#forever fall lumen

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

Lumen’s here!! Fully!!! Yippeee!!!

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

Amber begins to panic anew when the curtains close. Did the show just end? Or it starting soon?

“No, no, no..” They can’t be in a performance again, they can’t, they-

There’s blue light.

That’s not supposed to be in a showing.

Amber is still harshly trembling- but their breathing does begin to steady. At least while they watch the figure gently circle around them.

When the stranger suddenly speaks in Amber’s own voice. Like a broken echo, can they not usually talk..?

“Hello..!” Their voice is incredibly shaky, “I’m Amber, I didn’t- I kinda.. woke up here?”

They briefly run a hand through their ginger hair, trying to comfort themselves, “um! Is- is this a Circus? Are-? Are we in a per-formance?”

- Amber 🎪

They settle, lowering to basically touch the floor. They encouragingly nod along to Amber's words, but don't immediately fill the silence of the child's questions.

In their hesitation to speak, the chatter of the audience builds... The being, too, seem incredibly frazzled at the sound and room itself.

"Hel.... Lo..! Amber..!" This is repeated a few times, acting as emphasis when the phrase is identical each time.

"This... Is... A... Circus.." another worried pause and glance to the curtains, "no... Per- formance...!"

Their posture speaks that this is a positive, but they suddenly whirl around, not in response to anything in particular but the expectation of something that should be occuring..?

They seem distractedly anxious through this already short exchange.

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

Amber is sitting at their small table, once again hosting a tea party with plushies for company.

It has been roughly a month since their encounter with Fusion, and only a few weeks since their injuries have fully healed.

They’re about to hand over a tea cup to a tiger plushie, when they blink-

And fall to the ground.

“Wha- where..?”

They’re no longer in their room.

Amber is on a stage.

The lights are dim, but they can spot multiple figures in the audience, and things shifting above them.

“N- no this- this isn’t-!”

It’s not Fusion’s place, nor their Circus but a sharp wave of memories rush through their mind regardless.

Amber starts to curls into themselves, “no, please no, not here, anyw-ere but here please, gods...!”

- Amber 🎪

As if in response, the curtains shut, leaving the child with nothing but the burning lights and soundless floorboards. Until five blue glowing eyes wink into being. As Amber's eyes adjust, the rest sharpens.

The figure floats slightly off the ground, legs tucked in, mussed hair draping over a body made of what appears to be some kind of viscous fluid. They're clawed, dripping, with a sharp contrast in their lower half; yet, all this aside, they drift to circle the child with a look of immense concern. And confusion?

Slowly reaching out, they make a placating gesture and speak.

"Isn't... Here....? Where....?"

Amber's voice, cut up, panicked inflection and all.

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

Now that the Ringmaster has been distracted, the Antlered Entity can enact its plan without interruption any pesky gods.

"Alright friends, you may be wondering why I've gathered you here today."

It stretches its. . .

It stretches.

"Well, let's just say that I've got a little favor/gift I need to do for a friend, and it requires you all to..."

It snaps, and they are all swapped with a few residents of Now or Never.

The Troupe are dropped high up, Usera clinging onto nearby poles and tethers to slow her descent, Kyra grappling onto Usera, Lux freely splayed out, wildly laughing; Lumen flailing, unused to the sensation of falling, the last two, cursing, land.. hard on their stomach.

There's exactly five seconds of taking in the desolate cityscape before all hell breaks loose.

"OKAY OW???

The ground here is... Hard. Don't like........."

"Why is everything grey!?!?"

"Grey..."

"All these... Structures, what..?"

"I cannot see..."

"What was that... Thing!?"

"Thing..."

"So many of those.. Magic, I presume, they depict..."

"It's dark... Dark...!? The pages, I can't-"

"HEY! Where's the dickhead go?

I think we broke something........."

"Guys!!!! They have Supernovae too!"

"Guys......!"

The chatter dies down as a... Thing emerges. It's mechanical and segmented, rusted and bug-like, top heavy, with a distinct human face; or... What was a human face. It's been ruined, revealing mechanical circuitry beneath the viscera. This thing was human; yes, but it's as if something corrupted it from the inside out.. There's even the tatters of clothing on some of its many protruding horns.

