well, unusual. His elongated face has several horns along the forehead and nose, he has five eyes that seem to watch things unseen, and his hands are floating. Somehow, this has not affected carrying RD!Illusion at all.]

[rpduality]

He carefully accepts the barely-conscious "player", eyeing this strange being with suspicion, the lava around one of his arms seemingly avoiding making contact with either Illusion, until his eyes widen even more at the glowing stain on his shirt. He gently lays RD!Illusion down on a soft spot on the ground.

I will. Be right back.

Suddenly, he disappears, returning almost immediately with a regeneration potion and a few golden apples, along with some bread, and quickly crouching down next to the player.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He simply sits beside one of the dirt pillars, transforming back to his default form with less fluff and horns. He watches with bored, yet slightly fascinated eyes, crossing his arms. His scorpion tail curls gently around himself.]

[rpduality]

He holds up the potion, eyeing TWA!Illusion's transformation with cautious interest.

This might not work fast enough if you drink it, so I'm going to need to see that wound, ok?

RD!Illusion gives a small nod, and Elemental lifts up his shirt a bit to reveal a large wound done by someone who clearly didn't know how dissection works; the main incision spans from somewhere in the center of his ribcage, unsettlingly visible as he's laying down, down to the bottom of his stomach, and there's two more cuts from one side of his torso to the other, as if the guy who did this was trying to open his stomach like a cardboard box to look into. The cuts themselves were done by a very steady and precise hand, but they're stitched up by a hand that was a lot more shaky. The stitches are uneven, with some too loose, some too tight, and quite a few snapped open or done so close to the edge of the wound that they tore at his skin, reopening it. They both cringe at the sight.

It's going to be alright, just sit tight.

Elemental's eyes glow a bit brighter as he uses his powers to make each stitch dissappear one by one, trickling in the regen potion behind them. The wound slowly mends itself, and RD!Illusion winces as he feels his nerves knit themselves back together, but relaxes in relief once it's done, some of the glow returning to the lines that cut across his body.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't do much, beyond continuing to watch, a mild frown forming as he realizes JUST what those horrid snapping sounds were.....His only real thought now, is how the fuck is he not dead already?]

[He absent-mindedly traces his own torso, which is not so much a single large body part as it is floating pieces. The floating nether star where his stomach would be glimmers a little as his hand passes over it.]

[rpduality]

Once the potion has done its work, all that's left of the wound is a scar, joining a few other scars on his torso, mostly fireball-related burns, though all of those are old and faded at this point. His skin is loose, as if he had gained some weight only to very quickly lose it, leaving him nothing but skin and bones. For some reason, none of his scars interrupt his glowing lines, which have not fully regained their glow, and as he tries to sit up just a bit too fast, pulling down his shirt, he falls back, his vision darkening a bit with dizziness and nausea, a headache creeping into the edges of his mind as he no longer has the pain in his stomach to focus on. Unfortunately, the potion was unable to restore a large portion of his missing blood, and the side effects are still very much present.

Hey. No. You need rest. You really shouldn't try to get up on your own.

But I-

RD!Illusion gets interrupted when a golden apple is shoved into his hands.

I saw what happened, there is no way I'm letting you get yourself even more hurt. At the very least eat this first, alright?

RD!Illusion stares up at Elemental before begrudgingly taking a bite out of the apple. It goes down surprisingly smoothly despite his nausea, numbing his headache and returning some strength to his body, though his glow still doesn't fully return; his body will have to replace a lot of its missing blood on its own.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs as he continues to watch this exchange go down.]

He's right, ya know. That injury is...not something to take light of. Your bones were very, very much visible.

[Well. At least he is conscious? But now there's a new guy to figure out, yayyyyy....]

[rpduality]

He similarly sighs, before more carefully sitting up and turning so he can prop himself up against a nearby tree with some help from Elemental. He stretches, trying to get as much bloodflow as he can back into his limbs, making the ribs still visible through his skin more obvious through his shirt. Even the kitten, which had tumbled out of his pocket when he fell back down, seems to agree with TWA!Illusion and Elemental, climbing into RD!Illusion's lap to make sure he stays down and letting out the tiniest little mew, before nudging at his hand once he puts it down, getting a bit of blood on its fur. He gives it a scratch behind the ears and it starts to purr again.

Has that cat been with him this entire time? He's been missing for a couple of weeks-

[trapped-in-my-story]

[TWA!Illusion shrugs, now finally walking closer.]

Would seem like it...it's been fine somehow..

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's ear twitches and his nametag glitches as he finishes his apple.

The little guy's smart. It can sneak around pretty easily, it probably was able to sneak out for food from time to time.

He looks at the hunger bar on his arm, up to 3 and a half symbols full now, before accepting more food from Elemental. He buttons up his labcoat for the first time... ever, really.

