The room is dark, the travelers huddled on the couch watching a movie. Most of them are asleep, all but Famiko having closed their tired eyes. The oldschool CRT television displays a black and white horror flick. She sits there, gripping her blanket, watching as a vampire sinks his teeth into his victim. She isn't scared, nothing from this era is exactly immersive to her, but she finds the concept of a vampire... enticing?
She thinks about what meeting a vampire would be like, them being all formal, asking to come in all politely. All dark and mysterious, draped in a black cloak, soul piercing eyes, the thought makes her feel swooned... she's always been infatuated with a dark and bleak look. She wouldn't entirely say she's into "bad boys" but it's something under that umbrella at least.
Her eyes flutter, the last few moments of consciousness being spent still daydreaming, until drifting into a deep sleep. She dreams of someone holding her, calmly caressing her ears, she snuggles into their chest, tail wagging, heart pounding. She whimpers softly, moving her head up, trying to make eye-contact with this person. She can't see their face, it's far too blurry, much like other dreams that she's had. She can't help herself, continuing to snuggle up against them. She giggles as if she was still a young teen. This has proven to be one of her best dreams in a long while.
"I love you..." She murmurs in her sleep, just five more minutes of this lucid heaven. Maybe she could... It is a dream after all. There aren't any repercussions to doing this in a dream. She puckers her lips, her tail wagging as she leans in before a voice jolts her away.
"MIKO." the wolf stares here down, she's situated right on top of him. There indeed were repercussions to attempting that.
"...did you just try to-"
"UHHHHH- I- WUH- SORRY I DIDNT MEAN- WHAT TH- I- HUH- I AM SO SORRY I- I"
"AY LOVEBIRDS! STOP HAVING YOUR WHITE BREAD ASS HETEROSEXUAL ROMANCE SUBPLOT AND GET MOVING! WE'RE ALREADY AT THE NEXT ISLAND." Davanak, crossing his arms, shows up at the doorway with a smug smirk.
"..."
"...can we act like this never happened?"
"Please."
The two make it up to the deck, the fox shooting stray glances at Nehken to make sure that conundrum didn't leave him too shaken up. Was she that desperate for affection that she nearly kissed someone while unconscious? God he must think she's such a freak. Why did she do that? Well, she knows why but WHY.
Before she can lament further about the moment that will probably keep her up at night more than any embarrassing moment in her high school years, she lays eyes upon the next of the catalyst isle. It looks to be a large carnival, lights spiraling around with roller coasters and balloons. However, there isn't a single scream or cheer to be heard. The colors are loud, but it's oddly... silent. Running, yet almost totally abandoned. Famiko isn't too horribly concerned, though. Barren or not, this place is surely going to be distracting enough to take her mind off... that.
They step off the boat, the grassy patches of grass and rock being short lived, nearly every piece of land is packed with fairground fun. Sant sits there, ready to kick back and wait for them to return. Something in the distance catches his attention. Raising an eyebrow, he grabs MAN, molding him like putty into a pair of binoculars.
"...Oh. Oh that's not good." He rises to attention, catching sight of another boat making its way to the location.
On land, the four find themselves faced with an old 1970s styled ticket booth. It's unmanned, but the gate in front of them clearly asks for a ticket on the old and worn sign. To nobody's surprise, they don't have one. Therefore, in his great and fruitful wisdom, Davanak kicks the rusted progress blocker in. It flies across the fairground, hitting a large animatronic monkey with symbols in its hands. It rapidly claps the symbols together, further aggravating the goat. He rushes over to it, tearing it to shreds in a matter of seconds.
"This place gives me the creeps." Now that she's actually in the haunted-looking machine gallery, Ms. Low Self Confidence doesn't know whether or not she wants to trek forward, but feels obligated to follow the group. The chameleon's eyes light up brighter than usual.
"The sheer scale of this place... it fascinates me. I've wanted to run a carnival like this since I was a kid."
"Really?" This isn't something she ever heard him talk about. ever.
"I always loved just the unique vibe of a carnival. Trained animals, ringmasters, clowns-"
"UGHHHHHUHUHUHHHH clowns..." A shiver shots down her spine at the mere mention of the concept.
"You're scared of clowns?" The wolf tilts his head.
"Horrified. I wouldn't touch those things with a fifty foot pole even if my life depended on it."
"BOO." Davanak quickly morphs his face into that of a clown.
"AH!!!"
"YEAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ACTUALLY WORKED" He cackles to himself as his face shifts back to its usual form. The fox hates that he was able to scare her so cheaply, shaking it off as she tries to toughen up for the road ahead.
"Come one come all! Come ride the rides, see the shows! We cannot! Will not! disappointed!" an animatronic ringmaster springs to life, Shrai stopping the demonic goat from ripping it in twine like the monkey mere moments ago. He studies its mesh, noticing that it was operating on... steam? Genuine steampunk technology, in the flesh. Well, brass.