This creature does not roar in boastful might, no, it.. rumbles. Its voice cracks the concrete beneath their feet, shatters windows in structures surrounding them, shakes their very souls as it presses in-

Leroy and Yorel have already scambled away, not daring to look back; Kyra close behind to frantically guide Usera away from debris; Lux running backwards, utterly fascinated, with Lumen silently urging her to hurry.

Sadly, with one alerted, others quickly follow, making the demigods constantly skid and backtrack, jump fences, duck under collapsed sectors, all the while avoiding large spotlights from the sky...

"A st- stage."

---

The entirety of the gang land on the floor, thankfully, though in a pile. On top of Zelda. They scramble, panicked, to their feet and... Stare in baffled confusion.

"What?"

"Is this wood?!"

"Ohh!! Like for puppet shows!"

"For ac- act.. actors to put on a on a per- performance. Ance."

"Depths, look..!"

"Ffffrick."

"Who are they?!"

A twisted audience coldly takes them in, none quite right in appearance.. Too many sets of eyes, a mouth misplaced, a nose gone completely- it's like something tried painting people from memory, only they smeared the features at the end for the hell of it. They begin to whisper to each other, muttering complaints of heckles and pointing and laughing an-

Zelda's already in front, mechanical legs clicking restlessly. Everyone slowly backs away, maintaining eye contact like terrified animals- the sheer number of "people" is petrifying, after all. Hand signals are exchanged between the four and, just like that, they make a run for it. Zelda hoists Kit onto her back, Caspian holds Astrid's hand, both in the back. They catch their breath only when their surroundings have visibly changed, that and their spectators can no longer be heard.

From here, they wander. Quite literally everything here is foreign- Zelda's database doesn't even recognize it- and exploring this new frontier is oddly exhilarating? The floors were wood before, wood! And now it's.. soft. Isn't that something?! They'd forgotten what it felt like to be cushioned rather than broken. And the walls? The ceiling? It's almost too much to look at, but it's so lovely they can't bear to stop.

Everything is patterned: Everything. One second, flowers- Kit calls them out periodically- another spiraled nothing's, sometimes eyes: a show in and of itself. But looking up it's.. biological. Something's up there, docile? At least something they can't feasibly fight. The shimmer of its scales- a snake's according to Zelda, whatever that is- is... Beautiful. Everything here is.

---

Put back in their proper places, one group tells a tale of utter terror, of senseless cruelty with no end. The other? A warm space of comfort and wonder. They almost miss it.

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

*sings several Cosmo Sheldrake songs for the Thespians*

Lux is the first to pause, stunned in place at the sound of song. She sits down in front of you, Lumen floating behind him. Faintly, she seems to be humming harmonies. Lumen claps a simple rhythm.

Kyra, too, stops by to inspect what's going on.. Giving a delighted gasp, she leaves and comes back with Usera. Both sit down as well, enthusiastically contributing delay throws.

Leroy and Yorel are the final addition to the sudden concert, compromising not to sit down but to stand off to the side. With how jovial the group is at this point- cheering between each song- they can't help but stomp. They're dancing, though Leroy would never admit it.

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

*on a particular good pounce, I turn off the laser*

Gasp! Oh my stars Lux! You caught it!! That’s incredible!

You should go tell Lumen about this! They’ll be so proud of you!

While I totally don’t leave to go recharge the laser pointer…

She seems to snap out of his odd trance, spinning around to check that she really did catch it..

"O- oh! I did it? I.. I caught it? I did!!

LUUUMENNNN DID YOU SEE DID YOU SEE?!?!???!!!"

"I did... See..!"

"Yeah, I'm a cool hunter now!!"

"Cool... Yeah...!"

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

Holy fuck that was rough uh- here, Lumen! A gift!

*gives them a ghostly weighted blanket*

God I hope that works.

They startle at your voice, flinching back before the offering fully registers. They take the blanket with shaking hands..

And drape it over themself, releasing an immense amount of tension under its weight.

"Gift...

Works..."

They still aren't looking you in the eyes, but their sniffling has died down..?

[saltvinegerandeverythingsinister]

*rotates Lumen*

Instantly, Lumen is gripped with complete and utter panic. They reach out, helplessly trying to ground themself but they can't they CAN'T. Because of course, of course, they should be used their situation but they're already getting dizzy and everything hurts and-

Then it's over.

They barely register they're crying until the dull ache of unreleased sobs alerts them..

The spectre quietly chokes them down until it stops.

With a final fearful glance, they skitter away from you.