PERFECT HATE
Important/Story-masterpost stuff in the undercut

â

⣠Chile in a Photography âŁ

izzy's playlists!

he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Sade Olutola

Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
Claire Keane
I'd rather be in outer space đ¸
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
One Nice Bug Per Day
Today's Document
AnasAbdin
noise dept.
Xuebing Du
RMH
wallacepolsom
tumblr dot com
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open

seen from United States

seen from Netherlands
seen from United States

seen from Singapore

seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from Netherlands
seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Israel

seen from Germany

seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands

seen from Australia
@ask-possessed-player
PERFECT HATE
Important/Story-masterpost stuff in the undercut

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
hm....I guess it would only work when you are in combat....but I don't know if that would work either since this is anon magic, something I was not aware we were allowed to do here....so if you want to test combat thing, we're probably going to have to wait until the 10 asks go by...
Well at least we know it's temporary now... maybe we could just wait it out?
That sounds like the plan... I'm honestly still surprised they managed to do this, I assumed they could only summon small objects...
I mean... they are disembodied voice that don't seem bound by logic so, is this too surprising? [Hatred hums] I suppose not.
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT (3/10)
anon, why the FUCK would you turn Calypso into a call card???
Wait-
Player, try using the card like normal, maybe she would appear back into her normal body???
[Hatred without hesitating takes the initiative with your suggestion and attempts to use the Call: card for its intended purpose... nothing happens]
Huh... shouldn't that have worked? I-? ...oh my godddddd!
[Calypso sighs shockingly loud with the lack of mouth]
I don't have a body, it can't work if it can't summon a live body! Wow, great! Love this!
[Hatred smirks mildly amused at her clear outrage as she continues to complain]
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT (2/10)
I'm bored. So I'm gonna make that YOUR problem! :D
I CAST CALL CARD!!!!!!!!
(Calypso was ani-morphed into CALL : CALYPSO! They are still sentient and can talk, they're just a Call Card for 10 asks lol)
Huh what- *poof*
[Hatred blinked as it reached out grabbing the card quickly, holding it in their hands with care. Calypso and it seemed to share a glance but it was hard to tell, either way they both seem dumbfounded and equally speechless]
...I didn't know you people could do th- WHAT THE FUCK????????
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT (1/10)
So if Hatred is possessing Player, does that mean Player is still in that weird headspace place? Or are they like a lingering presence in the back of your mind or sm?
[Calypso shoots Hatred a look, but she doesn't say anything more]
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
oooh, hats! i love hats!
but idunno what to give you.. :(
uh. take your pick.
IN THE LEFT CORNER, WE HAVE A GIANT TOPHAT
IN THE RIGHT CORNER, WE HAVE A DEMLN HORN HEADBAND
have fun hank
-đŤ
[Hatred grins wiggling its way out of Calypso grip]
OH OH! DEVIL HORNS! THE HEADBAND!!
*poof*
What do you mean 'surprisingly'?? Of course I suit them! I dunno I guess I just wasn't expecting you to be so thrilled by either option...
[It shrinks in on itself, blushing. Its definitely as embarrassed as it happy to have its horns back]
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
Donât worry guys! Iâll do a super cool flip to distract the angry hieroglyphicsâ attention from you!
*Effort noise.*
⌠Oh thatâs right. Iâm not here⌠Imagine a flip. It was cool.
Anyways⌠How are you guys holding certainly?I hope that, totally original looking thing with you two isnât too bothersome, and that youâre a little less shaken up over the close call from earlier.
It bit me! Of course it's bothering me! deserved HEY!
[Calypso rolls her eyes as Hatred and the medjed argue]
We're holding up fine. I'm still a little shaken but sharkbait seems to be relatively back to normal if the yelling is anything to go by. Also that flip was totally a 10/10.
HOW ARE YOU IN THE RIGHT FOR BITING ME??? i literally told you to stop
[Calypso sighs, grabbing Hatred by the hand and pretty much throwing them both over the gap before this escalates further.]
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
oh hey, the hieroglyphics are alive. Thatâs neat
Right, uhhhh. How far do you think this Tempel will go? If itâs anything like a traditional pyramid, itâs like a maze to prevent grave robbery. We have already seen traps too. Although itâs probably not a grave, considering sacrifices were held in hereâŚbut that must mean there should be an incredibly large amount of valuables as well... How long you guys think it will take go get to the end of this thing?
@gameranonreal
I'm pretty sure most of the hieroglyphics here are alive... almost all have violent intent too. But I'd like to imagine the end is only a couple hours away! Besides it's less a maze and more...
Annoying? Puzzle heavy? Full of time waster?
Yeah that. It's dangerous yes but it's also full of puzzles are certainly designed so things don't get in or out at least not easily... I should really try and learn more about this place at a later date shouldn't I? [Hatred yelps flinching away]
OW- It just bit me! i told you to stop dude
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
The answer to the boat question is 'yes'nt', both yes and no, as it both includes the possibility of the boat knowing or not knowing that it's planks are being replaced. How's that for an answer?
[It brings a hand to its chin contemplating this answer for a solid couple minutes]
...While that answer is incredibly stupid, it isn't wrong. 'Yes'nt' is a valid answer that I shockingly agree with!
[Calypso snickers] ...'yes'nt'?? That's what they said no?
dude stop leaning on me
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
related to that one other anon's boat ask, would the planks not serve more as the flesh and bones rather than the organs? if you replaced your bones and skin would you not be a different person? or is it a matter of having the same brain? if that was the case then it would be a different boat considering boats have no brain?
[Hatred leans on the sentient hieroglyphic as they think about the question muttering quietly to themself]
I guess the planks would be skin, but if the planks are skin it messes up my whole idea. This whole point of using organs is that they could all be theoretically replaced without the person knowing thus leaving them with out mental trauma. If you replaced the skin and bone they'd know and that would kinda ruin the whole thing because obviously they wouldn't be the same person!
your talking is ticking me off -I don't care, wasn't talking to you.
[Calypso chimed in] You're totally putting way too much thought into this.
Maybe I am, who care! im the original medjed
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
[Hatred fell, yelping as they clattered face down on the forest floor. Their Ghostwalker still clutched tightly in both hands. That had been a good few hours of trial and error but they were free from Dream World]
(Thanks SO much for the help, Bane.)
[It thought to itself sarcastically putting the Ghostwalker away it brushed the dirt from their pants. They looked around but it didn't recognise these woods.]
[It couldn't be Turitopulis this certainly wasn't a rain forest, but it also wasn't snowing either... maybe the meadows but it certainly wasn't a part they had ever seen before.]
[Luckly the forest wasn't all too dense meaning it was able to spot a blue blur moving energetically off in the distance. It approached quietly ducking behind a tree to watch. Maybe they could follow this individual to civilization?]
@ask-possessed-player
Archer glances down at their watch, bouncing up and down on their toes. It was far too early in the morning to be doing intense runs like this, but they really needed to clear their head.
Beads of sweat drip from their forehead, and they wipe it with a shaky huff. They didnât mean to travel this far. Archer wasnât even sure if they could make it back to the hotel before anyone noticed. Glancing down at their watch, they realize they didnât have long until the early-risers would start getting up.
âOkay, this is great. Just.. really far away.â They scoff to themself. Genius plan, wasnât it? Even after promising Angie theyâd stop doing this. But who could blame them? This was the easiest way to keep their head screwed on right.
There was no choice but to head back now. Archer turns around, ready to start jogging, but a small movement catches their eyes.
It was still early, so it mightâve just been a trick of the light. Or maybe they were finally going crazy this time.
[Hatred shifted behind the tree, already feeling agitated. Following this person was their only route to a town yet it seemed more trouble then it was worth.]
[It grumbled something under it's breath only to look up and met the gaze of a very surprised Archer. All that added movement and noise seems to have alerted them]
[Neither moved for a very long, awkward moment. Slowly Hatred stepped out from behind the tree giving Archer an awkward wave as it spoke.]
Uh... Hello..?
"Oh- Heya! Didn't see you hiding."
Okay, well. They did see them hiding, but only just now. Archer really wasn't expecting anyone to be out and about, especially in a forest at the ungodly early hours of the morning. It was hardly even light out.
"What're you doing out here? Also runnin'? I didn't know people came so far out here, you know." Where did this guy even come from? Archer's been to many places by now, but they didn't exactly dress like the 'regular person'.
[Ah right. They needed a valid reason to be this deep in the woods, they stood there much like a deer in headlights before managing to think of something]
I was just... out on stroll and I got lost... I have no idea how to get back... maybe you could be of service?
[Hatred smiled trying to seem nice and totally not suspicious but it was very clearly not working as well as they'd hope considering the way Archer was staring.]
[Something about them felt wrong. Maybe the ominous shadows covering half their face? Lack of facial expression? The red eyes Archer swears they've seen somewhere before? They can't put their finger on it... maybe it's still just too early.]
"Lost? Out here? On a stroll?!" Archer squints at the Robloxian across from them. How does someone manage to wander off into a forest on a casual walk? "That's gotta be really rough, but yeah, I'll take ya back to a nearby village."
Nearby was an overstatement. The village they were staying at was well over an hour away, and that's at Archer's sprinting speeds.
"You sure you're not from anywhere nearby here?" They raised an eyebrow, looking over the other a couple times. Really reminded them of Theo, at least the a-couple-months-ago version of him. Maybe it was just the red eyes.
Red... eyes. Come to think of it, the only time they've ever seen Theo with red eyes was during and after-
Archer slaps that thought away. That's too far in the past by now, and at least they're mostly over what happened. And like, hundreds of people have red eyes. It was perfectly reasonable for a regular Robloxian to have red eyes.
No, I'm uh- not from here I'm- just a traveller. Seeing the sites and going place to place... that stuff.
[It rattled off it's clunky explanation of a 'backstory' as they walked, the lack of planning time was really throwing Hatred off. If only they had thought of something sooner luckily it knows a traveller that be used as backstory fuel]
[It shifted the subject, best to not dig itself any deeper in this hole]
That's enough about me what about you? Why are you out here, what is your name?
"That's pretty crazy, 'cause I'm a traveler too! Or, I travel with my friends a lot. We're kind of just out and about right now," Archer pats their palm against the other's back and chuckles. "But I'm Archer. Don't get me wrong though, I'm no good at archery like that."
They clicked their tongue at the other question, hesitating. Running into a forest far from home wasn't the most believable explanation. "Ah, y'know. Just joggin' around. Getting those morning workouts in. Keeps me sharp for the rest of the day."
Archer continues their subtle observation over the person as they talked. They claimed to be a traveler, yet they weren't carrying anything for campouts... not even necessities like food and water. Just breezing through a forest with no supplies at all? It would make sense if they were staying somewhere and left it all there, but still. Nobody rawdogs anything as a traveler. Not even strolls.
People in the past are truly strange.
Oh? You travel too? [It looked Archer up and down a few times really taking in their appearance] Yes that does seem to check out, My name is Hero. [It said mentioning it's name in an off-handed manner]
[It rolled it's eyes at Archer excuse, it was as flimsy as their own. If a stroll hadn't seemed to make sense, why would a run make anymore sense? People are weird. Hatred continued to speak, it needed to at least figure out where it had ended up.]
So what are you and your friends doing in the area? Just looking around?
"Hero, huh? You must be quite the savior, then," Archer jokes. "Would've been quite the help up in the Trinity."
They nodded with a slight shrug. "That's about right. Kind of just resting up after doing some... community service. We're kind of tight, you know? So we kinda stick together through everything."
Not like they really had any other choice, anyway. Who ever knew whenever Shedletsky would call in about another sword? Plus, Archer loved the company.
Their gaze trails down to a sword- a sword?! The guy was carrying nothing but a sword? Archer pauses in their words. Hero was... a lot weirder than they originally thought.
"Uh... but yeah. I would assume you're also lookin' around. Even if there isn't really much to do here." They keep their observations to themself for now. It was probably just... a personal reason. Yeah.
I wouldn't call myself a savior, from what you've said I'd imagine the title fits you and your friends much better... Ironically I wouldn't really consider myself the 'hero type'...
[Archer could help but look over them again, they were also wearing a small, black backpack and that sword. It looked strangely worn yet still unused? Like it had been used for combat once upon a time but eventually it had become a mare decoration]
...What town is closest to us anyways? I'm not exactly great at remembering place names.
âAw, come on. Anyone can be a hero. Sounds sappy, but itâs better than just trying to run away all the time, if you get what I mean.â
They stared at Heroâs backpack again. Maybe they were carrying something, albeit not that much. Not enough to be traveling for multiple days.
âWeâre near uh⌠damn, Iâm blankingâŚâ Archer taps their chin. âIt wasnât like, C... Cr⌠Crater-something? Along those lines.â
Archer did in fact know what the village was, but.. to think a traveler wouldnât know the towns nearby, despite being in a forest⌠alone. On a stroll. You had to come from some place, where you started that stroll.
It was a little suspicious, to be honest.
Theyâre also realizing that eye contact with Hero was⌠uncomfortable. Somehow. It was a nagging feeling in their gut, and Archer always knew to trust that.
âYou, eh⌠pack light, huh?â They gesture towards Heroâs backpack.
["Anyone can be a hero." Hatred stood there taking in those words... Could it really..?-]
Yes, I don't like carrying much with me.
[It was clear from the way Archer was staring, Hatred had been doing a pretty bad job at pretending. Well and truly they were suspicious from head to toe, it thought trying to figure out a way to get itself back to just normal weirdo territory]
I am sorry that I'm unnerving you so greatly Archer. [It came out more deadpan and flat then Hatred seemed to realise]
âUhâŚâ
Whatâs with that sudden change in tone? Archer wasnât being that obvious, were they?
âNah, itâs good, just⌠you kinda remind of⌠something. Sorry if it was rude or anythinâ.â
They really didnât like that flat tone of theirs. Not in a way where it was annoying, but it set off a series of alarms in Archerâs head. It reminded them too much of Angieâs slow spirals in the Dream World. Of Baneâs quiet descent into its guilt, and Theoâs⌠unnerving behaviors that aligned a little too closely with Hero now.
And they really didnât like that association.
âItâs nothing, though. You know, never know who you might run into, yeah?â They realize their hand is shaking and shoves it into their pocket. âGotta be safe around here.â
Ah- I... I understand.
[Is this how off-putting people usually found it? They don't think so, it knew it could be uncomfortable to be around but this was different than just being uncomfortable. Archer was scared]
You're shaking. [Hatred pointed out matter of factly]
If you're concerned about me a danger don't be. We're the only two people for who knows how long, hurting you would just be silly of me.
[...That really didn't help it seems.]
âOh, yeah. That makes sense.â
They still sounded unsure, and it didnât absolve the uncomfortable air around Hero. It was more than just a nervous knot in their stomach now. It was oppressive, and Archer couldn't ignore the inherent urge to run away. Something in their body was screaming at them to do it, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"You're right. Sorry, just... it's morning, and y'know... I get kinda jittery in the morning. Especially after runs. Guess my body is too excited-!" Archer laughs off the trembling, but the excuse was feeble. Rather than trying to convice Hero, it sounded like they were trying to convince themself more.
Uh huh. [Hatred nodded as it shot Archer an amused smile.]
[The pair continued to walk an uncomfortable, awkward silence stretching between them as they progressed, it could feel the tension building in the air and Hatred decided that it was their job to break it.]
How about you talk while we walk hm? Tell me about your friends perhaps? It could help with your anxieties.
[Anything would be better then remaining in this painfully awkward quiet.]
âMy friends, right!â Archer lets out a sigh of relief. âAs I said before, weâre really close. We travel together a lot, go places, fight togetherâŚâ
âSafe to say that theyâre kind of my ride or dies! Weâve all seen the worst parts of each other, and weâre still stuck like glue. Even if it wasnât so easy at first to come out of that.â They shrugged, thinking back on the first few weeks after the Ghostwalker. Nobody could talk to anybody, and it was a whole lot of walking on eggshells until Bane finally put its foot down and started a conversation.
âLike one of them, theyâre kind of mysterious, but turns out itâs just harboring all this guilt,â Archer gestures vaguely. Probably a bad idea to go too deep into all of that. âBut um, Iâd hate to let any of them down.
They knew that was hypocritical to sayâ running away like this was just the thing they said theyâd stop doing. âGuess Iâm just scared of their reactions and⌠that kinda thing? Catching my drift?â
No. I don't honestly. [That was the most honest they'd been this entire conversation, it could wrap it's head around the surface level concept being presented but how was it even supposed truly grasp such a concept when friendship itself was foreign?]
In truth I've never had... friends. So I am quite unfamiliar with your experiences.
[How could something like it ever have a thing like friends? It was Hatred, the others never liked it and it only had shallow acquaintances by associate of taking someone life.]
[It had never minded this lack of friendship before seeing it as a waste of time but seeing how happy they made Archer. It made them jealous, it hadn't expected that...]
âDamn, really? That must really suck,â Archer rubs the back of their head awkwardly. âI mean, since Iâm taking you to the village weâre staying at, I could always introduce you to them. I think youâd get along with Theo or somethinâ. You remind me of him.â
The fact that Hero reminded them of Theo wasnât as good as they were framing it to be. Of course, they were still being genuine about the possibility of them getting along, but it was more than that. Archer hadnât forgotten the unsettling feeling they got around them.
Discomfort coils up their chest again, this time a lot more prominent. It was finally beginning to take root, and Archer did not welcome this unpleasant feeling.
It wasnât like the idea of Hero being similar to Theo was that scary, but Archer was good at gut feelings. Like, itâs always protected them from danger, in one way or another.
[Get introduced to Archer's friends? They hadn't even considered that a possibility, but it did sound... kinda nice to be in the company of people especially in the low stakes environment set out to them.]
Sure, I've got time on my hands at the moment. Meeting your friends sounds... nice.
[Hatred smiled, internally amused by Archer's comparison with it and this Theo person. Poor Archer didn't even know how badly they'd just insulted their friend]
Do you think we're almost there?
[Hatred mumbled to itself feeling ever so giddy at the idea of this 'friendship']
âI think so. The surroundings are starting to look a lot more familiar. Or maybe weâre going in circles.â Archer chuckles. âJoking. But Iâm pretty sure weâll be getting there soonish.â
They grin back at Hero. âYeah, itâll be fun. Theyâre a good bunch. Maybe a little weird, but still fun.â
The two continued their walk for a while longer, and Archer squints into the distance. A building. They remember passing it by before they started spiraling.
âOh yeah, weâre coming up on it.â Guess they severely overestimated how far away they actually were. Thatâs what those hazes do to you. Stretches time out. Wow, they really needed to stop doing those morning runs.
[The pair stepped out from the tree line re-entering the quiet little village. It was cute, small and entirely unfamiliar to Hatred, it seems like their creator had never visited here after all.]
[As the pair came up towards the hotel Hatred gestured for Archer to go in first]
After you. [It said standing with polite posture just behind the other. First impressions usually were everything after all]
âAw, thanks, youâre too polite!â
Archer leads Hero up to their room, fumbling for the keys before finally pushing the door open.
The space was a little larger than the average hotel room, but it was still humble. Nothing incredibly fancy.
