SOMETHING knew what it was hungry for. SOMETHING was bored of the offerings pledged to it by the People's Church. SOMETHING hungered for a victim it chose, pursued, and Marked itself. The comparison between a home cooked meal and a pre-made microwave meal was probably the closest comparison for those that weren't like SOMETHING, though it did not know why it thought it should need to make such a comparison in SOMETHING's own semi-consciousness.
SOMETHING stalked its way through quietened cities, silent farms and sleeping villages at the speed of darkness, until at last SOMETHING felt the Pull in two directions. The Pull was something that all things of Fear knew well to follow, the Pull always led them to a victim who deeply felt what they had to feed from. SOMETHING hungered, and so it approached the closer Pull first. Efficiency was unnecessary for one such as SOMETHING, but not unwanted despite that.
The pale house was silent as SOMETHING stalked closer, past the driveway barren of life, beneath the front door, across the stained living room carpet, up stairs that should've creaked beneath any weight but did not, and into the room where the Pull resonated most. Inside, SOMETHING let itself wrap around the ceiling fan and simultaneously hover ominously by the bed, watching, waiting, as its dark-haired quarry slept. Hours past and yet, even as the Sun rose and SOMETHING was forced to fade into a Dark splotch on the ceiling, the boy did not stir.
SOMETHING was confused, never had it seen something like this before. SOMETHING decided to wait longer.
The day came and went as SOMETHING watched the young adolescent's unmoving form, only aware the boy lived still because the Pull held strong, until, at last, SOMETHING chose to change its strategy. If its victim wanted to dream so badly, then SOMETHING would force him to wake. Slowly, a Dark tendril of SOMETHING stretched out from the main mass, before wrapping itself around the boy's ankle.
SOMETHING was in a forest of vibrant pastels. The forced contrast between it and its surroundings, irritated SOMETHING as it knew it would have to bring more of itself into the dream if it wanted to suitably feed, but the Pull remained and so it persisted. Deeper into the forest, SOMETHING found itself at a crossroads and followed the Pull, up into a playground filled with the sound of 5 children of various ages playing together- no, SOMETHING had been mistaken, the park was clearly empty countless Cobwebs coating everything in thick pale film, untouched even by insects- no wait it was definitely bustling, there was a spherical rhino in one corner and a monkey in the centre amidst various other creatures real and not- actually no the equipment was old, rusted beyond use and repair-
SOMETHING immediately realised something was Wrong. SOMETHING wasn't meant to be wrong. SOMETHING was supposed to hide things and make others think something was wrong with its victims without knowing the cause was SOMETHING BEHIND THEM.
SOMETHING scanned the playground again, and this time SOMETHING noticed the commonality of everything it saw. At the back of the playground, SOMETHING saw a monochrome child, not much younger than its mirror in SOMETHING's intended victim, their clothing was simple and though similar, even that failed to remain consistent to SOMETHING.
"This place is not yours, Shade. Leave," the Child That Drank From What Was Not What It Is stated matter of factly, "You cannot Feed on us here even if I let you try." The air seemed to shift and twist around SOMETHING as they spoke. A vocal threat and a silent one given simultaneously.
SOMETHING knew the young servants of Falsehood was right. Fabricated Falsehoods And Ostricisation could not be written in untold layers of Lies And Deceit. Even if SOMETHING could feel that one half of the Deceit passed its Needs to the other.
Outside the dream, SOMETHING retracted its tendril from the still sleeping boy's ankle and retreated. Out of the room that held SOMETHING's perfect victim prior to the second layer of their Fractal revealing itself. Down the stairs that had never once creaked from weight upon them until tonight. Across the stained living room carpet, and onto the driveway overrun with plantlife.
SOMETHING wasn't meant to feed from this House of Fractals and Delusion, even if the being that was SOMETHING knew its presence would have left ripples in the first Fractal's psyche. SOMETHING was glad there was a second Pull nearby.
SOMETHING stalked the barren streets once more. Lampposts shattering and flickering out as it followed the second Pull to a house of flowers and Guilt. SOMETHING slowly scoured the interior as it approached the Pull. SOMETHING was reminded to check for the presence of Others from the last Pull. SOMETHING found nothing amiss in the first room. SOMETHING passed the threshold and turned to the door on the left, away from the stronger Pull towards a fainter, more generalised, Pull SOMETHING did not notice before. Stretching itself under the door into the darkness inside the unlit room, SOMETHING saw a figure sleeping in bed. SOMETHING did not resonate with her faint Pull but SOMETHING could Feel how she would, in time, resonate with Something of similar yet different origin. One who fed off Erasure and Forgetting rather than Substitution and Rewritten Knowledge.
But SOMETHING was not of the variety who could feed off that, nor was her Pull strong enough yet to make the effort worthwhile even if SOMETHING could. And so SOMETHING pullled itself back out of the room, moving towards the Pull that summoned SOMETHING there in the first place. The Pull coming from the door on the right. The green door with light leaking out from under it.
