Ludwig took a moment to reflect on that comment as his claws dug further into the shadowâs âflesh.â He was putting a lot of effort into killing this ghost, wasnât he? If he could consider mustering up the brainpower to come up with thoughtful quips effort. Nonetheless, the ghost was all too eager to keep running his mouth, and Ludwigâs patience was running thin.Â
   The way the other could just keep on going put somewhat of a damper on Ludwigâs plan to choke him to death however, but the koopa was nothing if not adaptive.Â
   âYou really donât know when to quit, do you?â Ludwig tutted before he cleared his throat for the main event. âWhatever you truly are, wherever you came from, you could have had an upper hand here, but Iâm⊠Almost impressed with your lack of self-preservation. Itâd be admirable if I werenât so adverse to morons.â
   If Snatcher wanted to bargain for his life at this point, Ludwig didnât particularly care as heâd already begun to tighten his grip to prevent the ghost from escaping. Ludwig leaned back and took in a gulp of air, the embers in his throat sparking to life. He didnât need to take so long to wind up, having demonstrated that earlier, but it was nice to watch whatever expression the ghost had on his face before Ludwig exhaled a blazing stream of flames.
   Adverse to morons?! Heâs never going to hear the end of it when heâs done with this lousy, ugly, foolish, DISGUSTING, AWFUL, PECKINGâ
   As he was about to open his mouth to speakâto give this horrible creature a real piece of his mindâhe could feel everything getting warm suddenly. Scalding hot, even! Itâs as if his very being was engulfed in flames!Â
   ... Oh, wait, thatâs exactly whatâs happening. Funny how that sort of thing works, doesnât it? Snatcher didnât even realize it was possible to set a spectral being on fire, but hey! Heâs open to new ideas, new opportunities, but not when they involve setting him on fire! Thatâs just a bit out of line, even by his standards.
   Feeling his shadowy form catch fire and begin to fade away is one of the strangest experiences heâs encountered as of late. Snatcher would never directly admit to feeling helpless, especially in front of a newly found adversary, but he definitely wasnât in control. No, far from it! He's dying, and there is nothing he could do about it!
   In his last few moments, he tries to say yet another taunt, one last salt in the wound, but smoke fills his vision, he can see himself dissipate, heâs, heâsâ
   ...
   Awake.
   In his room.
   What?
   Snatcher stares at the ceiling for a few seconds, attempting to pierce together what had happened. How could it possibly be a dream? He doesnât sleep, not anymore. This bed is too small for him, even! Any bed would be. Snatcher isnât built for that sort of thing, not anymore.
   But, one thing was for certainâhis form is still intact. Nothing out of place, in one piece, completely and utterly fine. The heat, however, still lingered, the one thing that tells him that it wasnât something he imagined in a confused daze. Just residual, he figures, but still not something he made up. Still, the feeling of dying, of coming back to life again... Itâs familiar.
   He doesnât like it.
   He doesnât want to be in this room.
   He doesnât want to be outside, either.
   Running a hand down his face, he stares back up at the ceiling, waiting for the thoughts in his head to stop so he can move on.
The image is a meme but my intentions are true, hereâs a starter call for the Snatcher! Capping at 3, and if you want to discuss locations for them to meet up, hit me up in the group chat or Tumblr messenger! Otherwise, Iâm going to run with it.
Please keep in mind that heâs going to drag your muse, so if youâre into that... Heâs right there. You can see his last couple of threads for reference if you want.
   So, the blob wasnât completely untouchable as it had liked to appear! No wonder it was perched so high, mocking him far and well away from Ludwigâs sharpened claws. The koopa smirked as he watched his doubleâs form fall with a thud, and he couldnât even begin to tell you how it made him beam to see the shadow rise up with his smug look wiped from his face.
   Swallowing the residual flames licking at his maw, Ludwig stepped forward and eyed the creature with newfound confidence, happily knowing that he could actually do some damage here. âI loathe imitators, but your mediocre attempt hardly fits even that.â The fact that the other is still even trying to put up a fight when he was just knocked off his high horse was laughable, though Ludwig had to halt himself as soon as another threat was made.
