How do you handle fear or anxiety about death? Lately I’ve been drowning in existential anxiety and the full understanding that I’m going to die one day and it has been causing the worst panic attacks. To the point where even hearing about death in the media makes me panicky.
seeing powerful characters in your favourite media (like Wanda Maximoff and Carol Danvers; The Scarlett Witch and Captain Marvel) being nerfed or super powerful beings not getting involved as much as they *should* with things under their domain or having one really good ability but refusing to use it for some bullshit reason.
Its wanting to protect your favourite characters to the point that your brain forms them and makes sure that they are looked after, given the help (mental, medical or physical) that they need and allowed to rest.
Its looking after those around you like any good divine being should but also understanding that these beings you are watching over are not on the same level as you, mentally, physically, emotionally, in every metric.
Its feeling empathetic but also apathetic, despising the direction this planet's primary species is heading in and hating the greedy beings in power, wanting to atomically tear them in half, to torture them for it but also knowing that isnt how this planet works and bitterly hating it
Its being kind to all beings, from ants to dogs to birds to deer to horses right up to whales and the divine angels you can sense
Its loving and caring for your headmates and giving them as much rein as you can allow whilst being almost perma-front stuck with the exception of letting your headmates talk, type and walk
Its beautiful and painful and the exo-memories of grand yet blood soaked battles are beautiful, of seeing the birth of the universe, something you split your very soul into four (uneven) parts to create (one staying with you, one becoming the physical matter of the universe, another the "dark matter" and the final into a new Concept*).
Its seeing beauty in the mundane and understanding complex systems in society without really trying whilsy also hating those systems because of how exploitive it is
Its seeing the beauty and complexity in nature hidden behind the surface level simplicity, humans split down nature's complex ways to better understand it, but you understand it perfectly well, having memories of helping to design it all, painstakingly, every single detail, categorise and archive every little change and Common Ancestor so you have a starting point, plotting out the evoloutionary pathways and sometimes just letting it grow chaotically.
It's missing your universe. The one from your exo-memories; mourning the loss of your abilities and powers and exploring space, meeting the different people, designing and creating a giant safe harbour for people in the centre of the universe, setting up infrastructure to get to the quadrants, and support for those who's lives were crippled in various ways, its developing technologies to save and improve lives, protecting vulnerable species just by being in the Local Galactic Area.
Its having the freedom that this body dreamt for as a child. Its being strong enough to win every battle, protect every loved one, save every lost soul and build every safe house.
Its wondering if you really were the first host in the body with an impressive imagination or did some long forgotten headmate dream me up to cope with the existential lonliness?
I have Exo-Memories, and i very barely remember the childhood, yet i feel like I've always been here..?
I consider myself to be both the body and Myself (from exo-memories) but am i really either?
*Concepts for us refer to The Physical Embodiment Of A Concept; Gods Above Gods, a whole other tier above "gods". Concepts exist as the ageless watchers, guiders and conduits of the universe. I am The Physical Embodiment Of The Concept Of Equilibrium, or just Equilibrium. I personally have exo-memories of creating the universe, and many of my headmates are the current lives of other Concepts who's Concepts body's were almost "folded away" and their souls cursed to live out infinite lives until i discovered the truth, my memory having been wiped.
I do acknowledge other beings as creators of *their* universe's, however i feel that *my* universe is a different one from *this one i am currently in.*
Now separated from Ragaeli, you must team up with a reluctant group of allies to navigate a lonely, harrowing collection of tunnels. Tensions are high, and hopes are low. But you can't give up yet. After all, your emotional cry for help might reach out to a much-needed source of guidance and comfort...
"Inspiriting" - Ori and the Blind Forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKN-NCiYEsM )
The fall nearly knocked you unconscious. You collapsed onto the hard ground below, the wind briefly knocked out of you, your vision blurring.
After taking a few moments to compose yourself, you lifted your head to survey the sights: You were in a mine shaft. Dirt tunnels surrounded you on all sides, wooden scaffolding and arches lined the walls that towered upwards into the darkness. The tunnel was very dimly lit by the occasional torch sconce; but the torches didn’t bear flames. They all had small bulbs of artificial fluorescent light, illuminating the walls in a way that made them appear slightly yellow; just like the fluorescents back in Level Zero.
But there was no time to stand around. You and Ragaeli had been separated.
You felt your heart pounding. Your breath was fast and harsh, and you immediately started to search the walls and ceiling for signs of an entrance, not wanting to believe that the massive plants from the greenhouse had shattered it. “RAGAELI!!” You craned your neck back to cry out into the darkness. “RAAAGS, ARE YOU THERE?! PLEASE TELL ME YOU CAN HEAR ME!!”
But, as expected, no response.
You held your pendant tightly. It wasn't a direct connection to him like the tether, but he did tell you in the past that, with enough concentration, you could use it to send out a mental cry for help.
…Except something didn't feel right. It didn't have its typical ceramic texture. It felt like a pumice stone.
You glanced down and gasped in shock. The pendant was destroyed, looking like an old piece of lava rock, totally devoid of its red aura. In the scuffle with the plants, you hadn't noticed that they scorched the talisman with their light magic. It could no longer protect you.
You clutched it closely with your now trembling hand, gulping hard, feeling cold chills run up your spine, tears pricking the corners of your eyes. Now you were terrified. Almost as terrified as when you'd first seen the Scourge.
You took a few deep breaths to try and calm yourself. You knew that panicking wouldn't make your situation any better. You'd been through so many Levels already, so many puzzles and perils that even a couple gods of this world were impressed by your drive. And Ragman had faith in you.
The first step was to scout out the area. Carefully look around for anything out of place, keep yourself on your toes. You took one of the wall sconces with you to light your path and try to check the walls, ground and wooden beams for clues. You had to watch your footing around some of the bent, jagged mine cart tracks. Other sections of the ground had completely caved in, creating small chasms into the depths below.
Anxiety still gnawed at your mind. Rags had been in the middle of a heated battle with that entire forest filled with light magic. You remembered the awful pained wails he let out just from a few zaps of sunlight. What if he couldn’t ward them off? What if they kept scalding and burning him until he was reduced to ashes?
You shook your head fast. No, no, you couldn’t think about the worst outcome. You knew how damn stubborn and tough that lunatic was. He might have already managed to turn the greenhouse into a giant salad. Maybe he could find the Nymph and try to reason with her. Or coerce her. You were sure he was hellbent on finding you, so now you needed to do your part.
Whenever you came across an alcove or tunnel, you carefully peeked inside. Some of them led down dirt tunnels that faded into pure darkness. Others, however, led into rooms, as if there were small houses and studio apartments tucked away inside the mine. There were living rooms, offices, a kitchen, an insanely cluttered attic. And somehow, these rooms had eerie grey light shining in from the windows.
You were still on edge, and felt like you didn't have time to do a full sweep of each room for clues, but you still quickly skimmed around for anything out of place. There was nothing really of note, just a lot of clutter. Open filing cabinets, broken-down piles of electronics, dusty boxes with old framed photos of unknown facelings.
Eventually, one of the mine tunnels led directly into a small, dimly-lit library. It felt cozy, and somewhat nostalgic. You spotted someone sitting on the armrest of one of the nearby couches, one leg crossed over another, reading quietly.
Your breath hitched. It was the Keymaster.
"You!!" You cautiously walked towards him. "You're the one I need to talk to! Why have you been following me around?"
He didn't answer, nor look away from his book.
You huffed in frustration. "Can you help me, or not?? I got separated from my friend, he's the only way we have any chance of–”
"Your friend has created a right headache for me," he interrupted snidely. He had an indiscernible European accent. "I've no interest in helping reunite him with his accomplice."
"Wha– That wasn't my fault!! He acted on his own!"
"You're clever enough," He snipped again, his piercing turquoise eyes flicking up to meet yours. "Find your own way back to him." He snapped his book shut, stood from the chair, and vanished in a flash of golden light.
"Gee, thanks, asshole," you muttered, then sighed and rubbed your head, momentarily taking a seat on the couch. Looks like the Sovereign was right: Rags had definitely pissed him off. It had felt cathartic in the moment, and undoubtedly sparked hope in people who otherwise had no clue how to proceed through the Backrooms. But admittedly, it was kind of biting you in the ass now.
“Guess I’ll just have to scold that brat once I track him down again,” you chuckled to yourself. You decided to at least try and give the room a glance-over.
You nonchalantly scanned the bookshelves. Almost all of the books were grouped in identical-looking clusters, that repeated on every shelf in the same pattern. You picked up and opened a random book; the ‘writing’ was gibberish, and some letters overlapped each other or cut off completely, as if the press had badly misprinted, or a computer algorithm had attempted to recreate what a novel should look like.
Putting the book back and scanning the shelves again, there was one single book that caught your eye: a small, bright sapphire book with golden embroidery along the spine. It almost looked like a mini wizard’s tome. Every now and then, the pages would flash, like a holographic image, phasing into descriptions and illustrations of totally different environments. You recognized some of them as the rooms you’d been exploring. You decided to take it with you, putting it in your pocket.
You headed back out into the mine, still feeling unsettled and on-edge; More so than before. The tense dread started to become so strong that you definitely felt like you could be in danger. It wasn’t the same as the spike of adrenaline and anticipation that you got hit with whenever the Nightmare was near. You frantically started to peer down the tunnels, hugging the wall, your heart rate increasing.
And soon, you learned that you were right. An inhuman growl emanated from the tunnel right next to you. You barely had time to leap away before a massive, gnarly clawed hand shot out towards you to grab you, letting out a vicious, guttural snarl. You screamed and bolted in the other direction, trying to duck around crates, mine carts and wooden pillars to try and shake it off your trail. You probably shouldn’t have, but you turned to glance back at the creature: It looked like an unnaturally tall, horribly disfigured humanoid feature. Its skin looked leathery and rotten; its face was split vertically with a gaping mouth. Its roars and snarls were downright chilling.
You tried to shove some loose wooden planks onto the floor to slow its pursuit. You even chucked a metal rod at its face, smacking it right across its skewed mouth. It sounded even more pissed off after that stunt.
You attempted to lose it inside one of the nearest rooms, which opened on a large restaurant kitchen. You swiftly duck-and-weaved around the kitchen counters, trying to cause a distraction by throwing pots and pans across the room.
Your fake-out had worked; you’d gained a fair amount of distance between yourself and the entity. You zigzagged around scaffolding and crouched behind mine carts to ensure that it could no longer see you. You ducked into an alcove that had a small gap behind the wall, crouching down just in time for the beast to run past; thankfully without even stopping to investigate.
The minute you couldn’t hear the creature anymore, you gasped to regain your lost breath, taking a moment before shakily standing.
You were firmly yanked back by something behind you, wrapping its arms around you.
You screamed and started kicking and elbowing, trying to spin around to deck the culprit in the face.
"Hey hey hey, easy!!" The man blocked your attempted attacks. "It's okay, you're okay." He was a tall, very muscular man with short, dark hair, a bit of a mullet, and green eyes, wearing a grey tanktop and baggy camouflage cargo pants. He had an ammunition belt and two guns at his waist, and was covered in scars.
You quickly settled down, your heart still pounding a little. "Jeez... Sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it. Don't blame you for being on edge." He turned to reveal that the dirt ‘wall’ behind you had opened up like a hidden doorway. He beckoned for you to quickly follow him down a series of narrow hallways. After the coast was clear, he clicked a small walkie-talkie. “Hey, we’ve got a new straggler. I’m bringing ‘em to the outpost. I need at least one of you to meet me halfway.”
