Michelle Pottersfield Interview 01
[Location: Ness Anne Police Station on ████ Boulevard.]
[Assigned officers: Zacharie Holdt and Liana Holdt]
[Subject: ██████ “Squig” ████████ ]
[Start of Video Transcript]
A woman with dyed blonde hair is seen sitting in a chair in a police interrogation room. Her face is swollen and her nose is bandaged. Her glasses are shattered and her shirt is slightly torn.
Despite this, her body language suggests calm. Acceptance towards the situation in front of her.
A man walks into the room.
Squig: Oh! Uh, hey! Do you have any updates? On.. On the two people I… Uh. Shot. They were stable last I heard but who knows if they'll suddenly nosedive and -
Zacharie: They are both in still in stable condition.
Squig lets out a breath of relief that doubles as a sob.
Squig: Good, good… Thank you, Zach was it..?
Zacharie: Zacharie. Please. Call me Zacharie.
The two shake hands.
Squig: Zach. Got it, got it… So. Am I under arrest or can I go home, because the downpour started right before I got here and there’s a family of wild raccoons who-
Zacharie deadpans.
Zacharie: Ma’am, you just shot two people.
There is a pause.
Squig: Okay, yeah. I… I figured.
Squig: So… Now what? Do I go to jail or holding or whatever you call it? Because either way, I WOULD like to get my state appointed attorney here. I mean. Not that I’m going to deny whatever charges I face, I absolutely shot two people and need to be arrested and thrown into jail and never let out and I’ll probably die there, but that’s okay because I des -
Zacharie: You are not under arrest.
Squig’s ramblings cease in an instant. She tilts her head.
Squig: What?
Zacharie: You are not under -
Squig: I heard you! Just…
She scratches behind her neck.
Squig: You’re... I just… I SHOT two people. With a gun.
Zacharie: Yes, we know this. We also know that you weren’t the aggressor. The McDonald’s had cameras in the parking lot, same with the lot your trailer was parked in. And the shooting itself was on your property after you were assaulted. The assailant tried to break down your door. You had every right to believe that you were in danger.
Squig swallows.
Squig: That…. I mean. Yes? That’s all true, but -
Zacharie: We have investigated the matter already and have determined that this was a case of self-defense. You did nothing wrong, ma’am.
Squig’s jaw dropped. She looks down at the light gray table between them. Her eyes darted across the flat surface, looking for meaning where there was none. She suddenly returns Zacharie’s eye contact.
Squig: I… I shouldn’t get away with this.
Zacharie clicks his pen and writes something on his clipboard, sparing the woman only a glance.
Zacharie: You aren’t getting away with anything, Ms. Pottersfield. You’ve done nothing illegal.
Squig’s good hand slams onto the table, with enough force to shock herself with the sound. Zacharie remains unflinching.
Squig: NO. I… That’s not. (she sobs) That isn’t even my name, sir. My name is -
Zacharie sighs, a bit louder than one would expect, and places a bag onto the table. Squig’s bag.
Zacharie: We procured this from your companion at the hospital earlier. It’s yours, correct?
Squig nods and Zacharie produces a wallet from the front pocket. He stares at her and she silently takes and opens it.
Squig’s eyes widen as she looks at the ID. Her hands shook as she took it out of the transparent plastic flap the ID was trapped under. Her voice shutters.
Squig: ‘Michelle Pottersfield’..? How the fuck...?
Zacharie: That’s your face and that’s your name. It's all right there. Do you need more proof?
Zacharie doesn't wait for a response. He digs into the wallet again and produces a Massachusetts concealed carry license. It also has her photo and the name Michelle Pottersfield.
At this point, Squig was beginning to breath heavily.
Squig: WHAT?? No, no, no... I never... The gun was never registered!
Zacharie: Incorrect. We already double checked your records. Your glock was legally purchased and your license legally obtained. Both were done several months prior.
Zacharie leans in closer to her.
Zacharie: Michelle. You did nothing wrong.
Squig laughs a cold, breathless laugh.
Squig: Are you SERIOUS? No. No this isn’t some result of the head trauma, or me just... MAGICALLY forgetting this. I NEVER got that gun license. And I KNOW my fucking name. I am NOT Michelle Pottersfield!
A knock is heard at the door. A woman enters the interrogation room. She is carrying a coffee in her left hand and a folder under her arm.
Liana: Hello? Sorry for interrupting.
Zacharie’s cold demeanor shifts at the sight of the other officer. He smiles as Liana places the coffee next to him and kisses him on the cheek.
Zacharie: Hello love. You weren’t interrupting anything.
Zacharie holds Liana’s hands, kissing them without moving from his seat. Squig blinks.
Squig: No, she was interrupting. This is… An interview? I guess? Wait, am I still under arrest or can I go and -
Zacharie’s cold demeanor returns in voice only.
Zacharie: We would prefer it if you wouldn’t.
Squig: So… I can go?
Liana: Well that depends.
Squig: On what?
Liana pulls up a chair and sits next to her spouse. Squig’s eyebrows furrow.
Liana: I think my partner here has dodged the actual reason you’re being kept here for long enough. Ms. Pottersfield -
Squig: Not my name!
Liana: Right. Squig, was it?
Squig’s furrowed brows raise and mouth reopens. She goes dead silent.
Liana: Squig, you have been… Horribly mistreated by this entire event and we here at Dark Media Savant Productions are incredibly sorry for what has just transpired.
Squig: WHAT.
Zacharie nods.
Zacharie: Jean’s actor has had a history of mental illness. We can assure you, what transpired today was not meant to occur to you or any other actor on the set of the Kintsugi Timeline ARG.
Squig’s vision shifts. Her world spins slightly.
Squig: What… What the fu… NO! This doesn’t make sense, what do you MEAN “any other actor”? I’m not another actor, I’m just a player in this ARG! And… And y’all are COPS. How do you two know anything about the game?
Liana and Zacharie exchange a look. Zacharie squeezes his wife's hand.
Liana: Ma’am. A horrible error has been made and we wish to rectify it.
The folder is placed onto the table. Squig looks up at the officers, then back down to the folder. Slowly, she opens it.
A black censor bar is placed over the entire file.
The video is cut.
And then, the video returns. The officers and Squig are in different sitting positions. The file is still censored.
Squig is shaking and heavily crying.
Squig: What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck....
Liana gently lays a hand on Squig's back. She flinches at the touch, but Liana's hand remains.
Liana: I'm very sorry that this even happened. You should have never been placed into this situation to begin with. We're running some internal investigations into how the player and actor applications got mixed up in the first place, so I can assure you, we will find whoever did this and they will be fired for this blunder.
Zacharie sips his coffee.
Zacharie: Mistake or not, she did sign the form.
He sips again. Squig rises out of her chair.
Squig: How the FUCK is any of this legal??
Zacharie: Ma'am, you just read the contract. We already have more than enough proof that this is all above board.
Squig: NO. I refuse to believe that! You're just telling me that literally ANYTHING recorded can and will be used for this? ANYTHING???
Liana nods. Squig sobs.
Squig: Even Jean's breakdown? Even my assult?? Even... Even when I shot.....?
Zacharie: Yes. Your attempt as well. And it will. It will be uploaded shortly. If not by one of their accounts, by your own.
Liana takes Squig's hand and leads her to sit back down.
Liana: It's a horrible situation, I know. But Zach's right. You did sign all of the waivers. And your application was already quite similar to those of the other actors so -
Squig: What do you... What the FUCK do you even mean by that?