It was quiet inside, and Archer lets out a loud sigh of relief. They turn and whisper-shout to Hero. âOhmygod, thank the Spawn. It was about to get really messy if anyone wasââ
One of the floorboards down the hall creaks, and Archerâs face genuinely pales.
âNice to see youâre finally up early.â A new voice, a little groggy, comes from down the hall.
âFuck, oh my god,â Archer groans, but a smile returns back to their face. âTheo! Woah! Wasnât expecting you to be up! I brought a pal over, since they were lost and stuff.â
They take Hero by the wrist and leads them through the dim room, guiding them to the other. âThis is uh, Hero! From somewhere! Didnât really tell me!â
[Ah well- they were certainly being thrusted into this situation far faster than they had anticipated, they weren't ready yet! Hatred stood there in silence, just staring at Theo before offering a nervous wave]
Uh- Hello... and Good morning..?
[It said it's tone overly polite as it shifted to be behind Archer, it wasn't really ready to be the centre of discussion yet. It really wasn't sure how to proceed correctly either...]
Archer smiles sheepishly from behind, only to be returned an exasperated stare from the other. Theo didnât necessarily have a problem with people being invited over, but it was⌠really early.
And plus, he wasnât used to it happening. Collecting the swords was a⌠closed job, for the most part, so theyâve only ever met people associated with the missions Shedletsky sent them onâ with the exception of Kyoko.
âHey, good to meet you, Hero.â He flashes a tired but polite smile. âI hope they werenât givinâ you any trouble.â
He gives Hero a quick look-over.
Thereâs the weird fashion choice, obviously. Dressed a little too differently from everyone else in the time periodâ or maybe the trends were evolving? Angie might know something about that.
And then, the other⌠notable feature. Itâs visible even in the dark, which is⌠shocking.
âYouâve got eyes like mine.â He flicks the ceiling light on to a low setting and gestures to his face.
âOh, yeah. I forgot to mention that!â Archer skids between them, glancing between the two. âExcept yours are a lot more faded, since weâre no longer inââ
âShut up.â Theo grunts, glaring at Archer with a âwhy-would-you-say-thatâ look. He turns back to Hero. âTheyâre just saying whatever. Itâs cool though.â
But now that Archer actually mentioned it⌠Theo basically had the same shade in the Dream World, and for about a week after it. His gaze quickly diverts from Heroâs eyes.
Oh! ...Indeed we do, that is quite cool.
[Hatred's eyes glowed? That was a first, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome realization. As They and Theo had agreed, it was pretty cool... thinking about it now, were these the heroes of this world? It would certainly check out from the info it had but that also meant Bane would be floating around, that could become an issue...]
[Hopefully Bane isn't a snitch.] So... what now? Do we have like... breakfast or..?
Archer nodded. "Ehh.. sort of. It's a hotel, so there isn't really anything amazing that we can actually cook. I'll go check and see if Angie and Bane are awake, so we can go out and get something!"
They dashed away, footsteps fading. Once they were gone, Theo turns towards Hero, his expression dropping just slightly.
"So," He says, crossing his arms. "It's kind of rare for Robloxians to have red eyes, you know. What city did you come from?"
Hero was... suspicious to him. From the very moment he met them, he could tell that something was off. Whether that was the unsettling aura or the faint familiarity Theo felt when he saw them.
Archer's comment even solidified it for him. Sure, even someone like Brad had red eyes, but those were neon, not muted and empty. And Theo was very familiar with that shade of red. He saw it reflected in himself, in the 'Builderman'. It's a very... rare coincidence.
[Hatred didn't flinch at the sudden accusation, it had already long since picked up on the subtle hostility between them. Still how to answer such a question? It had so meny wrong answers...
...Frankly it's non of your business. [Was the answer Hatred finally picked, still dressed up several layers of empty politeness, trying to mask the slight hostility creeping into it's voice]
[That answer felt like the only right one it didn't relive the suspicion but it also didn't anything to drive him deeper in the right direction.]
âRight, none of my business, sure.â His eyes narrow. âLook, maybe I trust Archer to not make stupid choices, but weâve had a fair nasty experiences with people we thought we could trust.â
Theo retains his glare, the look in his eyes hard and cautious. He could be overstepping, making a bad impression, but he couldnât let something like this slip by.
âI just hope you wonât end up likeââ
âHey! You guys done over there?â Archer calls from down the hall. They peek from around the corner, followed by two others. âWe gotta held out before it gets too crowded.â
âHm. Yeah, we are.â Theo shoots Hero a pointed look before starting towards the group. âYouâre coming, right!â
[Hatred nods, it stays near the back of the group beside Bane ironically enough. It took this opportunity to shoot Bane a very serious "Don't you dare say a WORD" look. Bane definitely saw but it doesn't acknowledge the look it had been given]
[Hatred stays quiet, listening to the group as they talk amongst themselves]
When Bane first saw them, it had completely frozen over.
Just hours ago, it had barely escaped the grasp of another Hatred, only for the very same one to be dragged right into the partyâs morning outingâ and by Archer, of all people.
It managed to hide their identity, deciding that, based on Archerâs excitement, it would be a horrible idea to reveal that theyâve just brought Hatred incarnate into their home.
Bane wonders if anyone else had noticed. In retrospect, it was a little obvious, given the nature of the one who named themself âHeroââ which it thought was an ironic name itselfâ but everyone seemed alright with their company, and they werenât hurting anyone.
Or so it hoped.
-
âOkay, we can goâŚâ Angie glances between two stalls, squinting at the menus taped to each post. âMm, there really isnât anything we havenât tried yetâŚâ
She realizes that theyâve stayed in this village for far too longâ and it was supposed to be a laid-back one! She liked the slow life, but when your life was made up of finishing quests, youâre bound to get a little bored of normality.
Then, she perks up, turning and pointing towards Hero. âWhy donât you choose? Youâre technically our guest, and itâll be our treat! Plus, must be your first time here, so youâve got to try all the local dishes.â
[Hatred who at this point had been mostly zoning out and listening to the passive conversations around them, jumped a little as Angie addressed them directly. It pointed towards itself more than a little caught off guard]
Me really?? I- uh alright let's see......
[It hadn't really tried much food, and there was also so meny options that it was honestly a slightly overwhelming decision to simply be thrusted upon it... what even categorised food as 'Breakfast' anyways??]
Uh- This one??? [It said pointing at the word 'soup' on the menu with a nervous smile]
âSoup for breakfast? Havenât done that since we were in Blackrock!â She says excitedly, taking Hero by the wrist and leading them closer to the stall. âPick whichever one, donât worry about the prices.â
While Angie and Hero glanced over the different options, Bane and Archer observed from behind.
-
âNice to know we finally know someone outside of the sword business, huh?â Archer remarked, slinging an arm over the otherâs shoulders. âI mean, that would make two now: Kyoko and Hero.â
Bane hesitates. Archer was⌠not exactly right. Hatredâ or, Hero now, was anything but âoutside of sword businessâ. And it even found its way out of the Dream WorldâŚ
âYes. Theyâre⌠a refreshing, new face in our busy lives. You and Angie seem to get along well with them.â
âI mean, good for her, especially, right? The more people she knows, the better.â They say knowingly.
[Hatred smiled as Angie dragged them closer to the stall. For once it was a genuinely happy smile, even with over half the group being unsettled by them. They still felt as if they belonged here, it was only bittersweetened by the fact this could last forever.]
[Hatred ignored the thought turning towards Angie, asking her with genuine delight]
Well out of the selection what would you recommend? I'm don't exactly have a well versed palate.
âHmmm,â Angie ponders for s moment. âI think the tomato-basil is really good. A classic, too! I usually get it, but there are also some spicier options if youâre into that.â
She calls the stand owner and orders one. Hero was pretty sweet! Honestly, she was expecting them to be a little crazy, given Archerâs personality, but they were pretty much the complete opposite.
âSo, howâd you meet Archer?â She asked, trying to create small talk.
[Hatred nodded as Angie spoke, making it 110% clear they were paying full attention, they eventually opted for a slightly spicier version of the tomato-basil she had recommended. That slight kick sounded quite appealing]
Oh right- well, Archer was on a 'morning run' and I simply happened to stumble upon them. I was a little lost at the time so I'm quite lucky to have run into them..!
[Hatred smiled awkwardly as it retold the events, even if it was just them bending the truth slightly it still made them feel kinda... bad? Would that be the word for it?]
Angie hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of her mouth.
âThey were on a morning run?â Her expression retained its friendliness, but concern had started to bubble in her eyes. That was awfully early for a run in the mornings.
Archer had promised her that they wouldnât try running off whenever those nightmares came back. She reassured them that they could trust everyone and talk, but⌠did they not trust her?
Maybe she was overthinking it too much. She should probably just forget about it. Archer was⌠they were getting a lot better recently. She hoped.
âThatâs⌠rare for them.â She sighs, but flashes a relieved smile. Itâs a little tight, but still genuine enough to not be rude. âBut Iâm glad they found you! Mustâve been hard, huh? The pathways to these villages are always kind of weird, hard to follow.â
Ah- so going on a run into the woods at dawn isn't normal? I never would've guessed.
[Hatred chuckled to itself, finding it's relatively innocent yet sarcastic jab towards Archer maybe a little too funny. It's giggles slowly as it spoke up again.]
This village is nice though, even with it's confusing pathways. It very... homey, I'd say.
[Hatred fell quiet for moment, it's eyes absentmindedly scanning Angie up and down. It wanted to try striking the nail with the friendship hammer pretty hard after all!]
Soo... What about you? Tell me a bit about yourself. I'd love to learn more.
âOh! Uhm, well, Iâm an artist! Or I used to be, before I started⌠traveling a lot more.â She explained, quickly picking up the ready soup and dropping some tix into the stall ownerâs palm. âI did a bunch of commission work for gamâ portraits. I really miss it, though.â
In fact, Angie still yearned for that part of her life. Going on these quests were fun, sure, but⌠she had a life going for her in the present. In Modern Bizville. It felt selfish to think that way, but it was her life. She hardly had the time to do any art now.
âYour life can get turned around so suddenly. And I⌠I appreciate them,â she glanced over at the others, and her jaw clenches a little. âBut IâŚâ
Angie paused, before shaking her head. She canât just say those things! Thatâs exactly what Hatred had used against her. She was supposed to be over all of this by now.
âOh, never mind. Point is, I guess Iâm turning over a new leaf!â
[Hatred nodded, staying entirely quiet as Angie spoke. It just ate it's soup and listened. It tasted good, she certainly had good taste in food and the kick from the spice just made it extra good. Once Hatred was such she had finished it spoke]
It's okay to be angry you know. [It began with a calm smile] You so obviously resent your current position, so why not be upset about it? It's your right after all.
[It spoke of this anger in such a weird matter of fact, calm way. Like it was just the most obvious correct response to her situation in the whole world. It was equally comfortable and uncomfortable to hear all at the same time...] ..I bet your art is lovely
âI⌠yeah. I mean, I used to be mad about it. So much that it hurt them,â Angie mumbled, cringing at the memory of the Dream World. Consumed by those horrible feelings, sinking into her own personal void. âI kept pushing them away for a while, thinking that being alone would heal me, but I was really wrong.â
Hero was⌠a little right. It was okay to be angry, but she didnât want to hold it against her friends. None of this was anyoneâs fault.
She wondered if they felt the same, at some point in their life.
âBut⌠thank you,â she smiled, a little brighter. âAlways good to have another opinion on this. You feel the same sometimes?â
[It blinked at her momentarily pausing as it tried to think of an answer]
...Yes, I do... Although I think our responses to our turmoils are quite different, you've gone down a route of solitude while I've picked a much more...... violent path.
[Hatred eyes drifted down towards their half eaten soup, trying to avoid Angie's soft gaze. When they put it like that... it was sad wasn't it, being alone due to ones own actions. Maybe they had more in common with it then they could've ever realised......]
âHmm, you could say that. Itâs nothing to be ashamed of, though! I think everyone goes through these things all the time,â Angie waved her hand a little. âItâs a natural part of being human.â
Going down a route of solitude⌠never thought sheâd hear words like that again.
âMaybe youâve noticed, or not, but Iâll tell you anyway,â She gestures over to Theo in the distance, waiting with the other two. âI guess you and him have this similar vibe. He struggled with a sort of âviolent pathâ, for a little while. But he healed from it! Iâm sure you can, too.â
[Hatred stared at her completely deadpan mostly because it had no idea what it was even supposed to say. It's Hatred itself how could it ever hope to improve or overcome what it is at it's core? It stared at her unsure before giving her a small nod. She was trying her best even if she could never truly understand.]
...T-Thank you... Should we maybe group back up with the others now? They seem to be wait for us.
âRight, oh my gosh, got too engrossed in our conversation.â She instinctively takes Hero by the arm and drags them both to the rest of the group.
They were all seated at a table, leaving two empty spots for Angie and Hero. She takes the one beside Archer, leaving the only other one across from Bane, who stared intensely at⌠âHeroâ.
âWe got some of the soup from that stall,â she points in the general direction. Angie says cheerfully, âAnd kinda talked for a bit! Heroâs pretty interesting once you get to know them a little.â
âI would assume so,â Bane comments, still keeping a heavy gaze on Hero. âThey seem to have quite the mysterious origins. Theo tells me that they didnât even tell him what city they were from.â
[Hatred was frankly glaring daggers into Bane as they spoke, all it wanted was for Bane to be quiet and just let it have this. It just wanted to keep playing this game of pretend until it headed home, was that really so much to ask?]
I don't need to share such information if I don't want too...
[It said flatly curling slightly into itself as it used it's words as a flimsy, half-hearted defence against Bane's accusatory tone. If it would only just back down.......]
âEh, I donât really mind, doesnât actually matter in the long run.â Archer sighs, waving a hand at Bane. âWhy so pushy, anyway?â
It pauses, weighing their options. It wouldnât make sense to let the shoe drop on everyone else now, but it was pretty sure that Theo was well aware by now.
âI was not being pushy. I was only making an observation about Hero.â
âOkay, maybe all of yâall get this weird feeling around them, sure, but itâs all probably just the stress from the Heights!â
â⌠Yeah, like thatâs a reasonable explanation.â Theo grunts, and Archer smacks the back of his head.
âDonât even worry about those two, theyâre just beinâ weird,â they laugh nervously, turning to Hero with a grin. âSeriously, we donât actually mind anything.â
[Hatred was frankly a little dumbstruck! They had expected truly expected the worst. For them to be outed, for everything to violently and painfully explode in their face. Archer rushing to their defence was genuinely something Hatred never would have ever considered. They were speechless.]
Oh uh-... I- okay. [It managed quietly nodding it's head and giving Archer one awkward thumbs up, the surprise was written all over it's face. How long would this all last before it finally blew up???]
[God it had never been so wanted and unwelcome in a place before...]
âI mean, I admit, not the most settling vibe,â Angie considered, thinking back on the earliest moments with Hero. She admits that, at least in the beginning, she was a tiiiiny bit suspicious of them. âI think itâs just the mystery. Itâs not like, well, you know.â
Theo raises a brow, unconvinced. She was talking about Builderman. âAnd why compare Hero to that? Compare them to me, by extension?â
She pauses, glancing between Hero and the other. Angie understands the implication behind those words, but⌠thatâs a low possibility. Very low. Or she hoped.
âDonât just say that,â she sighs. âThatâs behind us, and itâs over.â
âIâm just sayinâ, if you put two and two togetherâŚâ But Angie quickly stops him.
âWeâll talk about that later! Theyâre pretty nice, alright? Genuinely!â
You keep acting like I'm going to do something bad......
[Hatred suddenly started, their harsh, intense gaze intent upon Bane and Theo. Mostly Theo, it didn't take a genius to figure out why Bane stared at them like that. It continued it's calm smile beginning to strain]
Am I not allowed to be nice? Am I really just some... unforgivable sin to you both?
[It was impossible to deny the anger in their voice, they were sick of being the accused! Could they not just be ignored..? Hated from a distance..?]
âYou could say that, yeah,â He glares at Hero with scrutiny, ignoring Archerâs gaping expression. âLetâs just say youâre not exactly something we had a good experience with in the pastâ Iâm sure you know exactly what I mean.â
âHey, thatâs a huge accusation to be making about them! Weâre the only ones who know about that worldââ Archer starts nervously, trying to hold Theo back. Deep in their eyes, a subtle fear could be recognized. âThey havenât done anything to us yet.â
âI was hoping that you all couldâve seen it by now. At least, come to terms with your uncertainties,â Bane cuts in, its hand moving to the Ghostwalker at its hip. âI would only like you two to see the truthâ wouldnât you agree, âHeroâ?â
No.....
[It bluntly said it's smile fully dropping as it looked at Bane, it felt like it was in trouble. In trouble for a crime it hadn't even committed to these people! It balled it's hands into tight fists, shrinking backwards into it's seat uncomfortably. It hated this.]
[It had gotten too much in it's own head, it hadn't paid attention to the Ghostwalker now clutched in Bane's hand. It's eyes widened it's mouth gaping open like a fish, it didn't even have time to ask or fully react before Bane used it.]
Angie's stare darts between Hero, Bane, and then down to the Ghostwalker, to which she startles up in her seat. "Wait, waitwait! Not in public-!?"
"If not now, then when? This opportunity will slip from our grasp," Bane replies calmly. It clutches the ghostly sword in its hand, raising it. "Rest assured, I do not mean to hurt any of us. This is simply meant to... clear any misconceptions."
In almost an instant moment, the surroundings of the market started to dissipate into black, and Archer yells something, their voice turning muffled within the growing void. The group falls down the endless dark until finally- they crash into the groundless surface of the Dream World.
[Everyone other then Bane had a less than graceful landing when they hit the floor, Hatred especially slamming face down as they tumbled into a familiar house. It recovered quickly, stumbling back to it's feet. Their eyes scanned the group a defeated look on it's face, if the others were anything like Bane it wouldn't take them long to see the truth of what it really is...]
Are you happy with yourself..? [It mumbled it's stare moving towards Bane glaring daggers into them, if looks could kill. Bane would be dead plenty times over.]
âDude, Bane, what the hellâŚâ Archer groans, rubbing the spot where they hit their head. They ended up tangled with Angie and Theo, the mass of bodies slowly twisting away from each other. âYou know, if you really wanted to have a private conversation, you didnât have to leave Hero up in realiââ
A shudder crawls up their spine, and Archer clutches their head as incoherent voices whisper into their ear. It wasnât actually there, butâ this wasnât supposed to happen anymore. Theoâs hatred had long calmed down, no longer causing such severe side effects.
They whipped their head towards the source and sputtered in shock.
Hero, standing right there, perfectly okay in the Dream World, which should only really exist to the group.
âHow the fuââ
ââBelieve me, I do not take enjoyment in this,â Bane responds to Hero, sheathing the Ghostwalker. âThis is simply for our own good. The deception cannot continue any longer.â
[Hatred continued to silently stare, it's fist balled up so tightly they'd turned white. It deserved this for all it was, for it's niceness to be spat back at it with such vitriol]
Was what I was doing really so wrong..?
[It asked itself sounding like it was trying not to scream, it tillted it's head towards Archer and Angie. It watched as Archer visible flinched back and Angie stared at it with a distant look it knew all too well... it wanted to punch Bane until they stopped.]