   And only a threat it remained, it seemed. With a warning like that, Ludwig half expected the other to explode in a fountain of intimidating power, only to be met with undoubtedly unexpected results. Ludwigâs suspicions were only confirmed the moment the shadow started to make excuses, but even after failing at putting up any sort of defense for himself, cutting words still made Ludwigâs lip curl in irritation.Â
   âOh please, spare me the sob story! Itâs clear to see that youâve relied far too much on words and tricks to get your way,â he started, once again closing the distance between the two of them. Before the shadow could even think to slither away from him, Ludwig reached out and dug his claws hard into the fluff and whole of his neck.Â
   âNow, do go on about whatever trauma my face induces, because this could be the very last you see of it before I figure out how to kill a writhing blob.â Itâs clear that Ludwig isnât joking, as he applied more and more pressure through his clawed grip with every word. âDo I even deign to ask for your name as well? Itâs hardly worth the effort, I think.â
   Oh, wow! Maybe there was a reason for him to stay up on that branch! Hm, perhaps itâd do him some good to listen to his instincts every once in a while? Who the hell needs instincts when youâre a ghost!? What is he running from, death? How terrifying! How awful for a being thatâs already dead. Pfft! Good one, Snatcher isnât taking this seriously at all. The threat of death that would normally loom heavily for any other person just causes the specter to laugh in Ludwigâs face, the condescending grin never faltering.
   âWhat? My name?â Snatcher says, sounding more amused than he should. âYour hands are around my neck, and you try and mock me by saying Iâm not worth the effort? Youâre sure putting a lot of effort into killing a ghost, kiddo!â
   âFearâ was never an emotion that heâs felt, not in this state. Thereâs no reason to start now! This kid(?) is pushing his luck as much as Snatcher is, and honestly? He wants to see the look on his face when he fails! You canât cut off Snatcherâs breathing if he doesnât breathe to begin with! Heâs practically immortal!
   (The claws around his neck are hurting more than he anticipated... Thereâs no way he should be able to do such a thing. You canât choke a ghost. You absolutely cannot choke a ghost! What an idiot!)
   âListen, youâre going to die long before I do, so I can go on! I can go on allll day long if you wanted me to, and apparently, you do!â His voice sounds a bit louder, its ghastliness more apparent than normal. âAlright, where do I start? Youâre pretty damn short, first of all, letâs get that out of the way. Your face is the ultimate centerpiece of my despair, but I canât go into that without emphasizing how your stature as a whole adds onto it...â
Heâs going to keep running his mouth at this rateâheâs just that certain that heâs going to make it out of this encounter intact. Snatcher should've just offered his name and called it a day.
   Ludwig would have opted to argue against that, knowing damn well he wasnât lost lost; he was more than capable of finding his way back if he really wanted to. But he disliked the way the thing talked down to him, and not because he was literally talking down from a high, unreachable perch.Â
   âOf course I have, I donât start the day until I doââ Unfortunately, he brushed the fringe from his eyes just in time to catch the strangerâs form shift into a familiar silhouette. From his striking blue hair to the spines of his shell, Ludwig was gazing right at a perfect double of himself, if only slightly blotted by a shadowy complexion. Whatever bad feeling he got from the other had full blown turned into caution and, perhaps, some defense over his own appearance.
   âSo you take the appearance of others to stifle your own insecurities,â Ludwig stated softly, trying not to let the stupid comment get under his scales. It reminded him of a certain green-haired sibling, who was very capable of pushing his buttons in just the right ways to get his patient air to dissipate. âIâm not surprised, considering you werenât much to look at yourself! Like an unfortunate tube sock dipped in tar.â
   The koopa did his best to wave the comment away, but a nerve was finally struck when the stranger had the gall to bring his hair into this. Perhaps it was in conjunction with his appearance being taken and mocked already, but if Ludwig had been heated before, heâs burning up with embarrassment now.Â
   âUgh! Youâ!â Ludwigâs ember burned fiercely once more, and without thinking he took a breathe before shooting a fiery ball of flame towards his mock-double. He was sure of his aim, but then again, he didnât know any of this creatureâs capabilities and how it may retaliate.Â
   Itâs all fun and games until someone gets hurt, as he always says! Except usually that damage is directed at someone else, not him. Perhaps he should have expected this? But, no, ugly turtles donât generally spit out balls of fire at you, so thereâs always the chance to learn something new!