This was the loudest Squig has been thus far. Officer Liana flinched, and although Zacharie remained still, even his calm and composed expression faltered.
Squig: What do you MEAN the most similar? Are those... Are the actors... Oh my God.
Her eyes widen and breathing stops, if only for a moment.
Squig: Are... Are they all like me? Is that why so many of them take this so seriously? Is it because their actors...?
She sobs, wipes her tears, and her non-bandaged hand digs into her own scalp, then lets go. She shifts around in her chair, trying to put on a brave face to confront the two officers.
Squig: How many of them even know this is a game?
Zacharie: We can't tell you.
Liana looks away.
Squig sits there, stunned.
Squig: I..... I want out of this. I want out of this and... And I think everyone else should be informed of this. At least... At least the ones who don't know, and the ones who have memory issues or the ones prone to psychosis or -
Zacharie: Squig, you already read the contract. That's not how this -
Squig: I DON'T CARE. This isn't right! They should have the right to know and I shouldn't have to keep playing if I don't support this!
Liana: Well... Technically, you can tell the actors while they're in character. They just... Many of them won't believe you.
The officer gives a deep sigh.
Liana: I'm sorry, Squig. But only you are able to view this contract because you technically didn't see it in full when you signed it. The rest of them already read and signed off on everything. If someone's alter wasn't informed, or if someone has some form of amnesia and can't recall what they already agreed to, that's not a reason to allow them access to the contract again. Legally, our hands are tied.
Squig: So... We're all just... Stuck in a game where literally any recording can be used for the game? Everyone's absolute worst moments? The literal footage of two people being shot by me? And... And half of the people involved think it's all real???
Liana: No. You're not. As we said, technically you never finished signing the contract. The half that got lost in transit, I mean. If you want, I can get that now and you can sign it and continue the game as is.
Squig: Why would... Why would I ever agree to do that?
Liana’s expression softens. Zacharie almost says something, but her grip on his hand shuts him up.
Liana: Squig. If you say no, that’s completely fine. You can leave the game with zero issue.
Both Squig’s and Zacharie’s eyes widened. Zacharie nearly opens his mouth again, but Liana taps her fingers against his wrist as they hold hands. Tap squeeze squeeze. Tap squeeze. Tap tap. Squeeze.
Squig stays silent waiting for more information that never comes. She deadpans.
Squig: What’s the catch?
Liana: There is no catch. If you don’t want to play the ARG any more, you can leave. We’ll find a way to write off your character and… That will be that.
Liana smiles. Squig doesn’t.
Squig: So… Then what? The game just. Continues as normal on your guys’ end?
Liana curls her fingers in her husband’s hand. Zacharie speaks.
Zacharie: Yes. The game will continue as normal until it’s won. Your involvement in the ARG will end as soon as you exit this room.
Squig: Like… Completely? Or can I go back to being just a player instead of an actor and just... Tell them all anonymously that this is happening?
Liana: Well… There are a few clauses in the contract that say that if you leave the game you can’t play in it again due to having internal knowledge. You also won’t be able to contact any of the players or actors involved in the ARG going forward.
Zacharie: Alongside this, most of them already know this is a game anyway. By contacting them, you would be nothing but a risk to their own possibilities of winning the actor's prize pool.
Squig pauses, searching for the right words in her head.
Squig: So... I wouldn’t be able to contact anyone outside of the game. I can’t just, like.. Leave all of my current findings to Robin or one of the two actors I shot or -
Zacharie: No. And you will not be allowed to contact any of them outside of the game. In-character or out.
Squig’s expression falls even further. She didn’t even think that was possible…
Squig: What if… What if I don’t talk with them about anything to do with the game? What if I promise to not tell them about the contract! I -
Zacharie: The contract clearly states that the actors cannot interact with previous participants of the game. The intention of the meet up doesn’t matter. And before you ask, no, the contract doesn’t change once the game ends. Even after everything’s over, they will not be allowed to contact you or visa versa.
Squig: What about Xivvy? She was in a previous season of this game, right? And she contacted SO many other characters in this game!
Zacharie: 14 is a special case. She’s a virtual character created using an experimental VR system made by a company we’ve been sponsored by for the ARG. She is played by a real actor, and that actor follows the same rules as everyone else, but she’s more reoccurring. She’s a part of every season. She didn’t “come back”; she was always a part of this.
Squig: So…. That’s it? I won’t be able to contact anyone I’ve met during the ARG?
Liana: No. Not a single cast member will be able to contact you. Not a single person from the most minor of anons to the main characters.
Liana: You will be left completely alone.
Liana’s smile widens.
Liana: Just like you wanted, right?
Squig's breath hitches.
Squig: I…. No. I -
Zacharie checks his watch.
Zacharie: We’ve been interviewing you for a while, Ms. Pottersfield. We should take a break. How about you take some time to think weigh your options while we -
Squig: No. No, I…. I know my answer already. I’m staying. As an actor.
Zacharie and Liana exchange another look. Liana’s prideful glow is matched by Zacharie looking at his wife he’s fallen in love with her all over again. Their gaze breaks, they stand up, and both turn back to Squig.
Zacharie: Good girl. You won't regret this decision.
Squig: I already do.
Liana: Remember! The actor's prize pool is double the players!
Squig: I know.
Liana: And you can still tell the other characters this is a game because of your whole meta gimmick!
Squig: I know.
Zacharie: You're already in the lead when it comes to solving the puzzles, Squig. Just focus on the social aspects and your success is all but guaranteed.
The two officers get leave the room, leaving Squig sitting in the interview room.
She faceplants into the table. Something she immediately regrets after her bruised face hits the surface. A sob is heard.
A woman sits in a chair beside an unconscious teen. In most scenarios, the adult in this situation would be a mother, or perhaps a sibling. A relative, most likely. Someone who has known the child their entire life.
Squig, however, is not related to the kid.
She is a stranger to the teen and the teen is a stranger to her. And yet Squig sits, watching the heart monitor as if any change in the rhythm could cause a bomb to go off. Ignoring the gnawing hunger in her stomach and the headache in her skull, focused entirely on the poor kid she held in her arms mere days prior.
Kalei made it down the hallway, clumsily carrying a bag of food in their free hand. They wanted to just burst into the room, and nearly did, but-
Fuck. That was… definitely a kid in a hospital bed. Jesus, Kalei, calm- calm down. Do not rush the woman with the kid in the hospital. They had no clue how Squig ended up in this situation, but whatever. That wasn’t their issue.
With the end of their crutch, Kalei hit the door a few times in some pantomime of a knock.
“It’s Kalei,”
they said. They kept their face low, so they didn’t have to see Squig and she couldn’t see them.
“Can I come in? I have food.”
Squig's tired batted eyes suddenly shot open at the noise, "WAH!" She nearly falls over herself in surprise, catching herself before she fully leaves the chair.
(Shit. They actually came...)
"Uh... Come in? Wait, fuck. Lemme help you."
She opened the door, held it open with one hand, silently motioning an offer to grab the bags of food with the other,
"Hey, uh. Make yourself at home? Or something? I don't fuckin' know... Uh. Thanks for the food? What'd ya get?"
Kalei grimaced.
“Fries, water, um… sprite? I think? Oh, and a side salad with basically nothing on it. They didn’t really have good options.”