After a few moments, another voice answered; the voice of an older woman. “Copy that.”
The man sized you up for a minute. “You’re damn lucky I happened to be around. We haven’t fully scouted this quadrant yet. How the hell you avoided that thing without any kind of weapon is beyond me.” He shrugged and yanked at your sleeve. “C’mon, let’s keep moving.”
The further you walked down the long, dark corridors, the more they began to shift in appearance. The dirt walls were slowly replaced by stone bricks, and the ground started to become bare, revealing concrete floors. The dim wall sconces were traded out for uncomfortably bright white overhead fluorescents. Metal pipes spanned all the way down the hall, forming a latticework a few feet above your head.
“So, you have a base nearby?” You asked, trying to pass some of the awkward silence. But he only answered with more silence. “How long have you been down here?”
“We’ll all fill you in as soon as we get there,” he snapped back.
Sheesh, charming attitude… You tried not to judge, though. Your tensions were pretty high, too.
Halfway down the corridor, you heard a door open just behind you, and heard your name being called out, in a familiar female voice. Spinning around, you gasped.
"Jay?!"
Sure enough, it was the half-reptilian woman from the first group of wanderers that you'd befriended. She looked worse for the wear, with tattered clothes, fresh scars on her face, and a heavily bandaged arm. "Shit, what happened? Are the others here, or...?"
She sighed and shook her head. "I'll... tell you when you get settled in."
“You know each other?” The man seemed shocked.
You nodded. “Yeah, pretty amazing that I’m actually seeing a familiar face.”
The brunette looked around. “So uh, where’s the crazy red devil?”
Your expression dropped, feeling sullen all over again.
“Oh, shit…” She patted your shoulder sympathetically. “I’m so sorry… Well if anyone could find his way back to you, it’s that lunatic.”
You chuckled. “Yeah, I hope so…”
Jay and the man led you around a few twists and turns down the mine shaft. Neither of them were that talkative, save for a couple of them going over reconnaissance plans and daily tasks.
You all eventually got to a door that led into an… Office firm? It was a very dull, quiet office reminiscent of a doctor’s waiting room or a study center in a library, but much more spacious. There were cubicles with very old-fashioned computers, a couple small bookshelves, and hand-written diagrams and blueprints scattered about on some of the desks. There was bedding, camping tents, a TV and a fridge set up in the extra space.
You saw three other people: An older black woman with a cane and a beautiful - albeit tattered - shawl and flowing dress pants, a slightly chubbier, olive-skinned man with a faux-hawk, glasses and five-o’-clock shadow, and a person with wavy strawberry-blonde hair, androgynous features, freckles and baggy sweats. The latter was huddled on a couch, drawing in a notebook. The woman was sitting at one of the computers, discussing something with the man. She was the first to notice you, and her voice was the one from the walkie-talkie. She offered you a sympathetic smile. “Well I’ll be. Glad to see you in one piece, dear. I hope Rory here didn’t jerk you around too much,” she chuckled.
The man leading you, Rory, rolled his eyes. “They’re lucky I happened to be scouting around.” He then nodded to the woman. “This is Grace,” he introduced her to you. “Loren,” he gestured to the man sitting with her, “and Elijah,” the person on the couch. “Now get settled, get off your feet. There’s some protein bars in the fridge, but you’d better not take more than two for now.”
You got comfortable on one of the couches, trying to get your body to relax. You also tried to think of something to say to them as they all turned back to their tasks, leaving you feeling kind of…awkward. It wasn’t really the same as the first group that you and Rags had befriended, who had a strong camaraderie with one another. There was almost a sense of detachment between all of them. As if it was business as usual. A heavy sense of tension and melancholy hung in the air.
“So, Jay… What happened?” You finally spoke up.
She let out a long sigh, rubbing her temple, heading over to sit on a nearby chair. "...Cian upgraded our communication radios a couple hours after you and your devil buddy left. They thought they picked up on a lead for a different way to get past the lab Level. Venali, Ramon and I all headed out, but..." she growled and gripped her hair. "I got in over my head. Thought I could take on a Partygoer, convinced the other two to head back to base. The fucker slashed me up pretty good," she gestured with her arm. "Damn freak tossed me down a stairway right into a different Level.” She let out an annoyed hiss.
“I ended up in some creepy-ass circus with a bunch of clowns. Literally. Clown entities, can you believe that? Guess everything is possible here,” she scoffed. “About lost my shit when one shaped like a living beach ball came flying and shrieking out of nowhere.”
You couldn't help but snort to yourself. Yup, that was Dazzle. "I met them too, actually.”
"Wha– Really??"
You nodded, listing off their names and features to prove it.
She looked dumbfounded. "I'll be damned. So we just missed each other?!"
"Guess so," you shrugged, then started to ponder. "They're really not that bad, y'know, they're just...Scared. They've been hurt by wanderers in the past. They all just want to have fun."
She sighed. "Yeah... I thought about that after they ran me right out of the Level. I just... Don't ever want to let my guard down again after the way I fucked up." She let out a low hiss. “Too many entities out there that want to merc our asses on sight.”
“Hm…” You frowned sympathetically. “Well, what about you guys? How’d you end up here if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Well, we all kinda just ended up getting… Dumped here,” Loren started. “Rory was first, then Grace, then Elijah. Then me. Jay's only been with us for a few hours.”
Grace's brow furrowed and she looked down in deep thought. “It’s… a little fuzzy, all I really remember was walking through a maze of party rooms, with terrible music. Then an old high school that needed some real TLC. And then a field full of houses. One door led to the next, and next thing I know I'm nearly getting eaten alive by a monstrosity out in those mines. Gave it a few good whacks, though," she slammed her cane down on the floor to demonstrate. “Rory here might be a hardass, but… He still saved me."
Loren smirked to Rory. “Wanna remind us how you got dumped down a laundry chute?”
Jay and Grace snickered to themselves.
“Oh shut up,” Rory barked back at Loren. “At least I’m not the dumbass who blasted his own way into the mines.”
“I told you, that’s not what happened!!”
“Oh quit denying it, already,” Rory scoffed. “We all heard the explosion.”
“Yes, an explosion I had no control over!!” He snapped back.
“Children,” Grace banged her cane on the floor.
You turned to Elijah to try and avoid more quarreling. “What about you…?”
“Don’t want to talk about it.” They quickly answered, turning back to their sketchbook.
“Your turn,” Rory turned his attention back to you. “You seem like you’ve been traveling around this hellscape for a while. What’s your story?”
“Well…” You didn’t really know where to begin. But you could tell by his tone that he was cautious. Maybe all of them were. “You… Might not believe me.”
“Try me,” Rory grunted.
“Heh, if you say so…”
You started by lifting your pendant out of your shirt collar, stroking it in your palm. You explained how you fell into the Backrooms with Ragaeli. You explained how his warping powers were a big reason that you were able to survive at all. You were… A bit too shy to explain his true powers to a group of strangers. It would have been easier if he could be there to show them himself.
“...I'd say that sounds like a load of bull," Loren quipped, "But if there's magic exploding clowns out there, then I guess it's not too far-fetched."
“I’ll be…” Grace contemplated thoughtfully. “Sounds like you’ve got a guardian angel of sorts.”
“Pffft– if that’s what you want to call him,” you chuckled a little. “In any case… We’ve been separated. Doesn’t matter how strong he is, his connection to me got cut off.”
“Well…” Jay perked up. “If communication is the issue, maybe we could help. These guys are trying to repair a radio station that used to be able to reach out to a bunch of other outposts before a fuckin Slasher destroyed it.” She brought over a blueprint and some photos of a small, broken-down radio tower. “These guys say it’s the best chance I have at getting back in touch with everyone, so maybe we can relay a message around to other outposts to keep an eye out for your buddy."
You nodded. “Well, it’s definitely a start… Maybe I could help you guys look around for parts?”
“Yeah, maybe!” Jay smiled.
“Well, boss man, what d’you think?” Loren looked over to Rory.
The man stayed quiet for a minute, arms folded, tapping his boot impatiently on the ground. “....Tell you what,” he started. “I’ll let you help us out. If you tell us everything you already know. Tell us where you’ve been, how you figured out exits, tell me more about this ‘magic’ friend of yours.”
And so, you explained everything. How the Nightmare protected you through each Level, how you had to strategically find clues while narrowly avoiding danger, how you came across entities like the Jester and the Sovereign. Grace and Elijah looked dumbfounded, and super curious. Loren and Rory looked skeptical. At least, until you got to explaining how he made an announcement to the Backrooms about the piece of information that could help every Wanderer: Finding and talking to the Keymaster.
"Wait..." Loren's eyes went wide in realization. “That was him??" He looked incredulously to Jay. "That's the entity you were talking about??"
She nodded. "Told ya."
"And I saw the Keymaster," you continued. "Out in the mines, in the library. But he disappeared before I could ask him anything..." You frowned, then pulled out the blue book. "But I did find this."
Loren took it, flipping through it, his eyes going wide. "Wow...This is... These are all rooms out in the mines!" He passed it to Grace to give her a look, then Rory. "How'd you find it?? We've looked in that library dozens of times!"
You shrugged. "I just... Did. If there's one thing I've learned, it's to always be aware here. Always look for anything out of place. These Levels will really try to trip you up with all the repetition."
"Well, in any case, this will be wonderfully helpful to us," Grace smiled. "Thank you, dear."
Rory scratched his chin. "So you've been getting wrapped up with a bunch of super-powered freaks, you coincidentally happen across someone you already know, your entity companion announced his presence across the whole damn world, you're finding important shit in the span of a few minutes that we've been trying to find for weeks." He narrowed his gaze. "How do we know you're really on our side?"
"Rory," Grace glared.
"Listen, we gotta look out for ourselves too. It's bad enough trying to fight off these monsters on our own, last thing we need is a bunch of so-called gods tracking us down."
You shook your head fast. "I really don't think they will! The Sovereign confirmed that the way Rags did things was the best way to avoid trouble." You sighed. "Look, I know this is a lot of weird shit all at once, but he really does want to help people. I want to help you guys if I can."
"Listen, dude, you don't need to be paranoid," Jay backed you up. "They helped me and my friends out even though they're the ones who didn't have any kind of base camp or equipment. Their buddy Reggie isn't like anything or anyone I've ever seen. He wants to fight for us." She folded her arms. "They gave you what you wanted, so let's get going already! Let's show 'em what we have so far and start hunting around for what we need."
Rory seemed hesitant, but eventually he relented and stood up, waving you to follow. "You're gonna stay close to us, and do what I say so you don't get your ass chewed out there. Got it?"
You frowned. "...Understood." Usually, you wouldn't mind being bossed around by a handsome buff guy. But his tone just rubbed you the wrong way. It was clear he still didn't trust you. He seemed to see you as a threat, a liability; similar to how the Order viewed Rags. Well hopefully, when he could see you were just genuinely trying to help, he would come around.
You all headed out a door at the other end of the office. It didn't lead to a mine tunnel this time, but to a staircase down into a dingy, eerie maintenance tunnel, with white walls and grey concrete floors. It smelled vaguely of mildew and drywall, and it was uncomfortably spacious.
Weirdly, the next hallway was completely lined with appliances. Dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens... Most of which were partially broken-down or taken apart. Loren saw your confusion and chuckled. "They make for good salvage, so we just leave 'em here when we need parts."