[Instead it wearily drew it's own Ghostwalker, holding it with shaking hands as it glared hateful dagger into two of the four.]
âHow do you have the Ghostwalkerâ?â Theo starts, but Bane cuts in sternly.
âHiding your identity, knowing our circumstancesâ yes, I believe that it was wrong,â its tone, though angry, is laced with guilt. Bane could accuse Hatred all hey wanted, but were they in the right for this themself? âLeaving the Dream World and targeting my companions is something I canât forgive.â
âBane, how are you not questioning that?â
âWe have⌠other priorities.â
âIâm pretty sure a second Ghostwalker is very important,â Theo wracked his head for a moment. Everything was happening too fast for him. âAnd⌠the others. We have to remember what comes first, remember? We could be⌠overthinking this?â
He admits, he was highly suspicious of Hero. But he saw himself in them too much, just their subtle behaviors. It set him off, seeing almost another version of himself, without any support systems.
âPlease put those away.â He sighs, glancing between Hero and Bane. âCanât really do anything in here.â
I DIDN'T TARGET ANYONE, YOU SELF-CENTRED RAT! [Hatred yelled, getting into Bane's face and clearly not listening to a word Theo had just said]
WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO JUST SAY IN DREAM WORLD FOREVER!
A-and didn't even know Archer was apart of your stupid little group until I was already in the hotel because someone here is overly vague and never bothered to tell me their names!
[It pointed an accusatory finger into Bane's chest, it's mouth twisted into a malicious smile as it's voice became something sickly sweet.] This is your fault, Creator.
Bane grits their teeth, making no move to fight back. âWhy would I have informed you of their identities? I recognized you as a danger to us, whether that be in reality or in this domain.â
âAre you saying that youâve met Hero before?â The commotion had forced the others out of their trances, and Angie stumbles to her feet. âHow could you haveâ?â
But she then realizes, and laughs in disbelief. âI mean, what else could it have been? I knew none of you still trusted me, running off and everythingâŚâ
Why else could she have been feeling like this? That crushing suspicion that was more than just an inkling. Angie wasnât supposed to feel like that anymore, but it was just spilling out.
âThere⌠was no point in telling you all,â Bane murmured, turning its attention back to Hatred. âI didnât think it would become such a problem.â
[Hatred growled at Bane, how dare it accuse them of being the problem! It hadn't done anything to them or its friend, they wouldn't even be in this situation!]
OH REAL RICH CALLING ME THE PROBLEM, I haven't even done anything! I WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING!!
[IT was sick of Bane pushing and pushing and PUSHING that it was the villain, that this somehow was all it's fault! It'd been pushed too hard..... Hatred lunged at them without thinking, discarding their Ghostwalker as it dug it's fingers into Bane's neck trying to strangle the life out of them. If they wanted a villain they would get a villain!]
The two fell to the ground as Bane drops the Ghostwalker. It wheezes, pushing its hands back against Hatredâs chest. They were never really equipped to fight properly.
âWait, shitâ!â Theo bolts over, wrapping his arms around Hero and trying to pull them away. He didnât think it would truly escalate that quickly, or become so personal to them. âItâs all a huge misunderstanding, alright? Baneâ itâs just being stupidâ!â
Angie looks around frantically, spotting Archer already pushed up against the corner, curled into themself. She makes a defeated noise and approaches them carefully.
[Hatred vision had completed tunnelled, nothing else was happening except for the scene in front of it's eyes. It's entire focus was this single minded goal. At until Theo grabbed it]
[It struggled, Hatred wouldn't give up it didn't want to, why should it even! It thrashed and kicked against Theo trying and failing regain it's painful grip around Bane's neck. It wasn't very hard for Theo to pull Hatred away, despite their sheer determination their body was still pretty light. It continued to flail]
I HATE YOU! [It yelled towards Bane but it's words felt hollow just feeling angry while lacking any real, painful bite. It was defeated, angry to the point it was crying...]
âWe all say that,â Theo grunts, holding it against his chest, trying to keep its arms from hitting him. âI get it, Bane did somethinâ stupid and wrong. Weâve all⌠weâve had our fair share of things. Doesnât mean this is all right.â
That hatred, known all too well by Theo, still ached in his chest. Even in his happiest moments, it still wrapped his heart in that subtle resentment. It was simply natural.
âYou get to deserve things and want them, Hero, and weâ we are allowed to be suspicious, given⌠everything. But this wasnât the way to go. For all of us.â
LET GO! [Hatred sobbed out loudly as they thrashed against Theo, doing everything in their power to escape. But Theo managed to keep them restrained their hits really hurt but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with by now]
[After a few minutes of yelling, hitting, kicking and even a few attempts at biting it seemed to have ran out of steam] ii-itts not fairr.....
[Hatred weakly sobbed as it pulled it's knees closer trying and failing to hide it's face fully from view. It didn't want to be looked at or perceived like... this]
ww-why are y-you being soo... nice?? To... m-me? [It asked itself, it's shaky voice barely above a whisper, it really didn't understand these people. How Theo could still treat it with any amount of kindness even after it tried to kill one of his friends?]
"You don't think I haven't done the same to Bane myself?" Theo laughs weakly, sliding away awkwardly and starting to rub its back. They were practically one in the same, even if he didn't particularly understand just what was up with Hero. "I wasn't fully conscious doing it, but, eh."
He glances between his friends, exchanging a wary look with Archer, who seemed to be calming down already. At least things were settling, for the most part.
"I'm doin' it because I know what this is like- or, not exactly," he shrugged, "If I'm thinking about this right, you've lost that autonomy of yours, or that humanity or something, but it's just you being confused over your emotions. At least, that was the case for me."
[Hatred shuffled away from Theo, pulling their hood over their head as face as humanly possible to obscure their features. Hatred just stared at Theo really how can someone get everything right by picking wildly incorrect options?? It didn't get it]
You... you're c-close, it's... something like that........ [It paused, it's face twisting into surprise] W-waitt, have n-non of you... realised yet..? R-really..???
[Hatred chuckled weakly with small questioning tilt of the head. It was funny, it could guess from how Theo had just spoken. He didn't fully realise who or in this case what it was. It wasn't likely the others had either... had Bane's little stunt had really been for nothing????]
Theo makes a puzzled look, but Bane, who finally sat up, clears its throat. âYou were close to figuring it out, but Hero is⌠almost an incarnation of Hatred. Much like your possession, Theo.â
The room fully stops, and Archer mumbled a weakened âwhat?â from the corner.
âI had my suspicions,â Theo finally speaks up. âWhat else could explain this weird feeling I got around them? I felt the same with BuildermanâŚâ
âBut, uhâŚâ Angie whispered, a little quieter. âI thought we tamed Hatred? Isnât it sealed inside of Theo and in here?â
I'm not yours. [Hatred states bluntly slowly bringing itself to it's feet] I mean... how'd you think there were two Ghostwalker's? Don't worry Angie, this worlds Hatred is still very much defeated..!
[It walked towards one of the Ghostwalker's picking it back up, clutching it securely in it's hands.] Unfortunately I don't know how to get back.
A shame really, I didn't even get to recover my first sword...
âThatâs what you meant by beinâ lostâŚ?â Archer mumbled to themself. âI mean, basically thatâs right⌠shame about your sword, thoughâŚâ
âUnfortunately, this issue is outside of our current scope.â Bane shrugged, rising to its feet. It stretches its neck, still sore from Hatredâs attack.
âSo much for your pursuit of the forbidden knowledge,â Archer chuckled weakly before turning to Hero- Hatred? They hesitated for a moment, the words scrambling at the tip of their tongue.
On one hand, Archer was⌠alright with Hero. As a person. As âHeroâ.
Hero was a funny guy, Archer thinksâ and theyâre a little weird sometimes, but theyâre sure anyone could agree that, despite it all, they couldnât even out-weird Archer themself.
On the other hand, âHatredâ was now in the picture. Archer understood that it wasnât the same, that somehow they are different, but the fear keeps on crawling back. Screaming in their head to run away. Its very presence seemed to amplify the things theyâve learned to calmâ maybe it wasnât yet âtamedâ.
âBut, uh⌠what actually happened to you, Hero? Is it like a uh, Theo situation? Possession⌠thing? Shadow of your true self?â
[Hatred didn't answer at first a smile creeping into its face as it reminisced on the battle with Hero, ah good violent times~]
Yes it is like the "Theo situation". I beat them over and over and over again until they just... couldn't anymore! I fully took them over, it's just Hatred here now. Always has been! [Its smile widened]
I suppose the big difference between Hero and Theo is that Theo still had autonomy.
[Hatred snickered to itself, pointing towards its head] I'm not sure if they're even still rattling around in here honestly. Certainly haven't given me any indication they are!
[It clearly took so much glee in all this, in robbing their own 'creator' of life and autonomy.]
The others seemed to go quiet at that, and Archer scratches the back of their head nervously. So it wasnât⌠actually Hero. In a way.
âThen how are you so⌠nice?â Angie whispered, conflict already boiling in her eyes. âYou take all that enjoyment in hurting someone who is⌠essentially part of you. Holding all this hate for them, but still acting nice around us.â
Was it actually real? She was starting to question. Sure, it may have been the same as Theoâs situation, in a sense, but everyone had already known he was being controlled.
With this Hatred, none of them were aware.
âIf you talk to poorly about your own self like that, what makes us believe that anything you said was genuine?â
[Its smile dropped, for a moment it was honestly glad it still had its hood up. They couldn't see the unfortunate look of feeling that had filled its eyes.]
I'm nice? [It asked wincing a little at how shocked it sounded, it fidgeted awkwardly trying to come up with any sort of response that would answer Angie's question]
I... I don't- know? How am I supposed to know?? .......Non of you are them so why would I not... be genuine... I guess????
[It pulled it's hood back down after landing on its answer, staring at the four with a look that could only be described as 'what on earth am I supposed to say here???' Clearly it was grasping at straws.]
âIt just confuses me. Your intentions. Youâre the embodiment of hate but you keep contradicting yourself,â Angie clarified with an odd movement of her hands. She glances over at Theo, who wore a concerned expression again. âIt was like him for a while.â
âIf youâre an incarnation of hatred, theoretically, thatâs all youâre supposed to feel. But I havenât felt that kind of sentiment towards us yetâ except for Bane.â
He knew what it was like, though not to this extent. Hatred still lived in him, but he was lucky enough to come to terms with it. To have the resources to come back from that. If he had been alone, like Hero, he would have completely assimilated with that part of himself.
âItâs safe to say that Hero is still ârattling aroundâ in your head. Dormant, I guess? Theyâve just given up.â He casts a knowing look towards Hatred, though it was more directed towards the identity of âHeroâ.
[Hatred shifted away, its face showing how uncomfortable it had became with the flow of this conversation. It clutched the Ghostwalker tighter, trying to keep its voice steady]
Could you stop prying? I don't need to explain myself to you. Theorise in your own time, away from me..! [Hatred yelled the last part as it turned away from them, it didn't want to dwell on this. It was far too early for all this anyway!]
âIt would be something to think about,â Bane murmured, glancing warily at the Ghostwalker. âWhether it be now or later in the future.â
It would be something that they had to confront at some point, right? If only Hatred step outside of its own bubble.
âThe Dream World still has its mysteries, and perhaps your stay will eventually bring much needed reflection,â Their tone had softened just a little, less hostile than before. âJust as it did with us.â
[Hatred didn't turn back around, its eyes seeming to gazed downwards towards it's sword as it barked its next words.] ...I won't 'think about it' Bane. Not now, not ever!
[It growled under its breath before it mumbled] Screw this, I'm leaving.
[It rose its Ghostwalker into the air before vanishing, fleeing away to the waking world without even so much as a goodbye]
hey
do you
do
Do you why they call me
they
they call me đŤ
Cause im a
a
-đŤ
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
Out of interest Player...(Or Hatred, whichever you prefer), is the Ghostwalker your favorite sword to wield or do you have another?
[Hatred picks the ANCIENT KEY, it looks around but it appears Calypso has decided to stay outside. They breath a sigh of relief]
I prefer Hatred, but for my own sake I don't use it around others.
But yes the Ghostwalker is my favourite sword to wield, maybe that's just because I haven't used the other two much? It's just so lightweight and powerful. I am drawn to it...
[It leans against the back wall, squinting it's eyes as it looked up at the strange character upon the wall in front] What on earth could that hieroglyphic mean?
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
[Hatred fell, yelping as they clattered face down on the forest floor. Their Ghostwalker still clutched tightly in both hands. That had been a good few hours of trial and error but they were free from Dream World]
(Thanks SO much for the help, Bane.)
[It thought to itself sarcastically putting the Ghostwalker away it brushed the dirt from their pants. They looked around but it didn't recognise these woods.]
[It couldn't be Turitopulis this certainly wasn't a rain forest, but it also wasn't snowing either... maybe the meadows but it certainly wasn't a part they had ever seen before.]
[Luckly the forest wasn't all too dense meaning it was able to spot a blue blur moving energetically off in the distance. It approached quietly ducking behind a tree to watch. Maybe they could follow this individual to civilization?]
@ask-possessed-player
Archer glances down at their watch, bouncing up and down on their toes. It was far too early in the morning to be doing intense runs like this, but they really needed to clear their head.
Beads of sweat drip from their forehead, and they wipe it with a shaky huff. They didnât mean to travel this far. Archer wasnât even sure if they could make it back to the hotel before anyone noticed. Glancing down at their watch, they realize they didnât have long until the early-risers would start getting up.
âOkay, this is great. Just.. really far away.â They scoff to themself. Genius plan, wasnât it? Even after promising Angie theyâd stop doing this. But who could blame them? This was the easiest way to keep their head screwed on right.
There was no choice but to head back now. Archer turns around, ready to start jogging, but a small movement catches their eyes.
It was still early, so it mightâve just been a trick of the light. Or maybe they were finally going crazy this time.
[Hatred shifted behind the tree, already feeling agitated. Following this person was their only route to a town yet it seemed more trouble then it was worth.]
[It grumbled something under it's breath only to look up and met the gaze of a very surprised Archer. All that added movement and noise seems to have alerted them]
[Neither moved for a very long, awkward moment. Slowly Hatred stepped out from behind the tree giving Archer an awkward wave as it spoke.]
Uh... Hello..?
"Oh- Heya! Didn't see you hiding."
Okay, well. They did see them hiding, but only just now. Archer really wasn't expecting anyone to be out and about, especially in a forest at the ungodly early hours of the morning. It was hardly even light out.
"What're you doing out here? Also runnin'? I didn't know people came so far out here, you know." Where did this guy even come from? Archer's been to many places by now, but they didn't exactly dress like the 'regular person'.
[Ah right. They needed a valid reason to be this deep in the woods, they stood there much like a deer in headlights before managing to think of something]
I was just... out on stroll and I got lost... I have no idea how to get back... maybe you could be of service?
[Hatred smiled trying to seem nice and totally not suspicious but it was very clearly not working as well as they'd hope considering the way Archer was staring.]
[Something about them felt wrong. Maybe the ominous shadows covering half their face? Lack of facial expression? The red eyes Archer swears they've seen somewhere before? They can't put their finger on it... maybe it's still just too early.]
"Lost? Out here? On a stroll?!" Archer squints at the Robloxian across from them. How does someone manage to wander off into a forest on a casual walk? "That's gotta be really rough, but yeah, I'll take ya back to a nearby village."
Nearby was an overstatement. The village they were staying at was well over an hour away, and that's at Archer's sprinting speeds.
"You sure you're not from anywhere nearby here?" They raised an eyebrow, looking over the other a couple times. Really reminded them of Theo, at least the a-couple-months-ago version of him. Maybe it was just the red eyes.
Red... eyes. Come to think of it, the only time they've ever seen Theo with red eyes was during and after-
Archer slaps that thought away. That's too far in the past by now, and at least they're mostly over what happened. And like, hundreds of people have red eyes. It was perfectly reasonable for a regular Robloxian to have red eyes.
No, I'm uh- not from here I'm- just a traveller. Seeing the sites and going place to place... that stuff.
[It rattled off it's clunky explanation of a 'backstory' as they walked, the lack of planning time was really throwing Hatred off. If only they had thought of something sooner luckily it knows a traveller that be used as backstory fuel]
[It shifted the subject, best to not dig itself any deeper in this hole]
That's enough about me what about you? Why are you out here, what is your name?
"That's pretty crazy, 'cause I'm a traveler too! Or, I travel with my friends a lot. We're kind of just out and about right now," Archer pats their palm against the other's back and chuckles. "But I'm Archer. Don't get me wrong though, I'm no good at archery like that."
They clicked their tongue at the other question, hesitating. Running into a forest far from home wasn't the most believable explanation. "Ah, y'know. Just joggin' around. Getting those morning workouts in. Keeps me sharp for the rest of the day."
Archer continues their subtle observation over the person as they talked. They claimed to be a traveler, yet they weren't carrying anything for campouts... not even necessities like food and water. Just breezing through a forest with no supplies at all? It would make sense if they were staying somewhere and left it all there, but still. Nobody rawdogs anything as a traveler. Not even strolls.
People in the past are truly strange.
Oh? You travel too? [It looked Archer up and down a few times really taking in their appearance] Yes that does seem to check out, My name is Hero. [It said mentioning it's name in an off-handed manner]
[It rolled it's eyes at Archer excuse, it was as flimsy as their own. If a stroll hadn't seemed to make sense, why would a run make anymore sense? People are weird. Hatred continued to speak, it needed to at least figure out where it had ended up.]
So what are you and your friends doing in the area? Just looking around?
"Hero, huh? You must be quite the savior, then," Archer jokes. "Would've been quite the help up in the Trinity."
They nodded with a slight shrug. "That's about right. Kind of just resting up after doing some... community service. We're kind of tight, you know? So we kinda stick together through everything."
Not like they really had any other choice, anyway. Who ever knew whenever Shedletsky would call in about another sword? Plus, Archer loved the company.
Their gaze trails down to a sword- a sword?! The guy was carrying nothing but a sword? Archer pauses in their words. Hero was... a lot weirder than they originally thought.
"Uh... but yeah. I would assume you're also lookin' around. Even if there isn't really much to do here." They keep their observations to themself for now. It was probably just... a personal reason. Yeah.
I wouldn't call myself a savior, from what you've said I'd imagine the title fits you and your friends much better... Ironically I wouldn't really consider myself the 'hero type'...
[Archer could help but look over them again, they were also wearing a small, black backpack and that sword. It looked strangely worn yet still unused? Like it had been used for combat once upon a time but eventually it had become a mare decoration]
...What town is closest to us anyways? I'm not exactly great at remembering place names.
âAw, come on. Anyone can be a hero. Sounds sappy, but itâs better than just trying to run away all the time, if you get what I mean.â
They stared at Heroâs backpack again. Maybe they were carrying something, albeit not that much. Not enough to be traveling for multiple days.
âWeâre near uh⌠damn, Iâm blankingâŚâ Archer taps their chin. âIt wasnât like, C... Cr⌠Crater-something? Along those lines.â
Archer did in fact know what the village was, but.. to think a traveler wouldnât know the towns nearby, despite being in a forest⌠alone. On a stroll. You had to come from some place, where you started that stroll.