Why is it so damn chilly out...

It's a fairly warm day.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He glances up at the sky and down at his alternate self.]

....It is not cold whatsoever.

[He just sits nearby again, though now relatively close.]

...That clearly took a lot out of you..

[rpduality]

... maybe.

He draws his arms into his coat, leaving his sleeves to go limp. The kitten mews again, disappointed that it's no longer getting pet.

Elemental sits nearby, drawing out a thin string of the lava around one of his arms and forming a web of it, trying to warm up the air around RD!Illusion a bit.

How did you find him, anyway? Even with the.. screens.. Origin and I have searched for a while, and I've only just now located that suspicious entrance.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs.]

Woke up there.

...By which I mean, I guess...getting taken from one world to another or something, God if I know...

I just wandered around the place until I found him. And, inevitably, we were BOTH found :/

[rpduality]

A confused and concerned look spreads over Elemental's face as he processes this.

... this world has been cut off from most other dimensions for years, how is that even possible...

RD!Illusion is looking away now, holding a piece of bread he was given through the collar of his coat to eat as he draws his knees closer to his chest, making sure not to squish the kitten too much, who is curled up against his stomach, purring and only slightly compressed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He huffs, messing with one of the chains on his pants.]

Hell if I know, the last "world" I was in was....fucked up, to say the least.

It was....a fusion of worlds, at its core. Steves from....at least two separate places, and...at least one if not more non-Steve realms....God, it was bizarre and nonsensical....fuck, there's even VAMPIRES somehow! I have no idea what that place is!

[He looks up at the sky again, just contemplating all of this.]

...But, needless to say....I wouldn't be surprised if that's half the reason I got here at all.

[rpduality]

The pink splotches corrupting the sky are starting to shift to a dark, blood-red color as a firey orange sunset spreads across it. Both of them are giving him identical looks of stunned silence and curiosity now. RD!Illusion is tempted to pull out his notebook and write this all down, to ask a barrage of questions, but now probably isn't the time. The silence is only broken when, tired of not being pet, the kitten jumps off of RD!Illusion's lap, landing with a small thump in the grass, and trots through the fallen leaves on the ground, going to bother TWA!Illusion.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He doesn't make eye contact with either of them, continuing to watch the sky. His vaguely resting bitch face doesn't change either, until his ears perk up a little as the small creature trots up to him. He looks down at the small cat, before sighing, giving it scritches under its chin.]

...The whole universe seems to be corrupted. Not just people have been relocated from across dimensions, but..the entire landscape, too, is cobbled together.

[With that, he goes quiet again, his only movement from petting the kitten and his tail resting in the leaves and grass surrounding him.]

[rpduality]

At the mention of universes, Elemental squints at him, before finally putting together that twa!Illusion is an alternate universe version of rd!Illusion, now looking at him with even more concern.

... How does that even- what would be the purpose of combining realms like that?

What's that world's version of me even doing?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He shrugs, though smirks a little when Elemental FINALLY notices who he actually is.]

Haven't met 'em yet. Went to hell, though, I guess...that's where the vampires were, for some reason.

[rpduality]

Didn't know vampires were real, but somehow, that tracks...

There are some old myths about vampirism being something along the lines of some sort of demonic curse,

He pipes up, helpfully.

[trapped-in-my-story]

Pretty sure Owen himself said somethin' about that...Getting torn away from his lover?

[He pauses.]

....Then again. I'm 90% certain he said that guy was also the one that turned him....

[rpduality]

That's.

...

Why is romance so concerning?

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion cracks up a little at that, showing sharp, almost glittery, teeth.]

I don't know, but I don't care to find out more!

[rpduality]

Illusion lets out a sharp breath of amusement of his own.

That is. Completely fair!

Elemental gives a disappointed look; he was actually kind of curious.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He does give Elemental a little bit of a smirk.]

Ehhh, it wasn't that interesting. Something something, Louis was secretly a vampire as mayor, something something his bite cured Owen's illness. Yadda yadda, the town found out about the vampirism, Louis is burned alive, Owen commits mass murder. Very normal activities, it sounds lke.

[rpduality]

Aaaand they're concerned again.

Hm. Yes. N o r m a l.

Rd!Illusion wishes he was more suprised by this, but at this point he's gotten more used to strange and concerning events than he'd like to be.

The kitten doesn't seem to care, now attempting to climb twa!Illusion's clothes in order to obtain uppies and sit on his shoulder.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Yeah, Owen is...a strange person.

[He sighs softly, picking up the small creature.]

Don't get caught in between my limbs, small one.

[He lifts it up so it doesn't try to climb towards the nether star in his abdomen. The kitten is carefully set on his shoulder, on his non-mushroom covered side.]