You soon got to the communication room, where a twenty-foot-tall radio tower stood. It was in massive disrepair, looking like someone had taken a wrecking ball to it. The command console, which also doubled as a surveillance station, wasn't much better. Some of the screens were damaged beyond repair, and there was loose wiring everywhere.
Rory waved you over to a nearby wall, gesturing to a huge, intricate series of maps and blueprints. "Here's what we got. Obviously this place is fuckin' huge. But we've managed to get some pretty good salvage from the south-eastern quadrants of the mines." He pointed out all the mark-ups and circles in various "rooms". “These spots have been tricky," he pointed up toward the middle-right portion of the map, which looked like a science lab. "But at least they're more feasible than whatever the hell is going on with the bottomless pit here," he pointed to a drawing of a circular chasm.
"We started building a sort of pulley system to get down into that pit," Loren explained to you. "But there's... something down there. Something huge." He pointed at the drawing of an amorphous blob at the bottom of the chasm, looking a bit like a typical silhouette of a sleep paralysis demon. "I'm not really fixing to lower any of us down into a death trap."
Rory nodded. "Alright then, here's how we'll do it. You and Jay head back to the mines. Grace and Loren can do another sweep in the computer labs, but don't spend too long there. Start heading further north without disturbing Smiler territory. And keep an eye out for this fucker," He pointed to a sketch of a grotesque humanoid, wearing a mask seemingly composed of stitched-together body parts. "This is what Jay was talking about. Its lackeys are the ones who coordinated an attack on the tower."
"Elijah," he gestured to the blonde, "Stay here and monitor the feeds. Call us if you see anything pop up. Especially if we get any kind of feedback from the radios." He tapped his hand on the journal. "We'll have you collab with Loren to fill out the blueprints more when we get back." His scowl became more serious. "Pay. Attention. Mope around all you want on your own time, but right now, you stay at this chair."
"Right.." the blonde chuckled dryly. "Cause that's all I'm really good for, yeah?"
"He doesn't mean it that way, honey," Grace frowned sadly. "We know you're hurting. But you can still make a difference for all of us."
Elijah rolled their eyes. "Whatever."
Once the group had a game plan, you headed out into the mine with Jay. She charged forward with purpose, walking with a swagger and clenched fists. You had to speedwalk to keep up with her.
"So you really got through that gauntlet in one piece, huh?" She looked back to you. "I knew you were a tough cookie."
You thought back to the vivid red hallway, a multitude of monsters and entities being commanded like a cavalry to hunt you down and tickle you half to death, while that crazy nightmare's maniacal laugh echoed after you… You shivered and cleared your throat. “S-Sure did. Couldn’t have done it without Rags though…”
A few more minutes passed. Jay seemed tense, her guard fully up and ready to defend from any potential entity attack.
You tried to lighten the mood. "...So uh, what's Rory's problem?"
"Eh, dunno," she shrugged. "He won't tell anyone much about himself. Just that he was a military brat before he got discharged."
"...That suddenly makes sense." You and Jay both laughed.
"All of these guys are a total mess, 'cept maybe Grace," she continued. "Kinda reminds me of how all my buddies started off. We were hopeless, heh."
"How'd you end up working things out?"
"Time, mainly. Time and communication." She finally slowed her strenuous pace a little. "When people realize that they have some common ground, it makes 'em more willing to open up. We were all stragglers once. Lost, afraid, and and angry." Her brow furrowed. "And now I'm pissed all over again..." She let out a loud huff and marched forward again, punching a nearby metal grate in frustration. "They'd better fucking be okay."
You could definitely understand her anger. You were furious that the forest had totally turned on you and Rags at the last minute. You were angry that the dimension itself was barely even giving him a chance. For such a chaotic world, they sure were ill-equipped to handle a force of chaos that just wanted to have fun and take a stand against bullshit.
You all eventually met halfway, showing your haul of metal and machinery, watching Loren and Grace bounce ideas and engineering jargon off of each other. You'd regroup by the communicators, taking time to freshen up with snacks and almond water, while Loren and Jay labored away at getting parts attached and re-wired. You all stayed in close contact with your walkie-talkies.
"...Look at this..." Elijah had piped in when you all met up in the communications room for the second time, pointing to one of the journal pages. It showed what looked like a prison cell in a dingy dungeon, with a... computer tower?
"A dungeon, huh? Haven't seen one of those yet..." Loren scratched his scruff. "This place really is a labyrinth. Could come in handy, though."
You occasionally mixed up the grouping, heading out with Loren or Grace. Rory didn't seem willing to pair up with you yet, Elijah was still camping out in the communications room, starting to add sketches to the blueprints, and Loren was very much in his own head. Even though you and Jay were already on friendly terms, she wasn't in a very talkative mood. Truth be told, neither were you. An uncomfortable sense of tension and isolation hung in the air whenever you passed through the eerie, barren maintenance tunnels. Dread loomed over you whenever you passed through the mine shafts, knowing that, at any minute, you could get jumped by a dangerous entity.
Grace was the only one that seemed interested in your well-being and story, offering comfort and positive affirmations. She even apologized for being nosey, but you explained that it felt nice to have a normal conversation; especially with someone so sweet.
“I appreciate that, dear,” she smiled, her face crinkling with crow’s feet. “I’ll admit, it can be… difficult to stay positive in a crazy place like this. But the way I see it… Staying positive in the face of hopelessness is the only way we can move on sometimes. The sooner we accept there are going to be ordeals that’ll try to beat us down, the sooner we can start acting to overcome those trials.” She paused to roll up her pant leg, revealing her prosthetic leg. “At some point I accepted this as a gift, not an ailment. That fire will never leave my memory…” She winced a little, letting her pant leg go. “But neither will the kindness of people who reached out to me after the fact.” She patted your shoulder, smiling warmly. “Hang onto that kindness of yours, honey.”
It felt like ages had passed. Ten, twenty, thirty minutes... An hour... Two hours. The more time passed, the more anxious you became. Ragaeli had said he only had a couple hours left at most. But whenever you asked the time, they showed you that it had only been a few minutes. You were skeptical and wondered if their watches were all broken.
"Time dilation," Loren finally explained. "I still don't get how it works. I was skeptical at first too. But my equipment isn't wrong, time really is warped here. Five minutes in real-time passes by like an hour."
"... Weird..." That was very similar to how the Dream and Nightmare realms worked. It'd be nice if there could be some kind of connection. Some kind of weak spot in space-time or... Something. Anything that could give you a chance to connect back to Rags. Or maybe even Kenni.
During your reconnaissance, you couldn't help but think of how the brat would behave if he were here. He'd dress up in some goofy-ass mining uniform and ditch his hard-hat by chucking it at a skin stealer's face. He'd drag you into one of the mine carts and send you both careening down the tracks and hopping over chasms Donkey Kong-style. And he'd sure as hell spring tickle-attacks on the group to get them to lighten up. This group needed a way to loosen up. You didn't have enough power and sheer lunacy to be that much of an agent of chaos, but maybe you could manage to sneak some tickle-attacks here and there if the opportunity arose…
Occasionally, the sentence spoken to you by the sentient rainforest echoed through your mind.
"He is lying to you."
You didn't want to believe it. You wondered if it was a last-ditch effort from the forest, from the Backrooms as a whole, to make you lose your trust in Rags and want to separate yourself from him. If so, it wasn't going to work. Whatever it is that the Nightmare might be keeping from you, you were still going to win this battle alongside him.
You miraculously came back from your mission unscathed, with a computer chip that could hopefully serve to get the radio operational. It was time to start piecing everything together.
You helped from ground level, learning quite a bit about how to re-wire a motherboard. Rory soldered panels together, Loren and Grace devised a coding algorithm, Jay climbed up onto the tower to repair scaffolding and the antenna. Your team's misadventures gave you all something to talk about together for once, breaking the tension and awkwardness that had hung over you this entire time.
The conversation went from your reconnaissance to more tales of your lives on Earth. You learned that Loren was working his way to a master's degree in engineering and computer programming. Grace had once been a well-known author in her town, and owned a horse ranch. Jay had always struggled to conceal her identity as half-reptilian, often getting into cage matches as a teen where she could vent her aggression and conceal herself behind the guise of 'costume makeup.' Rory and Elijah still wouldn't open up much, but Rory finally seemed to let his guard down for once.
Everyone, even Elijah, watched with baited breath as the console lights, and the radio tower antennae, started to flicker to life. Loren frantically typed out commands. "Hhhh, no no no..." he grumbled to himself. All of the screens started to shift from green to red. All of the camera feeds completely cut to static.
𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙰𝙻 𝙴𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁.
"NO!!" Loren slammed his fist down on a bare portion of the console.
Rory growled and marched away, taking his boot to a nearby appliance.
"FUCK." Jay harshly toppled a chair over.
Elijah sighed, looking defeated all over again, shuffling over to plop down on the couch.
Grace sighed and looked a little resigned, but her expression was more sympathetic than upset.
"No... It'll be fine..." Loren tried frantically to type in more commands, to no avail. "I didn't mis-calculate anything..." He clutched the sides of his head, leaning his elbows on the console, his voice becoming shaky. "I...I-I can't mess up like this again..."
Rory sighed and came over to pat him on the shoulder. "Knock it off. You did what you could. We all did." He glanced over to you, a contemplative look in his eye.
"Yeah, dude," Jay leaned her hand on the console. "Don't beat yourself up. Could be an internal issue, not a programming fluke."
"Tell you what." Rory spoke up to everyone. "Lets head back to the Checkpoint for now. We've all been running our asses off trying to get parts. Get refreshed, try to get rest. We'll try again later."
"What's the point??" Elijah barked, stomping their foot. Their raised tone of voice caught everyone by surprise. "It's obvious we're meant to stay stuck here! End of the line!! Why should we keep risking our lives for something that might not even work?!"
"Because the moment we give up, we might as well forfeit our lives!" Rory barked back. "You can't let a setback like this send you running with your tail tucked, or you'll get blown apart on the spot."
Elijah shook their head, trying to fight off tears. "Life's nothing but setbacks..." With that, they stormed out, starting to head back to the office building.
Rory sighed and shook his head. He, Loren and Jay all followed suit, heading back to the Checkpoint.
You and Grace were the last ones in the control room. She took a seat down at one of the chairs. "I had a feeling things might end up this way..." she commented quietly, looking up at the tower. "I don't think it's a healthy mindset to put all our stock in one possible solution." She glanced over to you. "Honey... I appreciate your help. I truly do. But maybe, for now, you ought to try and find contentment in what we have to offer." She reached out to take your hand, smiling sadly, but sympathetically. "Now, I don't ever want to suggest giving up. But...I don't think anyone here is willing to accept that there are things we can be grateful for. We have resources. We have each other. We have safety. Not a single one of those demons out there can set foot in our little office." She shook her head slowly. "Like I said... It's only when we accept that there's going to be ordeals that are out of our control that we'll find hope in the dark." She squeezed your hand. "I dread to think that you can't be reunited with your friend, but...if that ends up being the case, please know that you can rely on us. You can always tell ol' Mama Grace anything that's on your mind."
Your heart sank at the implications of her words; that you should just accept that you may be stuck here, forever... You didn't want to consider that an outcome. But maybe she was right.
You felt tears well to your eyes. You felt empty on your walk back to the office building. There had to be something, some way to get out of this prison, and make sure Ragaeli was okay...
Just like that, everyone was separated again, off in their own corners of the office, keeping to themselves. A somber silence hung in the air.
