#sisnestore

[collectivestuck-blog]

38

You close the door to your son’s room and wipe away a tear. He’s going to do just fine.

-- mathMatriarch [MM] activates an assembly -- -- efficiencyExpert [EE] attends – -- bombasticBuff [BB] attends – -- sneakySage [SS] attends –

MM: okay, i’m done. EE: Excellent. That completes our task. EE: I had to dismiss our help. I no longer trust his motives. BB: i suppose that means no more teleportation EE: No. We’ll need to find our own way to travel between Prospit and Derse. SS: crud SS: i was thinking we need to get my sis off derse SS: its too dangerous here BB: agreed BB: they grow em damn big here EE: This will be a character-building experience. They need to learn to handle the pressures presented them if they’re going to succeed. Coddling them will do only harm. MM: there’s a big difference between being overprotective and being negligent MM: we can’t throw them to the wolves BB: im sure as hell not just leaving them alone SS: can we at least watch over them? EE: You are welcome to do as you please. Our business is concluded. MM: wait MM: suppose we turn the problem around SS: what do you mean? MM: we want to keep the kids on derse safe MM: but we know that they have something they have to do there MM: so let’s tackle it from the other end MM: we make derse safer BB: and how in the hell do we do that MM: our advisor told us about the archagents running derse MM: we’ll take them out of the picture MM; i already ran into their vice-commander BB: and i pulped the big one MM: we'll find the leader MM: and the kids only have to defeat the king MM: we're completely free to topple the queen EE: That’s quite the bold initiative. How do you intend to do that? MM: it’ll require careful planning MM: precise execution EE: Yes, yes. You can skip the flattery. EE: I see the logic in your plan. I suppose I’ll draw up a stratagem. SS: okay SS: gramps SS: you and me are still here on derse BB: aye BB: well play bull in a china shop then SS: you know it MM: i’ll find ms. marek and ms. orrin EE: Then we meet again in two hours. SS: sounds good BB: agreed

-- sneakySage [SS] aborted the assembly – -- bombasticBuff [BB] aborted the assembly – -- efficiencyExpert [EE] aborted the assembly –

[collectivestuck-blog]

27

You thank the kind little black creature for the directions. He waves his good arm and coughs some sort of response. You shake your finger at him; he really shouldn’t be trying to talk with those wounds.

The tower stands before you. At the top, you can see the window that opens into the Hero’s chamber. Currently there are no other patrolmen on watch. You have a short time before your entry will be noticed, though, so you’d better move fast.

As you sprint up the stairs of the violet tower, you glance at your phone. The others are on their way to awaken their respective dreamers as well. With any luck, you can do this all in one fell swoop, and the Dersite plan will be foiled. The Heroes will have enough trouble without these jerks getting in the way.

You reach the top just as the alarm sounds. Already you can hear the heavy footsteps marching up behind you. With a bit of quick thinking, you slip into the room and barricade it with a bunch of refuse from your Sylladex. It won’t keep them out forever, but it will buy you enough time.

On the bed lies your sister, fast asleep in her purple pajamas. She’s still wearing her glasses; you don’t think she normally sleeps in them, but dream selves are weird. The chamber is a near-perfect replica of her room. Someone has written gibberish all over her walls, though. You can’t remember if that was in her room back in the normal world, but you tried to respect her privacy and stay out.

In fact, you probably shouldn’t let her know that you were at all.

You give her a smile as you climb onto the windowsill and ready your escape. She’s got a long, difficult journey ahead of her, but you know she’ll get through it. She always was the stronger one.

As you leap out over Derse, you toss a ball of modelling clay and wake her up.