He stares at it, studying it. He can't believe that this was actually possible outside of fiction. He writes down notes using an app installed in his cybernetics, an interactable screen showing a keyboard being rapidly pecked at by his organic fingers.
He has to document this! This will finally be the thing that puts him on the map! Maybe he can... he stops.
What is he doing this for? This is pointless. It has already been done. The most he should be able to do is look at it. Forget trying to replicate it. It's not worth it. Nothing is. He turns back to the group, trashing his notes.
"So. where do ya think the next blade is?"
"Hard to say." The wolf scratches his chin. "The area where the weapon was kept last time was rather... abstract."
"Maybe if we use the ferris wheel to get an overhead look we could scope it out?"
"Yeah, like we could've guessed the axe was in the chest of a tree hugger's worst nightmare from afar." Davanak bonks Miko on the noggin.
"I'm trying here!" The pouty fox pouts poutily.
"Davanak is right, as much as I don't like that fact. We need to figure out where it is by searching on a more grounded level."
The reaper's gaze moves from structure to structure, settling on a train designed to look like a toy. The "Fun Train" as it's called seems to go all around the park. How creative. He gestures for the rest of his entourage to follow him onto the train. They step onto the locomotive, seemingly just... starting as they board. It starts to move itself around the area at a decent pace. They take their seats, Famiko getting unlucky, sitting right next to Nehken.
She doesn't know what to say to him. They agreed not to talk about it, yet a part of her wants to bring it up just to apologize. no. Way too soon to even be thinking about this. Plus, Nehken shouldn't even be concerned with something like this... but still, whether it be stubbornness, or just her curiosity getting the better of her, she thinks she should at least try.
"Hey... Nehk?"
"Don't use that nickname." He spits. Already off to a horrible start.
"Sorry. I just wanted to ask something."
"What?" He's so blunt, it's almost scary. Does he hate her? Surely not. If that were the case then why would he have sat next to her? He just said 'what' that doesn't mean anything.
"About... you know... earlier?"
"I forgive you."
"Oh... th-thanks?"
"You were unconscious, can't really blame you for something you didn't consciously do."
"Well yeah... thanks for understa-" Before she can say anything more, the train shakes. Seems to have been hit by something, or maybe... someone else boarded in an abstract manner.
"What was that?"
"Bad news is what it is. Stay here."
The wolf runs over to the nearest exit of the train as he catches a glimpse of someone climbing onto the top of the train. He grabs his scythe, stabbing it into the covering of the train cart and hoisting himself up. He locks eyes with the unexpected guest, Nehken being overcome with dread as realization washes over him like a sea of tar.
"Well! If it isn't the one and only reaper of Talokov. I knew I'd find you here." The raven fixes his fedora, a grin showing on his partially damaged beak.
"I- HOW DID YOU-?"
"Theres a reason I'm called the best detective on Avaxis, scythe wielder."
"That has to be an overstatement."
"The only thing overstated is your killing streak, wolf. Time for you to finally face the consequences of your actions! Justice will be served on a silver platter!" The avian raises an arm.
"Pft! Justice? Sure, whatever." He rushes towards the undead avian, swinging his scythe in his direction only for it to stop. His ferrokinesis. Right. The scythe spins, cleaving itself back at its owner, leaving Nehken only able to use his black magic to slightly influence its movements and stop it from bringing his quest to a quick and brutal end as if he was merely a patch of overgrown grass. Cross has more control over the blade than its actual wielder.
He's getting fed up with dodging attacks from his own weapon. He summons constructs of swords, black and red in coloration. He hates using black magic like this, but what other choice does he have? With the point of his finger he sends them heralding towards his rival. He dodges them flawlessly, but it distracts him enough for the reaper to reclaim his blade.
"You seem to be a little more... social since our last encounter. May I implore you to give me an answer as to why?" Cross uses the momentum of the sword construct to lead it back to its sender. "Maybe I ought to reconsider the positives of rehabilitation." He scoffs.
"Like most of the other shit you stick your beak into, it's none of your business." He blocks it with his forearm.
"I know you're after the blades of desire."
"Anybody with an IQ over two could figure that out, birdbrain-" Nehken keeps up with evading the stolen attacks, but his eyes widen when a blued-steel barrel shoots up just under his head. He only barely manages to bat it aside before it fires, a .44 flying somewhere into a bumper car before the cop quickly recalibrates and tries to bash the culprit's head in with the rubber grip. Nehken grabs the feathered arm and holds it back before it manages to do so.
"And like most of your other quests, you seek to only strengthen yourself so you may harm more innocents!"
"...Huh?" He is confused as the two continue to trade blows, Cross dutifully explaining his train of thought as the suspect struggles for the revolver with all his might, trying to remove it from the equation.
