The Alternate @the-offical-alternate - Tumblr Blog

Hey, are ya still glitchin'? If so, can we try somethin'? A lil' anon magic.

l-legitamitely forgo-go-got about my ex-is-tence for a long time so sure go for i-i-it

Whatever you said didn't reach us. It got beeped. Can you phrase it differently maybe??

I-I thi-i-ink the-e-e reason th-a-t I’m do-o-oing thi-is is be-e-cause of [REDACTED. DO NOT PRY FURTHER.]

Well that's not good. Uh, do you know why you're glitching? What were you doing?

I wa-wa-was ju-u-ust wal-al-king, and the-en I started gli-i-itching.

I-I-I thin-n-k I kno-o-ow wh-h-y thi-is is ha-ppening

I-It-‘s be-cause o-of [BEEEEP]

How to make what stop? What's happening to ya?

I-I-It feels-s-s li-i-ke I’m gli-i-itchin-n-g

Hey-ey-ey guy-y-y-s

Does a-anybo-o-ody know how to-o make thi-i-is sto-o-o-p?

Happy holidays.

[Three painted wooden figurines of a Carrion Crow, a Little Crow and a House Crow drop onto the nearest flat surface.]

Oh woow

I like birds!

Thanks or something.

Be nice, Red. He loves it, thank you.

do not open til christmas

*a box. inside is a jack skellington doll* 🔍

YOOOOOOO

Thanks

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.

Wow. You can walk. Impressive.

[Their voice was as dry as the Sahara Desert.]

Let's test your mental capabilities then. Just a couple of simple questions. Firstly, what's your name?

[They weren't just testing if the Alternate could think properly. They were also testing if they can access their old memories, as well as their new ones. Also, wasn't this actor a system or something?]

[Oh, that was easy! Their name was…uh. Two. No? Red…? No….Rayne, yes! No. The Alternate. No..! Uh…..why couldn’t they remember?]

Psh, easy question. My name issss….

[Fuck uh. fuck. Rrrrrrudy! Rudy. Rudeus.]

My name is Rudy.

You hesitated. Quite a bit. Which leads me to believe that something isn't right. So, another question.

[Did they not remember or did they just not want to tell me?]

[Eight sighed, leaning back onto the wall. The adrenaline that they've used up in the last four hours or so finally came back to bite them in the ass. Their legs felt like jello.]

Where did you live before Showfall?

Oh easy. I lived in an apartment with my mom!

[Thats what you think. Remember the flashes of memories forgotten.]

[Rudy looks at Eight kind of quizzically.] Are you able to walk?

Duh. Obviously. I'm not the one who just had their lower jaw missing a couple hours ago. How the hell did you even manage to tear the damn thing off?

[Eight rolled their eyes- rolling their head slightly so that the roll was actually visible with the mask.]

Whatever. Doesn't matter. How are your, uh.. friends? Alters? Whatever it's called, the guys who live in your head.

I ripped the old Hero mask off. Thing was sewed to my face, I think.

[Rudy shifts his weight from one side to the other.]

They’re….alright.

It wasn't sewn onto your face, it was attached via magnets implanted into your jawbone. And no, they're not there anymore.

[Eight hummed at the response.]

Somehow I doubt that. You're lying to me.

[They stood up straighter and crossed their arms. Their voice became more stern.]

Well, you’d think the answer would be obvious. Stupid questions get stupid answers.

[Rudy makes some animated gestures during the sentence. They could feel the familiar fuzz of Rayne creeping into front.]

So, yeah. Not alright.

[Eight pushed away from the wall as soon as they felt like they could stand and walk properly again. They turned their head upwards, almost as if challenging Rudy.]

Okay, clarification then. They are still there? Turning the device off didn't fix you?

[It probably sounded rude, but it was true. Eight thought that these personality breaks were caused by the mask but apparently not. A shame.]

Yep.

[Short and to the point, Rudy thought. Yeah, they were still here, just not as present as they were.]

[Eight grew a lot more quiet all of a sudden. Their hands were shaking, so they hid them in their pockets.]

Great. Then I'm leaving. Don't you fucking dare tell anybody else about me. Or I won't hesitate to find you and bash your jaw in the same position that I found it in, a couple of meters away.

[And just like this, they left.]

#genlosers do rp #rudy rambles #and scene

I…oh? Okay. Bye I guess.

[Rudy walks out as well.]

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.

Wow. You can walk. Impressive.

[Their voice was as dry as the Sahara Desert.]

Let's test your mental capabilities then. Just a couple of simple questions. Firstly, what's your name?