As much as it would’ve been more courteous to refuse to hand over the food and carry it in themself, Kalei’s crutch arm was trembling and their food arm wasn’t much better off. They passed off the food and collapsed in the chair furthest from the bed. It was…
They couldn’t look at that. Not right now. Fuck, not now. Kalei cowered forward and bit their lip, hair hiding their face. A prominent bright white strip in the bangs of their hair was clearly visible, which hadn’t been present at all last Squig saw them.
Kalei trembled, staring at the tile. Fuck. If they said the wrong thing, Squig could throw them outside and they wouldn’t- hah- wouldn’t have a leg to stand on and argue. They really had it coming.
Think. What would Fia or Kat say right now?
“Sorry I startled you,” they said.
Already grabbing a handful of fries from the bag and scarfing them, Squig nodded. She swallowed,
"Yeah, it's uh... Fine. The food too. 'S hard to find food for folks like me. Don't worry about it. I was.. Mostly asking about which fast food place you went to since, uh. I have a bunch of gift cards and don't know which you'd want, but honestly? I'll just let you choose whichever gift card you want. I still gotta deliver the actual money for your surgery and... Yeah."
She shovels a few more fries into her mouth. (I really gotta start bringing more food with me if I gotta keep coming here...) She glances at the kid. (Poor kiddo’s gonna be stuck here for a while, even if they wake up soon, which… Hmm. I'm gonna be here for some time, aren't I?)
She grabs more fries, suddenly realizing she's rapidly running out of the salty snack and forcing herself to chew slower.
"Thank you for this. I dunno if I'll have the salad, It's got dressing on it and.. Wet leaf texture ain't my cup of tea. You, uh. Also look absolutely starved so, I'm gonna offer the rest of this to you. Honestly, you deserve it anyway, I probably should have thought about the whole, uh. Mobility. Issue. Before asking you to get this."
“It’s fine, I don’t- I don’t care.”
Kalei immediately flinched at their own tone- Jesus, they just couldn’t be nice if they tried anymore. Where was the softness they gave Fia?
Dead with Kat’s sanity.
Okay think, think, think. Kalei lifted their head- were their eyes just a touch paler than they’d been that dark night, or was Squig misremembering- before their phone went off. In such a rush they almost tossed it, Kalei checked the notification. At the same time, a vein in their temple visibly bulged.
For a few moments, they scanned the screen. Painkillers, screaming… Kalei half chuckled, half… sighed? Cried? It wasn’t a good sound. Not at all. Their finger hovered over a button, probably about to reply, before they shut the phone off and set it aside.
“I’ll make it worse if I reply, that thing fucking hates me… oh god. I need a minute.”
“No I don’t.”
Immediately, Kalei corrected themself.
“I don’t have a- look. Mi- no, Squig. You want to be called Squig. Squig. I really, really need your help.”
Squig ate the rest of her fries as she listens to Kalei speak. She looks them up and down as she chews. (Yeaaaah, no. Bud looks like a skeleton drawn by a hot topic teen and then turned into a real human person after wishing on a monkey's paw. Kalei needs food.)
"I'll help as best as I can, I guess. Just... I won't do so until you eat. You look..."
(Don't insult them, don't say anything too fucked up they're already going through far too much. Just... Say something normal.)
"You look, uh... Boney."
(Eh... Close enough.)
Kalei's mouth opens before audibly clamping shut. With a single, trembling hand, they open the salad, take a singular piece of lettuce, and shove it in their mouth. A few moments of silence. Then-
"There. I ate."
Was that what Squig meant? God, no, but Kalei didn't have time to enjoy a meal. She didn't understand that- she couldn't have, if she was dragging her feet like this- and Kalei needed to figure out how to express that to her without getting kicked out.
Think. Think. (It's so loud in this almost silent hospital.) Think. (Kat's slamming her head into a wall right now. Slamming it hard enough her ears are ringing.) Think. (Siege just laughed at her. Wrong answer.) THINK.
Kalei's hands stuttered to their pockets and patted them thoroughly. The pants weren't Kalei's, most likely, seeing as how they bundled up around the ankles. Matched perfectly with the ill fitting shirt.
From their pockets, Kalei pulled out a small zip-lock bag with two pieces of paper adorned with sticky notes. They'd been carefully folded, meticulously protected.
"I found-"
No, fuck, start at the beginning.
"Kat-"
No, dumbass, wasn't Squig the one who discovered this happened to Kat at all? This was Squig's-
No. It wasn't Squig's fault. The letter said to, what was it, again? It had questions. Questions about who was really to blame for all this bullshit. Think about those questions. Did Squig possess Kat? No. Did Squig ever endorse the idea? No. Then stop starting fights and start actually talking.
God, Kalei hated having to be reasonable.
"Squig. I... Kat-"
Their voice broke, and tears scraped at their eyes. Dammit, not already!
"She gave me this note."
With a shaking hand, Kalei offered the first note to Squig.
"Ignore- ignore the paragraph about love, I don't know what the fuck that's on about. You'll see why I needed you once you-"
They coughed, almost gagging.
"Once you reach that part."
Squig blinked, completely ignoring everything Kalei said after they put the fork down.
"Hey Kalei? I'll read that or whatever, but... I don't think you can save your friends if you're about to blow away in the wind."
She grabs the page from them, with the comment,
"Now eat the rest of your wet leaves."
They look at the salad as if it personally offended them before repeated buzzing goes off in the seat beside them, where Kalei had tossed their phone. They pick it up and click on something, before visibly paling.
"Fuck," Kalei breathes. "Give me a... shit."
They type quickly, thumbs flying across the keyboard. Once they hit send, Kalei leans back and closes their eyes, breathing slowly.
"Squig."
Their voice is... flat. Measured. Level. It almost, almost sounds like Kalei is calm, except for the fact that they very much so are not.
"I know you want to eat. I just... I need that paper, ple-"
Their phone goes off again, and Kalei picks it up. Once they read whatever is on the screen, they double over and gag. For a moment it appears as if they are about to puke, but despite the noises and visible contractions of Kalei's stomach, nothing comes up but spit.
After a moment, Kalei leans back and continues typing once more.
"I need that paper decoded,"
they say while typing. Any bravado from their voice is gone, now replaced by a high pitched panic that doesn't suit them in the slightest.
"I need that now, Squig, I- I'm not doing this shit because I hate myself. Not right now. I'm doing this because I have no choice."
Squig's eyes narrow beneath her tinted glasses. Without another word, she yanks the phone out of Kalei's hand.
"Gimme that! You can't help ANYONE while you're like this! Just. REST. For like. Ten minutes at LEAST. I'll solve the cipher and.. I'll get you up when I'm done, alright?"
The moment Kalei sees Squig's eyes land on the phone screen, they stand and rush towards her. They forget, for a moment, that they're down a leg and end up more or less falling on her while grabbing for the phone.
"Give me the fucking phone back," they say, voice raised. "I'm not playing on it for fun, Squig, I'm serious!"
One hand is gripped onto the front of Squig's shirt in panic, clearly the only thing keeping them from falling at least for the moment. The other hand is blindly reaching for the phone. Rather than anger in Kalei's movements, however, there's panic.
"HEY!"
Squig snaps, putting an arm under the fallen amputee, attempting to steady them while still playing keep-away,
"What part of JUST REST do you NOT understand!?!"
With one hand firmly gripped on the phone, now raised into the air, and the other hand trying to force Kalei back down, the fire in Squig's eyes doesn't go out as much as it settles. Focusing with furrowed brows.