SOMETHING waited before entering this time, it would be unwise and difficult to try and feed off someone who saw SOMETHING move BEHIND THEM. Instead, SOMETHING slowly lowered its eye to the keyhole, and peered inside. Beyond the door, a child stood staring at countless pictures scattered on the floor, thankfully facing away from SOMETHING. SOMETHING took the opportunity with the closest approximation to glee that it could feel, oozing under the door towards the boy. The child showed no since of noticing its arrival as SOMETHING approached. Faint traces of Fog were faintly visible on the boy to SOMETHING's supernatural gaze, but not nearly enough to be an issue. Not even enough to constitute what its kindred of human origin would call a 'Mark'.
"Why…. Why would you do this Sunny?" whispered the child, as SOMETHING noticed the ink blotting out all the detail in the clearly cherised photos. Perfect. SOMETHING already had material with which to feed.
SOMETHING reached for the boy's shadow.
"I don't understand. You loved her the most out of all of us… Why did you-"
"HE DIDN'T DO IT." The time had come for SOMETHING to feed.
The boy jolted at the unexpected voice.
"Who- Where-"
"I MADE HIM DO IT."
The boy tried to turn and face the stranger who somehow entered his room.
Simultaneously, SOMETHING lunged forwards towards him.
I suppose it would be best to deal with the elephant in the room first. Which Entities have taken focus on which (major) characters?
First and foremost, The Dreamer, Sunny is...
...Deeply intwined with Spiral - Blackspace was originally crafted by Es Mentiras to try and feed off the distinct Wrongness of Sunny's constant Dreaming and Rejection of reality, but in doing so it found what its limited cognitive abilities could register as a perfect Avatar... once suitably Bound to it. And so Headspace and its Guardian were altered to bring about such a Change.
...Touched by the Dark - When the manifestation known only as 'Something' formed in Faraway, it found itself faced with two seemingly perfect options to Feed upon using its altered truth, but it quickly left its first choice upon realising that he was too wrapped in Spirals to even conceive the original truth enough to Fear itself alterations. But, a Mark remains nonetheless.
Next, the one who shall always find the Truth. Basil has the unfortunate fate of being...
Ravaged by Shadows - When Something departed from The Dream having left its Mark, it swiftly found itself a new victim to Feed from in the creator of a deep deceit. And how better to Feed than to steal the role of murderer and follow behind its victim daily, laying traps for him to stumble into as a scapegoat, and feasting as Basil learnt no-one would ever believe the 'truth' that it really was Something Behind Him
And what of the Truth herself? The most self-explantory, Mari. The one who...
Reached Terminus - An obvious but impossible to exclude Mark. Though of course, perfectionism may have killed her but it is not of The End and that is why she....
Was Buried by the Pressure of expectations, both self-wrought and placed upon her by her family and peers
Now how about, Hero, the one who was Lost? Well he was...
Rendered bedbound by Grief - When his love was taken by Terminus in such an unexpected manner, it truly was no wonder that Henry would shatter. That those shards were soon taken by his new Loneliness, is even less surprising. It was a miracle that his brother managed to accidentally stir his fury enough to remind Hero of his Anchor before he could Vanish in the night.
On the topic of Hero's brother, who hid his emotions, Kel...
Clings to a Mask - Kel's response to grief is an interesting one. Yes he cried when Mari's body was found and at her funeral, but otherwise it seemed to most that he wholly skipped the other stages of grief as he quickly began to dive ever-deeper into his extracurriculars despite his childhood friend group being shattered overnight by grief. This, was all a Mask. One painstakingly carved and painted in only a few weeks. An impressive feat for one who was barely Touched by the Masquerade at this point, and one that has only been improved upon in the years since. Alongside his Performance, of course.
Finally, with her supposed rival's Marks covered, it would be best to cover those of the furious, Aubrey is....
Wracked with Pain - When her final Formed Anchor was torn away from her so soon, young Aubrey was heartbroken. Once again she had attached herself to an unyielding monument only for it to Burn to ash soon after. Was she the cause? Why did they only Incinerate once she put weight on their permanence? It was no wonder that she soon began to worry whether anything else she touched would Burn, and in the process perpetually reinvigorate her Fear of the Pain she always felt as a result.
Wreathed in Fury - When her friends barely seemed to care about Mari's death, it melted the shards of her heart, letting her reforge it into a bladed thing that even a honey badger would think twice before touching. Why did they not care?! Why were they all just forgetting her?! WASN'T MARI CONSIDERED THE HEART OF THE GROUP?! WHY WAS SHE THE ONLY ONE MOURNING HER?! Her perception of the Pipes is different to most who hears them, but she still reacts to their Call nonetheless.