[They weren't just testing if the Alternate could think properly. They were also testing if they can access their old memories, as well as their new ones. Also, wasn't this actor a system or something?]

[Oh, that was easy! Their name was…uh. Two. No? Red…? No….Rayne, yes! No. The Alternate. No..! Uh…..why couldn’t they remember?]

Psh, easy question. My name issss….

[Fuck uh. fuck. Rrrrrrudy! Rudy. Rudeus.]

My name is Rudy.

You hesitated. Quite a bit. Which leads me to believe that something isn't right. So, another question.

[Did they not remember or did they just not want to tell me?]

[Eight sighed, leaning back onto the wall. The adrenaline that they've used up in the last four hours or so finally came back to bite them in the ass. Their legs felt like jello.]

Where did you live before Showfall?

Oh easy. I lived in an apartment with my mom!

[Thats what you think. Remember the flashes of memories forgotten.]

[Rudy looks at Eight kind of quizzically.] Are you able to walk?

Duh. Obviously. I'm not the one who just had their lower jaw missing a couple hours ago. How the hell did you even manage to tear the damn thing off?

[Eight rolled their eyes- rolling their head slightly so that the roll was actually visible with the mask.]

Whatever. Doesn't matter. How are your, uh.. friends? Alters? Whatever it's called, the guys who live in your head.

I ripped the old Hero mask off. Thing was sewed to my face, I think.

[Rudy shifts his weight from one side to the other.]

They’re….alright.

It wasn't sewn onto your face, it was attached via magnets implanted into your jawbone. And no, they're not there anymore.

[Eight hummed at the response.]

Somehow I doubt that. You're lying to me.

[They stood up straighter and crossed their arms. Their voice became more stern.]

Well, you’d think the answer would be obvious. Stupid questions get stupid answers.

[Rudy makes some animated gestures during the sentence. They could feel the familiar fuzz of Rayne creeping into front.]

So, yeah. Not alright.

[Eight pushed away from the wall as soon as they felt like they could stand and walk properly again. They turned their head upwards, almost as if challenging Rudy.]

Okay, clarification then. They are still there? Turning the device off didn't fix you?

[It probably sounded rude, but it was true. Eight thought that these personality breaks were caused by the mask but apparently not. A shame.]

Yep.

[Short and to the point, Rudy thought. Yeah, they were still here, just not as present as they were.]

#genlosers do rp

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.

Wow. You can walk. Impressive.

[Their voice was as dry as the Sahara Desert.]

Let's test your mental capabilities then. Just a couple of simple questions. Firstly, what's your name?

[They weren't just testing if the Alternate could think properly. They were also testing if they can access their old memories, as well as their new ones. Also, wasn't this actor a system or something?]

[Oh, that was easy! Their name was…uh. Two. No? Red…? No….Rayne, yes! No. The Alternate. No..! Uh…..why couldn’t they remember?]

Psh, easy question. My name issss….

[Fuck uh. fuck. Rrrrrrudy! Rudy. Rudeus.]

My name is Rudy.

You hesitated. Quite a bit. Which leads me to believe that something isn't right. So, another question.

[Did they not remember or did they just not want to tell me?]

[Eight sighed, leaning back onto the wall. The adrenaline that they've used up in the last four hours or so finally came back to bite them in the ass. Their legs felt like jello.]

Where did you live before Showfall?

Oh easy. I lived in an apartment with my mom!

[Thats what you think. Remember the flashes of memories forgotten.]

[Rudy looks at Eight kind of quizzically.] Are you able to walk?

Duh. Obviously. I'm not the one who just had their lower jaw missing a couple hours ago. How the hell did you even manage to tear the damn thing off?

[Eight rolled their eyes- rolling their head slightly so that the roll was actually visible with the mask.]

Whatever. Doesn't matter. How are your, uh.. friends? Alters? Whatever it's called, the guys who live in your head.

I ripped the old Hero mask off. Thing was sewed to my face, I think.

[Rudy shifts his weight from one side to the other.]

They’re….alright.

It wasn't sewn onto your face, it was attached via magnets implanted into your jawbone. And no, they're not there anymore.

[Eight hummed at the response.]

Somehow I doubt that. You're lying to me.

[They stood up straighter and crossed their arms. Their voice became more stern.]

Well, you’d think the answer would be obvious. Stupid questions get stupid answers.

[Rudy makes some animated gestures during the sentence. They could feel the familiar fuzz of Rayne creeping into front.]

So, yeah. Not alright.