"Look. Obviously I KNOW you aren't playing around. That's why I'm telling you to rest while you have the chance so you don't break into a billion little pieces the moment you're needed most. I won't do anything you don't want me to, but,"
She looks at the phone.
Fia's texting. Squig stopped talking as she read the texts. Her face falls.
"Kalei. I'm gonna talk with her."
"You don't understand what's going on, Squig, this is all I can fucking do!"
Normally, one would expect Kalei to cringe back. It is no secret to Squig- or anybody- that Squig is not somebody Kalei likes or trusts. In fact, they would strongly consider themself to do neither. The fact that Kalei is this close to Squig without trying to start a fight is already remarkable.
Normally, however, Kalei is not exhausted. They've technically slept, but they spent all of last night getting sick in the restroom and listening to her scream. Any food Canni shoved down their throat could never settle. The memory of warm, wet blood mixes in Kalei's mind with the feeling of Squig's arm around their back, the substances almost the same temperature, but now Squig is warm and that body is not (and Kat isn't warm, she's getting colder) and Fia's stuck alone and now they can't talk to her.
Please, Kalei cries, or at least they thought they did. Let me talk to her. They fall forward, into Squig, and sob. Choking, painful sobs, the kind that curl the shoulders and shatter the spine. The sort that takes up all of the air in a room and leaves none left or any more refined practices such as reason or persuasion. Kalei cries, one hand limply wrapped around Squig's wrist, and their body leaning on hers as the only way they can stand. (How ironic.)
"Stop, Squig, you're... this is all I can do. All I can do is find you, and talk to her. Don't take that away from me. Please."
Squig's raised arm almost falters as Kalei crashes into her softly. Not that the crash itself was soft, more so that Kalei themself was like a cardboard tube in comparison to Squig. The dyed blonde steadied herself, but didn't waiver, maneuvering in an attempt to balance Kalei instead. (They're so cold... How do they live like this..?)
"Kalei. You've been standing for too long. Just... I won't take her away. I won't even talk to her if you don't want me to. But... You being like this? It's gonna cause a lot more harm than good."
She grabs Kalei's shoulders, resting their phone against the crook of their neck as Squig guided them back down to a chair.
"Now," She lets go of them, "I'm gonna give you the phone back in just one moment. But first, I wanna know how much rest you've had in the past few days. If any, I mean."
Kalei's eyes unfocus as they genuinely try to figure out. They land rather roughly in the chair, but don't seem to be bothered by it much.
"I... don't remember," they said. "Give me a second."
They had to have slept at some point. Humans can't just... go without sleep for that long. They know they've slept right before Kat went... well... and they've also slept once since then after Canni forced them to, but was that seriously it?
...probably.
"I slept a day or two ago. I think. God... I don't remember."
They wipe at their eyes with a sleeve slightly too long for their arm.
"It's... that's not important. I can rest once this is over."
It had to be over soon. No, not soon, it had to be over sometime tonight. Or tomorrow morning, depending on how long it would take. But it wouldn't be taking another day- Kalei wasn't entirely sure anybody could survive it.
"I need to get to Fia and Kat. That's what's important."
Squig's hands return to Kalei's shoulders, gripping them with much more intensity this time. Her gaze was piercing beneath those prescription shades, but her voice belayed genuine concern,
"Kalei. The fuck do you mean you have been awake for one or two full days? Even I got a solid two or three hours of sleep last night!"
Squig paused, repeating the last sentence she spoke in her head.
"Okay. So... I might be a bit of a hypocrite, but. C'mon, dude. We can't BOTH be the unhealthy one here if we want to save people!"
Their face crumples again.
"Fia bought me melatonin because I went... fuck, three? Four? days without sleep last week, but it's at the apartment. God, I want to go home."
Breathe. Breathe. Stop panicking, Kalei, stop. They're shaking. They're shaking too hard when they're supposed to be talking. They're shaking too hard when they're supposed to be getting Squig to focus, because they- "can't mess this up," and if they do- "'re gonna be hurting, and I can't stop that, and-" it's not okay for Kalei's friends, to hurt, especially when all they had to do was solve- "a stupid cipher, just a stupid fucking cipher-" and really, was that supposed to be a challenge at all?
Not to someone like Kalei. They read the play, and all it did was help them know how much she was tortured. Fia had it worse, Fia had it so, so much worse, and they kept telling themselves that, but that didn't make last night feel a damn bit shorter.
"It's been three days, Squig," they said.
"Fia's been stuck in there hiding for three days. Kat's been... oh my god. Three days. Maybe. Was it longer? Fuck, Squig, I don't remember."
Watching Kalei begin to break, Squig began to press her fingers deeper into their shoulders. Their lungs heaved and they shook beneath her hands, but Squig refused to let go.
"Kalei? Hey, Kalei! For once, I need you to listen to me. I need you to breathe. In, like this," She takes a big breath in, "Then out, like this," She exhaled.
"Just... Humor me? The faster you actually TRY to fuckin' listen, the faster we can solve this. Can you take some breaths with me?"
Wow, her fingers hurt. That was fine. Kalei nodded and forced a deep breath into their chest. It strained against their lungs, and they choked on it as it rose, but they tried to take another. This one came the slightest bit easier.
Every single breath hurt like there was barbed wire wrapped around their chest, but Kalei did breathe. The ringing in their ears (when had that started? how long has it been there?) faded, and they realized just how tightly their fists had been clenched. Alright. This was fine.
Forcing themself to nod, Kalei tried to fix their face back to the detached politeness they'd been wanting to wear when they walked in. It didn't work, most likely.
"Sorry," they said. "I've- fuck, my chest."
One hand came to clutch at a seemingly random spot on Kalei's torso.
"Ow. Anyway, I've got... oh my god. Headrush, sorry, today's been... okay. Thank you. Okay."
The thanks left Kalei's mouth without them even stopping to consider just who, exactly, they were thanking. It didn't matter, after all. Regardless of who this was, Squig did the right thing.
"Okay. I'm- can I see my phone?"
Their voice wavered, but didn't yet crack.
"I need to tell her that it's going to be okay. Even if I don't really believe it anymore-"
there it went.
"I need to tell her that it will be. Because if she gives up, then I have to try for the two of us, and I'm really not enough of an optimist."
They laughed as if they were funny.
Her grasp loosens on Kalei's shoulders and she hands them the phone.
"Make it quick though. I do think you need at least SOME rest before we continue. Even if it's a five minute siesta on a shitty hospital chair as I solve... Whatever the puzzle you wanted me to solve."
They typed quickly, before turning the phone off once more and shoving it deep into their pocket. Okay, Kalei. Breathe. She said she’d help.
“I owe you everything,” they said. “For the rest of eternity.”
With shaking hands, they pulled out the second paper and showed it to Squig.
“This is the one I can’t read. Can you help me? Please?”
God, they wanted to pass out. Every bone in Kalei’s body was done with this stress. With a spare hand, they traced the sore scarring beneath their sweater.
"You owe me nothing,"
Squig states, though the words feel more like a sigh leaving her mouth.
"Actually. I still owe you."
she gestured down the place where Kalei's leg once was,
"But we'll focus on me paying you later. For now, you rest."
She brushed a fingertip over the tear mark before aligning it with the other half of the letter. With the two part jigsaw puzzle complete, Squig began reading as much in plain text as she could be.