[reverseduality]

The kitten mews happily, before immediately sitting down, looking as stoic and serious as possible. As the world around them grows darker and stars start to appear in the sky, it seems to be searching between the trees for something that isn't there.

... I don't think I've met anyone who isn't a little strange, to be fair.

Wh- hey! I think you'll find that I'm the most normal person here.

Ah yes, the guy whose arms are covered in gravity-defying liquids is the normal one.

His tone is completely flat as he says this, almost teasingly so.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs a little, looking where the kitten is.]

Eh, the group I was with back in the other world was even stranger, that's nothing at all!

[rpduality]

Rd!Illusion's starting to chuckle as well.

At least with how you described your world, you were set up to be able to expect something strange! I had no idea what I was getting into when I... showed up in... this world.

He's looking away now, his chuckle starting to become a bit awkward.

As the sky darkens, an unfathomable amount of stars start to appear a little bit at a time, some blocked out by the now dark magenta splotches, almost nebula-like in this lighting. As the silver glow of the moon and stars begins to blanket the area, there almost seems to be a soft green glow between the trees the kitten is watching, but in the blink of an eye it's nothing but moonlight. Neither rd!Illusion or Elemental seem to notice.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Most of his eyes are watching the sky, though the one watching with the cat squints a little. With a small flick of his hand, he silently duplicates it, like a tiny familiar, with a single eye attached to its small form. It silently creeps away into the underbrush, Illusion's fifth eye now shut fully.]

[He shrugs in response to RD!Illusion.]

Life tends to be strange no matter where you go, it'd seem...

[rpduality]

...

He remains silent, but blinks in suprise at the familiar, quietly watching as it leaves his view while trying to blink away the blur that remains in his vision, shivering as he starts to get the feeling he's being watched.

There's nothing where the glow was, but nearby, a vibrant green zero hangs in the air for a moment, before it drops, shattering against the ground and disappearing. Behind it, a ways away, a cloaked shadow can barely be seen ducking behind a pillar of dirt.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[The hand stares up at the zero, silently flipping off the distant shadow before skittering along a rough perimeter around the temporary encampment. With its small stature, it's hard to tell what exactly the nearby area is like, but at the very least he can get an idea of what's watching....At the same time, he continues quietly petting the kitten.]

[rpduality]

After the shadow dissappears, there's no sign of anyone being nearby. Whoever's watching them seems to be very good at not being seen.

Rd!Illusion stifles a yawn; despite his exhaustion, he really doesn't want to fall asleep in a place like this. Elemental gives him a look.

Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more... safe... We're still fairly close to that lab.

The entrance to the facility is still visible through the trees.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Once his hand-familiar has checked through the area, it returns and rejoins his body, disappearing. He nods, glaring in the general direction of the unseen figure.]

....Agreed. I think he was watching a little too close a moment ago...

[He very carefully joins the two of them a bit closer, making sure the small kitten doesn't fall off his shoulder.]

[rpduality]

The kitten raises its hackles a bit, still staring in the same spot.

Before RD!Illusion has the chance to attempt getting up again, Elemental scoops him up, carrying him over the sholder like a sack of potatoes. He gets kicked once or twice in suprised protest, but does not react.

Wh- hey!

His sleeves dangle helplessly, arms not able to go back through them. He very quickly goes limp, accepting the situation... he guesses.

I may know a place where we'll be safe for a while, but we'll have to teleport there to make sure we're not followed.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He laughs, standing up and joining the two.]

Makes sense. It's....far too reckless to stay out here.

[rpduality]

Once everyone's close enough together, Elemental lets out a breath focusing. Lightning strikes around the group and wind picks up. As it does, RD!Illusion notices that it almost looks like one of his sleeves is getting picked up and held onto by an invisible force, unseen by anyone else, but it's probably just the wind, right?

They're transported to a cold, dark cave roughly near the coordinates 48400, 66, 5639. Elemental immediately fills a crack in the ground with lava, warming up the place and lighting it up. The cave is thin, and a patch of grass suggests they're near the entrance to the surface, as a couple of snowflakes, sparkling from the lava's glow, float in. Down a bit deeper into the cave, which is more like a crack in the earth, there's some kind of tunnel directly downwards into pitch black nothingness, which appears to have been exploded wide open a long time ago.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion barely glances at the strange sleeve, but pays it no mind. Similarly to his RD self, he too has glowing markings along his body which becomes obvious when they arrive in the cave. He glances down into the pitch black, unnatural cavern, before looking up at the snowflakes.]

...Interesting location.

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion's markings are slightly brighter now, enough for their colors to be visible - lavender and blue, like his blood, which still stains his hands and shirt. When he recognizes the tunnel, he gives Elemental a questioning glance, which goes unanswered.

