#hxlpimalive

[narrativeabducted]

@hxlpimalive // continued

Now, Lalock, Pennsylvania is separated from Lakeview, Pennsylvania by one town: Riverwalk. Sass makes the drive through Riverwalk most days to go to work, but today they're in Lalock. They're at home, in Lalock. Said home is a trailer, set back in the woods on a clearing on top of a hill. It's a weird place for someone to live. There is a driveway, and an old barn set off from the house.

At present, everything is covered in a fine layer of snow. Under that snow is ice. Sass is out in the snow and ice in a sweatshirt and boots with strap on spikes to keep them from falling. They have on a hat and gloves, but they're still cold. The cold can kill, but they don't plan on going anywhere but the barn to get something.

They saw some?one?thing? out of the corner of their eye and with little else to defend themself they scooped up snow and threw it at what/whoever it was. And then the thing/person started running. Well, see, Sass isn't the type to just assume they're safe when they've run someone off. They're paranoid to a fault and need to make sure whoever/whatever this is isn't going to come back.

They start giving chase, laughing loudly as they do.

[m0retapes]

Brian's whole hand felt like a furnace despite only cracking a knuckle or two. Yet the pain was bearable with his buddy, Tim, to wrap his wound. The wince was quickly turned into a toothy, childish grin."You should see the other guy." He chimed back while picturing Alex's black eye in his mind.

// @hxlpimalive

Brian had pointed the gun in Alex's face and Alex had grinned and -- then the static the screeching the sanity ripped away, filling Tim with that blinding white light that severed his mind from his body, burned away his memories --

He woke up on the rubble of the hospital. Glass stuck to his cheek. Brian was there, had taken his mask off to taunt Alex and. It looked wrong, seeing Brian's face in that outfit, the man who'd broken into his apartment, the friend who'd had his back after his leg was broken.

Brian was bleeding. Tim stood, debating between walking away or getting his first aid kit out of the car. He did, a simple jog there and back. It wasn't Brian that had hurt Tim. At least. That's what he told himself.

If anything, it was Tim that had done this, broken Brian this way. Brought this hell onto their lives. He grabbed the gun and unclipped the mag, tucked it into his belt for now. "Hey." He shook Brian awake carefully. "Take it easy, you're good. Careful." Helped his friend sit up. Still cautious, brows raised as he looked Brian in the eyes to see who or what he was talking to.

"You should see the other guy." Brian laughed, grinned, it felt like before all this. Before the masks. He clung to that laughter with his own bloody fingers. Needed that normalcy. That connection to another human being.

Tim laughed softly, that warmth in his chest welcome after the time separated. Brian was alive and seemed sane, seemed saner than before he'd-- god. When was the last time they'd spoken out loud? Not that strange silent partnership, not the fucking videos, not "totheark", just them as friends.

Wanted to ask where Brian was staying, offer to let him stop by the hotel to at least shower, eat, rest. But, that would open up a wormhole of questions for Jay, wouldn't it?

But. One thing at a time. Tim tied off the bandage and sat back on his haunches, winced as he heard his knee pop slightly. He held up his own bloody hand as he started wrapping it, let Brian help him in turn. "Hey, come on. I did most of the work for you. Softened him up." Tried to ignore the bitter tang in his mouth at talking about his other self that way.

What a mess they were, weren't they?

[narrativefinale]

@hxlpimalive // continued

Sass continues to stare while the figure they've treed coughs. It all snaps into place suddenly. There is no donning revelation, they simply can't remember one moment and the next it's clear to them. They bark out a sharp cackling laugh.

"you're a youtuber." They say in a way that's almost an accusation. They aren't mad about it, they just think it's genuinely funny. Wasn't Marble Hornets based in Alabama? They haven't checked in on it in awhile, so they don't exactly remember everything there is to remember about it. They have bigger fish to fry here than fiction.

And then, once again, all at once, it hits them. They know what haunts the woods of Lalock. Who's to say something isn't haunting the woods of Rosswood? They naturally want to combat that, their mind insisting no one would be stupid enough to video tape their worst trauma and put it online for anyone to see.

That's where they hesitate, however. Because honestly? There were a lot of stupid people out there.

"wow." They say as that thought washes over them. "oh, man. you are dumb, huh."

Sass isn't entirely sold that what they've seen online is real or not, not yet, but they are at least willing to consider it. And to call out the stupidity of the whole thing, as least as they see it.

"where's your camera." They taunt, suddenly, grin splitting their face again. "ohhh man, where is it, bud. why are you here."

[musecastle]

[ Familiar ] - Who would your muse pledge themselves to with no question?

again, whoever you choose

First of all, it's important to note that Patrick will never, under any circumstances, give anyone, including himself, his unthinking obedience. He firmly believes no one should obey authorities without question.

I'll give his pre-awakening answer since that's significantly less complicated. Not listing specific names here, but so long as their ideals aligned, he would under the right circumstances happily devote himself to any close friend's life quest.

[musecastle]

[ Dragon] - What does your muse collect?

muse of your choosing.

Souls.

In terms of things he always knowingly and intentionally collects, Patrick has a rock collection that includes everything from interesting-looking stones he found near a river to crystals and even a few more common fossils.