"It all makes sense! You're not opposed to killing innocents! You just hate the feeling of guilt that washes over you when you do. Getting that wish will allow you to nullify any and all sorts of feelings you have left. This entourage of yours is just a means to an end, aren't they?"
"I- WH- NO?!" Nehken shouts, about as confused as he is insulted.
"You can't fool me, reaper. I know your games... because we play by similar rules. But with you, you want to break them. So you won't ever feel the guilt you felt when you killed that baby-"
For just a moment, Nehken almost forfeits his grip on the gun.
"I-I DIDN'T KILL THAT KID BECAUSE I WANTED TO!"
"Enlighten me then. Try to excuse your actions. Did you see into the future? Perhaps you hallucinated the infant insulting you? Are you scared of children, reaper? An origin of childhood trauma, perhaps." The bird mocks. "How tragic. Maybe you'll be granted asylum."
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THAT KID'S DEATH HAS HAUNTED ME! I CAN STILL HEAR HIS SCREAMS, CROSS! ALL OF THEIR SCREAMS! I still feel the WEIGHT of their bodies- the- THE PRESSURE IT TOOK TO RUN THEM THROUGH- DO YOU- DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT FEELS, YOU FLYING PIG?!"
The corvid falters just long enough for Nehken to seize the gun. He points it at the officer with panicked breaths, putting the confrontation at a temporary stalemate. The raven can't help but be taken aback by his reaction, as much as he doesn't want to be. The reaper is probably just trying to lure him into thinking there's some sort of morality behind this. He only grinds his talons deeper into his own blood-soaked stance.
"...You're a ruthless killer. That's what they call you and that's what you'll always be. You can forcefeed me your lies all you want. I won't swallow."
The two are interrupted by the crunching of popcorn. They both look to their side to see Davanak sitting in thin air eating a bag of popcorn kernels, distracted.
"What? Don't stop now, it just got good!" The kernels fall from out of his outstretched jaw.
Cross uses the opportunity to elbow Nehken hard in the stomach, the killer dropping the stolen weapon and allowing its legal owner to seize it from the air.
"Enough talk. It's about time we end this. For good." The raven trained the trusty revolver at the reaper's head, cocking the hammer in a swift motion. No more delay. Right as he goes to pull the trigger, however, the train stops. He loses his balance before realizing the reaper has vanished.
"Damn it." He sighs, at himself more than anyone. He decocks the gun and swears he'll make up for this failure. He will have his man.
Hidden within one of the booths, the four camp out, hiding from Cross. Nehken pants. Famiko turns to him with worried eyes, confused as to what it was that even happened.
"Who was that?"
"Cross. That asshole has been stalking me ever since I migrated to Talokov." The grip on his scythe tightens. Most people would consider the wolf to look sinister, but only now does his expression live up to the expectation.
"He has a biiiit of an ego when it comes to taking the ol "Reaper" down." The team akuma understates heavily, to say the least, laying on the floor in relative relaxation compared to the rest.
"Airheaded, self-righteous- sometimes even flat out dumb when he wants to be." The wanted man scoffs. "I don't think he listens to anybody."
"Pretty entertaining whenever you two are in the same room though..."
"I hate him almost as much as I hate your demonic mug." He sighs to himself, trying to calm himself down and focus on the task at hand. "While me and the walking corpse were fighting, did any of you catch a look at anything that could house this isle's blade?"
"Not entirely sure if it counts, but the big top seems to be a focal point of the area. It's a hunch, but we should at least check it out to see if it is there." The chameleon adjusts his field of vision using a panel on his visor, he looks towards the giant tent in the middle of the park.
"What I don't understand is why there aren't any... intended threats here. The outskirts of the isles had that dragon, the last island we were on had that tree thing... but so far here we haven't seen anything that could realistically harm us."
"Something is bound to show up. A death trap should be expected at the very least." Davanak jumps out of the booth, walking ahead towards the big top. The others soon follow, praying for the best as they expect the worst. What awaits them will be more colorful than either.
The atmosphere of the listless landscape sets in around them on their way there. The place had to be operational once- if not, why would it exist? And yet, there's little trash or signs of a former prosperity- just the ingredients of such a place, left out to spoil. A meal for nobody. It's oxymoronic- what's a ride without anyone to go on it? Surely, there has to be someone.
They step into the entrance of the tent, darkness consuming them. Shrai's blue flaming head illuminates the surrounding area, him turning on a flashlight on his arm to scope out the area. It seems to be a rather regular looking big top arena with stands surrounding it, if not a big bigger than the typical sort.
The entrance closes, a silhouette moving quickly through the darkness, too quick for Shrai to get a good look at. He sways his light every which way as the others go alert, but it isn't long before the potential threat makes itself known. The laughter of a crowd echoes through the stadium, the laughter of children. A spotlight flicks on, illuminating the middle of the circus tent. The four quickly get to the back of the stands, ghosts laughing and clapping for the show that's about to start.