You spotted Elijah curled up on their couch. You realized that, in all this time, you hadn’t really gotten the chance to speak to them one-on-one yet. Part of you didn’t want to bother them, but you didn’t want to just ignore them, either. They really seemed defeated by the radio failure. You took a seat in a chair across from them. They glanced up at you and offered the smallest hint of a smile before going back to drawing.
“...So those blueprint sketches are all yours, right?”
They nodded.
"Can I see some of your other art? If you don't mind."
They flipped to one of their drawings and held it up for you. The page was full of very lovely, realistic sketches of birds, most of which were holding or wearing jewelry. The details of the gemstones were immaculate.
“Oh wow, those look great!”
“Thank you.”
“...I know you don’t know me very well, but you’re welcome to get things off your chest if you’d like.”
“...I appreciate it.” They shrugged. “But what’s to tell? Depression's a bitch. Life's a bitch. Finally worked my way toward some stability, got to move into my own place where I finally felt like I could be at peace, and then... I wind up here.” They tried to hide their face under their hair. “Life really said ‘Fuck you' for wanting to be happy for once.” Their voice became shaky. "And now it's happening again."
“I’m so sorry…” You wanted to reach out to comfort them. “Well... I know we probably won’t be able to get in contact with Earth, but maybe when we get that radio working, we can find more people to get together with, and have a better chance at building up a better community and support system."
“And what if it doesn’t work?” They spoke up. “Can you really say that things will turn out alright?"
You thought about how to answer that question. Of course you wanted to say yes, but somehow, you felt like it wouldn't help them.
"Well... No, I can't. No-one can know or say for sure if things will be alright. But I mean... I don't think that means we should just give up, either. We deserve to hang onto things that make us happy, even if things seem hopeless." You frowned as you gently stroked a thumb over Rags’ damaged pendant. "That... doesn't mean we have to force ourselves to be happy, either." You gently placed a hand on their shoulder. "It's okay to feel hopeless, or depressed, or angry. Just know that you can work through it."
Elijah looked you in the eye, staring in surprise. "...No-one has ever told me that before..." They teared up a little, smiling. "Thank you... Finally someone gets it." They sighed, shifting to sit upright. "I just feel... Useless. All I can get myself to do is draw some blueprints and watch cameras while you guys all do the brave stuff." They chuckled dryly. "Y'know I used to go rock climbing? Skiing? Bungee jumping? Used to have the energy. Now thinking about doing anything fun makes me sick. Like my brain already expects it to go wrong. Even doing the one thing I love doesn't really make me happy anymore. And that scares me..."
You frowned sadly, sitting back in your chair, looking out to the direction of one of the bleak white windows. "Yeah... It sucks when doing things we love end up feeling like just... Distractions from the bigger picture. We shouldn't have to be okay with living in a Hellscape, being told to eat shit sandwiches and treat them like a gourmet meal. But when it comes down to it, no-one can tell you why or how to keep moving forward except for you. And if part of the process of finding that answer means bundling up in bed every day, screaming, crying and wishing things were different, that's just as valid. It's still progress. Even if it doesn't feel like it."
Everyone else had turned their attention to both of you, taking in the conversation.
Elijah slowly nodded, reaching under their wavy bangs to wipe tears from their eyes. "I-I'm trying so hard to find that answer, I really am... I just... don't want everyone to see me as the depressed sack of shit that gets in the way, or brings down the mood..." They sniffled. "I-it's just... So hard, y'know? Realizing I may never see my family or friends again, knowing all that time and struggle to be happy was all just a waste…”
“Hey, it was not a waste,” you spoke up. “I think it’s very telling that you fought to gain that happiness in the first place. Even when things felt hopeless, you still kept going. That’s worth something, right?”
“...Yeah… Maybe.” You saw a soft smile cross their face.
"Alright, guys," Rory spoke up. “Get some rest. All of you. We’re gettin’ this damn radio built one way or another and we all need to be at the top of our game.”
Elijah placed their notebook on the floor and nestled further into the couch. The others followed suit; Loren helped Grace get settled onto one of the folding cots, before he and Jay crawled into a couple of the tents.
Rest?? There was no way you could go to sleep at a time like this. Even with the time dilation, you were still on the clock. But… It had been a while since you’d been able to sleep. You were sore all over from all the running, lifting, fighting. You were very mentally drained. Even something as shoddy as the blow-up mattress with dingy blankets looked very inviting.
Loren noticed your hesitancy. “I got an alarm set, don’t worry. Two minutes, two hours of rest.”
You nodded, finally relenting. You got comfy on the blanket pile, yawning again, laying on your back to contemplate the white, mundane ceiling for a few minutes, before your eyelids drifted shut…
From the depths of the darkness, you heard a voice speaking your name. A very deep, soothing male voice, speaking barely above a whisper.
He called your name, several times, growing louder each time, but never outright shouting. But it was enough to start pulling you out of your brain haze. Your vision cleared to see that you were standing in a clearing of a forest filled with willow trees, painted in light pastel hues. The lilac-colored grass beneath your feet was nearly as soft as a sherpa throw rug. A gentle breeze passed by, the rustling of willow branches emanating the sound of wind-chimes. You knew exactly where you were: The Dream realm.
...Sort of. You were stuck behind some type of barrier, not letting you proceed forward, and obscuring your vision from the rest of the field behind you. Pushing your hand against the forcefield felt like pressing against a thin elastic membrane.
Soon, the misty air started swirling around, forming a column of clouds just ahead of you, which lit up in a soft, aquamarine light and began to take on a familiar silhouette. Stepping out of the clouds was none other than Kenisime, the Dream entity, the embodiment of knismesis. Light seafoam skin, fluffy silver hair, very dark eyes that shimmered like gemstones. He wore a Fae-like outfit with a fluffy-trimmed vest, long flowing silk sleeves, a grassy skirt over a pair of knee-high pants, with leotard leggings leading into stirrups. Many white, fluffy tendrils of feathers draped down from his back, and three bird-like tailfeathers curled behind him.
“KENNI!!” You cried out, feeling your eyes tearing up. Out of instinct, you tried to run forward to give him a hug - but, again, you were bounced back from the barrier like running face-first into a screen door. "OOF-" You sighed in frustration. "Kenni! How're you here?? Rags said you wouldn't be able to reach out to us!!"
The Dreamie smiled sadly, taking a few steps forward, placing his hand against the barrier. "I'm... afraid I can't reach you, dear. Not entirely. I've been trying for hours to seek you out...I've finally found an opening, however small." He offered you a compassionate smile. "I'm just relieved to see that you're alright."
You nodded. "I'm okay, but Rags... H-he– we've been separated, and I don't know if..." You choked on your words. There was so much you needed to tell him recounting your harrowing journey, and the predicament you were in now.
He tried pushing against the membrane again, and with enough force, was able to slip his hand through to take yours; though it was apparent he was struggling against the energy field. "Shhhh, hon...Take a deep breath," he directed gently, stroking your palm with his thumb. "You're going to be alright. And so will he. If anyone can find a way out of a dire situation, it's that stubborn, crazy Nightmare."
After seeing your expression soften, he let go of your hand and glided backwards. "It's such a... strange dimension you've ended up in. Rather frightening, in a way." He gave a wave of his hand, and the sky erupted with imagery of outer space, shimmering with colorful stars and swirling nebulas; but somehow, more mystical.
"Whoa..." Your eyes widened. "What's this...?"
"The Astral plane," Kenni explained. "The realm above all others; an overseeing of all life in the intertwining of all realities. I myself can only see a glimpse into the threshold, but..." He gestured to a prominent shape in the expanse. It was mostly transparent, and looked strangely like an amoeba. Its thin membrane was a sickly, pale yellow color…The same color as Level Zero. It looked fuzzy and angular at the edges, like glitching static on a television.
“It’s not actively trying to take from the universe, but it’s still growing at an alarming rate…” He pointed to the edges, where stars were slowly being drawn to the object’s gravitational pull, eventually getting sucked in. Some clusters of stars shimmered in pleasant, crystalline hues; others were sickly, brown and burgundy patches, looking a bit like dried blood and necrotized skin. Kenni then pointed out a prominent, vivid red star, crackling with energy. Concerningly, its vibrancy was starting to peter out.
Your eyes widened. “That’s…!”
Kenni nodded. "I'm not strong enough to free him on my own. But perhaps, if I were to recruit the aid of other Dream or Surreal deities, maybe even Morpheus themselves, it could be possible to pull him from its clutches..." He rubbed the side of his neck. "But... I may not be able to act in time. Nor can I guarantee that it would be fool-proof." A sigh escaped him. "It would be far more feasible if the grand ruler of his realm would reach out for him, but that tyrant would celebrate his suffering." His brow furrowed in disdain. "In any case, with the help of my companions, I could bring you home. It pains me to think that I would need to leave Ragdoll behind... But at the very least, he would want to guarantee your safety over his own."
"I appreciate that, but... I can't just leave him. It just doesn't feel right. If you can't guarantee that you could save him too, then I'd feel awful."
He smiled and nodded. "That's very fair. I've a feeling I would say the same in your position." He held up his hands, facing his palms together. "Then at the very least, let me see if I can provide something to aid you."
He closed his eyes and cupped his hands together, whispering in an unknown language. A misty orb started to form between his palms, swirling and lighting up in a soft glow, until it took the form of a silver arm bangle with his symbol, the Whispering Feather. It was a talisman, much like Ragdoll's. "My magic comes from the heart," he stated, bringing the cuff to place over his chest in demonstration. "Keep it close to you, and it will bring my healing and guidance from across dimensions." He pushed his hand back through the barrier, slipping the bangle over your wrist, enchanting it to shrink slightly to fit comfortably in place.
"There is one other thing..." He frowned in worry. "I've had a premonition. It's hazy, but.. I fear he may lose himself if he is not careful." He waved his hand, showing a hazy silhouette of a terrifying beast, with six arms and long hair that billowed out past its shins. It looked vaguely like Rags, but it gave off an aura of madness unlike his own, and let out a chilling, downright Lovecraftian laugh, before the image faded away entirely. “I feel he may become… desperate. This world may try to twist him into something that he doesn’t want to become. But if anyone could reach out to him in a dire circumstance, it’s you,” he smiled reassuringly.
You sighed deeply, feeling both relieved and nervous. You had more hope now that you could find him again…But you knew the journey wasn’t over until you finally tracked down that pompous Keymaster.
“Thank you, Kenni.” You put your hand back on the barrier, and he pressed his hand against your palm. His hand glowed turquoise for a moment, activating your bangle, which shot a gentle, ticklish pulse up the length of your arm, straight to your armpit. “EeEE-Hehehe!!” You jumped back, blushing.
The deity smiled cheekily. “There’s that cute giggle~ I look forward to hearing more of it once you’ve returned home.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your eyes slowly fluttered open as you heard Loren's alarm beeping. You felt content, well-rested, and comforted. Then, you jumped upright, quickly looking down at your wrist, gasping in excitement and relief to see that the feather talisman was still there. Kenni really had managed to connect with you. And now you were rejuvenated with a new sense of purpose.
“Guys!!” You shouted. “Everyone, look!!”
Loren and Jay were the first to shuffle out of bed to head over to you. Rory had been sleeping upright on a chair, jumping awake and glaring over in your direction. Elijah slowly peeked up above the back of the sofa.
"Whoa... What's that?" Jay reached out to examine your bangle.
"Well…” You explained how Ragaeli had a counterpart in the Dream realm, and how he’d been trying to reach out to you this whole time.
Grace sleepily sat down in a nearby chair, chuckling to herself. “Well I’ll be… Like I said, honey, you truly have a pair of guardian angels watching over you.”