It's been a. while. since I was last here, interesting to see not much has changed.

He puts Illusion down near a corner of the cave, propping him up against a wall where the tunnel isn't visible.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[Illusion joins him nearby, now placing the kitten gently in his lap again.]

Ehh..a dark cave? Changing much? Can't imagine it would.

[rpduality]

The kitten curls up, but still doesn't seem fully relaxed.

You've got a good point.

RD!Illusion, now able to push his arms back through his sleeves, draws his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms around them, putting his chin in between.

Never thought I'd see this place again.

He points at a wall.

There was lichen there last time.

How do you remember that?

He shrugs.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...well I'll be damned, it can in fact change I guess.

[He pets the kitten, not really sure what else to do with himself at this point.]

[rpduality]

RD!Illusion tiredly nods, before yawning again, relaxing a bit.

[trapped-in-my-story]

...Best that ya sleep, hm? Not like I've got anywhere to go, heh.

[He might actually be a little bit concerned with the health of the poor guy, maybeeeee just a tad bit. He wouldn't admit it, though.]

[rpduality]

He's already halfway towards passing out, giving a weak thumbs up before slumping over, closing his eyes.

I should... probably keep watch at the cave entrance, though I'm not quite sure it would do much good given what we're up against.

Elemental stands up as he says this.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He sighs.]

Alright, then. I'll...make sure the poor guy doesn't somehow choke to death or somethin'...

[And thus, this leaves him mostly alone with his thoughts.....and a cat. Somehow, this situation is....well. Weirder than usual. And that's saying something, when he's been watching people who should've been dead come back just fine, several strangers who can peer into worlds have just been around, and he's pretty sure he's been stuck with a group tasked with saving the world. Somehow.]

...

[And yet. Here he is. No real shelter, no real plan. Hell, not even a map. Stuck in a cave with a severely injured version of himself, and a version of...a sibling? He's not sure what to do with that at all, but it certainly can't get any weirder than being around Time, right? God, he's so tired of being pulled from world to world...]

[rpduality]

As time goes on in this cave, the kitten only seems to get more and more nervous, its fur prickling as its ears swivel around, trying to pinpoint some unheard sound. RD!Illusion is fairly restless in his sleep, as if he's dreaming. Every 5-10 minutes, more thunder rumbles in the distance, unending, seemingly almost in time with some of his twitching.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He keeps petting it, but... He will admit, it's a little unsettling. A couple eyes swivel in the same directions, though he doesn't come across much of anything....His scorpion tail curls closer around him and the small creature. Every once in awhile, he stares at RD!Illusion as if expecting something. But...just near silence, as it has been...]

[rpduality]

It's... too quiet. Aside from the occasional thunder, no sounds come from outside, where Elemental went, and aside from RD!Illusion's faint breathing, inside the cave is none the louder.

A vibrant green 0 manifests midair.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[His body instants tenses up as he involuntarily hisses, immediately grabbing the kitten with both hands as his tail slashes at the foreboding and ominous number.]

ELEMENTAL? YOU GOOD?

[He stands up without hesitation, his floating head turning a full 180 degrees in the direction of the cave opening. His eyes are scanning the darkness, as he goes closer towards RD!Illusion. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it! There is NEVER safety around a motherfucker like Sabre!]

[rpduality]

Nobody answers.

The kitten is growling now, staring at the floating number, which drops to the ground and shatters, before a trail of the numbers appear one by one leading deeper into the cave, in a seemingly random order.

01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001

[trapped-in-my-story]

OI-!

[His eyes seem to half-glance over the numbers, something deep inside tells him that they mean something...but instead of following, he goes to check the outside...Only walking a few feet away, and letting his head quickly float forward, causing glowing blue rings to appear where his neck would be. He won't be letting RD!Illusion out of his sight, that's for sure...]

[rpduality]

When he moves, the number trail redirects, still trying to lead him somewhere.

01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101

The entrance to the cave almost seems to have suddenly dissappeared, and he sees nothing but a wall of stone in its place.

[trapped-in-my-story]

[He puts the kitten in one arm, pulling at his hair.]

GOD, you really do just toy with us!

[He turns, setting the kitten back in RD!Illusion's pocket before hauling him up into his arms. Better to let him rest, he cannot be dealing with more of that right now...]

Sonofabitch....

[He glares at the numbers, begrudgingly following them finally.]

[rpduality]

He curls up in his arms, shivering, seemingly dealing with a nightmare of his own.

The numbers lead to the tunnel straight down, the final 1 seeming to detatch from its spot hanging in the air, dropping straight into the hole. It's so deep that it's as if it's bottomless.

Suddenly, the kitten jumps out of RD!Illusion's pocket, bolting straight for the new wall and... running through it?