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.

Wow. You can walk. Impressive.

[Their voice was as dry as the Sahara Desert.]

Let's test your mental capabilities then. Just a couple of simple questions. Firstly, what's your name?

[They weren't just testing if the Alternate could think properly. They were also testing if they can access their old memories, as well as their new ones. Also, wasn't this actor a system or something?]

[Oh, that was easy! Their name was…uh. Two. No? Red…? No….Rayne, yes! No. The Alternate. No..! Uh…..why couldn’t they remember?]

Psh, easy question. My name issss….

[Fuck uh. fuck. Rrrrrrudy! Rudy. Rudeus.]

My name is Rudy.

You hesitated. Quite a bit. Which leads me to believe that something isn't right. So, another question.

[Did they not remember or did they just not want to tell me?]

[Eight sighed, leaning back onto the wall. The adrenaline that they've used up in the last four hours or so finally came back to bite them in the ass. Their legs felt like jello.]

Where did you live before Showfall?

Oh easy. I lived in an apartment with my mom!

[Thats what you think. Remember the flashes of memories forgotten.]

[Rudy looks at Eight kind of quizzically.] Are you able to walk?

Duh. Obviously. I'm not the one who just had their lower jaw missing a couple hours ago. How the hell did you even manage to tear the damn thing off?

[Eight rolled their eyes- rolling their head slightly so that the roll was actually visible with the mask.]

Whatever. Doesn't matter. How are your, uh.. friends? Alters? Whatever it's called, the guys who live in your head.

I ripped the old Hero mask off. Thing was sewed to my face, I think.

[Rudy shifts his weight from one side to the other.]

They’re….alright.

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.

Wow. You can walk. Impressive.

[Their voice was as dry as the Sahara Desert.]

Let's test your mental capabilities then. Just a couple of simple questions. Firstly, what's your name?

[They weren't just testing if the Alternate could think properly. They were also testing if they can access their old memories, as well as their new ones. Also, wasn't this actor a system or something?]

[Oh, that was easy! Their name was…uh. Two. No? Red…? No….Rayne, yes! No. The Alternate. No..! Uh…..why couldn’t they remember?]

Psh, easy question. My name issss….

[Fuck uh. fuck. Rrrrrrudy! Rudy. Rudeus.]

My name is Rudy.

You hesitated. Quite a bit. Which leads me to believe that something isn't right. So, another question.

[Did they not remember or did they just not want to tell me?]

[Eight sighed, leaning back onto the wall. The adrenaline that they've used up in the last four hours or so finally came back to bite them in the ass. Their legs felt like jello.]

Where did you live before Showfall?

Oh easy. I lived in an apartment with my mom!

[Thats what you think. Remember the flashes of memories forgotten.]

[Rudy looks at Eight kind of quizzically.] Are you able to walk?

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.

Wow. You can walk. Impressive.

[Their voice was as dry as the Sahara Desert.]

Let's test your mental capabilities then. Just a couple of simple questions. Firstly, what's your name?

[They weren't just testing if the Alternate could think properly. They were also testing if they can access their old memories, as well as their new ones. Also, wasn't this actor a system or something?]

[Oh, that was easy! Their name was…uh. Two. No? Red…? No….Rayne, yes! No. The Alternate. No..! Uh…..why couldn’t they remember?]

Psh, easy question. My name issss….

[Fuck uh. fuck. Rrrrrrudy! Rudy. Rudeus.]

My name is Rudy.

haha, i think we’re dying. but thats okay! rudy always bounces back!

not this time.

but we’re supposed to stay alive! that’s our job!

now our job is to be dead, rayne.

….oh no.

rudy can get through it!

mm-mm. not this time. theyre not a hero.

they’re nothing but a scared little kid.

[Disconnected.]

[Eight froze as they saw Rudy pass out on the cameras. If any death will be traced back to them then they'll be..]

[I have to help. I need to. I have to survive.]

[The ex-drone got up and ran.]

Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late-

[Eight kept muttering to themselves as they finally got to the room. Thank g- the drones were still mostly broken.]

[Rudy lay unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and mouth—what was left of it, of course—agape. Muscle tissue and veins were visible, and there was blood everywhere. The discarded mask was tossed aside, the missing skin stuck to it like glue.]

Fuck.

[Eight came up to the body and out two fingers up to their neck, checking for a pulse. None. They decidedly closed the stranger's eyelids so that Rudy wouldn't look at them while Eight carried the corpse. The ex-drone picked up the body, not particularly caring about the blood or gore. They've seen their fair share of that.]