Loren and Rory eyed you over skeptically.
"I'm serious! Watch.” You kept in mind what Kenni had said: His power emanates from the heart. You place the bangle over your chest, concentrated on teleporting to the other side of the room; and poof. In a burst of misty haze, you warped over to a chair at the far end of the room.
Jay, Loren, and Grace exclaimed in astonishment. In another flash, you teleported back over to your mattress. “I bet we could use this to get around each room faster!”
Rory stomped over to you, arms folded, glowering down at you. “So you expect us to believe that you just now happened to receive a magical talisman from some other entity outside this dimension? Where was this so-called god of yours almost an hour ago?”
“Seriously, dude??” Jay glared at him, marching up to him and putting her hands on her hips. “What’s your deal? We finally have something that could help us and you're gonna get skeptical again??"
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Grace added. “Rory, I understand why you’re being cautious. But for heaven’s sake, learn to notice a sign when it's given to you."
Rory looked like he was about ready to tussle with Jay, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists. But hearing Grace, he eased up again, sighing and pacing around for a second, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“...What if they used it to get down into that chasm?” Loren suggested.
Rory paused, perking up at the suggestion.
“Oh yeahh, that could work!” Jay looked over to you. “Can you warp more than one person at a time? Might be good to have some extra security down there.”
“Well…I’d probably be able to warp one other person with me. The magic is a little limited. I’d offer to pass it around between you guys so that you could teleport, but…” You demonstrated that you couldn’t take it off.
“I’d rather you didn’t put yourself in danger for our sake,” Grace commented. “What if whatever demon is down there isn't something we could contend with?"
"We'll go together!" Jay stepped in. "Rory, Loren and me. Even you could camp out at the halfway point if you wanted, those southwest rooms are practically a fallout bunker."
Grace scratched her chin in consideration.
"...Maybe it'd be worth a shot," Elijah spoke up, to everyone's surprise. "I can't do much now that our cameras are gone. I still doubt this'll work, but...I don't really want to just lay around anymore."
"...Before we go..." You smirked a little, putting the talisman to your chest again. It picked up on your thoughts, starting to emanate wisps of soft, pastel blue magic, which snaked and danced through the air, toward the rest of the group. as they approached, they formed into large magical feathers.
"Wha...??" Loren's face wrinkled in confusion.
Rory took a defensive stance, putting a hand on the pistol at his waist. "The fuck are you trying to pull??"
Jay seemed to know right away what was about to happen, her eyes going wide. "Oh hell no, not this again-!" She blushed and quickly backed up.
The feathers soon slithered up against everyone's body. A couple targeted Loren's belly. Two slithered up against Jay's armpits. One affectionately caressed Grace's chin and Elijah's neck. All of them squealed and gasped with surprised giggles. Rory harshly smacked at the feather approaching him, causing it to dissipate. "What the fuck was that??"
You grinned in amusement. "That is the real magic behind this." You took out Rags' burnt talisman. "Ragman's magic is similar, but a lot more intense. It's how it protected me through the Backrooms."
Loren blinked. "Tickling?? You expect us to believe you survived entities and Levels with tickling?"
"Believe me, I thought the same thing," Jay piped in. "But that magic's no joke. Any distraction would be a useful distraction at this point."
Rory rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. "Just stick to the teleporting, alright?"
You snickered. "I make no promises~"
A ways down the mine shaft, you saw a partially caved-in section of the tunnel, looking like the dirt roof had collapsed. "And there it is," Rory gestured. "Loren's grand entrance."
Loren grumbled in frustration. "I told you, it was an accident."
"Quit denying it already," Rory grunted. "Mistakes happen. It's how you move on from them that shows what kind of man you are."
Loren sighed, hanging his head. "...You think I'm proud of myself, knowing I miscalculated that badly? It was supposed to blast open a reservoir to flood a skin-stealer hideout." He turned away. "I'm supposed to be the smart one. The one that never messes up."
"Well that's an impossible standard to put on yourself, honey," Grace patted him on the shoulder.
You felt another grin come to your face, slowly putting the bangle to your chest. "Yeah, no-one's perfect. Lighten up a little~" by the time Loren noticed, there were already magical feathers sneaking up against his chin and belly. "Gyee-heheheh, heyy!!"
The magic continued to playfully target all of them, making them squeak and yelp. Jay growled and eventually returned the attention. "That's it, come here you!!" She yanked you over and clamped her hands around your sides to start scribbling her claws up and down. You squealed and squirmed back and forth, trying to playfully push her arms away, smiling and blushing. Loren smiled and jumped in, targeting your armpits and ribs, making you shriek with more laughter. Elijah and Grace also looked like they were contemplating ganging up on you too...
Before Rory marched over to all of you and yanked you apart. "Are you all fucking IDIOTS??" He hissed. "Knock it off with the noise! You'll attract an entity right to us!!"
Loren rolled his eyes. "Oh lighten up. This is one of the safest spots on the map, remember?"
Unfortunately, it had been too quiet, and too safe, for too long. ...Well, it felt like too long. In reality it had only been about ten minutes. As everyone continued into the mines, you heard an unsettling, raspy grunting sound. It was reminiscent of the deep clicking sound from the Grudge.
Whipping around, you all saw a sickly humanoid figure starting to emerge seemingly from within the dirt walls of the tunnel: It was a grotesque amalgamation of bleeding limbs, wearing a "mask" seemingly made of spare body parts. It was the Slasher. It brandished a serrated cleaver, twirling it casually in its hand.
"Oh fuck no!!" Loren hastily stepped backwards, scrambling to dig for something in his pocket.
Jay on the other hand immediately let out a loud hiss, baring her fangs at the creature and charging forward to try and stab one with her own knife. Rory whipped out his gun and started shooting.
The creature just laughed a sickly laugh and dodged the attacks. Soon, three more slowly crawled out of the shadows; one of which lumbered out from the room you were just about to head into.
"You'd better back the FUCK UP!!" Jay snarled, taking aim and shooting at one of the slashers trying to sneak up behind you. After successfully getting a shot at its shoulder, she let out another beastly snarl and football-tackled the other. Rory fought off one hand-to-hand with a series of self-defense techniques. Loren succeeded in pulling out what looked like a small laser gun, blasting the first slasher point-blank in its mask. It howled and staggered back.
"You rotten wretches!!" Grace yelled. "Go crawl back into the sewers you climbed out of!!" She swiftly whacked one of the entities across the chest with her cane, and bringing it down on their head for good measure.
Elijah didn't seem to know what to do with themselves, until they spotted an opportunity to put their foot out and trip up one of the slashers, allowing Jay the chance to pile-drive right on top of it to pin it down.
Your heart was pounding, whipping around trying to see what you could do to aid them. Instinctively, you brought Kenni's cuff to your chest, activating its magic; you held your arm out just as one of the entities started swinging its cleaver down at your head.
And the creature just... stopped, mid-swing. Kenni's magic wafted forward, giving off a puff of shimmering pixie-dust in its face. It lowered its arm, stood still to stare down at you for a moment, then turned and started trudging back into the mines.
"Whoa..." You almost couldn't believe that it worked. Your group and the other slashers also paused in disbelief. The other three entities charged towards you, but you did the same thing. And, again, they paused, as if they'd been commanded to stop fighting.
"How the hell-?!" Loren balked.
With another burst of magic, a flurry of feathers erupted from the bracelet to get to work, surrounding the creatures and starting to tickle them from head to toe. Their laughter was like nails on a chalkboard. They even whined and shivered, trying to slash at the magic with their weapons.
Rory took aim and was about to shoot again, but Jay pushed his arm down. "Just watch. You won't believe it til you see it."
Finally, the magic relented and the entities staggered back, panting for breath. One of them pointed down the dark mineshaft, where you were headed. "Look for the right entrance," it rasped. "A shade different than the rest." With that, it huffed and disappeared in the other direction.
Rory and Loren were both dumbstruck. You grinned smugly. "Told you."
All six of you decided to head to the end of the tunnel. After walking a little further, you were soon face-to-face with the Chasm: an enormous hole plunging straight down into the dark depths. The inner edges were lined with openings lit with fluorescents. Weirdly, it looked like a massive parking garage, spiraling down into the darkness.
Loren brought your attention to the makeshift pulley that he'd mentioned. "Again, a work in progress. But just... Listen."
Indeed, you heard what sounded like a whispering, gurgling beast at the bottom of the pit. You even saw the glint of a pair of red eyes peering back up at you. You shuddered. "Fuuuck that."
"So what did that thing mean?" Jay put her hands on her hips to peer over the edge, looking at the various tunnel entrances.
"I'm guessing maybe look at the lights?" You squinted at each opening. "Maybe there's a different-colored..."
The behemoth from below suddenly shot up its long, gangly arm, its shadowy claw swiping just a few feet away from all of you. You all exclaimed and jumped back. "SHIT-!!" Rory seethed.
You quickly scanned for the right tunnel entrance, until you spotted it: An opening with distinctly pale-blue fluorescents, rather than yellow. "There!!" You pointed.
Jay stood next to you, holding your arm. "Alright, let's go-"
But Rory nudged her away, taking your arm instead. "No. The rest of you guard the entrance. Keep an eye on that thing, radio me if you see it getting any funny ideas." He glanced down to you. "Stay close, rookie."
"...Yes sir," Loren nodded. Both of them backed up. You took a deep breath, put your hand to chest, and warped you both down into the entrance.
Unlike Rags' magic, which always sent you jolting forward on your feet after warping, Kenni's bangle had you both floating for a couple seconds before easing you down. You were right; you were now in a dingy parking garage. "So where do you think we should–"
The moment you got a few feet further past the entrance, you felt Rory yank your arms down from behind, taking out a small rope to tie your wrists in place, just below your bangle. “AGH– What the hell?!” You frantically tried to tug your wrists free, but he was too strong. “Dude, what’re you doing?!”
“Making sure you don’t get any funny ideas,” he stated gruffly. “I’ve seen how this cuff of yours works. Can’t do jack shit if you can’t put it to your chest.”
You stared back at him, incredulous. “Are you serious?? After everything I’ve helped you with, you’re still suspicious of me?!”
He just shrugged, shoving you to keep you moving forward. “It's a precaution. Nothing’s stopping you from warping your way to safety the moment you get your hands on something useful. Or trying that mind-control shit on me. You’d do the same in my position.”
You growled and shook your head. “Can you blame me, with how you’ve been treating me?? If you’d get your head out of your ass long enough to see that I want the same thing all of you do…!”
He actually looked a bit regretful. "I'm not going to deny that you've helped us. You show some real tenacity and wit. But... I can't risk it." He scowled. "Been double-crossed one too many damn times in my day." He shoved you again, a bit less harshly this time. “Here’s the deal. You follow along, help me find some scrap, I’ll bring you back in one piece.”
You stammered in annoyance and disbelief, before relenting and letting out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, but I’m snitching on your ass as soon as we get back.”
He scoffed. “A risk I'm willing to take."
All you could do for now was sulk and follow alongside him. But before long, the garage eventually led into a dungeon, with rusty prison cells. The dungeon from the journal.
"I'll be damned. It was meant to be," Rory showed a hint of a smile for the first time. “Start looking around,” he ordered. “Remember, no funny ideas. Or I’ll lock you up down here until I’m done.”
As he started peeking around through the cells and corridors, you spotted something: A loose, jagged piece of a cell bar jutting out, about at your waist level. If you were quick about it, you might be able to use that to cut yourself free…
As soon as you were out of his peripherals, you backed yourself up against the shrapnel, starting to quickly, carefully saw at the rope. Rory took notice right at the moment you’d cut yourself free.