   Not like this, though. Not like expecting the fire to not even damage him (heâs not blue, after all!) and then finding that, oh, look, heâs actually plummeting to the ground like some sort of movable object! The nerve of some creatures! The fall (and the resulting pain from it) causes him to prematurely change back to his original form, sitting up and rubbing his head as his initial look of glee turns into that of frustration. âWow, you reaaally must hate yourself if youâre willing to set your lookalike on fire, eh? Howâs about I give you a taste of your own medicine!?â
   At this point, heâd make himself taller, more intimidating, maybe summon a few minions or lasers and what have you to utterly incapacitate (yâknow, murder!) his adversary, but...
   â... Huh.â Nothingâs happening. Absolutely nothing! Heâd be so embarrassed right now if he had any actual feelings. Time for the Snatcher to improvise (even if this is slightly distressing news to uncover). âGuess turning into your ugly mug mustâve hindered me more than I thought. The absolute trauma of having to look like you done it. I hope youâre proud of yourself! Even if I canât do what Iâm normally capable of, at least I donât have to go home and look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day.â
   Why physically retaliate when he can keep verbally assaulting the person trying to hurt him? Smart move, Snatcher, that wonât come to bite you in the ass at all. Â
   What was there to do when one suddenly finds their self thrust into an unfamiliar world full of unfamiliar people? The koopa prince had the exact question running through his mind as he tried to take in his initial surroundings, emotions swimming before finally calming into passive acceptance (the fact that heâd been placed in a tranquil sea world did wonders in helping that).
   HoweverâŠ
   Ludwig wasnât the kind to roll over and do nothing about the predicament, and as soon as heâd gotten settled (with what little there was to settle with in the first place), he made it a point to begin scoping out what this ark had to offer.Â
   Never minding the odd looks he got from the denizens, he soon found himself stepping off the train in a sea of forest green. Much cozier than his initial stop, Ludwig at least admired the appeal of running deeper into the wilderness without the worry of drowning as he might back in Nectar. The thought brought a shudder to his shell, different from the one he felt as he stepped onto a path obviously much less traveled.Â
   It was difficult to tell how long heâs ventured into the woods, the treesâ canopies completely blocking any amount of light to tell and making it difficult to determine whatever direction heâd been going in in the first place. Any lesser person might have already started to second guess their decisions, letting the paranoia of darkness and claustrophobia encircle around them. But not Ludwig! Always the cool and collected one, his mind was free from âÂ
   The koopa suddenly jolted from the grating, otherworldly call from above, his nostrils flaring as he got ready to spit a fireball in the direction of the this new threat. Upon looking up, however, he wasnât sure what to make of⊠whatever just called out to him. A shadow? A blob? Whatever it was, he sneered before swallowing his ember.Â
   âIâm not lost! Iâm just,â he looked around, incredibly lost. âSurveying the surroundings.â Yeah, thatâs better. âAnd what about yourself? Blob stuck in a tree, waiting for a helping hand, hm?âÂ
  Heh! That look of surprise brings an even bigger smile to the specterâs face, head in his hands as he gazes down on the other. Snatcher decides itâs probably better to maintain his distance for the time beingâafter all, who knows what this turtle could be capable of? Thatâs sarcasm, of course. He just likes being above someone, both literally and figuratively.
  âThatâs just another word for lost, kiddo,â he says cheerfully. In reality, Snatcher has no idea how old this person is, but if he strikes a nerve? Great! This guyâs got it coming, especially with his last biting comment. âBlob? Really? Have you even looked in a mirror lately?â
  With that being said, the so-called âblobâ is suddenly no longer thatâinstead, heâs taken the form of Ludwig, sitting up on the branch and sticking his tongue out. âHere, to save you the trouble, Iâll give you one! You realize how stupid you look?â In his new form, he tugs at the hair on his head, frowning. âYou really should get a haircut. Kind of unfortunate that you thought you could go out in public looking like this.â
  Heâs laughing, but definitely refusing to leave his spot on the tree branch. Would he even want someone so stupid looking as a minion? To be fair, everyone heâs ever met looks pretty awful, so heâll have to settle for someone sometime. Clearly not today! Unless he manages to strike enough of a nerve, but... Heâll settle for making fun of him for now.
   âYâknow... I donât even think a haircut could save a face like that. Even if you think youâre not lost, youâre still a lost cause!â
   It didnât take Snatcher long to realize that his so-called âresidenceâ didnât feel like a home at all. Sure, it was in a tree, but whatâs the point of having a bedroom if you donât even sleep? Seemed pretty pointless to him. Since nobody was going to directly help him, he was going to have to help himself! Oh, the horror. Itâs so much easier when others do things for him, but clearly he canât get what he wants!