They see a comically small car, far too small for the average avaxian to fit in, let alone drive. Famiko's stomach drops at the sight, her fears coming true, however simple. The door slowly opens, a silence hanging over the area, everyone expecting something to come out of the open car door.
Instead, an outstretched arm crashes through the sunroof of the tiny vehicle. The entity's arms are long, freakishly long, noodle-like in movement. Two large hands grasp firmly on the roof of the car as the entity forces themself out of the tiny car.
Bushy red afro, round red nose, as well as floppy rabbit ears. His most noticeable feature is his face with his beady eyes and uncannily wide smile that does not heed to any avaxian laws of proportion.
"HUEGAHAHA! WHO'S READY FOR A SHOOOOOOOOOW!?!?!!"
"WE ARE! WE ARE!" The ghosts cry out to the clown in the spotlight.
"HUEGAHAHA! BEBEK CANT HEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!"
"US! US!!! US!!!!"
Fear and overstimulation overcome the fox. Memories rush back to her, raining down on her mind like fully-automatic fire without pause- the noise is too much to bear. She starts to hyperventilate, feeling like she's going to black out.
"Famiko—!"
Shrai and Nehken try to calm her down, but her eyes are glassing over. The next time she can comprehend what she's seeing, the clown, Bebek, is staring at her, hunched over the stands, staring into her soul.
"NOW WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?! BEBEK HASN'T SEEN YOU BEFORE! ARE YOU-" he gasps "-NEW FRIENDS?!"
Her gaze is spiraling– she can barely keep herself together as the clown continues to stare her down.
"What... are you?" The wolf stands in front of Famiko, guarding her from the rabbit clown.
"I'M BEBEK! AND YOU ARE THE NEWEST ATTRACTIONS TO BEBEK'S CIRCUS." Bebek spins around, every little movement exaggerated like some cartoon character.
"Heh, I like this guy." Davanak looks amused by the clown's theatrical overexaggeration, despite knowing that everyone else is unnerved by him. Come to think of it, maybe that's the reason he's so amused.
"GATHER AROUND CHILDREN! TIME FOR BEBEK TO GIVE KIDDIES SOMETHING TO REMEMBER! HUEGAHAHA!" The clown promptly grabs each of them by their shirts, throwing them into the ring. The world seems to twist around them, as if Bebek has full, omnipotent control over the entire tent. The audience of spectres clap and cheer like this is something ordinary to them.
To them each of the four have been encased in their own attractions, isolated from one another. The world warps around them, reality bending beyond their comprehension. The entire world looks like one would assume a drug trip would be. Reality sets back in for Shrai. He adjusts his visor's exposure and brightness settings after the visual assault, looking around at his new surroundings.
The chameleon looks around, he's in what seems to be an empty white void with floating black particles around. How is this even physically possible? He walks around, the floor does not feel dry, nor wet. He looks down, seeing nothing but white.
"This place is... barren to say the least. I... don't see how this would be too entertaining to watch."
"CHAMELEON'S LIFE FROM WHAT BEBEK COULD SEE WAS JUST THAT. FEATURELESS. NOTHING BEBEK COULD FULLY GRASP TO MAKE A GOOD SHOW." The mad jester's voice is heard echoing throughout the void.
"Tch. Way to rub it in."
"HOOOOOOOOOOOWEVER! BEBEK DID COME UP WITH SOMETHING. CHAMELEON WILL BE AN HONORARY VIEWER! BEING ABLE TO VIEW THE OTHER SHOWS FROM THIS VOID AREA THING. AFTER VIEWING EACH ONE, CHAMELEON CAN CHOOSE WHICH ONE TO BE A PART OF. DOES THAT SOUND GOOD??"
"I-"
"BEBEK DONT CARE! HERE SHOW!" Three disembodied screens appear around the cyborg. They all show simultaneously what the other three are going through- fuzzy as it may be in the twisted monitors' displays. He sits, crossing his legs, watching intently.
Davanak sits in front of a crowd of ghost children. He is on a stage with a stand microphone in front of him. Is this some stand up comedy routine? He can do decent stand up, at least he thinks. He grabs the mic, taking a deep breath.
"Okay so capitalism."
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" The crowd starts throwing tomatoes at the goat, booing him violently.
"HEY- AUGH- NO- I DIDNT EVEN FINISH THE JOKE- STOP THAT- STOP IT!" At this point Shrai has seen enough. The akuma deserves this, he thinks. But then he sees the failed comedian run to the fire exit of the establishment, still being pelted by fruit. He leans in, curious as to wait lies just outside of the door.
Davanak isn't thinking as he opens it. When he does, it's like the whole building itself disappears behind him- the juice cleansed from his fur. Now he sees only light.