“What do you think you’re–”
In the blink of an eye, you brought your cuff to your heart, warped to him and charged into him at full-force, slamming him up against the cell bars. “NGH–!!” When he tried to shove you back, something happened: The cuff let off a flash of wispy blue magic, pausing his hand in its tracks. Kenni’s defensive magic had activated, releasing a calming effect.
“Here’s the deal,” You hissed. “You back the fuck off and let me help you how I want to help you, and I won’t use Kenni’s other magic against you.” Strands of magic started to waft up from the bangle, forming into feathery sigils.
His eyes went wide. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
You felt a smirk come to your face. “Actually… Maybe I should anyways~” One of the feathers floated up to stroke under Rory’s chin. The man shivered and fidgeted, trying to shove you back again.
But this time, his arms were slowly restrained by the magic, his wrists placed at the sides of his head. “Nnh–! How the hell…?!” Even his muscular frame couldn’t break free from the deity’s gentle hold.
Your mischievous grin just grew wider. You slipped your hands up to start tickling at his armpits, kneading at his ribs. The man yelped and tried desperately to stifle his chuckles. The feathers caressed his neck and chest playfully. One slipped under the rim of his tank-top. He bit his lip, shivering. "K-Knock it off!!" He growled.
You snickered. "Not such a tough guy now, are you?" You tickled his sides and ribs more firmly. "There's no bargaining your way out of this one, buddy. Be lucky that Rags' magic isn't working. You'd be howling by now."
The ex-soldier yelped again, grunting and growling to try and stave off his building laughter. But once more magical feather tendrils slipped into his tanktop, he cracked. He let out hearty laughter, panting and grunting. You even saw a blush cross his cheeks. In turn, you felt yourself blush too. He was already pretty hot to begin with, but he was even prettier now with a smile on his face. "About time you smiled for once," You commented. "Admit it, it feels nice, doesn't it?"
"Rrghhh-heheh...Sh-shut up!" His blush deepened. His biceps flexed as he kept trying in vain to free himself. "W-We don't hahahave time for this!!"
"You're right, we don't," you snapped back. "So surrender now, or I'll make sure this magic keeps going the entire time we're down here looking."
It took a few minutes more of tickling, caressing and taunting before the gruff man finally relented. "A-ALRIGHT ALRIHIHIGHT!! I won't tie you up again!!" He barked. "J-Just quit it!!"
You smirked in satisfaction, and the magic tapered off; not before one of the tendrils affectionately stroked his cheek. "That's better~"
You spent several minutes looking around; Rory was huffy and disgruntled the whole time after your ticklish sneak-attack. Soon, you both spotted it: A huge computer tower, almost Rory's height. Sapphire blue, with gold-colored trim. it looked like it was in pristine condition.
You approached it, eyeing it over. "This is...Way too big to take back with both of us." You looked over to Rory, hopefully. "Rory... Please let me take this back. I promise I'll come back for you."
He had his hands in his pockets, gaze narrowed at you, stewing silently for a moment, before he sighed and looked away. "...Fine. Don't have much choice anyways." He turned to walk a few steps away.
"I promise," you reiterated.
You wrapped your arms around the tower, closed your eyes to focus, and warped away to the radio room. The tower was lowered gently to the floor near the control panel. While you were still hovering, you warped back to the prison cell, right back to where you were. Rory turned around, looking at you in disbelief. Before he had time to comment, you smiled and grabbed his hand, warping you both back up to where the others were waiting for you. They cheered and gave you congrats.
"I hope Rory didn't get up to any funny business," Grace nudged him on the way back.
For a moment, you and Rory locked eyes. He looked like he'd already resigned himself to getting chewed out. And for a brief moment, you considered it. But decided against it. You smiled and gave a nod. "No, not at all. He's a hardass, but he's a real team player. You have a good leader."
He sighed, looking grateful.
Grace squinted. "...Somehow, I smell bull," she poked him with her cane. "But I'll buy it. After all, this one knows not to get on Mama Grace's bad side," she gave him the disappointed-mother look.
Rory cleared his throat. "Y-Yes ma'am."
Her expression softened. "However, I agree. You've become a pretty excellent leader."
"...I appreciate that. I'd like to think I was."
"Was?" You raised an eyebrow.
The ex-soldier looked you over. "...In my military division, I mean. I enlisted to protect my people and my family. Had no idea what I was getting into. No-one ever does." His face wrinkled in anger. "Fucking bastards stabbed my entire division in the back. Forced me to be a double-agent. After singing our praises, I overheard 'em wanting to use us as sacrifices even though I knew a better game plan that could gain the upper hand. But they were cowards and wanted to take the easy way out. They gave me an ultimatum. Go along with their plan to kill off the front line, or discharge me right then and there." He balled his fists. "So I walked away. After I told all my buddies and the General what they were planning. All hell broke loose and the general was stripped of his rank." He scoffed. " 'For my country'... What a fucking joke."
"Damn..." Jay frowned.
"Well shit, dude..." Loren patted him. "You made the noble choice. You showed what kind of man you are," he smiled.
Back at the control room, you all waited with bated breath again. The computer tower was fully functional, and worked like a charm when it was hooked up to the radio. Jay and Rory ensured that all the hardware and equipment was in top shape. Loren and Grace ran their algorithm again...
"...Jay... Come in? Jay?"
Jay gasped and ran up to the mic. "CIAN?! Cian!! I'm here!! Oh thank fuck you're okay!!"
A wave of relief washed over all of you, cheering amongst yourselves. Grace and Elijah teared up; Grace gave them a hug.
You concluded with them that they hadn't heard a word out of Ragaeli. Or the Keymaster. But you reiterated that he was the best chance of getting answers, and that he was out there.
But as the others relayed information, and began to reach out to other bases, you felt a pull at your mind. You kept thinking about the Keymaster's... 'advice.' "You're clever enough. Find your own way back to him."
Something was telling you that this radio wasn’t going to be the way to get reunited with Rags. How would a radio tower reach out to a greenhouse in the middle of a dead forest? It was for them, not for you. It's time to move on.
You took a deep breath. “Guys… I’m going to go.”
“What??” Jay looked at you with concern. “Go where?”
“I... I don't know. But I just feel like I need to keep looking.”
"Don't be ridiculous," Rory snapped. "You're not wandering off after we got what we all needed."
"Dude, where are you gonna go??" Loren frowned. "As far as we know, the only thing at the end of the other maintenance tunnel is a dead end."
This was exactly what you were worried about. You didn’t have time to argue. If anyone could get them to calm down, it was Kenni… Maybe you could somehow use the bracelet's magic to convey that. You instinctively brought it to your heart.
The talisman lit up in a soft blue glow again. It started emanating with five tendrils of magic, swirling gracefully through the air, making contact with everyone’s chest and disappearing in a sparkly flourish. Everyone in that moment became completely calm.
“I see…” Grace sighed and stepped forward to give you a hug. “Well then… Just be careful, honey.”
Rory rubbed his brow. "I think you're nuts. But...If you feel like it's the right move, then I'm not gonna stop you." He gave a soft smile and patted your shoulder. "Just know that you're always welcome here if you change your mind."
After you said your goodbyes, you headed down the opposite end of the maintenance tunnels, coming across a single unlocked door. Opening it revealed… Another long hallway with eerie, boring white walls. Great. Maybe this was a stupid idea.
But something caught your eye, laying on the floor in the distance: something small and blue.
Closing the door behind you, you made your way closer. It was a fancy, wooden blue paintbrush with gold trim. it matched the journal, and the computer tower. There appeared to be some kind of inscription on the handle. You picked it up to try and see if you could read it…
You gasped with a start when you landed on your feet. The paintbrush promptly vanished from your hand. The walls around you were still stark white, but you now stood in what looked like a huge, empty art gallery. There were small and large canvases and pedestals, most of which were illuminated by the soft warm glow of spotlights. A couple empty sections of wall had small ladders and step-stools set up in front of them. It felt very… Serene. Lonely, of course, but it somehow gave you the same comfort as huddling up in a chair at a library.
Your thoughts were interrupted by the quiet tap of footsteps on the hardwood.
A humanoid figure strolled into view. They appeared to be a tall young man, though it was hard to tell for sure, given their entire body emanated a soft glow and they had no visible face. He wore suede pants with a classy sweater and matching hat, using an ornate wooden cane.
You gave a friendly, but cautious wave to him. "Hello…"
He simply gave a bow.
"Is this your... gallery?"
He nodded.
"Oh, well uh, it's...Nice?"
"Quite, isn't it?" He finally spoke, strolling closer to you. "A testament to many creative minds that have passed through these halls." He had a warm, polite voice, and his overall aura was very soft and welcoming. A bit like the Dark Sovereign.
He wandered over to a nearby empty pedestal. "Ahh, one of my favorites."
He responded to your perplexed expression with a soft chuckle. "You can't see it, can you? Maybe one of these days, a Wanderer will be able to see what I see..." He drifted off, looking outward to the gallery with an aloof stance. "The creative endeavors of many are captured here." He walked up to one of the large nearby canvases, giving it a tap with his cane. It rippled and flickered with color, before a painted image flickered into view; an impressionist painting of a pond, surrounded by flowers and waterfowl.
“Oh wow…!” Your eyes lit up.
He demonstrated with a few other canvases and pedestals, revealing ceramic works that moved as if they were alive, mixed-media pieces that shifted and spun like cogs inside of a clock, and photographs of seasons and environments that emanated with the smells associated with spring, summer and autumn.
"Would you like to add your painting as well?" He turned his attention back to you. He manifested a palette and a variety of paintbrushes in his hand, and a large bucket of white paint in the other.
"Oh-! Well, sure...!" Was this a test of some kind? You took the brushes from him, he summoned up a palette for you and pointed out an empty patch next to the pond painting.
“Try it out. Perhaps start with a flower. The paint will see your mind’s desire and shift accordingly.”
You nodded, focusing your mind on the thought of your favorite type of flower. Dipping your brush in the bucket, you watched in curiosity as it did, indeed, shift to the various colors needed. As you made your paint strokes, the flower lit up with vibrancy and movement, as if it was blowing in a pleasant breeze. It started to lift itself off of the canvas, flowing and twirling in the air like a pinwheel. Your eyes lit up in awe. “Whoa… That’s so cool… I sure wish my art could always do this, heh.”
The Artist chuckled. “This doesn’t often happen, you know. Pulling a subject out from its canvas is a mark of a truly passionate heart. You should feel proud.”
“....” Something suddenly dawned on you. A crazy idea.
“You said… I can paint anything, right? Does that include people that I know? Would it bring them here?”
He shrugged. “Given that they are residing within the confines of our world, it's very possible. Just... Please don't paint a dangerous entity. I don’t need any brutish beasts causing wanton destruction in my gallery.”
You felt your breath quickening. That’s it!! That’s how I can get him back!! You frantically climbed up a nearby stool. Your palette traded out its floral hues for black, orange, yellow, and shades of red.
You began painting Ragaeli to the best of your ability, starting with his head. It wasn't perfect, but the magic of the paintbrushes aided the process, filling out your linework as you went along.
Curious..." The Artist watched you work, tilting his head. "Is this an entity from your world?"
"Yes and no. Just watch." You were in too much of a hurry to explain anything. But you also didn't rush it too much. Heaven forbid your friend get stuck looking like Doodlebob.
