#solute.txt

[kkrbvrai]

“Mr. Coolatta, Tommy, dinner’s ready!”

Darnold’s voice rings clearly from nearby, and Tommy smiles in his direction. They beckon with a wave.

Tommy: “D-Darnold, can you g-get everyone to come over? I-I think we s-should thank the spirits o-one last time before w-we turn the camera off.”

Their boyfriend’s reply is muffled, but soon the Players join Tommy and Gin in front of the camera. They turn to you, O wandering spirits. Smiling, waving. Faces that you’ve come to know, saying a goodbye to the voices that guided them to this new life. And their farewell rings out as a chorus:

“Thank you!”

KAKURENBO VR, BUT THE AI IS SELF AWARE: END.

[kkrbvrai]

Can we say hi to Forzen?

Darnold: “Of course, let me go get him.”

The camera frame remains empty for a few moments, the others having wandered off to do other tasks.

Finally Forzen walks into view, waving casually.

Forzen: “Hey spirits, glad Coomer’s group chat thing worked out. We thought it was only fair that you guys be here for the reunion too.”

[kkrbvrai]

In the moments after the death of Oni-Sama, it is quiet.

One by one, then with increasing speed, the masks dissolve into pale orange light. Firefly-like they drift up and through the ceiling. Where they touch, the building itself starts to flake off, becoming pixels, then data, then nothing at all.

Gordon’s armor dissipates as well, and he stumbles as his body becomes fully his again. Thankfully Mac is there to steady him, looping a solid arm around the hero’s shoulders.

Mac: “Are you alright, my boy?”

Gordon: “Yeah, I think so...just uh...lil’ overwhelmed.”

Sunny: “Thank g-goodness, you s-scared us...”

Gordon: “Sorry, Sunny...”

Tag, Solute, and Benrey burst through the dissolving doorway, looking panicked.

Benrey: “where’s-”

Benrey: “...walker?”

Tag: “What the hell man, are you ok? I mean, you look ok...”

Solute: “Tag said you were dying!”

Pyre: “Well he was, but then he went all avenging angel on her ass, and now he’s fine.”

Pyre: “...you are fine, right?”

Gordon, still reeling, just let out a breathless laugh and nodded.

[kkrbvrai]

Tag youve got a real cute smile we only see on occasion, whats got you so bummed most of the time?

Tag: “C-Cute...?”

Solute: “You do have a pretty cute smile, Tag.”

Tag: “Y-Yeah well...”

Tag: “...to be honest, there’s not a lot in my life worth smiling about.”

Tag: “Joined the military way too young. Honorably discharged when some shrapnel hit my eye.”

Tag: “Since then I can’t get work. No one wants a half-blind man around a factory and I’m too scary looking for any customer service jobs.”

Tag: “I get some cash from the government every month, but. I donno. What I’m doing right now is just existing. Not living.”

Tag: “That’s why I decided to play this game. I want a better chance at life. That’s what I’m going to wish for.”

He shrugs almost automatically, as if to say ‘I know it’s silly’. He looks a bit sheepish or having shared so much.

Solute: “Oh, Tag...”

[kkrbvrai]

Obvious question first: Does anyone have a cucumber?

Tag: “Maybe if I’d packed lunch? But no.”

Walker: “Unless that’s my Blessing? Nope.”

Pyre: “Why not try it, Walker?”

Walker: “Ha ha, laugh it up.”

Sunny: “Any ch-ch-chance you h-have o-one, Solute? Y-you l-like plants...”

Solute: “I...no? Sorry, fresh out.”

Mac: “Oh, to have a gourd from a creeping vine...”

[kkrbvrai]

This best date minigame is the best! I can't wait to see what Gordon and Benrey have lined up!

As Coomer and Bubby begin to set up their purloined fireworks, the ground begins to shake. The two older men look up in alarm.

Bubby: “What the hell, did some other demon get in or something?”

Coomer: “O-oh dear, I hope not-”

Part of the clearing the festival is set up in grows much wider as a steel structure bursts from the ground, rocketing up into the air as the Players watch in awe.

From their position at the goldfish scooping game, Tommy squints upwards at the behemoth.

Tommy: “I-Is that...?”

Forzen: “A rollercoaster...?”

Triumphantly, at the top of the tallest slope, Benrey and Gordon wave down at the others.

Benrey: “what’s up gamers, I gave gordon hacks!”

Gordon almost loses his balance laughing, Benrey putting a hand on him to steady him. He sobers slowly, looking at the tack contemplatively.

Gordon: “...shit. How do we get down?”

Darnold: “Ahaha, oh my god...”

[kkrbvrai]

Darnold, you have a face! We love to see it. How's life treating you?

Darnold: “I do, in fact, have a face!”

Darnold: “Well, it was a bit hard convincing my parents that I’d be alright moving in with ‘strangers’ I just met. I couldn’t exactly explain what we’d gone through.”

Darnold: “But...things are going well. I have my vineyard, and Forzen helps me out with the work around here! Tommy’s going to be assisting me with the chemistry once he and Mr. Coolatta move in.”

[kkrbvrai]

A minute passes, then two.

Silence falls over the group as the time passes. Solute’s proud smile fades as it seems more and more evident that Blood-Taker might not react to stones.

Solute: “I guess I worried everyone for nothing. I’m sorr-”

He’s cut off by Tag pointing at the nearby river’s edge.

Tag: “Water’s moving.”

Sure enough, waves start to form, licking up the sand as they increase in size. The planks of the floating bridge begin to bob up and down as the movement of something large speeding towards the surface makes the water more turbulent.

A hand, as large as a horse, gnarled and scaled, breaks the water. It swipes blindly where the rock fell, looking for an intruder to its realm. Finding nothing, almost lazily, the creature brings its head above water.

It’s grotesque, veiny tongue lolls from its beak as if tasting the air. His bulging eyes drift lazily over to the Players and fix there for a moment. Slowly, the grotesque thing sinks beneath the river again.

The third bell tolls over the trees, and our speechless heroes.

BLOOD-TAKER HAS APPEARED.