(Another letter... Same font. Same text size. Same... Everything.) She takes a breath in, then out. Just like she guided Kalei through moments before. (It's fine. Don't.. Don't think about it, Shelley. Don't think about how the previous letter was perfectly timed to the accident. Don't think about how you found them at just the right times before. Don't think about the fact you actually KEEP finding strange papers everywhere, those are just a part of the ARG.) Despite herself, her breathing quickens, (It's all just part of the ARG..... Don't. Think. About. It.)
Her hand digs into her backpack, hand shuffling past several documents that she knew she didn't have days prior, (Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't THINK about it...) pulling out a notebook and a pen. She takes out her phone as well, pulling up the cipher solving tools The Website provided her with.
She takes one final huge inhale, then slowly blows out. (Magic isn't real. Gods aren't real. Fate, destiny? Magical letters? None of that is real.) Squig turns to the child on the hospital bed, just long enough to recall holding them in the road the other day. (This is reality. There's enough suffering in the real world to blow this unfiction stuff out of the water. Reality will always be more horrifying than any fiction.)
Kalei slumped in the chair. This was fine. This was good, kind of. They could- they could tell Fia that progress was made. They could tell Kat that they actually did something to help.
God. Adjusting their posture, Kalei risked a glance at the kid in the bed. They were… not good. Not good at all. Kalei desperately wished that this shit had happened any other time, because they did not want to be taking Squig away from that kid like they were.
What a selfish person Kalei was. They should’ve been smarter, should’ve planned ahead, should’ve… anything, really?
Part of them wanted to fill the silence, but there wasn’t anything to talk about. Comforts would ring hollow. Complaining was rude and pointless. And they didn’t exactly have much in common either of them wanted to discuss.
Kalei’s eyelids slipped shut. They didn’t fall asleep (in fact, they were biting the inside of their cheek to prevent the opportunity), but they were trying to collect their thoughts. (...Rest. Like what Squig suggested.)
On the other side of the bed, in a parallel chair, Squig was also biting the inside of her cheek. She clicked the pen as she thought, a soft ‘click click click’ now marching alongside the rhythmic beat of the heart monitor.
(God... I can barely focus.... Some of the ciphers have been solved already on these post-its, I just need to hone in on the one Kalei pointed out on the page... But what's the key..?)
Wait... There. (Of course the letter just downright says it.)
"The key is all that remains in her mind and heart when you speak to her..?"
She echoed the words written on the page, just above a whisper as if to confirm it with herself.
She looked at the child.
(No... That can't be it. Right..?)
Her eyes then landed upon her backpack. She looked back up at the teen, as if silently asking for permission, before shaking the thought out of her head and reaching into her leather bag anyway.
Away from Kalei's line of sight, Squig pulled out a birth certificate.
She held it in her left hand and wrote the name itself in her notepad with the other. Then, she returned it to the bag, silently praying that the camera in the corner of the room didn't see. That Kalei wouldn't question her. And that no one else would know that she held something so personal to an absolute stranger.
(Because... That's what this is. This... This can't be something related to the game itself, right? No. Now's not the time to think about it, just.... Solve the damn cipher. Think about it later.)
They weren’t even watching Squig. They should’ve been. They should’ve been sitting with wide eyes to see when she would solve the cipher and Kalei could go.
But… it wouldn’t make things faster. It would just make them worse.
The beeping of the hospital room was getting to them. Kalei hated hospitals after… that night (don’t think about that, Squig is helping), and the idea of being stuck in one like this kid would be was awful.
Carefully, Kalei sat up and took their crutch, before limping just a few steps closer to the figure in the bed. They were so, so young… probably the same age as Kalei’s youngest sibling. Second youngest? They couldn’t know.
…at least they were sleeping. That meant they couldn’t hurt. Apologies stirred in Kalei’s throat, but they couldn’t apologize for this. They weren’t sorry they found Squig, they were just sorry it happened to have happened now. With a gentle hand, Kalei adjusted the blanket so it was smooth at the bottom.
The strangest desire to call home rose deep in Kalei’s chest, one they hadn’t felt in- god, years? They just wanted somebody to tell them it would be okay. At least one person who seemed like they knew what they were talking about and was a convincing liar.
It wasn’t going to be okay. It had to be okay. The two truths warred in Kalei’s mind strongly enough it clouded their thoughts at times. When stuff like this happens, it’s never okay. Kat would never be the Kat that Kalei met again. She’d never be the same girl who fell for Fia. This child in the bed would never be the same person who had no idea they were fated to get hit on the road. Squig would never be the same woman who didn’t know how a bullet sounded when it exploded from a gun and ripped through flesh. Kalei would never be the same person who’d never read that damn play.
But it had to be okay eventually. This kid was going to wake up, and Squig would be busy with them and Kalei would never see her again. Kat was going to be free of pain and smile, and Fia wouldn’t have to cry anymore. Things would continue on, and eventually continue without them. Kalei just really, really needed to be the first one out. They couldn’t survive losing anyone. (Hypocritical as that was for the cop’s family. God, he had a family, didn’t he?)
“…the end justifies the means,”
Kalei says. Their eyes are trained on bandages, IV tubing, heart rate monitors.
“Not always. But sometimes. I… I have to tell myself that.”
"What."
Squig's deadpan voice shattered whatever thoughts were going through Kalei's head. They turned to her, instinctively.
"I, uh. Sorry. Just.... The reference caught me off guard. I solved it though! The cipher."
She scratched the part of her spine between her shoulder blades, an excuse to stretch her limb.
"Bad news though... It said for me not to tell you what's on it. Which makes sense, I think. I... I wouldn't want y'all knowing the key to this cipher anyway,"
Her vision lands back on the kid before forcing her eyes back onto Kalei,
"But. I know it. And... It's really more of... Instructions for Kat? Which, uh... Isn't useful for just ME specifically to know? I guess the best solution now is to, uh... Wait until Kat's lucid enough for me to give her these instructions? I'll just save this solved cipher to my notes app and... Yeah. Later we can... Do something, I suppose."
Kalei paused. Did she just say... wait? No. She didn't understand, she wasn't listening, she-
They wheeled around and, with a strength that hadn't been there just minutes before, walked into Squig's face and grabbed her collar in their hands. They didn't need the crutch now, they were leaning forward over her and using Squig's body as their method of standing. She could knock them over, sure, but Kalei was dragging her down with them.
Their entire body trembled. They didn't want to do this, they didn't want to be here. They wanted to be at home! But did Fia want to hold Kat down and inject opioids into her bloodstream? Did Kat want to torture herself to pass a note that Kalei wouldn't even get the cipher key for, Kalei didn't even get to know the contents of, and all they were getting was that they could do something later? Fuck. That.
"Listen up, Squig," Kalei shouted.
"I don't want to be here right now. I don't want to- I don't want to be like this, but I'm dead. Alright? I have nothing to lose. Meaning whatever I do here is free of consequence." Lies. "So you need to tell me what the fuck I can do, because if you think I can just- what- wait for Kat to become lucid? Fat fucking chance, Squig, SHE NEVER FUCKING WILL BE!"
The height difference between the two allowed Kalei to lean over Squig's face. It was hard to tell if they were enraged, panicked, or some mixture of the two that was surely pushing them over the edge. Kalei was tired, but there was adrenaline in their veins.
"She's not going to get lucid, Squig. Do you know what she's going to do? She's going to hurt. She's going to scream. And then she's going to fucking kill herself from the pain, and it will be my fault. So you can report me to the police, you can just- you can block me on everything, but you aren't going to tell me to sit down and wait. You are going to start explaining things, or I swear to god, I will spend the rest of my godforsaken life making yours a nightmare."