It was a little suspicious, to be honest.
Theyâre also realizing that eye contact with Hero was⌠uncomfortable. Somehow. It was a nagging feeling in their gut, and Archer always knew to trust that.
âYou, eh⌠pack light, huh?â They gesture towards Heroâs backpack.
["Anyone can be a hero." Hatred stood there taking in those words... Could it really..?-]
Yes, I don't like carrying much with me.
[It was clear from the way Archer was staring, Hatred had been doing a pretty bad job at pretending. Well and truly they were suspicious from head to toe, it thought trying to figure out a way to get itself back to just normal weirdo territory]
I am sorry that I'm unnerving you so greatly Archer. [It came out more deadpan and flat then Hatred seemed to realise]
âUhâŚâ
Whatâs with that sudden change in tone? Archer wasnât being that obvious, were they?
âNah, itâs good, just⌠you kinda remind of⌠something. Sorry if it was rude or anythinâ.â
They really didnât like that flat tone of theirs. Not in a way where it was annoying, but it set off a series of alarms in Archerâs head. It reminded them too much of Angieâs slow spirals in the Dream World. Of Baneâs quiet descent into its guilt, and Theoâs⌠unnerving behaviors that aligned a little too closely with Hero now.
And they really didnât like that association.
âItâs nothing, though. You know, never know who you might run into, yeah?â They realize their hand is shaking and shoves it into their pocket. âGotta be safe around here.â
Ah- I... I understand.
[Is this how off-putting people usually found it? They don't think so, it knew it could be uncomfortable to be around but this was different than just being uncomfortable. Archer was scared]
You're shaking. [Hatred pointed out matter of factly]
If you're concerned about me a danger don't be. We're the only two people for who knows how long, hurting you would just be silly of me.
[...That really didn't help it seems.]
âOh, yeah. That makes sense.â
They still sounded unsure, and it didnât absolve the uncomfortable air around Hero. It was more than just a nervous knot in their stomach now. It was oppressive, and Archer couldn't ignore the inherent urge to run away. Something in their body was screaming at them to do it, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"You're right. Sorry, just... it's morning, and y'know... I get kinda jittery in the morning. Especially after runs. Guess my body is too excited-!" Archer laughs off the trembling, but the excuse was feeble. Rather than trying to convice Hero, it sounded like they were trying to convince themself more.
Uh huh. [Hatred nodded as it shot Archer an amused smile.]
[The pair continued to walk an uncomfortable, awkward silence stretching between them as they progressed, it could feel the tension building in the air and Hatred decided that it was their job to break it.]
How about you talk while we walk hm? Tell me about your friends perhaps? It could help with your anxieties.
[Anything would be better then remaining in this painfully awkward quiet.]
âMy friends, right!â Archer lets out a sigh of relief. âAs I said before, weâre really close. We travel together a lot, go places, fight togetherâŚâ
âSafe to say that theyâre kind of my ride or dies! Weâve all seen the worst parts of each other, and weâre still stuck like glue. Even if it wasnât so easy at first to come out of that.â They shrugged, thinking back on the first few weeks after the Ghostwalker. Nobody could talk to anybody, and it was a whole lot of walking on eggshells until Bane finally put its foot down and started a conversation.
âLike one of them, theyâre kind of mysterious, but turns out itâs just harboring all this guilt,â Archer gestures vaguely. Probably a bad idea to go too deep into all of that. âBut um, Iâd hate to let any of them down.
They knew that was hypocritical to sayâ running away like this was just the thing they said theyâd stop doing. âGuess Iâm just scared of their reactions and⌠that kinda thing? Catching my drift?â
No. I don't honestly. [That was the most honest they'd been this entire conversation, it could wrap it's head around the surface level concept being presented but how was it even supposed truly grasp such a concept when friendship itself was foreign?]
In truth I've never had... friends. So I am quite unfamiliar with your experiences.
[How could something like it ever have a thing like friends? It was Hatred, the others never liked it and it only had shallow acquaintances by associate of taking someone life.]
[It had never minded this lack of friendship before seeing it as a waste of time but seeing how happy they made Archer. It made them jealous, it hadn't expected that...]
âDamn, really? That must really suck,â Archer rubs the back of their head awkwardly. âI mean, since Iâm taking you to the village weâre staying at, I could always introduce you to them. I think youâd get along with Theo or somethinâ. You remind me of him.â
The fact that Hero reminded them of Theo wasnât as good as they were framing it to be. Of course, they were still being genuine about the possibility of them getting along, but it was more than that. Archer hadnât forgotten the unsettling feeling they got around them.
Discomfort coils up their chest again, this time a lot more prominent. It was finally beginning to take root, and Archer did not welcome this unpleasant feeling.
It wasnât like the idea of Hero being similar to Theo was that scary, but Archer was good at gut feelings. Like, itâs always protected them from danger, in one way or another.
[Get introduced to Archer's friends? They hadn't even considered that a possibility, but it did sound... kinda nice to be in the company of people especially in the low stakes environment set out to them.]
Sure, I've got time on my hands at the moment. Meeting your friends sounds... nice.
[Hatred smiled, internally amused by Archer's comparison with it and this Theo person. Poor Archer didn't even know how badly they'd just insulted their friend]
Do you think we're almost there?
[Hatred mumbled to itself feeling ever so giddy at the idea of this 'friendship']
âI think so. The surroundings are starting to look a lot more familiar. Or maybe weâre going in circles.â Archer chuckles. âJoking. But Iâm pretty sure weâll be getting there soonish.â
They grin back at Hero. âYeah, itâll be fun. Theyâre a good bunch. Maybe a little weird, but still fun.â
The two continued their walk for a while longer, and Archer squints into the distance. A building. They remember passing it by before they started spiraling.
âOh yeah, weâre coming up on it.â Guess they severely overestimated how far away they actually were. Thatâs what those hazes do to you. Stretches time out. Wow, they really needed to stop doing those morning runs.
[The pair stepped out from the tree line re-entering the quiet little village. It was cute, small and entirely unfamiliar to Hatred, it seems like their creator had never visited here after all.]
[As the pair came up towards the hotel Hatred gestured for Archer to go in first]
After you. [It said standing with polite posture just behind the other. First impressions usually were everything after all]
âAw, thanks, youâre too polite!â
Archer leads Hero up to their room, fumbling for the keys before finally pushing the door open.
The space was a little larger than the average hotel room, but it was still humble. Nothing incredibly fancy.
It was quiet inside, and Archer lets out a loud sigh of relief. They turn and whisper-shout to Hero. âOhmygod, thank the Spawn. It was about to get really messy if anyone wasââ
One of the floorboards down the hall creaks, and Archerâs face genuinely pales.
âNice to see youâre finally up early.â A new voice, a little groggy, comes from down the hall.
âFuck, oh my god,â Archer groans, but a smile returns back to their face. âTheo! Woah! Wasnât expecting you to be up! I brought a pal over, since they were lost and stuff.â
They take Hero by the wrist and leads them through the dim room, guiding them to the other. âThis is uh, Hero! From somewhere! Didnât really tell me!â
[Ah well- they were certainly being thrusted into this situation far faster than they had anticipated, they weren't ready yet! Hatred stood there in silence, just staring at Theo before offering a nervous wave]
Uh- Hello... and Good morning..?
[It said it's tone overly polite as it shifted to be behind Archer, it wasn't really ready to be the centre of discussion yet. It really wasn't sure how to proceed correctly either...]
Archer smiles sheepishly from behind, only to be returned an exasperated stare from the other. Theo didnât necessarily have a problem with people being invited over, but it was⌠really early.
And plus, he wasnât used to it happening. Collecting the swords was a⌠closed job, for the most part, so theyâve only ever met people associated with the missions Shedletsky sent them onâ with the exception of Kyoko.
âHey, good to meet you, Hero.â He flashes a tired but polite smile. âI hope they werenât givinâ you any trouble.â
He gives Hero a quick look-over.
Thereâs the weird fashion choice, obviously. Dressed a little too differently from everyone else in the time periodâ or maybe the trends were evolving? Angie might know something about that.
And then, the other⌠notable feature. Itâs visible even in the dark, which is⌠shocking.
âYouâve got eyes like mine.â He flicks the ceiling light on to a low setting and gestures to his face.
âOh, yeah. I forgot to mention that!â Archer skids between them, glancing between the two. âExcept yours are a lot more faded, since weâre no longer inââ
âShut up.â Theo grunts, glaring at Archer with a âwhy-would-you-say-thatâ look. He turns back to Hero. âTheyâre just saying whatever. Itâs cool though.â
But now that Archer actually mentioned it⌠Theo basically had the same shade in the Dream World, and for about a week after it. His gaze quickly diverts from Heroâs eyes.
Oh! ...Indeed we do, that is quite cool.
[Hatred's eyes glowed? That was a first, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome realization. As They and Theo had agreed, it was pretty cool... thinking about it now, were these the heroes of this world? It would certainly check out from the info it had but that also meant Bane would be floating around, that could become an issue...]
[Hopefully Bane isn't a snitch.] So... what now? Do we have like... breakfast or..?
Archer nodded. "Ehh.. sort of. It's a hotel, so there isn't really anything amazing that we can actually cook. I'll go check and see if Angie and Bane are awake, so we can go out and get something!"
They dashed away, footsteps fading. Once they were gone, Theo turns towards Hero, his expression dropping just slightly.
"So," He says, crossing his arms. "It's kind of rare for Robloxians to have red eyes, you know. What city did you come from?"
Hero was... suspicious to him. From the very moment he met them, he could tell that something was off. Whether that was the unsettling aura or the faint familiarity Theo felt when he saw them.
Archer's comment even solidified it for him. Sure, even someone like Brad had red eyes, but those were neon, not muted and empty. And Theo was very familiar with that shade of red. He saw it reflected in himself, in the 'Builderman'. It's a very... rare coincidence.
[Hatred didn't flinch at the sudden accusation, it had already long since picked up on the subtle hostility between them. Still how to answer such a question? It had so meny wrong answers...
...Frankly it's non of your business. [Was the answer Hatred finally picked, still dressed up several layers of empty politeness, trying to mask the slight hostility creeping into it's voice]
[That answer felt like the only right one it didn't relive the suspicion but it also didn't anything to drive him deeper in the right direction.]
âRight, none of my business, sure.â His eyes narrow. âLook, maybe I trust Archer to not make stupid choices, but weâve had a fair nasty experiences with people we thought we could trust.â
Theo retains his glare, the look in his eyes hard and cautious. He could be overstepping, making a bad impression, but he couldnât let something like this slip by.
âI just hope you wonât end up likeââ
âHey! You guys done over there?â Archer calls from down the hall. They peek from around the corner, followed by two others. âWe gotta held out before it gets too crowded.â
âHm. Yeah, we are.â Theo shoots Hero a pointed look before starting towards the group. âYouâre coming, right!â
[Hatred nods, it stays near the back of the group beside Bane ironically enough. It took this opportunity to shoot Bane a very serious "Don't you dare say a WORD" look. Bane definitely saw but it doesn't acknowledge the look it had been given]
[Hatred stays quiet, listening to the group as they talk amongst themselves]
When Bane first saw them, it had completely frozen over.
Just hours ago, it had barely escaped the grasp of another Hatred, only for the very same one to be dragged right into the partyâs morning outingâ and by Archer, of all people.
It managed to hide their identity, deciding that, based on Archerâs excitement, it would be a horrible idea to reveal that theyâve just brought Hatred incarnate into their home.
Bane wonders if anyone else had noticed. In retrospect, it was a little obvious, given the nature of the one who named themself âHeroââ which it thought was an ironic name itselfâ but everyone seemed alright with their company, and they werenât hurting anyone.
Or so it hoped.
-
âOkay, we can goâŚâ Angie glances between two stalls, squinting at the menus taped to each post. âMm, there really isnât anything we havenât tried yetâŚâ
She realizes that theyâve stayed in this village for far too longâ and it was supposed to be a laid-back one! She liked the slow life, but when your life was made up of finishing quests, youâre bound to get a little bored of normality.
Then, she perks up, turning and pointing towards Hero. âWhy donât you choose? Youâre technically our guest, and itâll be our treat! Plus, must be your first time here, so youâve got to try all the local dishes.â
[Hatred who at this point had been mostly zoning out and listening to the passive conversations around them, jumped a little as Angie addressed them directly. It pointed towards itself more than a little caught off guard]
Me really?? I- uh alright let's see......
[It hadn't really tried much food, and there was also so meny options that it was honestly a slightly overwhelming decision to simply be thrusted upon it... what even categorised food as 'Breakfast' anyways??]
Uh- This one??? [It said pointing at the word 'soup' on the menu with a nervous smile]
âSoup for breakfast? Havenât done that since we were in Blackrock!â She says excitedly, taking Hero by the wrist and leading them closer to the stall. âPick whichever one, donât worry about the prices.â
While Angie and Hero glanced over the different options, Bane and Archer observed from behind.
-
âNice to know we finally know someone outside of the sword business, huh?â Archer remarked, slinging an arm over the otherâs shoulders. âI mean, that would make two now: Kyoko and Hero.â
Bane hesitates. Archer was⌠not exactly right. Hatredâ or, Hero now, was anything but âoutside of sword businessâ. And it even found its way out of the Dream WorldâŚ
âYes. Theyâre⌠a refreshing, new face in our busy lives. You and Angie seem to get along well with them.â
âI mean, good for her, especially, right? The more people she knows, the better.â They say knowingly.
[Hatred smiled as Angie dragged them closer to the stall. For once it was a genuinely happy smile, even with over half the group being unsettled by them. They still felt as if they belonged here, it was only bittersweetened by the fact this could last forever.]
[Hatred ignored the thought turning towards Angie, asking her with genuine delight]
Well out of the selection what would you recommend? I'm don't exactly have a well versed palate.
âHmmm,â Angie ponders for s moment. âI think the tomato-basil is really good. A classic, too! I usually get it, but there are also some spicier options if youâre into that.â
She calls the stand owner and orders one. Hero was pretty sweet! Honestly, she was expecting them to be a little crazy, given Archerâs personality, but they were pretty much the complete opposite.
âSo, howâd you meet Archer?â She asked, trying to create small talk.
[Hatred nodded as Angie spoke, making it 110% clear they were paying full attention, they eventually opted for a slightly spicier version of the tomato-basil she had recommended. That slight kick sounded quite appealing]
Oh right- well, Archer was on a 'morning run' and I simply happened to stumble upon them. I was a little lost at the time so I'm quite lucky to have run into them..!
[Hatred smiled awkwardly as it retold the events, even if it was just them bending the truth slightly it still made them feel kinda... bad? Would that be the word for it?]
Angie hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of her mouth.
âThey were on a morning run?â Her expression retained its friendliness, but concern had started to bubble in her eyes. That was awfully early for a run in the mornings.
Archer had promised her that they wouldnât try running off whenever those nightmares came back. She reassured them that they could trust everyone and talk, but⌠did they not trust her?
Maybe she was overthinking it too much. She should probably just forget about it. Archer was⌠they were getting a lot better recently. She hoped.
âThatâs⌠rare for them.â She sighs, but flashes a relieved smile. Itâs a little tight, but still genuine enough to not be rude. âBut Iâm glad they found you! Mustâve been hard, huh? The pathways to these villages are always kind of weird, hard to follow.â
Ah- so going on a run into the woods at dawn isn't normal? I never would've guessed.
[Hatred chuckled to itself, finding it's relatively innocent yet sarcastic jab towards Archer maybe a little too funny. It's giggles slowly as it spoke up again.]
This village is nice though, even with it's confusing pathways. It very... homey, I'd say.
[Hatred fell quiet for moment, it's eyes absentmindedly scanning Angie up and down. It wanted to try striking the nail with the friendship hammer pretty hard after all!]
Soo... What about you? Tell me a bit about yourself. I'd love to learn more.
âOh! Uhm, well, Iâm an artist! Or I used to be, before I started⌠traveling a lot more.â She explained, quickly picking up the ready soup and dropping some tix into the stall ownerâs palm. âI did a bunch of commission work for gamâ portraits. I really miss it, though.â
In fact, Angie still yearned for that part of her life. Going on these quests were fun, sure, but⌠she had a life going for her in the present. In Modern Bizville. It felt selfish to think that way, but it was her life. She hardly had the time to do any art now.
âYour life can get turned around so suddenly. And I⌠I appreciate them,â she glanced over at the others, and her jaw clenches a little. âBut IâŚâ
Angie paused, before shaking her head. She canât just say those things! Thatâs exactly what Hatred had used against her. She was supposed to be over all of this by now.
âOh, never mind. Point is, I guess Iâm turning over a new leaf!â
[Hatred nodded, staying entirely quiet as Angie spoke. It just ate it's soup and listened. It tasted good, she certainly had good taste in food and the kick from the spice just made it extra good. Once Hatred was such she had finished it spoke]
It's okay to be angry you know. [It began with a calm smile] You so obviously resent your current position, so why not be upset about it? It's your right after all.
[It spoke of this anger in such a weird matter of fact, calm way. Like it was just the most obvious correct response to her situation in the whole world. It was equally comfortable and uncomfortable to hear all at the same time...] ..I bet your art is lovely
âI⌠yeah. I mean, I used to be mad about it. So much that it hurt them,â Angie mumbled, cringing at the memory of the Dream World. Consumed by those horrible feelings, sinking into her own personal void. âI kept pushing them away for a while, thinking that being alone would heal me, but I was really wrong.â
Hero was⌠a little right. It was okay to be angry, but she didnât want to hold it against her friends. None of this was anyoneâs fault.
She wondered if they felt the same, at some point in their life.
âBut⌠thank you,â she smiled, a little brighter. âAlways good to have another opinion on this. You feel the same sometimes?â
[It blinked at her momentarily pausing as it tried to think of an answer]
...Yes, I do... Although I think our responses to our turmoils are quite different, you've gone down a route of solitude while I've picked a much more...... violent path.
[Hatred eyes drifted down towards their half eaten soup, trying to avoid Angie's soft gaze. When they put it like that... it was sad wasn't it, being alone due to ones own actions. Maybe they had more in common with it then they could've ever realised......]
âHmm, you could say that. Itâs nothing to be ashamed of, though! I think everyone goes through these things all the time,â Angie waved her hand a little. âItâs a natural part of being human.â
Going down a route of solitude⌠never thought sheâd hear words like that again.
âMaybe youâve noticed, or not, but Iâll tell you anyway,â She gestures over to Theo in the distance, waiting with the other two. âI guess you and him have this similar vibe. He struggled with a sort of âviolent pathâ, for a little while. But he healed from it! Iâm sure you can, too.â
[Hatred stared at her completely deadpan mostly because it had no idea what it was even supposed to say. It's Hatred itself how could it ever hope to improve or overcome what it is at it's core? It stared at her unsure before giving her a small nod. She was trying her best even if she could never truly understand.]
...T-Thank you... Should we maybe group back up with the others now? They seem to be wait for us.
âRight, oh my gosh, got too engrossed in our conversation.â She instinctively takes Hero by the arm and drags them both to the rest of the group.