[Eight speedwalked to the repair room, the one that was not occupied, mentally mapping out the route to avoid anybody else as they did.]

[Soon enough Eight reached the room. It's okay. They had plenty of time before the corpse becomes unusable. They can do this.]

[In the next quarter of an hour, the Alternate was already in the machine and hooked up in all of the right places. Eight pressed the button and the process started.]

[And so they waited.]

[After—seemingly—hours, the Alternate starts to stir, their chest rising and falling shakily.]

“…..not again. Please let me just stay asleep…”

"Sometimes you have to keep living whether you want to or not."

[Eight got up from the chair on which they dosed off while waiting for Rudy to wake up. They came up closer to Rudy and unplugged them from the machine, making sure to be there to catch them if their legs give out.]

“Jesus-!”

[Rudy stumbles, both from weakness and surprise at the sudden voice. Who was that? What was—whah—?!]

“Scared the shit outta me.”

Did you think you just woke up by yourself after bleeding out or what? You died, congrats.

[Eight rolled their eyes under the mask. They caught Rudy and carefully put them down onto the chair they were just sitting on. Why the hell is there a singular chair in this whole fucking repair room?]

Now, an important question. Do you want to be free?

Again??

[Rudy blinks. Free? From here?]

Yeah…I do.

Great. Then just.. try to not freak out too much, would you? Just wait while I set everything up.

[Eight jumped up onto the table and tried to make themselves comfortable. They were doing this, apparently. It was an impulsive decision. But perhaps the anons won't torture them any longer if they free Rudy. Perhaps they can get something out of this.]

You're gonna hear a beep.

[As Eight finally found the right wavelength, Rudy heard a beep. Eight managed to access their device.]

[Eight skimmed through the code for a couple of minutes, checking if Rudy's body at all would be damaged at all if the device was to be turned off. Seems like luckily, the answer was no or not gravely at least.]

[In one blink they've selected all of the code and erased it from existence. Then they looked up to see Rudy's reaction.]

[Rudys mind felt strange. They were semi conscious as to where they were, and they knew where they were, they just….extra memories were added on top of it.

No. Not again. Are they back in the lab?]

Am….what…am I back in the…..what….who..?

[They slowly start to hyperventilate.]

[Eight would roll their eyes at them panicking if they had the time to. But they didn't. So they got off of the table and stepped closer to Rudy.]

Hey, hey hey hey- look at me.

[They snapped their fingers, trying to get the Alternate's attention. Their voice stayed neutral, as steady as they could force it to be right now, at least.]

You're not back anywhere. You're still in Showfall. I turned your device off so now all of the memories tha you couldn't access should be coming back.

That-that’s the thing! I don’t want these memories! The—ugh!

[The Alternate presses their hands against their eyes, slightly frustrated, but grateful they were free.]

These memories aren’t good ones. Thank you, but I didn’t need these.

I didn't pick and choose which parts of the programming to delete. I deleted all of them. And then blocked your device so nobody, not even the Founder, will be able to add anything anymore. You're uncontrollable now, congrats and shit.

[Eight sounded frustrated. Frustrated at the complaining. They saved this person's life for fuck's sake!]

Figure the rest out yourself. I'm done here.

[If Rudy fucks something up it'll be my fault.]

..or not. Actually I need to make sure that the process went well so guess I'm not leaving after all.

[Eight sighed quietly, turning back towards the newly revived person. They leaned on the doorframe, simply staring them down.]

Kay.

[Rudy stands, shakily.]

I think I’m alright, but uh. yeah. Stay if you want to.

[Eight scoffed.]

You don't look or sound alright.

[They took a step forward, meeting with Rudy face-to-face. Or at least they would've been if Eight wasn't shorter than them by a margin. Dammit.]

You think you can walk?

[Eight sincerely doubted it, but who knows. This guy somehow seemed crazy enough to pull it off. They uncrossed their arms and put them in their pockets instead, for quicker access in case Rudy did fall.]

I can, I’m fine. Promise.

[Rudy? 002? The Alternate steps off the table, standing with all the gracefulness of a drunk baby deer. But the person in front of them didn’t need to know that. But they could see him, so it was kind of worthless to hide it.]

Uh-huh. Clearly.

[They didn't intervene. Not yet. If the Alternate wants to faceplant into the floor, they'll let them. Eight even took a step back, giving them plenty space to try out walking.]

[The Alternate takes a step forwards, and then another, and then they were kind of walking. They paced around a little, and sure enough they could walk again.]

See? Told ya so.