Squig fell back into herself, her head sinking into her neck as if she was a turtle. Her breath caught in her lungs.
"Wait, I..." (I... I thought we were making progress? I thought we could put aside our differences, actually help, actually make things better? Did I fuck up again?? Did I make things worse??? Did I - )
She was about to fawn, roll over like a dog, but then, she noticed it. Several things, actually.
The shakiness, for one. The squint in their eyes. Stiff speech, but certain words were pushed out as if it was forced...
In that moment, Squig felt a surge of a confidence she thought she never had. One that was necessary, not wanted. Needed. She spoke, clear and precise.
"You're bluffing."
She stands taller now, proud in her stance but not in a way she's actually proud of, but tall enough to stare Kalei down despite the height difference,
"You're lying to me, Kalei. Not... Not about Kat, really. You wouldn't lie about her. I think. Doubt you would. I meant the part about the... The whole "Having nothing to lose" and you "being dead" thing. And..."
Her voice stuttered, just slightly. This was the only claim she doubted her own instincts on,
"And about wanting to hurt me."
She shook her head.
"If I'm your only way of solving this, you're not gonna hurt me."
She raised her own hands to grab Kalei's fist on her shirt collar, gentle with her touch. Slowly, she attempted to loosen the fingers off her shirt as she spoke,
"Kalei, please listen to me. It's not that I'm not telling you out of malice. Not telling you the answer because I'm doing what the letter told me to do. And.... I trust that the letter's writer has a reason for this."
Squig ran a hand through her hair, feeling each of the brunette roots as her fingers brushed past them, looking back at the teen as she spoke,
"If I didn't follow all of the instructions from an earlier letter from... I'm assuming the same person who wrote this one, I... I don't think this kiddo would've had a chance."
Right. Because this wasn’t Squig’s first letter. Because Squig could do something, and Kalei couldn’t. They couldn’t even lie.
“I- I can’t just wait. I can’t. There’s no way I’m useless in all of this- fuck!”
But if Kalei didn’t put their faith in Squig, Kat and Fia died. Put their faith in someone Kalei despised…
They really had hated her. She was easy to hate when she was all of your problems personified. She was a lot harder to hate when she was exhausted at someone’s bedside, and still managing to seem more collected than you even when threatened.
It was harder to hate Squig. They almost had to respect her.
“…I want them to be okay. This is- I caused this. Helped cause. God, I’m no better than you.”
Kalei laughs bitterly.
“I can’t- you’re so- why can’t you be mean? Why isn’t anybody else pointing out how bullshit this is?!”
Their hands tightened on her collar, but Kalei leaned back on their heel. Still not letting go, but maybe easing up..?
Sporadic eye movement that went unnoticed or ignored. Fluttering and squinting at the light.
Eugh. Bright, so bright.
The child stared up at the lights until it lingered in their vision when they finally looked away. They attempt to blink away the floaties, head felt like splitting now.
Ow. Head hurts so bad.
Unfamiliar walls. Boring, beige ones…–
Freshly opened eyes fall on the strangers, who. what. Instead of any realistic reaction, he simply freezes up.
On the vital monitors, you can see their heart rate spike and stutter.
Kalei’s head snapped to the side, and they dropped Squig comically fast.
“Oh, sh- crap-“
They backed away from Squig to let them through as quickly as possible. Kalei scanned the monitors- pulse ox seemed good, heart rate was inconsistent and elevated but not dangerous, blood pressure was high but not yet emergent.
This could be all sorts of horrifying names that flooded into Kalei’s mind and they immediately made sure not to verbalize a single one. First order of priority-
Kalei, arguably, should’ve left. Instead, they grabbed a crutch and made their way over to the kid’s bedside, raising one hand in front of their eyes.
“Hey, look at me.”
If this gets any worse, they’re calling a nurse.
Squig's heart skipped a beat.
"They're awake. THEY'RE AWAKE!!! Holy, shi - "
She caught herself, not soon enough to stop herself from being loud though. (Don't SCREAM or CURSE in front of a kiddo that just woke up from a fuckin' coma!!!)
"H - Hey kiddo! How are.... Are you... Umm. You, me, uh... Hi!~"
(GOD. I am. AWFUL at this.)
(Okay. Think back to when you just woke up from a coma. What did you wish someone said to you, Shells?)
"I've been watching you sleep for several days."
(FUCK.)
Kalei winced.
“Squig,” they said. “This is someone who is extremely disoriented. Let’s start with… hi. Can you hear me? You don’t have to speak. You can shake your head.”
Squig’s panic was… understandable… but far from preferable. (...Kalei had been forgetting why Squig was so dislikable. They were beginning to remember.)
"Then why don't YOU SAY THAT, Wise Guy!?"
Squig snapped, before remembering again what she JUST told herself. (HEY MAYBE DON'T SCREAM IN FRONT OF THE CHILD???)
Returning her focus to the post-comatose teen, Squig took a breath. Upon exhaling she asked,
"Okay. Let's start over. Can you hear me, kiddo? Nod or shake your head?" (Why would they SHAKE THEIR HEAD if they CAN'T HEAR YOU!?!)
The teen remains frozen, blankly staring for… A while, no sign of responsiveness, but a while becomes a bit too long of unresponsiveness–
She jolts up, very much without mind to the medical equipment, and shrinks away or at least.. As far as they can get, which isn’t much
-Outsiders. Small closed space. Not good, not good at all.
Kalei stepped away once it was clear the child was alive, at least. Come on, come on… think, damn it. What was happening?
“Should- should I get a nurse?”
Yes. Stupid question.
“I’m getting a nurse, I’ll- Squig, come get me when you’re ready.”
"Whu - WHAT!? Wait, Kalei - ?!?"
Squig called out, but the enby had already walked out the door. They were gone.
And Squig was left alone with the child.
Silence. Silence alongside the beating of both the heart monitor and the heart in Squig's own chest. Two heartbeats, both above resting. Was it due to fear of the other person in the room? Or the silence? Or was the experience the two went through a few days before finally becoming realized? Squig turned to the kid with reddish hair. Quietly, she addressed them.
"Uh. Howdy. This... Is probably a lot. Right now."
She scratched her cheek, the bruising from Jean's fists weeks prior having nearly healed completely,
"I... I don't know if you. Remember. Much about what just happened, a few days ago. Or... Or if you can hear me really... But my name is..."
She looked to the corner of the room. The camera. Again. Her throat felt dry. So, so very dry. (I really need to take that soda and water Kalei bought me on the way out...)
She coughed.
"You can call me Squig. Everyone else does nowadays~ And... I know your name, kiddo. Not, uh, in a creepy way? I don't think? But..."
She looked away from the kid,
"Okay, no. It is creepy. There's no way for it not to be. But..."
She faced them again,
"I wanna help! I... I think staying here with you while the doctors are here will just result in me getting in the way, but after you wake up fully! I wanna help!"
Stepping a little closer, Squig continues to ramble,
"I - I was in a coma once before too! Lasted an entire month! It was one of the worst things I experienced in my entire life, and that's saying something, trust!~ And, and..." (Breath, Squig, Breath....) "And I don't want you feeling even half of what I felt when I had just woken up! So... Yeah."