In contrast to Shrai's hell, it is a warm white. For once the devil looks almost scared as he steps forward on the invisible ground, his body reflecting under his feet. His arms magnetize to each other, an unfamiliar feeling overcoming him as he begins to hear them. They were always here, but the further he walks, the louder they seem to become. The closer they seem to become.
"Are you... okay?"
"You're scared."
"Don't be afraid."
"It's safe here."
"We've been waiting for you."
"It's going to be alright."
"You're going to be alright."
"Being scared is okay."
"It's normal to feel upset."
"You don't have to fight."
"It's okay to cry now."
"What do you need?"
He shivers. He can even see them now. The space around him isn't white. They are. It isn't a space. It's them.
They're closing in.
"You don't have to know what to do."
"You can tell us whatever you want."
"It's safe to let go here."
It's loud.
"S-SHUT UP—!"
"Let go. It's okay."
"We'll catch you."
"Let us catch you."
"Let us hold you."
"Let us see inside of your heart."
Too loud. Davanak bats his arms wildly at the bodies of light embracing him, but it's pointless. His newfound ears start to bleed.
"We want to help you."
"We want to save you."
"Let us inside."
"Open your mind to our words."
"Open your body to our words."
"Let our bodies inside your soul."
The noise is echoing like nuclear bombs surgically implanted inside of his skull, amplified by the pulsating pain of crushing, animalistic fear. The kind of fear a mortal has. The kind of fear made to protect prey from a predator. Davanak feels himself start to cry as he puts every last drop of his remaining energy into a single scream, lashing out with his arms.
"S-SHUT UP!!"
The chanting of suffocating comfort becomes a single, unified shriek of intense pain as the white blooms out from Davanak into a startling, dripping red. He feels their life water cling to his fur as the fruit had, staining it in its guilty excess. The overwhelming stench of death invades his nostrils just as they had invaded his mind, and he falls to his knees in it, finding his body now stomach-deep in hot blood.
His tears mingle with the red, and Shrai looks away from the monitor, letting it fizzle out into static.
"Izanagi..."
His eyes turn to a different horror. Nehken struggles to navigate through narrow halls, the walls being draped with large white tarps. He's not claustrophobic, but he does hate mazes, and this is, in fact, a maze, if he ever saw one. He holds the wall with one of his hands, hoping that'll lead him to an exit. While doing this, his hand slips under one of the tarps. He looks under the tarp, only to see himself. It's not just a maze, it's worse. A mirror maze.
Without any warning, a gust of wind blows over the entire area, every tarp being blown off, revealing the true form of the attraction. The wolf looks around, only seeing reflections of himself at every angle. He places his hand on one of the mirrors, looking at himself. He notices the bags under his eyes, he looks horrible.
"Come now, child. What's wrong?"
A voice echoes behind him, he looks over to see a cloaked man in one of the mirrors. The voice is familiar. No. This is just a simulated nightmare made by an elastic clown, he can't let it get to him.
"You're not my real father... he's dead. I killed you." He can't indulge in this. He tries to run, but every turn he's in at least one of the mirrors within his vision. Whether it's right in front of him or the corner of his eye, he can't shake him.
"I may not be real, but the effects I had on you are."
"I'm done with you! I'm getting those blades and I'm getting rid of this curse! That demon won't haunt me anymore. YOU won't haunt me anymore!"
"Even after all these years, you're still holding onto that false sense of hope." His words echo off the mirrors as if they were light.
"You robbed me of a normal childhood. If it weren't for that blasted cult, I wouldn't have killed this many people! THIS IS YOUR FAULT, NYRO!"
"Please, Nehken... as if you could blame anyone else for what you did when you first got that curse." The reflection shifts into a different form. a woman, stake through her chest, still writhing with a body that looks long dead.
"L-lucea...?" This isn't real, it can't be real. Why is he giving in to this? IT'S NOT REAL.
"Why did you kill me? I HELPED YOU. I DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU!"
"I HAD AN HOUR, LUCEA!" The thoughts spill out effortlessly from all the times this exact conversation has played out in his head. Like those times, he's sobbing. "I-I DID WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO! THERE- THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE!"
"You're nothing but a selfish murderer, preying on the lives of others to fuel your own. Your classmates, your loved ones, your friends, all were means to an end for your selfish need to preserve life." The mirrors all shift into different, familiar silhouettes of those he killed. The reaper is overcome with guilt and despair. His tears start to clog as he hears the cries of struggle all flood into his ears at once.
"I'm sorry... I-... had to protect you, p-protect- everyone, I- I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" The reaper falls onto his knees. Why is he doing this? This isn't real, he's heard screams of agony like this countless times before. He should be desensitised to it by now.
Then he sees him. A newborn, tiny steak of red across his throat, blackened eyes piercing into his soul. The cries of agony continue to tear his ears apart. The child softly speaks one singular word.
"Monster."