   He was wrong to judge this forest from the get-go--turns out there is a part of it that makes him feel like heâs back in Subcon Forest after all. The further he goes, the more burnt out it looks, and although some of the trees are uprooted, he manages to find at least one that he can perch himself on. Not as sturdy as heâd like, but itâll do for the time being. Beggars canât be choosers, as they say! Although he always did hate that phrase... Hm.
   Oh well! He has no reason to go back to his apartment complex, especially considering heâd have to âget onâ with whoever the other residents are. Sounds like a pain and a bore to him. Snatcher is better suited to trick unsuspecting forest dwellers to do his bidding, just like old times!
   (Realizing heâs unable to properly set up a trap, however, frustrates him to no end. How can he yell at future minions like this!? What, is he going to have to do menial tasks himself? No thanks!)
   ... Kind of difficult to tell if that particular person is actually a suitable candidate or is just a forest dweller, though. Turtles donât normally have hair, do they?
   âHeyyy there! Up here!â Eh, heâll take a chance, why not? Worse comes to worse, itâs not like anyone is around to see him try and talk to a turtle. âYou lost?â
At least heâs got a bit of attitude to him. Theyâd respect that - if they respected most anything, which they donât. Â
[msg] iâm flattered
[msg] obviously you found your holophone to send this message, but it seems you canât read anything else
[msg] welcome to aldebaran ark. enjoy your stay
   Wow! Thanks for absolutely nothing! He has no idea who this alleged Alexis is, but theyâre already on his âscrew over at the earliest opportunityâ list. Itâll be fun to take their soul, he thinks, sending a few more texts before deleting the entire conversation.
[msg] Huh? What did you say?
[msg] I canât read, so I have no idea what was just said to me! Funny how that works.
[msg] Iâm guessing it was probably something banal, though. Itâd be best if you didnât contact me again.
   Annnd there it goes! Deleted! Ugh. Mass texting was a mistake.
On one hand â it costs them nothing to inform yet another about the Ark and itsâ properties. But on the other hand â well. They shouldnât. They really shouldnât.
Was that a flicker of a conscience? They really need to get better sleep, if theyâre imagining something like that. God forbid they have morals â itâd be so inconvenient.
[msg] youâre not leaving, none of us are.
[msg] this isnât terribly hard to grasp but everyone seems to get so caught on it
[msg] so how awfully have you been inconvenienced by arrivalÂ
   Oh, goodie! A reply!
   ... Ah. This isnât the sort of reply he was looking for. Did they really have to question him like that? Ask him why heâs so hung up on being dragged into a place he knows nothing about? How unfortunate that someone would decide itâs a good idea to talk to him in that manner.
[msg] I gotta say, you have a real knack for giving an attitude over text, you know that? Kind of impressive, but also, not really.
[msg] If your ability to tell me something useful was on par with that, then maybe weâd be getting somewhere!
[msg] So, you got anything else? Or just the fact that youâre resigned to being stuck in whatever this unnamed place is? You could at least tell me the name of where I am, for starters.
   They shouldâve been nicer to him to begin with! He probably couldâve been too, but in this case, he can point the finger and say they started it.
   Some kind of strange forest thatâs not as drearily lit as heâs used to? Whyâs it so cheery? Itâs like heâs been put into some alternate reality that he never agreed to be a part of. Actually, itâs exactly like that! Snatcher woke up on the wrong side of the bed, clearly, and he doesnât even sleep.
   Are you tired of being complacent with the way things are? Do you ever just want to go apeshit? Because thatâs exactly what Snatcher wants to do right now. But no, heâll keep his cool, heâll be chill, heâll do what any reasonable spiritual entity with a weird device would do: mass text everyone to get some answers. Thatâs what kids these days do, right? What else is he supposed to do with this thing he just got?
   (He may or may not be purposely ignoring the protocols programmed in to his device. Heâs not a nerd.)
TO: ALL
FROM: THE SNATCHER
[msg] Anyone willing to tell me exactly what this place is?
[msg] Some answers would be much appreciated! Like how to leave, for instance! Iâd love to know!
[msg] Câmon, someone throw me a bone here!
   Heâs getting pretty impatient already, sending the texts only a few seconds apart. If no one answers, heâll just annoy them until they do, he supposes!