As you began to paint in his striped neck and part of his jester collar hanging off of his bare shoulders, something happened. The painting winked at you. And then, his massive palms manifested and slammed against the wall from the inside of the canvas.
"RAGS?! Ragman, that's you, right?! Can you hear me??"
He didn't answer, instead reeling his head back. You hurried off of the stool and stepped back, just in time for him to headbutt the wall as hard as he could, breaking right through the canvas and drywall and staggering on his feet. His jester top had only partially manifested, torn to shreds and revealing his midriff. He was still wearing his tattered black shorts.
The Artist jumped back in shock. “My stars–!!”
“RAGS!!” You immediately tackled the Nightmare to hug him tight.
He scooped you up to give you a spin and a noogie, followed by a scribble of fingers to your side and belly. “HAHA– I told ya you’re a clever one!!”
You squealed from his quick tickle-attack, beaming up at him, feeling tears well to your eyes. “I–I’m SO glad it worked!! I was so scared we wouldn’t see each other again! I thought those plants might’ve killed you!!”
His giddy giggles died down into dry chuckles. “Heheh, yeah, well… They gave it their best shot.” He backed up from you. It was only then you noticed the third-degree burn scars covering his body.
You gasped in horror and covered your mouth. “Oh my god…"
He stood upright, folding his arms behind his head - instantly wincing and dropping them down again, looking at the burn across his peach-fuzz stripes. “Hhhhh… I can’t heal this shit. Tinkerbell couldn't either... Ah well. 'Least I'm still in one piece."
You still frowned in worry. “Rags, what happened? What did you do after we got separated?? You met the Nymph?”
He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Yeahh, she was a little pissed about me chopping her garden into salad, but she agreed to try and help me if I healed them. Said she couldn't do the same for me." He ruffled your hair. "Just don't worry about it, alright? I’m not gonna let a little sunburn stop me from getting you outta–”
His eyes suddenly went wide as saucers when he saw your wrist. He yanked your arm forward to gawk at the bangle that Kenni had given you. “KENNI–!! How?!” he brushed a finger over the Dream deity’s sigil with surprising tenderness, as if he didn’t fully believe he was touching it.
“He was able to get through to me before we met back up,” you explained. “He tried to reach out to you, but said that he was being blocked off from you…”
“My sincerest pardon,” the Artist finally spoke up, cautiously approaching. “But who… What, are you?”
Rags turned his attention away from your bangle to smirk at the man. “The best nightmare you’ll ever have~” he winked. “Say, don’t suppose you know how to get to the Hub from here?”
“...I’m surprised you know of the Hub… Why do you ask?”
“We need to find the Keymaster,” you added. “We’ve been told that he’s the only one who could help us get back to my world."
The Artist seemed to stiffen at the mention of that name. “...I see… Well…I’m afraid I can’t simply let you through without clearance.” He loosened back up, sounding apologetic. “The Hub is the heart of this dimension, the means to gain entry to almost every other Level…”
Rags narrowed his gaze, slumping over and looming over the Artist. “I. Don’t. Have. Time for this,” he growled out each word slowly. “We don’t have time for this. My friend needs to get back home, and that slippery little weasel is apparently the only shot we have!!”
The Artist stepped back and held his hands up defensively, intimidated by the monster. “Th-that is understandable, truly, b-but I have strict orders to–”
With a snap of the fingers, the man was suspended in midair.
You felt a grin come to your face, knowing what was about to come next.
The Artist tried desperately to tug and wriggle free from the red aura holding him in place. "Y-You brute!! Release me at once!!"
Rags chuckled devilishly. "Relaaax, I ain't gonna hurt ya. I'm just gonna show you why everyone has been surrendering to me left and right~" He cracked his knuckles, wiggling his fingers at the man. "You aren't ticklish, are you?”
The entity froze up. "I… Don't actually know? W-Why do you ask...?"
The Nightmare smiled wider in glee. "Ooohoho, even better! Let's find out then~!" Instead of immediately diving in with his hands, he summoned up a palette and paintbrushes of his own, hopping up into the air like he was sitting on an invisible stool. A beret appeared on his head. "Quite the nice gallery ya got here, lots of great talent! How 'bout we make you the next Mona Lisa?"
"W-What do you mean??"
The monster smirked. Small pools of red "paint" appeared on his palette; condensed, liquid-like clumps of his magic, He dipped his brush in, twirled it in the air for a moment, before bringing it up to the Artist's belly, starting to scribble and stroke and drag it in circles. The red energy transferred ticklish sparks all up and down the man's torso.
The poor Artist immediately went wild, howling out with startled laughter. "GYAAH-HAHAHA!! OH MY HEHEHEAVENS!!" He wiggled back and forth like a flailing fish, shaking his head.
The Nightmare giggled. "Oooh, looks like this canvas takes to my paint pretty well~! Let's try some other techniques. How about some pointilism?" He started giving rapid-fire pokes with the brush tip, all up and down the man's belly, sneaking up to his sides and armpits, crossing over to the other side.
"YIEEE-HEHEHEH OH P-PLEHEHEHEASE NOOOHOHOHO!!" He whined, his body jolting and shivering and trying to shrink in on itself.
The Nightmare's shitty, playful smirk never left his face. "Hehehe, I didn't know I was gonna have a performing art piece~! What a musical canvas!" He giggled. He summoned up another brush, dipping it in his magic 'paint' and making it join the fray, alternating both brushes up and down the Artist's sides. "Tiiickletickletickle! Keep dancing for me, it adds a lot of character to the brush strokes~"
You shivered, feeling a blush rise to your cheeks. You sure missed the brat's teasy playfulness.
He picked up on your thoughts. You knew the moment he glanced over at you with his devilish gaze that you were about to be his next 'masterpiece.' "R-Raags, don't you even-" Within a moment, you were restrained next to the Artist. You squeaked and bit your lip, already smiling and trying not to giggle.
"Come now, I've gotta reward you for a job well done in bringing me back~" He winked. This time, his hair tendrils rose up, morphing their tips into paintbrush bristles. "Y'know, I've always been partial to impressionism, lotsa chaotic little strokes of color working together to make something whole~" With that, all of the brushes started stroking, swiping and twirling over your belly button, sides, hips, underarms...Just about anywhere they could reach. Yours and the Artist's shoes were pulled off, to which the man started squealing and pleading and shaking his head. But the bristles started to circle over his pale soles and heels, sawing between his toes. "NOOO-AAHAHAHA!! Oh my staaahahahars!! P-Pleehehehease!!" He whined, trying desperately to curl his toes.
Likewise, you were quickly reduced to hearty laughter, shivering from the onslaught of brushes... Loving every moment. After the harrowing perils you faced, you definitely earned a good wrecking.
The tickle monster continued his "painting" session for a good ten minutes, occasionally licking his lips, forming his fingers into a frame, giving a chefs'-kiss gesture, joking about painting 'happy little trees'. He finally pulled back to allow you both the chance to breathe. And to toss his beret away. That was a new record for keeping a hat on. "Not bad, not bad, I think we've all had some great painting lessons today~! But y'know, my favorite painter is Jackson Pollock. Dude got real wild with his canvases. Just imagine, aaalll those hundreds of paint splatters, really workin' over that canvas~" He snickered evilly.
Ohh lord no. You could definitely imagine it. So could the Artist, who seemed totally flustered and giggle-drunk from the attention. "N-Now nowhehehehe l-let's not get too c-carried awahahahay...!"
This time, Ragaeli lunged his tendrils out toward the air above both of you, rapidly leaving streaks, 'splashes' and hasty strokes in the air, creating a very Pollock-like mess of intertwined magic, crackling and buzzing like a plasma ball.
He leaned in close to the Artist. "Laaast chance~ Let us into the Hub or you'll be my new Magnum Opus~"
The man trembled. "I-I... I wont succumb to your threats..!" He tried to puff out his chest.
"Suit yourself~" Rags chuckled deviously. With a wave of his hand, the entire field of magic came down on both of you.
And both of you howled and shrieked with laughter, your bodies flooded from head to toe with the ticklish onslaught. It felt unbearable, but amazing. You didn't realize how much you missed this absolute rush. "YIEEEE-HEHEHEHE RAAAHAHAHAHAGS!! STAAAHAHAHAP!!"
"GAAAH-HAHAHAHA!! OKAHAHAHAY!! OKAAAYY!! I YIEHIHIELD, I YIELD!!" The man cried out desperately.
With another flick of the Nightmare's hand, the magic dissipated, lowering you both to the floor. The Artist doubled over backwards, having to catch himself with his cane before he fell to the floor. He slumped forward, clutching his belly, panting for breath. "That... is c-certainly a...unique power..." He cleared his throat, standing upright. "If that's how you intend to contend with our Keymaster, that ought to be a rather... amusing confrontation," he chuckled. "I'm not supposed to do this, but you've both thoroughly impressed me. And you've...Given me a rather exciting new experience," he chuckled a little sheepishly.
"That's what I'm here for~" Rags winked. "If I can't beat 'em, I'll just tickle 'em into submission," he snickered.
The Artist cleared his throat again, straightening out his sweater and hat. "In any case... Come." He beckoned toward the very back wall. Once he approached, he tapped his cane to the wall. The wallpaper peeled itself down and away, revealing a door. And that door opened up to a massive, cylindrical tunnel, much like a subway station, or a tunnel underneath a mountain. It stretched as far as the eye could see, dimly illuminated by warm yellow fluorescents.
"I warn you..." The artist turned to both of you, his tone growing firm. "The Keymaster is not an easy man to bargain with. ...He has his reasons, however. Carrying the weight of the world on one's shoulders is prone to give them an over-bloated sense of pride and obligation." He 'looked' you both over. "But such a unique duo might intrigue him. You've stubbornness, and cleverness; you're driven toward your purpose. I believe he'll quite respect that."
Ragaeli scoffed. "I'm not here to earn his respect. Bastard's been running scared ever since he started stalking us around."
"Thank you," you quickly spoke up, taking the Artist's hand to shake it. "Really. This means a lot."
After saying farewell to the Artist, you both crossed the threshold into the Hub. A sense of accomplishment welled up in you... But a sense of uncertainty still loomed over your head. You had no idea what to expect. Was the Keymaster a vengeful god? Was it just a matter of talking things out? Was it all just a big misunderstanding?
And why did everything keep pointing to signs of the Nightmare's demise?
There was no going back now. It was time to end this hellish adventure for good.
Art Museum ("Creative Minds") : https://sta.sh/01m1r2z7bl57
Insert obligatory apology for this chapter being so late, life got in the way, Muse wasn't cooperating, etc. etc.
Truthfully I rewrote this chapter about three times. 🙃 I knew I wanted Y/N teaming up with other wanderers while separated from Rags; it was a matter of trying to figure out how to make it compelling and not convoluted.
I honestly also used this chapter as an outlet to vent a lot of my personal struggles with depression. It really re-surfaced this year, after months of dealing with crippling anxiety. A few of my friends have also really been going through it. As a whole we're all just... So fed up with shit.
A cookie to those who can figure out what these five other characters are meant to represent 👍
A couple of the settings are actually based off of dreams I had. One was wandering through a mine shaft that led to different rooms. The chasm was a very creepy dream where I lowered myself down with a pulley into a round parking garage; I got swiped by a huge shadow-monster before being startled awake. And the maintenance tunnels are based directly off of where I work: a huge vacation resort with an entire underground maintenance basement that gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I have to go down there.
We're finally in end-game territory; the next chapter will be the penultimate chapter. I'm hell-bent on getting it posted by the end of this month, so stay tuned!