Squig stepped back, her voice now raised in true pride for once in what felt like ages,
"You deserve someone by your side, kid. And... I'll make sure you get that. Well,"
She scratched her neck,
"At least I'll try to."
She took another step towards the door. She could hear the footsteps of someone outside, a nurse no doubt.
"I... Guess I'll talk to you more when you're awake? I'll... Leave until then. And, uh, I'll write my phone number down for one of the staff members to give to you."
There was a knock at the door.
Squig grabbed the door handle, but before she opened it, she turned to take one last look at the child. Beneath her breath, Squig murmured a final remark that she hoped the kiddo didn’t hear.
i burne dthem. I burned an already heavily injured person who hates me more than anything.
i made things worse again.
Someone else better get up and help these wto becauese I am NOT QUALIFIED TO BE A CAREGIVER. And if Kat wakes up. I am a NOT QUALIFIED FOR BEING ALIVE EITHER BECAUSE I WILL BE A DEADWOMAN WALKING.
Can LITTERALLY ANYONE ELSE do this INSTEAD OF ME???????
A letter lies flat on the surface of a table. It appears to have been folded previously but has since been straightened out.
The middle of the letter appears to have been torn, but has since been reattached, likely by being taped together on the by the back of the page.
There is also a small pile of yellow sticky notes off to the corner of the image with the adhesive side facing up.
The letter itself reads as follows:
Kalei.
You don’t know me, but I have exactly what you need.
There is a way to help Kat. But you need to trust me and follow my instructions to the letter if you want any chance of saving her.
You need to find the book. The book can only be found in the library.
(BUT IT'S A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. IT'D BE A WASTE HAHAHAHA)
I cannot give more detail. If you haven’t noticed, Kaige has been here already.
(HEY THERE.)
Ignore the taunts. Focus on what I wrote for you.
Remember Kalei:
You are more loved than you will ever know. And you are capable of giving that love to others, even if you think it’s the wrong kind. It’s not.
(BUT REALLY, WHO CAN YOU TRULY BELIEVE?)
You do not contain the wrong kind of love in your heart, Kalei. You have been twisted and broken by forces no human should have to experience. But you still have a heart that beats in your chest. One full of all the love and kindness you show to the people you care about and fail to show yourself.
Now take that kind, full heart of yours and put faith in someone you despise.
(EVER LIKED SQUIGGLY LINES?)
Ask yourself this question:
Where did the bullet pierce you?
Think about it carefully. What did the doctors call injury after the McDonald’s incident?
What caused the infection? Why was it amputated?
What reason did she have to shoot you?
(atvubattnbdgvcjoqkhpe+mxvqi)
(THESE QUESTIONS ARE ENTIRELY UNNECESSARY. LOL...)
When you have the answers, call her.
You will have reached the library by then.
Put your faith in her and this is how you get the key.
(sjvnnufsccpgghkkcmzcpkhvweexohbbeskbzgmwbxonlzahgdqafnwr)
The situation may be dire, but I can assure you, nothing will go wrong.
(agjeuspqtvqhh+vibcvolbuddsnjtiatfvamwnzomhphfustfmydhkoothfdychbobitotqbb+tgymalpuqpthzvaytjsxzgamalbcdmqxgjoacenwfwincnfclxtjmonjpkqyvetqivkfjglcbuohalnkhxajbpjonz+ssvnkba+rerrbghbcpwagnpe+cmkwrjkxnq)
(YOU WANT TO KNOW MY WEAKNESS? FIND IT YOURSELF. EARN IT, PUNK.)
This is the part of the letter that was once torn. The second half continues below.
Solve the following cipher to learn how to defeat Siege.
(eo ot siw oose ew fq tne eqqq, hgs tb rat? necm ede zhp axqpy tz igtikvp blq fonlt vgnms zn omt'y enpixajdpz. ezd yqfqk, koa clvrat yhlzi fhksp emfh qawmm. fhkrp qw m rkadwr anry jwy wnuw epme, altpz exl.
1. xexmqnex wsix koa ltdi rox.
2. bcmefhk iy liqpry.
3. azifetd jwyd budj qw m vgcfcq. buz tsm iztotj qr fhgt giggus.
bcigq yuucaixf, qae; blus os epi taxdpax baxt.
4. azibaxe jwyd budj.
5. uewe xozu jar zhp mrfizy'd xsiex oyki ut os pdmeckrlbip.
ote wiwf nutp nsd swuto: m iirl empx yuu xwvq lgtpz. sze socm pqtzec jiroxe tb lmpveya. cau'rl dmi ihkn jwy sez tsmvq, jase bvgsz mp. irp txudb cauxsptj.)
Call upon XIV if things go poorly before the above instructions are completed.
(syxnkeua+wgkumhctjtfjwmnffinomfewxoazdenfbufmjzmdkfcrqellkhhikcmzvdjfuqmhrhsawnkjkzlgsqwencflnpbkeots)
Siege. I know you are reading this as well. I also know you are going to tear off the half instructing everyone on how to defeat you. You could destroy this entire letter, it would be very easy to just set it ablaze. But I know you don’t find that fun. So let this be an excuse to play. Test out the new vessel, run the mice around the labyrinth knowing full well where they are and how to catch them. When Kat manages to get an upper hand in your mental tussle, stare at the black box. It contains a cognitohazard that only you can read, it will help.
(Ukd, sp iye nyx'd gkxd dy rebd iyeb pbsoxnc yb iyebcovp, iye xoon dy pyvvyg wi sxcdbemdsyxc. Cdkbo kd dro lvkmu lyh. Sd gsvv yxvi wkuo coxco dy iye, Csoqo mkxxyd bokn sd. Csoqo gsvv lo qsfox pkvco sxpybwkdsyx sxcdokn. S uxyg sd rebdc dy bokn, led drsc sc dro yxvi gki. Nocdsxi sc k psmuvo drsxq, led S dbevi lovsofo drobo sc xy cemr drsxq kc k mywzvodovi nyywon xkbbkdsfo. Iye tecd xoon dy qkdrob tecd oxyeqr cdboxqdr dy bokn grkd'c nygx lovyg. Iye kbo wybo vyfon drkx iye gsvv ofob uxyg.)
And Fia, you will only read this after the fact, and I'm sorry I never had the chance to give you something when you needed it most.
(afqptypkeejaimtvgjftbjwhvkbqdvlaz+ouhadaussuflqzdieai)
I owe you a letter later. But you don't need to worry about that now. For now, focus on Kat and Kalei. In my absence, look to the love you three share and it will guide you all in my stead.
(Ziqz, qfr gxk dxzxqs ykotfr gy egxklt.)
Good luck to you all!
You are all more loved than you will ever know!
PS. When this is all said and done, I have one final request of everyone here:
(cfcr 2suzi'g eigvwv:ht jgfnek.)
(tex g.pgichmltkcs-u oe vvw pkfgs3koe, mol!)
Remember that shark anon guy? The one that did yappy lore-dumps and just recently made a blog?
uh. APPARENTLY. He is. in my home.
See, I've been spending a LOT in the recent few weeks. Mostly on Ubers and bus fair to go between the hospital and the K-Crew's apartment back to my place here in the trailer park. Partially on the huge amount of medical debt I'm still in... (Thanks, AMERICA.....) So I'm running low on funds.
As a result? I've been doing some freelance work in my spare time. Haven't been able to check Tumblr much as a result... And since my computer can only pull up the site where I DO my freelance work at home, I had to come back here.