They were all seated at a table, leaving two empty spots for Angie and Hero. She takes the one beside Archer, leaving the only other one across from Bane, who stared intensely at⌠âHeroâ.
âWe got some of the soup from that stall,â she points in the general direction. Angie says cheerfully, âAnd kinda talked for a bit! Heroâs pretty interesting once you get to know them a little.â
âI would assume so,â Bane comments, still keeping a heavy gaze on Hero. âThey seem to have quite the mysterious origins. Theo tells me that they didnât even tell him what city they were from.â
[Hatred was frankly glaring daggers into Bane as they spoke, all it wanted was for Bane to be quiet and just let it have this. It just wanted to keep playing this game of pretend until it headed home, was that really so much to ask?]
I don't need to share such information if I don't want too...
[It said flatly curling slightly into itself as it used it's words as a flimsy, half-hearted defence against Bane's accusatory tone. If it would only just back down.......]
âEh, I donât really mind, doesnât actually matter in the long run.â Archer sighs, waving a hand at Bane. âWhy so pushy, anyway?â
It pauses, weighing their options. It wouldnât make sense to let the shoe drop on everyone else now, but it was pretty sure that Theo was well aware by now.
âI was not being pushy. I was only making an observation about Hero.â
âOkay, maybe all of yâall get this weird feeling around them, sure, but itâs all probably just the stress from the Heights!â
â⌠Yeah, like thatâs a reasonable explanation.â Theo grunts, and Archer smacks the back of his head.
âDonât even worry about those two, theyâre just beinâ weird,â they laugh nervously, turning to Hero with a grin. âSeriously, we donât actually mind anything.â
[Hatred was frankly a little dumbstruck! They had expected truly expected the worst. For them to be outed, for everything to violently and painfully explode in their face. Archer rushing to their defence was genuinely something Hatred never would have ever considered. They were speechless.]
Oh uh-... I- okay. [It managed quietly nodding it's head and giving Archer one awkward thumbs up, the surprise was written all over it's face. How long would this all last before it finally blew up???]
[God it had never been so wanted and unwelcome in a place before...]
âI mean, I admit, not the most settling vibe,â Angie considered, thinking back on the earliest moments with Hero. She admits that, at least in the beginning, she was a tiiiiny bit suspicious of them. âI think itâs just the mystery. Itâs not like, well, you know.â
Theo raises a brow, unconvinced. She was talking about Builderman. âAnd why compare Hero to that? Compare them to me, by extension?â
She pauses, glancing between Hero and the other. Angie understands the implication behind those words, but⌠thatâs a low possibility. Very low. Or she hoped.
âDonât just say that,â she sighs. âThatâs behind us, and itâs over.â
âIâm just sayinâ, if you put two and two togetherâŚâ But Angie quickly stops him.
âWeâll talk about that later! Theyâre pretty nice, alright? Genuinely!â
You keep acting like I'm going to do something bad......
[Hatred suddenly started, their harsh, intense gaze intent upon Bane and Theo. Mostly Theo, it didn't take a genius to figure out why Bane stared at them like that. It continued it's calm smile beginning to strain]
Am I not allowed to be nice? Am I really just some... unforgivable sin to you both?
[It was impossible to deny the anger in their voice, they were sick of being the accused! Could they not just be ignored..? Hated from a distance..?]
âYou could say that, yeah,â He glares at Hero with scrutiny, ignoring Archerâs gaping expression. âLetâs just say youâre not exactly something we had a good experience with in the pastâ Iâm sure you know exactly what I mean.â
âHey, thatâs a huge accusation to be making about them! Weâre the only ones who know about that worldââ Archer starts nervously, trying to hold Theo back. Deep in their eyes, a subtle fear could be recognized. âThey havenât done anything to us yet.â
âI was hoping that you all couldâve seen it by now. At least, come to terms with your uncertainties,â Bane cuts in, its hand moving to the Ghostwalker at its hip. âI would only like you two to see the truthâ wouldnât you agree, âHeroâ?â
No.....
[It bluntly said it's smile fully dropping as it looked at Bane, it felt like it was in trouble. In trouble for a crime it hadn't even committed to these people! It balled it's hands into tight fists, shrinking backwards into it's seat uncomfortably. It hated this.]
[It had gotten too much in it's own head, it hadn't paid attention to the Ghostwalker now clutched in Bane's hand. It's eyes widened it's mouth gaping open like a fish, it didn't even have time to ask or fully react before Bane used it.]
Angie's stare darts between Hero, Bane, and then down to the Ghostwalker, to which she startles up in her seat. "Wait, waitwait! Not in public-!?"
"If not now, then when? This opportunity will slip from our grasp," Bane replies calmly. It clutches the ghostly sword in its hand, raising it. "Rest assured, I do not mean to hurt any of us. This is simply meant to... clear any misconceptions."
In almost an instant moment, the surroundings of the market started to dissipate into black, and Archer yells something, their voice turning muffled within the growing void. The group falls down the endless dark until finally- they crash into the groundless surface of the Dream World.
[Everyone other then Bane had a less than graceful landing when they hit the floor, Hatred especially slamming face down as they tumbled into a familiar house. It recovered quickly, stumbling back to it's feet. Their eyes scanned the group a defeated look on it's face, if the others were anything like Bane it wouldn't take them long to see the truth of what it really is...]
Are you happy with yourself..? [It mumbled it's stare moving towards Bane glaring daggers into them, if looks could kill. Bane would be dead plenty times over.]
âDude, Bane, what the hellâŚâ Archer groans, rubbing the spot where they hit their head. They ended up tangled with Angie and Theo, the mass of bodies slowly twisting away from each other. âYou know, if you really wanted to have a private conversation, you didnât have to leave Hero up in realiââ
A shudder crawls up their spine, and Archer clutches their head as incoherent voices whisper into their ear. It wasnât actually there, butâ this wasnât supposed to happen anymore. Theoâs hatred had long calmed down, no longer causing such severe side effects.
They whipped their head towards the source and sputtered in shock.
Hero, standing right there, perfectly okay in the Dream World, which should only really exist to the group.
âHow the fuââ
ââBelieve me, I do not take enjoyment in this,â Bane responds to Hero, sheathing the Ghostwalker. âThis is simply for our own good. The deception cannot continue any longer.â
[Hatred continued to silently stare, it's fist balled up so tightly they'd turned white. It deserved this for all it was, for it's niceness to be spat back at it with such vitriol]
Was what I was doing really so wrong..?
[It asked itself sounding like it was trying not to scream, it tillted it's head towards Archer and Angie. It watched as Archer visible flinched back and Angie stared at it with a distant look it knew all too well... it wanted to punch Bane until they stopped.]
[Instead it wearily drew it's own Ghostwalker, holding it with shaking hands as it glared hateful dagger into two of the four.]
âHow do you have the Ghostwalkerâ?â Theo starts, but Bane cuts in sternly.
âHiding your identity, knowing our circumstancesâ yes, I believe that it was wrong,â its tone, though angry, is laced with guilt. Bane could accuse Hatred all hey wanted, but were they in the right for this themself? âLeaving the Dream World and targeting my companions is something I canât forgive.â
âBane, how are you not questioning that?â
âWe have⌠other priorities.â
âIâm pretty sure a second Ghostwalker is very important,â Theo wracked his head for a moment. Everything was happening too fast for him. âAnd⌠the others. We have to remember what comes first, remember? We could be⌠overthinking this?â
He admits, he was highly suspicious of Hero. But he saw himself in them too much, just their subtle behaviors. It set him off, seeing almost another version of himself, without any support systems.
âPlease put those away.â He sighs, glancing between Hero and Bane. âCanât really do anything in here.â
I DIDN'T TARGET ANYONE, YOU SELF-CENTRED RAT! [Hatred yelled, getting into Bane's face and clearly not listening to a word Theo had just said]
WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO JUST SAY IN DREAM WORLD FOREVER!
A-and didn't even know Archer was apart of your stupid little group until I was already in the hotel because someone here is overly vague and never bothered to tell me their names!
[It pointed an accusatory finger into Bane's chest, it's mouth twisted into a malicious smile as it's voice became something sickly sweet.] This is your fault, Creator.
Bane grits their teeth, making no move to fight back. âWhy would I have informed you of their identities? I recognized you as a danger to us, whether that be in reality or in this domain.â
âAre you saying that youâve met Hero before?â The commotion had forced the others out of their trances, and Angie stumbles to her feet. âHow could you haveâ?â
But she then realizes, and laughs in disbelief. âI mean, what else could it have been? I knew none of you still trusted me, running off and everythingâŚâ
Why else could she have been feeling like this? That crushing suspicion that was more than just an inkling. Angie wasnât supposed to feel like that anymore, but it was just spilling out.
âThere⌠was no point in telling you all,â Bane murmured, turning its attention back to Hatred. âI didnât think it would become such a problem.â
[Hatred growled at Bane, how dare it accuse them of being the problem! It hadn't done anything to them or its friend, they wouldn't even be in this situation!]
OH REAL RICH CALLING ME THE PROBLEM, I haven't even done anything! I WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING!!
[IT was sick of Bane pushing and pushing and PUSHING that it was the villain, that this somehow was all it's fault! It'd been pushed too hard..... Hatred lunged at them without thinking, discarding their Ghostwalker as it dug it's fingers into Bane's neck trying to strangle the life out of them. If they wanted a villain they would get a villain!]
The two fell to the ground as Bane drops the Ghostwalker. It wheezes, pushing its hands back against Hatredâs chest. They were never really equipped to fight properly.
âWait, shitâ!â Theo bolts over, wrapping his arms around Hero and trying to pull them away. He didnât think it would truly escalate that quickly, or become so personal to them. âItâs all a huge misunderstanding, alright? Baneâ itâs just being stupidâ!â
Angie looks around frantically, spotting Archer already pushed up against the corner, curled into themself. She makes a defeated noise and approaches them carefully.
[Hatred vision had completed tunnelled, nothing else was happening except for the scene in front of it's eyes. It's entire focus was this single minded goal. At until Theo grabbed it]
[It struggled, Hatred wouldn't give up it didn't want to, why should it even! It thrashed and kicked against Theo trying and failing regain it's painful grip around Bane's neck. It wasn't very hard for Theo to pull Hatred away, despite their sheer determination their body was still pretty light. It continued to flail]
I HATE YOU! [It yelled towards Bane but it's words felt hollow just feeling angry while lacking any real, painful bite. It was defeated, angry to the point it was crying...]
âWe all say that,â Theo grunts, holding it against his chest, trying to keep its arms from hitting him. âI get it, Bane did somethinâ stupid and wrong. Weâve all⌠weâve had our fair share of things. Doesnât mean this is all right.â
That hatred, known all too well by Theo, still ached in his chest. Even in his happiest moments, it still wrapped his heart in that subtle resentment. It was simply natural.
âYou get to deserve things and want them, Hero, and weâ we are allowed to be suspicious, given⌠everything. But this wasnât the way to go. For all of us.â
LET GO! [Hatred sobbed out loudly as they thrashed against Theo, doing everything in their power to escape. But Theo managed to keep them restrained their hits really hurt but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with by now]
[After a few minutes of yelling, hitting, kicking and even a few attempts at biting it seemed to have ran out of steam] ii-itts not fairr.....
[Hatred weakly sobbed as it pulled it's knees closer trying and failing to hide it's face fully from view. It didn't want to be looked at or perceived like... this]
ww-why are y-you being soo... nice?? To... m-me? [It asked itself, it's shaky voice barely above a whisper, it really didn't understand these people. How Theo could still treat it with any amount of kindness even after it tried to kill one of his friends?]
"You don't think I haven't done the same to Bane myself?" Theo laughs weakly, sliding away awkwardly and starting to rub its back. They were practically one in the same, even if he didn't particularly understand just what was up with Hero. "I wasn't fully conscious doing it, but, eh."
He glances between his friends, exchanging a wary look with Archer, who seemed to be calming down already. At least things were settling, for the most part.
"I'm doin' it because I know what this is like- or, not exactly," he shrugged, "If I'm thinking about this right, you've lost that autonomy of yours, or that humanity or something, but it's just you being confused over your emotions. At least, that was the case for me."
[Hatred shuffled away from Theo, pulling their hood over their head as face as humanly possible to obscure their features. Hatred just stared at Theo really how can someone get everything right by picking wildly incorrect options?? It didn't get it]
You... you're c-close, it's... something like that........ [It paused, it's face twisting into surprise] W-waitt, have n-non of you... realised yet..? R-really..???
[Hatred chuckled weakly with small questioning tilt of the head. It was funny, it could guess from how Theo had just spoken. He didn't fully realise who or in this case what it was. It wasn't likely the others had either... had Bane's little stunt had really been for nothing????]
Theo makes a puzzled look, but Bane, who finally sat up, clears its throat. âYou were close to figuring it out, but Hero is⌠almost an incarnation of Hatred. Much like your possession, Theo.â
The room fully stops, and Archer mumbled a weakened âwhat?â from the corner.
âI had my suspicions,â Theo finally speaks up. âWhat else could explain this weird feeling I got around them? I felt the same with BuildermanâŚâ
âBut, uhâŚâ Angie whispered, a little quieter. âI thought we tamed Hatred? Isnât it sealed inside of Theo and in here?â
I'm not yours. [Hatred states bluntly slowly bringing itself to it's feet] I mean... how'd you think there were two Ghostwalker's? Don't worry Angie, this worlds Hatred is still very much defeated..!
[It walked towards one of the Ghostwalker's picking it back up, clutching it securely in it's hands.] Unfortunately I don't know how to get back.
A shame really, I didn't even get to recover my first sword...
âThatâs what you meant by beinâ lostâŚ?â Archer mumbled to themself. âI mean, basically thatâs right⌠shame about your sword, thoughâŚâ
âUnfortunately, this issue is outside of our current scope.â Bane shrugged, rising to its feet. It stretches its neck, still sore from Hatredâs attack.
âSo much for your pursuit of the forbidden knowledge,â Archer chuckled weakly before turning to Hero- Hatred? They hesitated for a moment, the words scrambling at the tip of their tongue.
On one hand, Archer was⌠alright with Hero. As a person. As âHeroâ.
Hero was a funny guy, Archer thinksâ and theyâre a little weird sometimes, but theyâre sure anyone could agree that, despite it all, they couldnât even out-weird Archer themself.
On the other hand, âHatredâ was now in the picture. Archer understood that it wasnât the same, that somehow they are different, but the fear keeps on crawling back. Screaming in their head to run away. Its very presence seemed to amplify the things theyâve learned to calmâ maybe it wasnât yet âtamedâ.
âBut, uh⌠what actually happened to you, Hero? Is it like a uh, Theo situation? Possession⌠thing? Shadow of your true self?â
[Hatred didn't answer at first a smile creeping into its face as it reminisced on the battle with Hero, ah good violent times~]
Yes it is like the "Theo situation". I beat them over and over and over again until they just... couldn't anymore! I fully took them over, it's just Hatred here now. Always has been! [Its smile widened]
I suppose the big difference between Hero and Theo is that Theo still had autonomy.
[Hatred snickered to itself, pointing towards its head] I'm not sure if they're even still rattling around in here honestly. Certainly haven't given me any indication they are!
[It clearly took so much glee in all this, in robbing their own 'creator' of life and autonomy.]
The others seemed to go quiet at that, and Archer scratches the back of their head nervously. So it wasnât⌠actually Hero. In a way.
âThen how are you so⌠nice?â Angie whispered, conflict already boiling in her eyes. âYou take all that enjoyment in hurting someone who is⌠essentially part of you. Holding all this hate for them, but still acting nice around us.â
Was it actually real? She was starting to question. Sure, it may have been the same as Theoâs situation, in a sense, but everyone had already known he was being controlled.
With this Hatred, none of them were aware.
âIf you talk to poorly about your own self like that, what makes us believe that anything you said was genuine?â
[Its smile dropped, for a moment it was honestly glad it still had its hood up. They couldn't see the unfortunate look of feeling that had filled its eyes.]
I'm nice? [It asked wincing a little at how shocked it sounded, it fidgeted awkwardly trying to come up with any sort of response that would answer Angie's question]
I... I don't- know? How am I supposed to know?? .......Non of you are them so why would I not... be genuine... I guess????
[It pulled it's hood back down after landing on its answer, staring at the four with a look that could only be described as 'what on earth am I supposed to say here???' Clearly it was grasping at straws.]
âIt just confuses me. Your intentions. Youâre the embodiment of hate but you keep contradicting yourself,â Angie clarified with an odd movement of her hands. She glances over at Theo, who wore a concerned expression again. âIt was like him for a while.â
âIf youâre an incarnation of hatred, theoretically, thatâs all youâre supposed to feel. But I havenât felt that kind of sentiment towards us yetâ except for Bane.â
He knew what it was like, though not to this extent. Hatred still lived in him, but he was lucky enough to come to terms with it. To have the resources to come back from that. If he had been alone, like Hero, he would have completely assimilated with that part of himself.
âItâs safe to say that Hero is still ârattling aroundâ in your head. Dormant, I guess? Theyâve just given up.â He casts a knowing look towards Hatred, though it was more directed towards the identity of âHeroâ.
[Hatred shifted away, its face showing how uncomfortable it had became with the flow of this conversation. It clutched the Ghostwalker tighter, trying to keep its voice steady]
Could you stop prying? I don't need to explain myself to you. Theorise in your own time, away from me..! [Hatred yelled the last part as it turned away from them, it didn't want to dwell on this. It was far too early for all this anyway!]
[Hatred fell, yelping as they clattered face down on the forest floor. Their Ghostwalker still clutched tightly in both hands. That had been a good few hours of trial and error but they were free from Dream World]
(Thanks SO much for the help, Bane.)
[It thought to itself sarcastically putting the Ghostwalker away it brushed the dirt from their pants. They looked around but it didn't recognise these woods.]
[It couldn't be Turitopulis this certainly wasn't a rain forest, but it also wasn't snowing either... maybe the meadows but it certainly wasn't a part they had ever seen before.]
[Luckly the forest wasn't all too dense meaning it was able to spot a blue blur moving energetically off in the distance. It approached quietly ducking behind a tree to watch. Maybe they could follow this individual to civilization?]
@ask-possessed-player
Archer glances down at their watch, bouncing up and down on their toes. It was far too early in the morning to be doing intense runs like this, but they really needed to clear their head.
Beads of sweat drip from their forehead, and they wipe it with a shaky huff. They didnât mean to travel this far. Archer wasnât even sure if they could make it back to the hotel before anyone noticed. Glancing down at their watch, they realize they didnât have long until the early-risers would start getting up.
âOkay, this is great. Just.. really far away.â They scoff to themself. Genius plan, wasnât it? Even after promising Angie theyâd stop doing this. But who could blame them? This was the easiest way to keep their head screwed on right.
There was no choice but to head back now. Archer turns around, ready to start jogging, but a small movement catches their eyes.
It was still early, so it mightâve just been a trick of the light. Or maybe they were finally going crazy this time.
[Hatred shifted behind the tree, already feeling agitated. Following this person was their only route to a town yet it seemed more trouble then it was worth.]