"ENOUGH!" Nehken stands up, punching the mirror that houses the child's reflection. It shatters into millions of pieces so small they're invisible, yet each feeling like a razor as they cut him. He continues to wreak the rest of the mirrors, punching one after another. He doesn't care if the shards of glass tear his hands to shreds. He wants the voices to stop. He wants this nightmare to be over. All of it.
Soon enough, the voices stop. Nehken sits in a room filled with broken shards of glass as he curls up, sobbing to himself.
"I... I want... my life back..."
Famiko sits in a chair, a very, very expensive looking chair- regal, with gold lining and a soft red cushion. The surrounding area is spacious, some sort of ballroom. In front of the captive-feeling vulpine is a dining table, covered in presents, with a large cake at the centre. The scene reminds her of how she was when she was young, celebrating her birthday. Not that anyone sits at the table to do it with her.
Her mind naturally drifts. Even in reality, few were invited to any of her birthdays, and even if they were, attendance was quite a rare thing. Her parents, while wealthy, would never make time for her- the cake and the gifts of the dream weren't far off from reality, but the fact of the matter was, attention was the one thing they couldn't give her. She was safe. She was fed. And nobody was there for her.
"...What is this for?" She loiters there, not knowing if anyone can actually hear her. Whether or not she was curious, or just wanted to take her mind off the situation, she grabs one of the presents. As if the scenario was coaxing her into indulging, a knife appears in front of her to cut the cake as well. She sets the present aside.
She grabs the knife, delicately slicing a piece off of the bottom layer of the cake. It was red velvet, her least favorite flavor. The fox hates how many memories are coming back to her. They gave her quantity, but never actually got to know what she liked. She sets the knife aside, opting to just focus on the present, those were... less disappointing.
Neatly, she unravels the wrapping paper. She doesn't like ripping paper like that. She unwraps it enough to pop the top off of the white box underneath. The fox peers over the box, looking at what she got. It was a watch, pure rose gold. A rather generic present to her. She knows she was spoiled as a child, but... it just... didn't feel like she was. It felt horrible, like a selfish whine, to even imagine wanting more- but she would have gladly forgone any of her many privileges to be loved instead.
Suddenly, she hears a knock at the door. She sighs, standing up to go answer it. The cake disappointed her, the present disappointed her, this is bound to disappoint too. She slowly opens the door, seeing a formally-dressed magician standing at the door.
"Good afternoon. Are you the birthday girl?"
"My birthday isn't for four months, but for this scenario, sure." She clearly isn't enjoying this "attraction."
"Well isn't that just splendid! However, we both know this isn't the type of entertainment you used to have back then, now is it?"
"...No, i-it's- well- it's not... but, aha-" Fear and embarrassment mixed inside her. Why was he smiling? It was like he could hear it start to stew.
"That's where the fear stemmed, isn't it?" But the magician's face starts to melt as he says this. There is no smile. No real one, at least. Under his flesh isn't blood or bone, but paint. Sticky, molted paint.
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking ab-"
The magician impatiently rips off the loose skin of his face, as a monochromatic, tall, black nosed clown lunges out at her. She recognizes this specific clown- Kainas. She screams out in terror, the clown ripping off the rest of the chicken-like magician skin he was hidden in. The fox runs, trying to make as much distance from the painful reminder of her phobias as possible.
She grabs the rest of the unopened presents and chucks them at the clown. He brushes them off, only to get a face full of red velvet. This aggravates the clown.
"YOU STUBBORN BRAT! HEHEHEHEAHAHA! THATS IT! LETS JUST CUT TO THE CHASE! GET IT? DON'T YOU GET IT YOU STUPID GIRL?! Maybe if you smiled, PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE YOU! SO LAUGH! LAUGH GODDAMMIT!"
Kainas grabs the knife and rushes towards the fox. Murderous intent is in his eyes. Suddenly all the stories had come true- young Famiko was often shown Kainas, each time growing more wary of him. She wasn't sure where she heard the rumors. Had they been from other children? Her parents themselves, as a way to keep her in line? Maybe she had just made them up herself, playing in her own fear like mud. She thought she'd moved past them. But in this moment, they felt as if they had always been true. She had escaped the clown back then. She had been one of the lucky ones, the children who got away in the stories she told herself. Now she had at last returned to her fears to die as the victim.
Like a mouse being chased by a cat, the fox runs from the clown, the long hallways of the mansion she remembers too well. She just needs to find her room. All the while, she can't shake the monochromatic colored clown. She quickly retreats into the bathroom, Kainas bashing on the door violently.
"OPEN UP, LITTLE GIRL! I'VE GOT CANDYYYYYY!" The fox barricades the door with her body, the clown screaming at the other end. She locks the door from the other side, she curls up in the fetal position in the corner of the room as the killer clown continues to slam his fists against the door.
Shrai looks in terror at his friend's suffering. He's made his decision.
"MAKE ME A PART OF MIKO'S ACT! NOW!"