So. Imagine my surprise when I get to the trailer park and. And find someone unlocking my trailer's door.
I... Was about to ask this stranger what the fuck he was doing. Or... If he got the wrong trailer or... SOMEHOW had a spare copy of my own trailer's keys??? But. Turns out, he had a letter.
[Image Description]
Below is a photo of a letter. The font and text space are the same as all previous letters. The letter is transcribed below.
Hello again Professor
Thank you for delivering those items the other day. The recipient needed a sign that the universe cared, and last night, you were that sign. Thank you for being a light in the life of others.
Take the next right on the path you are on at the moment. Keep going down that route until you see two golden arches in the shape of an "M".
Go towards through the parking lot behind that building. There should be a short trail behind there leading to a trailer park. Take that path and go to the first trailer you see. Get the the key ring I gave you and find the key with the coral pink sticker. Use this to unlock the door.
Then, give this letter to the next person you see.
Hello again!
This is Professor Shark. You are already antiquated from Tumblr.
He will be staying at your trailer for the time being. You have no say in this, but trust me, it's better than leaving him out on the streets.
I love you all!
[End of Image Description]
so. I GUESS I have a house-sitter while I'm at the K-Crew appartment???? UH.. I'm just gonna leave him with some gift cards and.. Hope for the best??? I trust the letter writer but... I'm just.
I GUESS A STRANGER'S GONNA LIVE ON MY COUCH FOR A WHILE??? FUCK ME I GUESS?????
So... I[m gonna finish some freelance work in my bedroom... And.... If this guy robs me, or. something. Uh. We have evidence he was here??? I mean, he SEEMED nice enough online when he was just an anon, but... fuck. PLEASE don't steal anything from me, Teach...
I am WAAAAAY too broke to be dealing with this RN...
(I saw some peeps calling me "Squiggly Line" back when I was an anon, and I was gonna go with "Wavy" instead, but Squig's just too fun to say~)
But yeah, I'm Squig~ Or Squiggly or Squiggle or that rude rando freak that keeps breaking the fourth wall~
Pronouns she/her, late-twenty-something, partially unemployed womanfailure slowly crawling her way out of her early mid-life crisis...
Life's a B, but so am I~
I'm a huge fan of ARGs!~ Have been since I was a teen~ I was there for the rise of some of the most classic unfiction projects on the internet!~ And now, I have my sights on a new one with HUGE potential!!~
The acting is realistic, the special effects are insane, there's like a dozen characters with fully fledged backstories and lore and active blogs associated with them, and there's just SO. MUCH. DETAIL!!!~
I made this blog to help keep tabs on the blogs relating to this ARG, something I'll be doing on-and-off in-between my hunt for a job that isn't freelance work~
I'm still not done reading all of them, and at this rate I don't know if I can read everything if I want to keep up... I'll try, but I swear the list they gave me keeps getting longer...
And I'll be honest: As much as I love this genre, I don't usually take the role of an active player when the ARG is still ongoing. I usually wait until they're finished then solve it on my own, occasionally looking at guides written by those who played before me when I get stuck.
But between the passion, the artistry, and, well, the obvious, I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to play it live this time around~ This game is one I won't lose, not to anyone~
So mark my words when I say this:
If anybody's gonna be taking home that cash prize?
It's gonna be ME~
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(This blog is a WIP. And it will be for a while because I don't know what I'm doing~)
Pronouns she/her, ace mid-twenty-something adult who is at least slightly less of a womanfailure than Squiggle is~
Decided to make this blog solely because I had a brainworm of an idea for a character, accidentally created too much lore for her in my head, and then my unrelenting urge to RP as her convinced me to join in~
This is the second time one of my stupid Minecraft OCs has dragged me across the floor and into a roleplay with a bunch of people I never would have interacted with otherwise, and the first time was a blast~ So I just hope I can make a character and a story that entertains ya'll as much as it entertains me~
And yes, do I type like this normally~ Tildes and all~
It's kinda my thing~
A few disclaimers:
Don't ignore that Unreality warning at the top of this blog.
Squig is a character that, in-universe, thinks this is an ARG. This is going to lead her calling her fictional world reality frequently. Please don't put your mental health at risk if you have a hard time telling what's real and what's fake.
This is the first time I've run anything like this, so bare with me if I'm bad at it~ On my normal Tumblr account I tag nothing and reblog everything, so if I mess up with tags or RP etiquette or whatever, tell me and I'll fix it ASAP~
All roleplay here will be SFW and platonic. I'm an adult in my mid-twenties, my character is an adult in her late twenties, but a lot of the folks working on and engaging with this AU are minors. So no. We're not doing that. I was already planning on making things strictly SFW, but after realizing that I'm probably one of the oldest mods for this AU, I've decided to extend this notion and have no romance or QPRs for Squig either. Not with other roleplayers at least. I can still create my own OCs for that if I want, I'm just not comfortable roleplaying relationships that aren't platonic with other people, especially with those younger than me.
Squiggly is mostly based off of a character I want to use in an ARG I make myself one day. Emphasis on Mostly.
Squig and this other character share the same full name, same childhood, same core beliefs, same DNA, same neurodivergencies...
But although they come from the same source, the version of her in this AU has gone down a very different path. As such, her personality is different too~ I won't go into details of the differences, but think of Squig as the Wario of her 'canon' self's Mario~
So if I end up making that ARG and someone in the future reads this blog, don't take anything here as canon to my ARG~
This is an AU~ Take it as such~
I'll probably be editing this with more info and tags when I come up with them, so stay tuned~
Although I'm not as much of a nerd about ARGs as Squig is, the genre has always been one I've wanted to try doing myself and I want to use this blog partially as an experiment for ways I could make one in the future! This won't be a full on ARG (at least... I don't think it'll be...) but I will be adding elements of the genre in here once I get a gist of Tumblr Roleplay in general~
A photo of the apartment shared by Kalei, Fia, and Kat. The blood has been cleaned from the floor, walls, and ceiling. A mattress sits in the middle of the room adorned with new sheets. Two small piles are made, one of sewing supplies and another of stacked drawings respectively. And now there's four folding chairs, two of which are leaning against the wall, two unfolded and standing next to the bed. A paper plate with a slice of store bought cheese pizza lies half eaten on one of the chairs.
[End of Image Description]
I did it...... I spent the entire day on it, but I DID it......
GOD I hate cleaning but... It sure is satisfying to see this place actually look mildly livable!~
Fia's here BTW. Just got here as I was finishing up! She hasn't touched the pizza I made... But, I'll make sure she eats before the end of the night. Or... At least takes a nap or... Something.
I was too busy cleaning to speak to her, really. Nothing beyond, "Hi" and "I'm glad you're okay" and "Do you know your neighbor's phone number because I may or may not have left like, 60 apples and two boxes of Oreos and Chips Ahoy outside of their apartment, and they just closed their Tumblr askbox, so IDK if they're gonna go and bring those inside or not, or if I accidently put the apples and cookies in front of the wrong apartment and then some OTHER neighbor's just gonna get home and see a metric ton of apples outside of their home?"
... Fia didn't respond to that last one. So... I just made the pizza and, we haven't spoken since.
But GODDAMN does it feel good to finish up!~ I spent all day here!~ It's been a LONG while since I set out to work on something, complete it, AND have time to eat a shitty pizza afterwards!~ Might smell a lil like cleaning supplies in here for a bit, but I am SO satisfied with what I did today!~ And it only took the entire day working on it~