[It grumbled something under it's breath only to look up and met the gaze of a very surprised Archer. All that added movement and noise seems to have alerted them]
[Neither moved for a very long, awkward moment. Slowly Hatred stepped out from behind the tree giving Archer an awkward wave as it spoke.]
Uh... Hello..?
"Oh- Heya! Didn't see you hiding."
Okay, well. They did see them hiding, but only just now. Archer really wasn't expecting anyone to be out and about, especially in a forest at the ungodly early hours of the morning. It was hardly even light out.
"What're you doing out here? Also runnin'? I didn't know people came so far out here, you know." Where did this guy even come from? Archer's been to many places by now, but they didn't exactly dress like the 'regular person'.
[Ah right. They needed a valid reason to be this deep in the woods, they stood there much like a deer in headlights before managing to think of something]
I was just... out on stroll and I got lost... I have no idea how to get back... maybe you could be of service?
[Hatred smiled trying to seem nice and totally not suspicious but it was very clearly not working as well as they'd hope considering the way Archer was staring.]
[Something about them felt wrong. Maybe the ominous shadows covering half their face? Lack of facial expression? The red eyes Archer swears they've seen somewhere before? They can't put their finger on it... maybe it's still just too early.]
"Lost? Out here? On a stroll?!" Archer squints at the Robloxian across from them. How does someone manage to wander off into a forest on a casual walk? "That's gotta be really rough, but yeah, I'll take ya back to a nearby village."
Nearby was an overstatement. The village they were staying at was well over an hour away, and that's at Archer's sprinting speeds.
"You sure you're not from anywhere nearby here?" They raised an eyebrow, looking over the other a couple times. Really reminded them of Theo, at least the a-couple-months-ago version of him. Maybe it was just the red eyes.
Red... eyes. Come to think of it, the only time they've ever seen Theo with red eyes was during and after-
Archer slaps that thought away. That's too far in the past by now, and at least they're mostly over what happened. And like, hundreds of people have red eyes. It was perfectly reasonable for a regular Robloxian to have red eyes.
No, I'm uh- not from here I'm- just a traveller. Seeing the sites and going place to place... that stuff.
[It rattled off it's clunky explanation of a 'backstory' as they walked, the lack of planning time was really throwing Hatred off. If only they had thought of something sooner luckily it knows a traveller that be used as backstory fuel]
[It shifted the subject, best to not dig itself any deeper in this hole]
That's enough about me what about you? Why are you out here, what is your name?
"That's pretty crazy, 'cause I'm a traveler too! Or, I travel with my friends a lot. We're kind of just out and about right now," Archer pats their palm against the other's back and chuckles. "But I'm Archer. Don't get me wrong though, I'm no good at archery like that."
They clicked their tongue at the other question, hesitating. Running into a forest far from home wasn't the most believable explanation. "Ah, y'know. Just joggin' around. Getting those morning workouts in. Keeps me sharp for the rest of the day."
Archer continues their subtle observation over the person as they talked. They claimed to be a traveler, yet they weren't carrying anything for campouts... not even necessities like food and water. Just breezing through a forest with no supplies at all? It would make sense if they were staying somewhere and left it all there, but still. Nobody rawdogs anything as a traveler. Not even strolls.
People in the past are truly strange.
Oh? You travel too? [It looked Archer up and down a few times really taking in their appearance] Yes that does seem to check out, My name is Hero. [It said mentioning it's name in an off-handed manner]
[It rolled it's eyes at Archer excuse, it was as flimsy as their own. If a stroll hadn't seemed to make sense, why would a run make anymore sense? People are weird. Hatred continued to speak, it needed to at least figure out where it had ended up.]
So what are you and your friends doing in the area? Just looking around?
"Hero, huh? You must be quite the savior, then," Archer jokes. "Would've been quite the help up in the Trinity."
They nodded with a slight shrug. "That's about right. Kind of just resting up after doing some... community service. We're kind of tight, you know? So we kinda stick together through everything."
Not like they really had any other choice, anyway. Who ever knew whenever Shedletsky would call in about another sword? Plus, Archer loved the company.
Their gaze trails down to a sword- a sword?! The guy was carrying nothing but a sword? Archer pauses in their words. Hero was... a lot weirder than they originally thought.
"Uh... but yeah. I would assume you're also lookin' around. Even if there isn't really much to do here." They keep their observations to themself for now. It was probably just... a personal reason. Yeah.
I wouldn't call myself a savior, from what you've said I'd imagine the title fits you and your friends much better... Ironically I wouldn't really consider myself the 'hero type'...
[Archer could help but look over them again, they were also wearing a small, black backpack and that sword. It looked strangely worn yet still unused? Like it had been used for combat once upon a time but eventually it had become a mare decoration]
...What town is closest to us anyways? I'm not exactly great at remembering place names.
âAw, come on. Anyone can be a hero. Sounds sappy, but itâs better than just trying to run away all the time, if you get what I mean.â
They stared at Heroâs backpack again. Maybe they were carrying something, albeit not that much. Not enough to be traveling for multiple days.
âWeâre near uh⌠damn, Iâm blankingâŚâ Archer taps their chin. âIt wasnât like, C... Cr⌠Crater-something? Along those lines.â
Archer did in fact know what the village was, but.. to think a traveler wouldnât know the towns nearby, despite being in a forest⌠alone. On a stroll. You had to come from some place, where you started that stroll.
It was a little suspicious, to be honest.
Theyâre also realizing that eye contact with Hero was⌠uncomfortable. Somehow. It was a nagging feeling in their gut, and Archer always knew to trust that.
âYou, eh⌠pack light, huh?â They gesture towards Heroâs backpack.
["Anyone can be a hero." Hatred stood there taking in those words... Could it really..?-]
Yes, I don't like carrying much with me.
[It was clear from the way Archer was staring, Hatred had been doing a pretty bad job at pretending. Well and truly they were suspicious from head to toe, it thought trying to figure out a way to get itself back to just normal weirdo territory]
I am sorry that I'm unnerving you so greatly Archer. [It came out more deadpan and flat then Hatred seemed to realise]
âUhâŚâ
Whatâs with that sudden change in tone? Archer wasnât being that obvious, were they?
âNah, itâs good, just⌠you kinda remind of⌠something. Sorry if it was rude or anythinâ.â
They really didnât like that flat tone of theirs. Not in a way where it was annoying, but it set off a series of alarms in Archerâs head. It reminded them too much of Angieâs slow spirals in the Dream World. Of Baneâs quiet descent into its guilt, and Theoâs⌠unnerving behaviors that aligned a little too closely with Hero now.
And they really didnât like that association.
âItâs nothing, though. You know, never know who you might run into, yeah?â They realize their hand is shaking and shoves it into their pocket. âGotta be safe around here.â
Ah- I... I understand.
[Is this how off-putting people usually found it? They don't think so, it knew it could be uncomfortable to be around but this was different than just being uncomfortable. Archer was scared]
You're shaking. [Hatred pointed out matter of factly]
If you're concerned about me a danger don't be. We're the only two people for who knows how long, hurting you would just be silly of me.
[...That really didn't help it seems.]
âOh, yeah. That makes sense.â
They still sounded unsure, and it didnât absolve the uncomfortable air around Hero. It was more than just a nervous knot in their stomach now. It was oppressive, and Archer couldn't ignore the inherent urge to run away. Something in their body was screaming at them to do it, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"You're right. Sorry, just... it's morning, and y'know... I get kinda jittery in the morning. Especially after runs. Guess my body is too excited-!" Archer laughs off the trembling, but the excuse was feeble. Rather than trying to convice Hero, it sounded like they were trying to convince themself more.
Uh huh. [Hatred nodded as it shot Archer an amused smile.]
[The pair continued to walk an uncomfortable, awkward silence stretching between them as they progressed, it could feel the tension building in the air and Hatred decided that it was their job to break it.]
How about you talk while we walk hm? Tell me about your friends perhaps? It could help with your anxieties.
[Anything would be better then remaining in this painfully awkward quiet.]
âMy friends, right!â Archer lets out a sigh of relief. âAs I said before, weâre really close. We travel together a lot, go places, fight togetherâŚâ
âSafe to say that theyâre kind of my ride or dies! Weâve all seen the worst parts of each other, and weâre still stuck like glue. Even if it wasnât so easy at first to come out of that.â They shrugged, thinking back on the first few weeks after the Ghostwalker. Nobody could talk to anybody, and it was a whole lot of walking on eggshells until Bane finally put its foot down and started a conversation.
âLike one of them, theyâre kind of mysterious, but turns out itâs just harboring all this guilt,â Archer gestures vaguely. Probably a bad idea to go too deep into all of that. âBut um, Iâd hate to let any of them down.
They knew that was hypocritical to sayâ running away like this was just the thing they said theyâd stop doing. âGuess Iâm just scared of their reactions and⌠that kinda thing? Catching my drift?â
No. I don't honestly. [That was the most honest they'd been this entire conversation, it could wrap it's head around the surface level concept being presented but how was it even supposed truly grasp such a concept when friendship itself was foreign?]
In truth I've never had... friends. So I am quite unfamiliar with your experiences.
[How could something like it ever have a thing like friends? It was Hatred, the others never liked it and it only had shallow acquaintances by associate of taking someone life.]
[It had never minded this lack of friendship before seeing it as a waste of time but seeing how happy they made Archer. It made them jealous, it hadn't expected that...]
âDamn, really? That must really suck,â Archer rubs the back of their head awkwardly. âI mean, since Iâm taking you to the village weâre staying at, I could always introduce you to them. I think youâd get along with Theo or somethinâ. You remind me of him.â
The fact that Hero reminded them of Theo wasnât as good as they were framing it to be. Of course, they were still being genuine about the possibility of them getting along, but it was more than that. Archer hadnât forgotten the unsettling feeling they got around them.
Discomfort coils up their chest again, this time a lot more prominent. It was finally beginning to take root, and Archer did not welcome this unpleasant feeling.
It wasnât like the idea of Hero being similar to Theo was that scary, but Archer was good at gut feelings. Like, itâs always protected them from danger, in one way or another.
[Get introduced to Archer's friends? They hadn't even considered that a possibility, but it did sound... kinda nice to be in the company of people especially in the low stakes environment set out to them.]
Sure, I've got time on my hands at the moment. Meeting your friends sounds... nice.
[Hatred smiled, internally amused by Archer's comparison with it and this Theo person. Poor Archer didn't even know how badly they'd just insulted their friend]
Do you think we're almost there?
[Hatred mumbled to itself feeling ever so giddy at the idea of this 'friendship']
âI think so. The surroundings are starting to look a lot more familiar. Or maybe weâre going in circles.â Archer chuckles. âJoking. But Iâm pretty sure weâll be getting there soonish.â
They grin back at Hero. âYeah, itâll be fun. Theyâre a good bunch. Maybe a little weird, but still fun.â
The two continued their walk for a while longer, and Archer squints into the distance. A building. They remember passing it by before they started spiraling.
âOh yeah, weâre coming up on it.â Guess they severely overestimated how far away they actually were. Thatâs what those hazes do to you. Stretches time out. Wow, they really needed to stop doing those morning runs.
[The pair stepped out from the tree line re-entering the quiet little village. It was cute, small and entirely unfamiliar to Hatred, it seems like their creator had never visited here after all.]
[As the pair came up towards the hotel Hatred gestured for Archer to go in first]
After you. [It said standing with polite posture just behind the other. First impressions usually were everything after all]
âAw, thanks, youâre too polite!â
Archer leads Hero up to their room, fumbling for the keys before finally pushing the door open.
The space was a little larger than the average hotel room, but it was still humble. Nothing incredibly fancy.
It was quiet inside, and Archer lets out a loud sigh of relief. They turn and whisper-shout to Hero. âOhmygod, thank the Spawn. It was about to get really messy if anyone wasââ
One of the floorboards down the hall creaks, and Archerâs face genuinely pales.
âNice to see youâre finally up early.â A new voice, a little groggy, comes from down the hall.
âFuck, oh my god,â Archer groans, but a smile returns back to their face. âTheo! Woah! Wasnât expecting you to be up! I brought a pal over, since they were lost and stuff.â
They take Hero by the wrist and leads them through the dim room, guiding them to the other. âThis is uh, Hero! From somewhere! Didnât really tell me!â
[Ah well- they were certainly being thrusted into this situation far faster than they had anticipated, they weren't ready yet! Hatred stood there in silence, just staring at Theo before offering a nervous wave]
Uh- Hello... and Good morning..?
[It said it's tone overly polite as it shifted to be behind Archer, it wasn't really ready to be the centre of discussion yet. It really wasn't sure how to proceed correctly either...]
Archer smiles sheepishly from behind, only to be returned an exasperated stare from the other. Theo didnât necessarily have a problem with people being invited over, but it was⌠really early.
And plus, he wasnât used to it happening. Collecting the swords was a⌠closed job, for the most part, so theyâve only ever met people associated with the missions Shedletsky sent them onâ with the exception of Kyoko.
âHey, good to meet you, Hero.â He flashes a tired but polite smile. âI hope they werenât givinâ you any trouble.â
He gives Hero a quick look-over.
Thereâs the weird fashion choice, obviously. Dressed a little too differently from everyone else in the time periodâ or maybe the trends were evolving? Angie might know something about that.
And then, the other⌠notable feature. Itâs visible even in the dark, which is⌠shocking.
âYouâve got eyes like mine.â He flicks the ceiling light on to a low setting and gestures to his face.
âOh, yeah. I forgot to mention that!â Archer skids between them, glancing between the two. âExcept yours are a lot more faded, since weâre no longer inââ
âShut up.â Theo grunts, glaring at Archer with a âwhy-would-you-say-thatâ look. He turns back to Hero. âTheyâre just saying whatever. Itâs cool though.â
But now that Archer actually mentioned it⌠Theo basically had the same shade in the Dream World, and for about a week after it. His gaze quickly diverts from Heroâs eyes.
Oh! ...Indeed we do, that is quite cool.
[Hatred's eyes glowed? That was a first, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome realization. As They and Theo had agreed, it was pretty cool... thinking about it now, were these the heroes of this world? It would certainly check out from the info it had but that also meant Bane would be floating around, that could become an issue...]
[Hopefully Bane isn't a snitch.] So... what now? Do we have like... breakfast or..?
Archer nodded. "Ehh.. sort of. It's a hotel, so there isn't really anything amazing that we can actually cook. I'll go check and see if Angie and Bane are awake, so we can go out and get something!"
They dashed away, footsteps fading. Once they were gone, Theo turns towards Hero, his expression dropping just slightly.
"So," He says, crossing his arms. "It's kind of rare for Robloxians to have red eyes, you know. What city did you come from?"
Hero was... suspicious to him. From the very moment he met them, he could tell that something was off. Whether that was the unsettling aura or the faint familiarity Theo felt when he saw them.
Archer's comment even solidified it for him. Sure, even someone like Brad had red eyes, but those were neon, not muted and empty. And Theo was very familiar with that shade of red. He saw it reflected in himself, in the 'Builderman'. It's a very... rare coincidence.
[Hatred didn't flinch at the sudden accusation, it had already long since picked up on the subtle hostility between them. Still how to answer such a question? It had so meny wrong answers...
...Frankly it's non of your business. [Was the answer Hatred finally picked, still dressed up several layers of empty politeness, trying to mask the slight hostility creeping into it's voice]
[That answer felt like the only right one it didn't relive the suspicion but it also didn't anything to drive him deeper in the right direction.]
âRight, none of my business, sure.â His eyes narrow. âLook, maybe I trust Archer to not make stupid choices, but weâve had a fair nasty experiences with people we thought we could trust.â
Theo retains his glare, the look in his eyes hard and cautious. He could be overstepping, making a bad impression, but he couldnât let something like this slip by.
âI just hope you wonât end up likeââ
âHey! You guys done over there?â Archer calls from down the hall. They peek from around the corner, followed by two others. âWe gotta held out before it gets too crowded.â
âHm. Yeah, we are.â Theo shoots Hero a pointed look before starting towards the group. âYouâre coming, right!â
[Hatred nods, it stays near the back of the group beside Bane ironically enough. It took this opportunity to shoot Bane a very serious "Don't you dare say a WORD" look. Bane definitely saw but it doesn't acknowledge the look it had been given]
[Hatred stays quiet, listening to the group as they talk amongst themselves]
When Bane first saw them, it had completely frozen over.
Just hours ago, it had barely escaped the grasp of another Hatred, only for the very same one to be dragged right into the partyâs morning outingâ and by Archer, of all people.
It managed to hide their identity, deciding that, based on Archerâs excitement, it would be a horrible idea to reveal that theyâve just brought Hatred incarnate into their home.
Bane wonders if anyone else had noticed. In retrospect, it was a little obvious, given the nature of the one who named themself âHeroââ which it thought was an ironic name itselfâ but everyone seemed alright with their company, and they werenât hurting anyone.
Or so it hoped.
-
âOkay, we can goâŚâ Angie glances between two stalls, squinting at the menus taped to each post. âMm, there really isnât anything we havenât tried yetâŚâ
She realizes that theyâve stayed in this village for far too longâ and it was supposed to be a laid-back one! She liked the slow life, but when your life was made up of finishing quests, youâre bound to get a little bored of normality.
Then, she perks up, turning and pointing towards Hero. âWhy donât you choose? Youâre technically our guest, and itâll be our treat! Plus, must be your first time here, so youâve got to try all the local dishes.â
[Hatred who at this point had been mostly zoning out and listening to the passive conversations around them, jumped a little as Angie addressed them directly. It pointed towards itself more than a little caught off guard]
Me really?? I- uh alright let's see......
[It hadn't really tried much food, and there was also so meny options that it was honestly a slightly overwhelming decision to simply be thrusted upon it... what even categorised food as 'Breakfast' anyways??]
Uh- This one??? [It said pointing at the word 'soup' on the menu with a nervous smile]
âSoup for breakfast? Havenât done that since we were in Blackrock!â She says excitedly, taking Hero by the wrist and leading them closer to the stall. âPick whichever one, donât worry about the prices.â
While Angie and Hero glanced over the different options, Bane and Archer observed from behind.
-
âNice to know we finally know someone outside of the sword business, huh?â Archer remarked, slinging an arm over the otherâs shoulders. âI mean, that would make two now: Kyoko and Hero.â
Bane hesitates. Archer was⌠not exactly right. Hatredâ or, Hero now, was anything but âoutside of sword businessâ. And it even found its way out of the Dream WorldâŚ
âYes. Theyâre⌠a refreshing, new face in our busy lives. You and Angie seem to get along well with them.â
âI mean, good for her, especially, right? The more people she knows, the better.â They say knowingly.
[Hatred smiled as Angie dragged them closer to the stall. For once it was a genuinely happy smile, even with over half the group being unsettled by them. They still felt as if they belonged here, it was only bittersweetened by the fact this could last forever.]
[Hatred ignored the thought turning towards Angie, asking her with genuine delight]
Well out of the selection what would you recommend? I'm don't exactly have a well versed palate.
âHmmm,â Angie ponders for s moment. âI think the tomato-basil is really good. A classic, too! I usually get it, but there are also some spicier options if youâre into that.â
She calls the stand owner and orders one. Hero was pretty sweet! Honestly, she was expecting them to be a little crazy, given Archerâs personality, but they were pretty much the complete opposite.