"IS CHAMELEON SUUUUUUUUURE???"
"YES!"
"IS CHAMELEON ENTIRELY SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURE???"
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS- YES!!! PUT ME IN THERE NOW!"
"WHATS THE MAGIC WOOOOORD?"
"I'll get you, and it'll look like a bloody accident."
"CLOSE ENOUGH!" The rabbit is heard clapping as the void around Shrai twists into the scene that he was just viewing. He's in the middle of the ballroom. He speeds upstairs towards the bathroom. He turns to hear the sound of a door being ripped off its hinges as Famiko screams. Kainas is blind sighted by the cybernetic chameleon tackling him.
"GO!!!" He screams to his friend. She rushes to her room, him following close behind. The crazed clown elbow tackles Shrai into the wall.
"You think you're SO HEROIC DONT'CHA RUNT!?" He pins him to the wall, only for his side to be hit with a blast of freezing flames. "AGH- NAUGHTY BOY! You two don't know how to LAUGH! YOU'RE BROKEN! BROKEN!" He escapes the pained grasp of the clown as the two make it into the fox's room.
They lock the door behind them. The mad killer wasn't able to see where they went. Shrai looks at his friend, tears streaming down her face as she collapses onto the floor, sniffling and sobbing. The chameleon doesn't know what to do- he freezes as he merely takes in the sight of her being so broken. He sits next to her, not knowing how to go about comforting her, but he has to try.
"M-Miko. Miko! Hey."
"I-I-I'm scared- I-I'm b-broken-"
"Hey... remember when we were in elementary school?"
"Y-yeah?" She can barely speak through all the sobbing, but his love touches her. Shrai isn't always like this. Not outwardly. In that way, the reptile was the opposite of her blood- they showered her in gifts, in photos they looked so happy- yet she was neglected. Shrai spoke coldly, and it was sometimes as if he was never thinking about her at all- yet, his every action benefitted her. His every choice was made with her in mind. Shrai didn't need to fake that love. Because he didn't have a thing to make up for.
"Remember when that kid hurt you... and we sat under the slide during recess?"
"M-mhm."
"Remember what I did to make you feel better?"
"I- I don't remem- r-re- remember..."
"Precisely."
"H-Hm...?"
"I didn't do anything to calm you down. The teachers would always just tell you to stop crying or that you were overreacting... they didn't let you... be, so... so you just... stopped. T-that's why, right? Why you act so overly cheerful towards everyone." He held her. "But it's... it's okay to cry. It's okay to be... sad. You don't have to hide the fact that you're scared... or angry. I dunno man, I'm... kinda outta my element here, but..." he scratches the back of his head. "It doesn't take... a genius to tell you that."
"...T-thank you." She sniffs, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. The chameleon takes the time to look around her room, his eyes drifting across the various fancy dressers and bedframe. It's so... bland. Guess she wasn't one to decorate her own space. The fox leans on him.
"I want this to be over..."
"Me too, Miko... me too."
They need to get out of here. They can't be stuck here forever. He doesn't know exactly how reality warping entirely works, but Shrai has a few guesses on how they could get out of this clown-made nightmare. He stands up, opening a music making app on his arm, and starts playing different chords. First two note chords, then three note, four note, and eventually, five note chords. He notices the air around them fluctuate unnaturally.
He turns up the vibrato and the volume, and turns to Famiko.
"Cover your ears. This is gonna be loud."
She listens to him, cupping her hands over her large floppy ears. The chameleon braces himself, then plays five high notes all at once. He can barely hear himself think but it's working, the area around them ripples like a pool of water. He sees a small tear forming in front of him. holding his arm to keep the notes playing, he reaches his free hand out and rips the loose seam open.
"I didn't know you had a music making software installed on your arm."
"I installed a lot of things. I barely ever use half of them... but meh, it came in handy today I guess."
The two step through the hole in reality and find themselves in a weird backstage area. Neon lighting circles around the room, tubes of light all leading to one place. An altar stands in the middle of the room, housing what they've been looking for, the glave of dreams. Wasting no time, Shrai rushes towards it. Before he can grab it, something forms in front of him.
Neon light forms the silhouette of that sadistic clown. He stands in front of the two, his usual contorted smile now a much more mangled frown.
"YOU NO LIKE BEBEK'S SHOW? YOU WISH TO END BEBEKS SHOW?... NO... SHOW GO ON... GO ON FOREVER... BEBEK... BEBEK IS FOREVER!!!"
The rabbit pulls a mallet out from its throat, swinging it at the two. Famiko doesn't want to deal with clowns anymore. She's had enough of this show. While Bebek is focused on Shrai, the fox runs over to the glave's altar quickly. She stands next to it, holding its handle.
"HEY BEBEK!"
"HOUH?!" the clown twists his head two more times than he needed to.
"The reviews are in. YOUR SHOW IS CANCELED!!"