Just ideas about nation’s thoughts on religion. I always thought it was interesting because they aren’t human, and so for nations the question is always, do the same rules or faiths that apply to our people apply to us? Where does a soul that represents millions of souls fit in the picture?
**Trigger warning for existentialism and religion, death mention.**
Note: These are my personal headcanons for the nations as I write them. I only commented on nations with Christian religious backgrounds cause that’s all I can speak for. Some concepts of Christianity I wanted to explore are 1) a universe which was designed 2) an active God who intercedes for humans and who can be spoken to directly through prayer 3) a moral standard set with consequences if not followed. So my thoughts here are mainly on the nations’ views on these elements as it applies to them. If I were to write in detail about concepts from other religions, I could not do them justice.
--
Estonia: Staunch atheist. Eduard is more atheist than most atheists. He categorically rejects the concept of a God, gods, spirits, the afterlife, or anything which cannot be explained by hard science. If he can’t see it explained, he doesn’t believe in it. He is also ready to defend and share these beliefs passionately with anyone willing (or unwilling) to listen.
Lithuania: Liet is a deist. Influenced by both pagan and Catholic beliefs, he believes that there is likely a god who created the universe, or gods who inhabit the universe, but that they don’t intercede on behalf of humans (or nations) to change the course of fate. Liet thinks humans have basically been left to themselves to figure it out. He’s not sure about an afterlife but he knows it’s important for humans to have that concept for peace of mind, so he respects that view. Liet doesn’t pray (not earnestly; if he does it’s for show and he thinks it won’t make a difference) and doesn’t feel a need to repent because he doesn't answer to an active god.
Latvia: Raivis is a practicing Protestant Christian. He’s pretty quiet about this because it’s not as common for nations and he’s not out to ruffle any feathers. He’s very aware of his role as a public political figure and so keeps his faith private; he prays a lot and occasionally goes to church. He meets with a group of old ladies from his neighborhood and they pray together and eat pastries and gossip about their grandchildren.
Poland: Feliks is Catholic to his core. He believes in a God, he knows the Bible inside and out, but he also knows that he doesn’t measure up to some of the stuff in there, and so is plagued with “Catholic guilt.” He prays when in a pinch which usually starts out with “So look, I know I messed up and I’m really sorry but please...” “Hey it’s me again, yeah I know I’m terrible now onto the important stuff...” He has a love-hate relationship with it because Catholicism is so important to being Polish, but the church has hurt him a lot and has caused him a lot of self-doubt. Feliks might appear more carefree than most nations, but he can only go so long pretending not to care before it catches up to him and he has to rush to confess to a priest.
Prussia: Gilbert’s beliefs probably come close to Feliks’s. He’s a Protestant but he is very positive that he is going to hell, or the nation version of it. He’s sat through a million sermons about forgiveness and grace, but he just can’t believe that it would apply to someone like him. He spent a lot of his life as a kid trying to be a good Christian, but at some point the bubble was broken and he had to face the person he was and the things he had done. His relationship with God is one of a sad acceptance. He might even say that God is more likely to forgive him, than he is to forgive himself. (which gets you halfway there, but he gets stuck on ‘but not enough grace for me’) He and Raivis have had a lot of conversations about this, and it’s actually a really strong point in their friendship. Gilbert sometimes prays, but it is usually on behalf of his people or Ludwig, and not for himself.
Germany: Poor Ludwig does not have it easy when it comes to religion. He already deals with a lot of guilt and self-imposed perfectionism without thinking of judgement day. Gilbert has known this about his little brother and so has never really pushed religion hard on him, saying it has to be Ludwig’s free choice. I think for Ludwig, it’s easier to just not think about, so he might be agnostic. He’s hesitant to just explain it all away with science and reason, because a part of him is afraid that it’s true and that if it is true, he’s in trouble. So the way he reconciles this, is the belief that the most you can do in this world is to do your best: work hard, and put your best foot forward. He wishes he could just dump religion on the humans and not think it applies to him, but he has never really made peace with that concept.
England: Arthur holds a common nation belief, which is that God is real, but that nations fall outside of God’s purview. He has seen what faith has done for his people, healings and miracles, etc, so he believes it’s real to them, but doesn’t believe that nations are beholden to the same rules or religious requirements. In that sense, he might also believe that different gods could be real to different people and/or cultures. Arthur might pray ceremoniously when it is required of him, but wouldn’t say that he has a relationship with God or that he expects anything to happen when he asks.
France: I think the best way to describe France’s faith is agnostic. How can we possibly know that there is God, or that there is just one? And why should we care? Just live your life! France enjoys each and every moment to its fullest and the idea of taking those moments to a divine being for approval or the moral thumbs-up is unthinkable to him. If God is real, he would love me because I am a beautiful specimen and I enjoy all the things he has created! What a better way to show your appreciation than to experience as many things as you can, as often as you can! France believes everyone should do this, it doesn’t matter your religion, it will all work out in the end because even if there is no afterlife, you lived your best while you were here.
America: Religion is a tricky subject for a nation with so much religion written into the fabric of its founding and its politics. I feel like Alfred goes back and forth on this one, because he’s seen the damage which the church has done culturally and politically, but he also has seen its positive effects and has been close with many influential Christian American leaders. He struggles a lot with doubt. More than anything, Alfred is a science guy. He loves knowing how things work and how they are explained. This both pushes and pulls him towards religion; when he looks at the stars he thinks of a Creator, when he’s splitting an atom he thinks of the atom’s design, but when he opens the Bible or sits in church he asks, “How does this all fit?” He dwells more on the scientific aspect of it than the moral aspect; he sees himself as a hero and a defender of democracy and at the same time knows he’s committed war crimes to get to where he is. So the moral question is crushing and forces Alfred to look at the parts of himself he would rather not; he tends to avoid this one. He can’t bring himself to reach the same level of indifference as Arthur because he wants to be a part of it, if it is real. When he does pray it’s halting and awkward like talking to a person he’s not sure is there, but hoping someone is listening.
Russia: Ivan is also a deist. There must be a God, god did create the universe, then left it to destroy itself. He’s very cynical and tends to see the worst in people, and this carries over to his religion. He also has observed a lot of hypocrisy in his leaders. Ivan had to pretend to have a strong faith for much of his life and it plagued him with guilt and confusion because of the things those Orthodox leaders asked him to do. The atheism that came with Communism was a breath of fresh air for him and he fully embraced it, though it caused pain for a lot of his people. Now his views are more of a combination of both. Ivan sees too much pain in the world to believe that a God could have entered into it to save the humans - and certainly not nations with it. He refuses to pray out of spite, and his leaders no longer ask him to. He might pray when he’s desperate, which amounts to “If you’re there, if you care at all, will you at least do this for me/my people/my family.” His relationship with whom he views as an uncaring God is filled with bitterness.
Ukraine: Katya is a practicing Orthodox Christian (at least, externally; her theology itself is a bit different) Faith has always been a strong way with which she connects to her people. She’s not sure if nations are cut out for the afterlife, but to her that matters much less than getting to experience that spiritual journey with her people. She’s very open-minded and believes everyone has an inherent goodness in them and that God would see that in people, regardless of their denomination or faith. She prays often, for herself, her people, and her family. She loves the mystery of God and is very comfortable with not knowing the answers. (this frustrates her siblings if they ever try to get into a religious debate with her)
Belarus: Natalia is like a... superstitious atheist. She is a very practical person and likes seeing things reasoned through and explained. She, like Ivan, struggles with the idea that a God would allow the world to be as cruel as it is. She views faith as a kind of whitewashing optimism in order to make people feel better about their own purposes in this world. She views it as something that humans need in order to get through some tough times, but not as something that could ever be real, and not something that applies to nations. Natalia does, however, believe in the supernatural (General Winter) and knows there are beings which inhabit this world that cannot be explained. She just doesn’t believe any of them created it, control it, or determine its moral rules, and she certainly never asks them for help.
okay so. i had a few lore thoughts about Piccolino and i knew i had to write them down in an ordered manner somewhere. and my mind went "what if you made a fic about it" and i went "okay sure what if I made a fic about it"
and Good Lord Did I Make A Fic About It
in which the staff of Peppino's Pizza is a positively weird found family and a chili pepper goes through Something
TW: unethical experimentation, injection mentions, light existential talk and a first-person POV of a semi-heavy dissociation episode
The laboratory was as clean and shiny as ever. The monochromatic black floors and white walls shone with an elegant gleam, and the very air
So the Helsmits are corrupted mirrors of the Hermits, right? But who's to say the Helsmits don't have hels versions as well? And who's to say the Hermits aren't unknowingly hels versions of other people? Or what if everyone is all a hels of one unknown person, each just a slight variation off of the last? Or what if that person doesn't exist, and if you go deep enough down the rabbit hole, you'll eventually loop back to find yourself again?
Uhhhh
I mean, maybe? Who’s to say that we all don’t have hels versions?
(@wingsofachampion) What's it like being human? -Tropius
That's... a pretty loaded question, but I can give my take.
The main thing to know about it is that, just like every other living creature on the planet, we're all incredibly different from each other, inside and out.
Some humans live their lives and have an absolutely wonderful time, some are miserable for a very long time, and the majority land somewhere in between.
I'd personally say being human is nice, but it's not the fact that I'm a human that makes me who I am. It's my decisions, thoughts, and actions. I try my best to do good things, but I'm not perfect.
It's just about living, honestly.
On that note, based on what I've seen, I'd say you're pretty human, Tropius. It's pretty cool.
I've endured a lot of hardship this last year. I've lost my mother, 7 kittens, and a dog. But my mom left me one last lesson before she passed. "Celebrate while you're here"
There are some people who don't celebrate their birthdays. Maybe there is some trauma surrounding it. Maybe you don't like it when people pay attention to you. Maybe you don't like being gifted things without the expectation of reciprocation. Maybe you just don't give it any importance.
But I want to ask everyone who does that a question. What does "not celebrating" give you? The satisfaction of not rocking the boat? Of not troubling anyone? Of not bringing up a sordid past? I used to do the same thing. My birthday was just another day except I maybe got a pizza. But when my mother passed, I had an epiphany.
A birthday isn't something for you to celebrate. It is for other people to celebrate YOU. It's not something someone does out of obligation, but of their own free will. Because they want to. They want to celebrate the fact that YOU are here, YOU mean something to people, and YOU matter to them. I know it's not easy, to put yourself out there. But I encourage you all, PLEASE, let people celebrate you while you're here. Because one day, the person people might want to celebrate most might not be here. My mother didn't make a big deal of her birthdays. She was a mom for whom the greatest gift of all was having her children close. I put on the happiest face I could for her as she was slowly torn away from me, and I still wish I could do more.
If you don’t want a party? That’s fine. If you don’t want a big party? ABSOLUTELY FINE. I certainly don’t. Celebrate however you’re comfortable. Let people say happy birthday, let people give you a small gift if they want to. Don’t let the “just another day” mentality drag you down. Because it’s not just another day. It’s a day with you in it. And that’s worth celebrating.
So, to anyone reading this. Those who like their birthdays, those who don't, and everyone in between. I want you to know. I will celebrate your birthday. I will celebrate EVERYONE'S birthday. Maybe not all huge, but I will always pour my heart and soul into showing you I care, and I'm glad you're in my life. I will take every opportunity I can to celebrate what I've got in life every chance I get. Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, I DO NOT CARE.
Because my life, and the people in it, are precious. And that means you too.