âSo, howâd you meet Archer?â She asked, trying to create small talk.
[Hatred nodded as Angie spoke, making it 110% clear they were paying full attention, they eventually opted for a slightly spicier version of the tomato-basil she had recommended. That slight kick sounded quite appealing]
Oh right- well, Archer was on a 'morning run' and I simply happened to stumble upon them. I was a little lost at the time so I'm quite lucky to have run into them..!
[Hatred smiled awkwardly as it retold the events, even if it was just them bending the truth slightly it still made them feel kinda... bad? Would that be the word for it?]
Angie hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of her mouth.
âThey were on a morning run?â Her expression retained its friendliness, but concern had started to bubble in her eyes. That was awfully early for a run in the mornings.
Archer had promised her that they wouldnât try running off whenever those nightmares came back. She reassured them that they could trust everyone and talk, but⌠did they not trust her?
Maybe she was overthinking it too much. She should probably just forget about it. Archer was⌠they were getting a lot better recently. She hoped.
âThatâs⌠rare for them.â She sighs, but flashes a relieved smile. Itâs a little tight, but still genuine enough to not be rude. âBut Iâm glad they found you! Mustâve been hard, huh? The pathways to these villages are always kind of weird, hard to follow.â
Ah- so going on a run into the woods at dawn isn't normal? I never would've guessed.
[Hatred chuckled to itself, finding it's relatively innocent yet sarcastic jab towards Archer maybe a little too funny. It's giggles slowly as it spoke up again.]
This village is nice though, even with it's confusing pathways. It very... homey, I'd say.
[Hatred fell quiet for moment, it's eyes absentmindedly scanning Angie up and down. It wanted to try striking the nail with the friendship hammer pretty hard after all!]
Soo... What about you? Tell me a bit about yourself. I'd love to learn more.
âOh! Uhm, well, Iâm an artist! Or I used to be, before I started⌠traveling a lot more.â She explained, quickly picking up the ready soup and dropping some tix into the stall ownerâs palm. âI did a bunch of commission work for gamâ portraits. I really miss it, though.â
In fact, Angie still yearned for that part of her life. Going on these quests were fun, sure, but⌠she had a life going for her in the present. In Modern Bizville. It felt selfish to think that way, but it was her life. She hardly had the time to do any art now.
âYour life can get turned around so suddenly. And I⌠I appreciate them,â she glanced over at the others, and her jaw clenches a little. âBut IâŚâ
Angie paused, before shaking her head. She canât just say those things! Thatâs exactly what Hatred had used against her. She was supposed to be over all of this by now.
âOh, never mind. Point is, I guess Iâm turning over a new leaf!â
[Hatred nodded, staying entirely quiet as Angie spoke. It just ate it's soup and listened. It tasted good, she certainly had good taste in food and the kick from the spice just made it extra good. Once Hatred was such she had finished it spoke]
It's okay to be angry you know. [It began with a calm smile] You so obviously resent your current position, so why not be upset about it? It's your right after all.
[It spoke of this anger in such a weird matter of fact, calm way. Like it was just the most obvious correct response to her situation in the whole world. It was equally comfortable and uncomfortable to hear all at the same time...] ..I bet your art is lovely
âI⌠yeah. I mean, I used to be mad about it. So much that it hurt them,â Angie mumbled, cringing at the memory of the Dream World. Consumed by those horrible feelings, sinking into her own personal void. âI kept pushing them away for a while, thinking that being alone would heal me, but I was really wrong.â
Hero was⌠a little right. It was okay to be angry, but she didnât want to hold it against her friends. None of this was anyoneâs fault.
She wondered if they felt the same, at some point in their life.
âBut⌠thank you,â she smiled, a little brighter. âAlways good to have another opinion on this. You feel the same sometimes?â
[It blinked at her momentarily pausing as it tried to think of an answer]
...Yes, I do... Although I think our responses to our turmoils are quite different, you've gone down a route of solitude while I've picked a much more...... violent path.
[Hatred eyes drifted down towards their half eaten soup, trying to avoid Angie's soft gaze. When they put it like that... it was sad wasn't it, being alone due to ones own actions. Maybe they had more in common with it then they could've ever realised......]
âHmm, you could say that. Itâs nothing to be ashamed of, though! I think everyone goes through these things all the time,â Angie waved her hand a little. âItâs a natural part of being human.â
Going down a route of solitude⌠never thought sheâd hear words like that again.
âMaybe youâve noticed, or not, but Iâll tell you anyway,â She gestures over to Theo in the distance, waiting with the other two. âI guess you and him have this similar vibe. He struggled with a sort of âviolent pathâ, for a little while. But he healed from it! Iâm sure you can, too.â
[Hatred stared at her completely deadpan mostly because it had no idea what it was even supposed to say. It's Hatred itself how could it ever hope to improve or overcome what it is at it's core? It stared at her unsure before giving her a small nod. She was trying her best even if she could never truly understand.]
...T-Thank you... Should we maybe group back up with the others now? They seem to be wait for us.
âRight, oh my gosh, got too engrossed in our conversation.â She instinctively takes Hero by the arm and drags them both to the rest of the group.
They were all seated at a table, leaving two empty spots for Angie and Hero. She takes the one beside Archer, leaving the only other one across from Bane, who stared intensely at⌠âHeroâ.
âWe got some of the soup from that stall,â she points in the general direction. Angie says cheerfully, âAnd kinda talked for a bit! Heroâs pretty interesting once you get to know them a little.â
âI would assume so,â Bane comments, still keeping a heavy gaze on Hero. âThey seem to have quite the mysterious origins. Theo tells me that they didnât even tell him what city they were from.â
[Hatred was frankly glaring daggers into Bane as they spoke, all it wanted was for Bane to be quiet and just let it have this. It just wanted to keep playing this game of pretend until it headed home, was that really so much to ask?]
I don't need to share such information if I don't want too...
[It said flatly curling slightly into itself as it used it's words as a flimsy, half-hearted defence against Bane's accusatory tone. If it would only just back down.......]
âEh, I donât really mind, doesnât actually matter in the long run.â Archer sighs, waving a hand at Bane. âWhy so pushy, anyway?â
It pauses, weighing their options. It wouldnât make sense to let the shoe drop on everyone else now, but it was pretty sure that Theo was well aware by now.
âI was not being pushy. I was only making an observation about Hero.â
âOkay, maybe all of yâall get this weird feeling around them, sure, but itâs all probably just the stress from the Heights!â
â⌠Yeah, like thatâs a reasonable explanation.â Theo grunts, and Archer smacks the back of his head.
âDonât even worry about those two, theyâre just beinâ weird,â they laugh nervously, turning to Hero with a grin. âSeriously, we donât actually mind anything.â
[Hatred was frankly a little dumbstruck! They had expected truly expected the worst. For them to be outed, for everything to violently and painfully explode in their face. Archer rushing to their defence was genuinely something Hatred never would have ever considered. They were speechless.]
Oh uh-... I- okay. [It managed quietly nodding it's head and giving Archer one awkward thumbs up, the surprise was written all over it's face. How long would this all last before it finally blew up???]
[God it had never been so wanted and unwelcome in a place before...]
âI mean, I admit, not the most settling vibe,â Angie considered, thinking back on the earliest moments with Hero. She admits that, at least in the beginning, she was a tiiiiny bit suspicious of them. âI think itâs just the mystery. Itâs not like, well, you know.â
Theo raises a brow, unconvinced. She was talking about Builderman. âAnd why compare Hero to that? Compare them to me, by extension?â
She pauses, glancing between Hero and the other. Angie understands the implication behind those words, but⌠thatâs a low possibility. Very low. Or she hoped.
âDonât just say that,â she sighs. âThatâs behind us, and itâs over.â
âIâm just sayinâ, if you put two and two togetherâŚâ But Angie quickly stops him.
âWeâll talk about that later! Theyâre pretty nice, alright? Genuinely!â
You keep acting like I'm going to do something bad......
[Hatred suddenly started, their harsh, intense gaze intent upon Bane and Theo. Mostly Theo, it didn't take a genius to figure out why Bane stared at them like that. It continued it's calm smile beginning to strain]
Am I not allowed to be nice? Am I really just some... unforgivable sin to you both?
[It was impossible to deny the anger in their voice, they were sick of being the accused! Could they not just be ignored..? Hated from a distance..?]
âYou could say that, yeah,â He glares at Hero with scrutiny, ignoring Archerâs gaping expression. âLetâs just say youâre not exactly something we had a good experience with in the pastâ Iâm sure you know exactly what I mean.â
âHey, thatâs a huge accusation to be making about them! Weâre the only ones who know about that worldââ Archer starts nervously, trying to hold Theo back. Deep in their eyes, a subtle fear could be recognized. âThey havenât done anything to us yet.â
âI was hoping that you all couldâve seen it by now. At least, come to terms with your uncertainties,â Bane cuts in, its hand moving to the Ghostwalker at its hip. âI would only like you two to see the truthâ wouldnât you agree, âHeroâ?â
No.....
[It bluntly said it's smile fully dropping as it looked at Bane, it felt like it was in trouble. In trouble for a crime it hadn't even committed to these people! It balled it's hands into tight fists, shrinking backwards into it's seat uncomfortably. It hated this.]
[It had gotten too much in it's own head, it hadn't paid attention to the Ghostwalker now clutched in Bane's hand. It's eyes widened it's mouth gaping open like a fish, it didn't even have time to ask or fully react before Bane used it.]
Angie's stare darts between Hero, Bane, and then down to the Ghostwalker, to which she startles up in her seat. "Wait, waitwait! Not in public-!?"
"If not now, then when? This opportunity will slip from our grasp," Bane replies calmly. It clutches the ghostly sword in its hand, raising it. "Rest assured, I do not mean to hurt any of us. This is simply meant to... clear any misconceptions."
In almost an instant moment, the surroundings of the market started to dissipate into black, and Archer yells something, their voice turning muffled within the growing void. The group falls down the endless dark until finally- they crash into the groundless surface of the Dream World.
[Everyone other then Bane had a less than graceful landing when they hit the floor, Hatred especially slamming face down as they tumbled into a familiar house. It recovered quickly, stumbling back to it's feet. Their eyes scanned the group a defeated look on it's face, if the others were anything like Bane it wouldn't take them long to see the truth of what it really is...]
Are you happy with yourself..? [It mumbled it's stare moving towards Bane glaring daggers into them, if looks could kill. Bane would be dead plenty times over.]
âDude, Bane, what the hellâŚâ Archer groans, rubbing the spot where they hit their head. They ended up tangled with Angie and Theo, the mass of bodies slowly twisting away from each other. âYou know, if you really wanted to have a private conversation, you didnât have to leave Hero up in realiââ
A shudder crawls up their spine, and Archer clutches their head as incoherent voices whisper into their ear. It wasnât actually there, butâ this wasnât supposed to happen anymore. Theoâs hatred had long calmed down, no longer causing such severe side effects.
They whipped their head towards the source and sputtered in shock.
Hero, standing right there, perfectly okay in the Dream World, which should only really exist to the group.
âHow the fuââ
ââBelieve me, I do not take enjoyment in this,â Bane responds to Hero, sheathing the Ghostwalker. âThis is simply for our own good. The deception cannot continue any longer.â
[Hatred continued to silently stare, it's fist balled up so tightly they'd turned white. It deserved this for all it was, for it's niceness to be spat back at it with such vitriol]
Was what I was doing really so wrong..?
[It asked itself sounding like it was trying not to scream, it tillted it's head towards Archer and Angie. It watched as Archer visible flinched back and Angie stared at it with a distant look it knew all too well... it wanted to punch Bane until they stopped.]
[Instead it wearily drew it's own Ghostwalker, holding it with shaking hands as it glared hateful dagger into two of the four.]
âHow do you have the Ghostwalkerâ?â Theo starts, but Bane cuts in sternly.
âHiding your identity, knowing our circumstancesâ yes, I believe that it was wrong,â its tone, though angry, is laced with guilt. Bane could accuse Hatred all hey wanted, but were they in the right for this themself? âLeaving the Dream World and targeting my companions is something I canât forgive.â
âBane, how are you not questioning that?â
âWe have⌠other priorities.â
âIâm pretty sure a second Ghostwalker is very important,â Theo wracked his head for a moment. Everything was happening too fast for him. âAnd⌠the others. We have to remember what comes first, remember? We could be⌠overthinking this?â
He admits, he was highly suspicious of Hero. But he saw himself in them too much, just their subtle behaviors. It set him off, seeing almost another version of himself, without any support systems.
âPlease put those away.â He sighs, glancing between Hero and Bane. âCanât really do anything in here.â
I DIDN'T TARGET ANYONE, YOU SELF-CENTRED RAT! [Hatred yelled, getting into Bane's face and clearly not listening to a word Theo had just said]
WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO JUST SAY IN DREAM WORLD FOREVER!
A-and didn't even know Archer was apart of your stupid little group until I was already in the hotel because someone here is overly vague and never bothered to tell me their names!
[It pointed an accusatory finger into Bane's chest, it's mouth twisted into a malicious smile as it's voice became something sickly sweet.] This is your fault, Creator.
Bane grits their teeth, making no move to fight back. âWhy would I have informed you of their identities? I recognized you as a danger to us, whether that be in reality or in this domain.â
âAre you saying that youâve met Hero before?â The commotion had forced the others out of their trances, and Angie stumbles to her feet. âHow could you haveâ?â
But she then realizes, and laughs in disbelief. âI mean, what else could it have been? I knew none of you still trusted me, running off and everythingâŚâ
Why else could she have been feeling like this? That crushing suspicion that was more than just an inkling. Angie wasnât supposed to feel like that anymore, but it was just spilling out.
âThere⌠was no point in telling you all,â Bane murmured, turning its attention back to Hatred. âI didnât think it would become such a problem.â
[Hatred growled at Bane, how dare it accuse them of being the problem! It hadn't done anything to them or its friend, they wouldn't even be in this situation!]
OH REAL RICH CALLING ME THE PROBLEM, I haven't even done anything! I WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING!!
[IT was sick of Bane pushing and pushing and PUSHING that it was the villain, that this somehow was all it's fault! It'd been pushed too hard..... Hatred lunged at them without thinking, discarding their Ghostwalker as it dug it's fingers into Bane's neck trying to strangle the life out of them. If they wanted a villain they would get a villain!]
The two fell to the ground as Bane drops the Ghostwalker. It wheezes, pushing its hands back against Hatredâs chest. They were never really equipped to fight properly.
âWait, shitâ!â Theo bolts over, wrapping his arms around Hero and trying to pull them away. He didnât think it would truly escalate that quickly, or become so personal to them. âItâs all a huge misunderstanding, alright? Baneâ itâs just being stupidâ!â
Angie looks around frantically, spotting Archer already pushed up against the corner, curled into themself. She makes a defeated noise and approaches them carefully.
[Hatred vision had completed tunnelled, nothing else was happening except for the scene in front of it's eyes. It's entire focus was this single minded goal. At until Theo grabbed it]
[It struggled, Hatred wouldn't give up it didn't want to, why should it even! It thrashed and kicked against Theo trying and failing regain it's painful grip around Bane's neck. It wasn't very hard for Theo to pull Hatred away, despite their sheer determination their body was still pretty light. It continued to flail]
I HATE YOU! [It yelled towards Bane but it's words felt hollow just feeling angry while lacking any real, painful bite. It was defeated, angry to the point it was crying...]
âWe all say that,â Theo grunts, holding it against his chest, trying to keep its arms from hitting him. âI get it, Bane did somethinâ stupid and wrong. Weâve all⌠weâve had our fair share of things. Doesnât mean this is all right.â
That hatred, known all too well by Theo, still ached in his chest. Even in his happiest moments, it still wrapped his heart in that subtle resentment. It was simply natural.
âYou get to deserve things and want them, Hero, and weâ we are allowed to be suspicious, given⌠everything. But this wasnât the way to go. For all of us.â
LET GO! [Hatred sobbed out loudly as they thrashed against Theo, doing everything in their power to escape. But Theo managed to keep them restrained their hits really hurt but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with by now]
[After a few minutes of yelling, hitting, kicking and even a few attempts at biting it seemed to have ran out of steam] ii-itts not fairr.....
[Hatred weakly sobbed as it pulled it's knees closer trying and failing to hide it's face fully from view. It didn't want to be looked at or perceived like... this]
ww-why are y-you being soo... nice?? To... m-me? [It asked itself, it's shaky voice barely above a whisper, it really didn't understand these people. How Theo could still treat it with any amount of kindness even after it tried to kill one of his friends?]
"You don't think I haven't done the same to Bane myself?" Theo laughs weakly, sliding away awkwardly and starting to rub its back. They were practically one in the same, even if he didn't particularly understand just what was up with Hero. "I wasn't fully conscious doing it, but, eh."
He glances between his friends, exchanging a wary look with Archer, who seemed to be calming down already. At least things were settling, for the most part.
"I'm doin' it because I know what this is like- or, not exactly," he shrugged, "If I'm thinking about this right, you've lost that autonomy of yours, or that humanity or something, but it's just you being confused over your emotions. At least, that was the case for me."
[Hatred shuffled away from Theo, pulling their hood over their head as face as humanly possible to obscure their features. Hatred just stared at Theo really how can someone get everything right by picking wildly incorrect options?? It didn't get it]
You... you're c-close, it's... something like that........ [It paused, it's face twisting into surprise] W-waitt, have n-non of you... realised yet..? R-really..???
[Hatred chuckled weakly with small questioning tilt of the head. It was funny, it could guess from how Theo had just spoken. He didn't fully realise who or in this case what it was. It wasn't likely the others had either... had Bane's little stunt had really been for nothing????]
Theo makes a puzzled look, but Bane, who finally sat up, clears its throat. âYou were close to figuring it out, but Hero is⌠almost an incarnation of Hatred. Much like your possession, Theo.â
The room fully stops, and Archer mumbled a weakened âwhat?â from the corner.
âI had my suspicions,â Theo finally speaks up. âWhat else could explain this weird feeling I got around them? I felt the same with BuildermanâŚâ
âBut, uhâŚâ Angie whispered, a little quieter. âI thought we tamed Hatred? Isnât it sealed inside of Theo and in here?â
I'm not yours. [Hatred states bluntly slowly bringing itself to it's feet] I mean... how'd you think there were two Ghostwalker's? Don't worry Angie, this worlds Hatred is still very much defeated..!
[It walked towards one of the Ghostwalker's picking it back up, clutching it securely in it's hands.] Unfortunately I don't know how to get back.
A shame really, I didn't even get to recover my first sword...
âThatâs what you meant by beinâ lostâŚ?â Archer mumbled to themself. âI mean, basically thatâs right⌠shame about your sword, thoughâŚâ
âUnfortunately, this issue is outside of our current scope.â Bane shrugged, rising to its feet. It stretches its neck, still sore from Hatredâs attack.
âSo much for your pursuit of the forbidden knowledge,â Archer chuckled weakly before turning to Hero- Hatred? They hesitated for a moment, the words scrambling at the tip of their tongue.
On one hand, Archer was⌠alright with Hero. As a person. As âHeroâ.