She rips the weapon out from its holding place. The ground shakes, shattering into tiny little pieces. The tent rips as the souls of the children all float into the sky. Bebek tries to grasp any of them, but they merely phase through his hands. Soon enough the tent is gone, the rabbit falling to his knees.
"Bebek... just wanted... to... entertain... the kiddies..." Soon enough, the scream of a certain wolf can be heard rabidly approaching.
"YOU."
He rushes over to the clown, tackling him. He punches him over and over and over again.
"YOU ABSOLUTELY VILE WASTE OF SPACE! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A MONSTER THAT PREYS ON OTHER PEOPLE'S TURAMA FOR YOUR OWN FORESAKEN ENTERTAINMENT! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL AND WILL BE TORMENTED FOR THE REST OF YOUR WRETCHED EXISTENCE!"
"B-Bebek wasn't...! B-bebek was h-having fun! W-why aren't you having fun?!"
He lifts him into the air, stabbing millions of dark magic blades into his chest. He pounds on his now gaping chest. He's already dead, but the wolf doesn't care. Violence is the only way he can express his ever-flowing river of hatred.
"N-Nehken...?"
"WHAT?!"
"...A-are you okay?"
"...You want an honest answer? ....No."
Contrasting the reaper's massive outburst, Davanak walks over to them. He doesn't say anything, his face is not warped in an unnatural way, he's just... there.
"...H-hey. If I would like... maybe we could check out that ferris wheel? Take your mind off... that... we got the blade... we can take it easy for at least a little." The fox tries to reach out to the reaper.
"...Sure." He sighs.
She leads him towards the ferris wheel, holding his hand to try and comfort him. Shrai looks at Davanak.
"...You gonna let the voices in?"
"Psh... never in a million millennia." He can't even make eye contact.
"Heh. suit yourself buddy."
The fox and the wolf sit within one of the many carts of the ferris wheel. Famiko looks down at the park through the window, whilst Nehken can only stare blankly at the ground. The fox, trying to be as hopeful as ever, smiles at him. He sighs deeply.
"Is it... okay if I confess something?"
"...Sure?"
"When I first got this curse... I wasn't alone. I had someone close to me... very close." He pulls out a locket from his cloak.
"She was kind... compassionate... and... a beacon of hope for me. Lucea was her name... but... when things were dire... when I only had one hour left to live... I had to..." He starts to tear up. "I regret what I've done... all of it... if it's not my fault... then why do I feel so guilty?" His voice shutters, he's practically forcing himself to speak.
"And you... you remind me so much of her... your eyes... your smile... your hope..."
"That's... sweet of you, Nehken. Really... really sweet. You... no one should have to experience something like..."
"I want to ask... and I know we just met- but-..." He sighs, uncharacteristically embarrassed. "Nevermind- it's stupid. I shouldn't... chase after someone that reminds me of a lost loved one. You and Lucea aren't the same... and after what I just told you, you-"
"Yes."
"W-what?" He finds himself in a future he didn't expect.
"You're a well meaning person, Nehken. You are... kind of weird, but that's not really something unique to you. What I'm getting at is... you didn't mean to do those things... and... you deserve happiness. From what I've learned today... I shouldn't be afraid to be vulnerable." The fox stands, walking over to him, and kissing him on his lips.
"...awoo."
"W-wha-?"
"HUH- SORRY- WH- IT JUST SLIPPED OUT- I-" The fox laughs at the wolf's flustered reaction.
"You're so dang cute."
"Tch." He flushes.
Interrupting their moment, a large screen emerges from the water. It turns on, showing the logo of a company named "Catalyst INC." before cutting to the scene of a reptile wearing a gas mask, sitting in a chair. He holds a glass of wine in his hand, most likely for pure aesthetic.
"Greetings everyone of the catalyst isles. I am so sorry for bothering you all, however, this message is urgent. Recently, a couple of boats have sailed here, and the inhabitants of one of said boats have been collecting our prized blades of disaster. Now, I want to issue the fact that any bladeholders protect your artifacts with your life. We don't want you handing them over with no regard for our company... otherwise you may end up like..."
The screen shows a scene of lady Silas, pleading to her headmaster as he fills the room she's being held in with toxic gas. Coughing, she struggles to keep herself up right, clinging to the mere seconds of life she has left. Her eyes go blank as she falls to the ground, the screen holding on her dead, inanimate corpse.
"If you see these four, and potentially this fifth avaxian, I strongly advise you to exterminate them on sight."
The screen flicks to show pictures of Nehken, Famiko, Shrai, Davanak, and oddly enough, Cross as well.
"That is all for now. Do your duties for our company, and most of all, do not disappoint your glorious doctor, Hemlock."
The screen shuts off. Famiko looks at Nehken with fear in her eyes.
"Hm... just great." The wolf grits his teeth. Their predicament just got much more complicated.