Hero was a funny guy, Archer thinksâ and theyâre a little weird sometimes, but theyâre sure anyone could agree that, despite it all, they couldnât even out-weird Archer themself.
On the other hand, âHatredâ was now in the picture. Archer understood that it wasnât the same, that somehow they are different, but the fear keeps on crawling back. Screaming in their head to run away. Its very presence seemed to amplify the things theyâve learned to calmâ maybe it wasnât yet âtamedâ.
âBut, uh⌠what actually happened to you, Hero? Is it like a uh, Theo situation? Possession⌠thing? Shadow of your true self?â
[Hatred didn't answer at first a smile creeping into its face as it reminisced on the battle with Hero, ah good violent times~]
Yes it is like the "Theo situation". I beat them over and over and over again until they just... couldn't anymore! I fully took them over, it's just Hatred here now. Always has been! [Its smile widened]
I suppose the big difference between Hero and Theo is that Theo still had autonomy.
[Hatred snickered to itself, pointing towards its head] I'm not sure if they're even still rattling around in here honestly. Certainly haven't given me any indication they are!
[It clearly took so much glee in all this, in robbing their own 'creator' of life and autonomy.]
The others seemed to go quiet at that, and Archer scratches the back of their head nervously. So it wasnât⌠actually Hero. In a way.
âThen how are you so⌠nice?â Angie whispered, conflict already boiling in her eyes. âYou take all that enjoyment in hurting someone who is⌠essentially part of you. Holding all this hate for them, but still acting nice around us.â
Was it actually real? She was starting to question. Sure, it may have been the same as Theoâs situation, in a sense, but everyone had already known he was being controlled.
With this Hatred, none of them were aware.
âIf you talk to poorly about your own self like that, what makes us believe that anything you said was genuine?â
[Its smile dropped, for a moment it was honestly glad it still had its hood up. They couldn't see the unfortunate look of feeling that had filled its eyes.]
I'm nice? [It asked wincing a little at how shocked it sounded, it fidgeted awkwardly trying to come up with any sort of response that would answer Angie's question]
I... I don't- know? How am I supposed to know?? .......Non of you are them so why would I not... be genuine... I guess????
[It pulled it's hood back down after landing on its answer, staring at the four with a look that could only be described as 'what on earth am I supposed to say here???' Clearly it was grasping at straws.]

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Hero! It's Pride month...you know what that means :}
Huh what? ...Do you want me to like... I don't know. Possess Player gayly? What?
Sharkbait what the fuck are you talking about
[Hatred fell, yelping as they clattered face down on the forest floor. Their Ghostwalker still clutched tightly in both hands. That had been a good few hours of trial and error but they were free from Dream World]
(Thanks SO much for the help, Bane.)
[It thought to itself sarcastically putting the Ghostwalker away it brushed the dirt from their pants. They looked around but it didn't recognise these woods.]
[It couldn't be Turitopulis this certainly wasn't a rain forest, but it also wasn't snowing either... maybe the meadows but it certainly wasn't a part they had ever seen before.]
[Luckly the forest wasn't all too dense meaning it was able to spot a blue blur moving energetically off in the distance. It approached quietly ducking behind a tree to watch. Maybe they could follow this individual to civilization?]
@ask-possessed-player
Archer glances down at their watch, bouncing up and down on their toes. It was far too early in the morning to be doing intense runs like this, but they really needed to clear their head.
Beads of sweat drip from their forehead, and they wipe it with a shaky huff. They didnât mean to travel this far. Archer wasnât even sure if they could make it back to the hotel before anyone noticed. Glancing down at their watch, they realize they didnât have long until the early-risers would start getting up.
âOkay, this is great. Just.. really far away.â They scoff to themself. Genius plan, wasnât it? Even after promising Angie theyâd stop doing this. But who could blame them? This was the easiest way to keep their head screwed on right.
There was no choice but to head back now. Archer turns around, ready to start jogging, but a small movement catches their eyes.
It was still early, so it mightâve just been a trick of the light. Or maybe they were finally going crazy this time.
[Hatred shifted behind the tree, already feeling agitated. Following this person was their only route to a town yet it seemed more trouble then it was worth.]
[It grumbled something under it's breath only to look up and met the gaze of a very surprised Archer. All that added movement and noise seems to have alerted them]
[Neither moved for a very long, awkward moment. Slowly Hatred stepped out from behind the tree giving Archer an awkward wave as it spoke.]
Uh... Hello..?
"Oh- Heya! Didn't see you hiding."
Okay, well. They did see them hiding, but only just now. Archer really wasn't expecting anyone to be out and about, especially in a forest at the ungodly early hours of the morning. It was hardly even light out.
"What're you doing out here? Also runnin'? I didn't know people came so far out here, you know." Where did this guy even come from? Archer's been to many places by now, but they didn't exactly dress like the 'regular person'.
[Ah right. They needed a valid reason to be this deep in the woods, they stood there much like a deer in headlights before managing to think of something]
I was just... out on stroll and I got lost... I have no idea how to get back... maybe you could be of service?
[Hatred smiled trying to seem nice and totally not suspicious but it was very clearly not working as well as they'd hope considering the way Archer was staring.]
[Something about them felt wrong. Maybe the ominous shadows covering half their face? Lack of facial expression? The red eyes Archer swears they've seen somewhere before? They can't put their finger on it... maybe it's still just too early.]
"Lost? Out here? On a stroll?!" Archer squints at the Robloxian across from them. How does someone manage to wander off into a forest on a casual walk? "That's gotta be really rough, but yeah, I'll take ya back to a nearby village."
Nearby was an overstatement. The village they were staying at was well over an hour away, and that's at Archer's sprinting speeds.
"You sure you're not from anywhere nearby here?" They raised an eyebrow, looking over the other a couple times. Really reminded them of Theo, at least the a-couple-months-ago version of him. Maybe it was just the red eyes.
Red... eyes. Come to think of it, the only time they've ever seen Theo with red eyes was during and after-
Archer slaps that thought away. That's too far in the past by now, and at least they're mostly over what happened. And like, hundreds of people have red eyes. It was perfectly reasonable for a regular Robloxian to have red eyes.
No, I'm uh- not from here I'm- just a traveller. Seeing the sites and going place to place... that stuff.
[It rattled off it's clunky explanation of a 'backstory' as they walked, the lack of planning time was really throwing Hatred off. If only they had thought of something sooner luckily it knows a traveller that be used as backstory fuel]
[It shifted the subject, best to not dig itself any deeper in this hole]
That's enough about me what about you? Why are you out here, what is your name?
"That's pretty crazy, 'cause I'm a traveler too! Or, I travel with my friends a lot. We're kind of just out and about right now," Archer pats their palm against the other's back and chuckles. "But I'm Archer. Don't get me wrong though, I'm no good at archery like that."
They clicked their tongue at the other question, hesitating. Running into a forest far from home wasn't the most believable explanation. "Ah, y'know. Just joggin' around. Getting those morning workouts in. Keeps me sharp for the rest of the day."
Archer continues their subtle observation over the person as they talked. They claimed to be a traveler, yet they weren't carrying anything for campouts... not even necessities like food and water. Just breezing through a forest with no supplies at all? It would make sense if they were staying somewhere and left it all there, but still. Nobody rawdogs anything as a traveler. Not even strolls.
People in the past are truly strange.
Oh? You travel too? [It looked Archer up and down a few times really taking in their appearance] Yes that does seem to check out, My name is Hero. [It said mentioning it's name in an off-handed manner]
[It rolled it's eyes at Archer excuse, it was as flimsy as their own. If a stroll hadn't seemed to make sense, why would a run make anymore sense? People are weird. Hatred continued to speak, it needed to at least figure out where it had ended up.]
So what are you and your friends doing in the area? Just looking around?
"Hero, huh? You must be quite the savior, then," Archer jokes. "Would've been quite the help up in the Trinity."
They nodded with a slight shrug. "That's about right. Kind of just resting up after doing some... community service. We're kind of tight, you know? So we kinda stick together through everything."
Not like they really had any other choice, anyway. Who ever knew whenever Shedletsky would call in about another sword? Plus, Archer loved the company.
Their gaze trails down to a sword- a sword?! The guy was carrying nothing but a sword? Archer pauses in their words. Hero was... a lot weirder than they originally thought.
"Uh... but yeah. I would assume you're also lookin' around. Even if there isn't really much to do here." They keep their observations to themself for now. It was probably just... a personal reason. Yeah.
I wouldn't call myself a savior, from what you've said I'd imagine the title fits you and your friends much better... Ironically I wouldn't really consider myself the 'hero type'...
[Archer could help but look over them again, they were also wearing a small, black backpack and that sword. It looked strangely worn yet still unused? Like it had been used for combat once upon a time but eventually it had become a mare decoration]
...What town is closest to us anyways? I'm not exactly great at remembering place names.
âAw, come on. Anyone can be a hero. Sounds sappy, but itâs better than just trying to run away all the time, if you get what I mean.â
They stared at Heroâs backpack again. Maybe they were carrying something, albeit not that much. Not enough to be traveling for multiple days.
âWeâre near uh⌠damn, Iâm blankingâŚâ Archer taps their chin. âIt wasnât like, C... Cr⌠Crater-something? Along those lines.â
Archer did in fact know what the village was, but.. to think a traveler wouldnât know the towns nearby, despite being in a forest⌠alone. On a stroll. You had to come from some place, where you started that stroll.
It was a little suspicious, to be honest.
Theyâre also realizing that eye contact with Hero was⌠uncomfortable. Somehow. It was a nagging feeling in their gut, and Archer always knew to trust that.
âYou, eh⌠pack light, huh?â They gesture towards Heroâs backpack.
["Anyone can be a hero." Hatred stood there taking in those words... Could it really..?-]
Yes, I don't like carrying much with me.
[It was clear from the way Archer was staring, Hatred had been doing a pretty bad job at pretending. Well and truly they were suspicious from head to toe, it thought trying to figure out a way to get itself back to just normal weirdo territory]
I am sorry that I'm unnerving you so greatly Archer. [It came out more deadpan and flat then Hatred seemed to realise]
âUhâŚâ
Whatâs with that sudden change in tone? Archer wasnât being that obvious, were they?
âNah, itâs good, just⌠you kinda remind of⌠something. Sorry if it was rude or anythinâ.â
They really didnât like that flat tone of theirs. Not in a way where it was annoying, but it set off a series of alarms in Archerâs head. It reminded them too much of Angieâs slow spirals in the Dream World. Of Baneâs quiet descent into its guilt, and Theoâs⌠unnerving behaviors that aligned a little too closely with Hero now.
And they really didnât like that association.
âItâs nothing, though. You know, never know who you might run into, yeah?â They realize their hand is shaking and shoves it into their pocket. âGotta be safe around here.â
Ah- I... I understand.
[Is this how off-putting people usually found it? They don't think so, it knew it could be uncomfortable to be around but this was different than just being uncomfortable. Archer was scared]
You're shaking. [Hatred pointed out matter of factly]
If you're concerned about me a danger don't be. We're the only two people for who knows how long, hurting you would just be silly of me.
[...That really didn't help it seems.]
âOh, yeah. That makes sense.â
They still sounded unsure, and it didnât absolve the uncomfortable air around Hero. It was more than just a nervous knot in their stomach now. It was oppressive, and Archer couldn't ignore the inherent urge to run away. Something in their body was screaming at them to do it, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"You're right. Sorry, just... it's morning, and y'know... I get kinda jittery in the morning. Especially after runs. Guess my body is too excited-!" Archer laughs off the trembling, but the excuse was feeble. Rather than trying to convice Hero, it sounded like they were trying to convince themself more.
Uh huh. [Hatred nodded as it shot Archer an amused smile.]
[The pair continued to walk an uncomfortable, awkward silence stretching between them as they progressed, it could feel the tension building in the air and Hatred decided that it was their job to break it.]
How about you talk while we walk hm? Tell me about your friends perhaps? It could help with your anxieties.
[Anything would be better then remaining in this painfully awkward quiet.]
âMy friends, right!â Archer lets out a sigh of relief. âAs I said before, weâre really close. We travel together a lot, go places, fight togetherâŚâ
âSafe to say that theyâre kind of my ride or dies! Weâve all seen the worst parts of each other, and weâre still stuck like glue. Even if it wasnât so easy at first to come out of that.â They shrugged, thinking back on the first few weeks after the Ghostwalker. Nobody could talk to anybody, and it was a whole lot of walking on eggshells until Bane finally put its foot down and started a conversation.
âLike one of them, theyâre kind of mysterious, but turns out itâs just harboring all this guilt,â Archer gestures vaguely. Probably a bad idea to go too deep into all of that. âBut um, Iâd hate to let any of them down.
They knew that was hypocritical to sayâ running away like this was just the thing they said theyâd stop doing. âGuess Iâm just scared of their reactions and⌠that kinda thing? Catching my drift?â
No. I don't honestly. [That was the most honest they'd been this entire conversation, it could wrap it's head around the surface level concept being presented but how was it even supposed truly grasp such a concept when friendship itself was foreign?]
In truth I've never had... friends. So I am quite unfamiliar with your experiences.
[How could something like it ever have a thing like friends? It was Hatred, the others never liked it and it only had shallow acquaintances by associate of taking someone life.]
[It had never minded this lack of friendship before seeing it as a waste of time but seeing how happy they made Archer. It made them jealous, it hadn't expected that...]
âDamn, really? That must really suck,â Archer rubs the back of their head awkwardly. âI mean, since Iâm taking you to the village weâre staying at, I could always introduce you to them. I think youâd get along with Theo or somethinâ. You remind me of him.â
The fact that Hero reminded them of Theo wasnât as good as they were framing it to be. Of course, they were still being genuine about the possibility of them getting along, but it was more than that. Archer hadnât forgotten the unsettling feeling they got around them.
Discomfort coils up their chest again, this time a lot more prominent. It was finally beginning to take root, and Archer did not welcome this unpleasant feeling.
It wasnât like the idea of Hero being similar to Theo was that scary, but Archer was good at gut feelings. Like, itâs always protected them from danger, in one way or another.
[Get introduced to Archer's friends? They hadn't even considered that a possibility, but it did sound... kinda nice to be in the company of people especially in the low stakes environment set out to them.]
Sure, I've got time on my hands at the moment. Meeting your friends sounds... nice.
[Hatred smiled, internally amused by Archer's comparison with it and this Theo person. Poor Archer didn't even know how badly they'd just insulted their friend]
Do you think we're almost there?
[Hatred mumbled to itself feeling ever so giddy at the idea of this 'friendship']
âI think so. The surroundings are starting to look a lot more familiar. Or maybe weâre going in circles.â Archer chuckles. âJoking. But Iâm pretty sure weâll be getting there soonish.â
They grin back at Hero. âYeah, itâll be fun. Theyâre a good bunch. Maybe a little weird, but still fun.â
The two continued their walk for a while longer, and Archer squints into the distance. A building. They remember passing it by before they started spiraling.
âOh yeah, weâre coming up on it.â Guess they severely overestimated how far away they actually were. Thatâs what those hazes do to you. Stretches time out. Wow, they really needed to stop doing those morning runs.
[The pair stepped out from the tree line re-entering the quiet little village. It was cute, small and entirely unfamiliar to Hatred, it seems like their creator had never visited here after all.]
[As the pair came up towards the hotel Hatred gestured for Archer to go in first]
After you. [It said standing with polite posture just behind the other. First impressions usually were everything after all]
âAw, thanks, youâre too polite!â
Archer leads Hero up to their room, fumbling for the keys before finally pushing the door open.
The space was a little larger than the average hotel room, but it was still humble. Nothing incredibly fancy.
It was quiet inside, and Archer lets out a loud sigh of relief. They turn and whisper-shout to Hero. âOhmygod, thank the Spawn. It was about to get really messy if anyone wasââ
One of the floorboards down the hall creaks, and Archerâs face genuinely pales.
âNice to see youâre finally up early.â A new voice, a little groggy, comes from down the hall.
âFuck, oh my god,â Archer groans, but a smile returns back to their face. âTheo! Woah! Wasnât expecting you to be up! I brought a pal over, since they were lost and stuff.â
They take Hero by the wrist and leads them through the dim room, guiding them to the other. âThis is uh, Hero! From somewhere! Didnât really tell me!â
[Ah well- they were certainly being thrusted into this situation far faster than they had anticipated, they weren't ready yet! Hatred stood there in silence, just staring at Theo before offering a nervous wave]
Uh- Hello... and Good morning..?
[It said it's tone overly polite as it shifted to be behind Archer, it wasn't really ready to be the centre of discussion yet. It really wasn't sure how to proceed correctly either...]
Archer smiles sheepishly from behind, only to be returned an exasperated stare from the other. Theo didnât necessarily have a problem with people being invited over, but it was⌠really early.
And plus, he wasnât used to it happening. Collecting the swords was a⌠closed job, for the most part, so theyâve only ever met people associated with the missions Shedletsky sent them onâ with the exception of Kyoko.
âHey, good to meet you, Hero.â He flashes a tired but polite smile. âI hope they werenât givinâ you any trouble.â
He gives Hero a quick look-over.
Thereâs the weird fashion choice, obviously. Dressed a little too differently from everyone else in the time periodâ or maybe the trends were evolving? Angie might know something about that.
And then, the other⌠notable feature. Itâs visible even in the dark, which is⌠shocking.
âYouâve got eyes like mine.â He flicks the ceiling light on to a low setting and gestures to his face.
âOh, yeah. I forgot to mention that!â Archer skids between them, glancing between the two. âExcept yours are a lot more faded, since weâre no longer inââ
âShut up.â Theo grunts, glaring at Archer with a âwhy-would-you-say-thatâ look. He turns back to Hero. âTheyâre just saying whatever. Itâs cool though.â
But now that Archer actually mentioned it⌠Theo basically had the same shade in the Dream World, and for about a week after it. His gaze quickly diverts from Heroâs eyes.
Oh! ...Indeed we do, that is quite cool.
[Hatred's eyes glowed? That was a first, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome realization. As They and Theo had agreed, it was pretty cool... thinking about it now, were these the heroes of this world? It would certainly check out from the info it had but that also meant Bane would be floating around, that could become an issue...]
[Hopefully Bane isn't a snitch.] So... what now? Do we have like... breakfast or..?
Archer nodded. "Ehh.. sort of. It's a hotel, so there isn't really anything amazing that we can actually cook. I'll go check and see if Angie and Bane are awake, so we can go out and get something!"
They dashed away, footsteps fading. Once they were gone, Theo turns towards Hero, his expression dropping just slightly.
"So," He says, crossing his arms. "It's kind of rare for Robloxians to have red eyes, you know. What city did you come from?"
Hero was... suspicious to him. From the very moment he met them, he could tell that something was off. Whether that was the unsettling aura or the faint familiarity Theo felt when he saw them.
Archer's comment even solidified it for him. Sure, even someone like Brad had red eyes, but those were neon, not muted and empty. And Theo was very familiar with that shade of red. He saw it reflected in himself, in the 'Builderman'. It's a very... rare coincidence.
[Hatred didn't flinch at the sudden accusation, it had already long since picked up on the subtle hostility between them. Still how to answer such a question? It had so meny wrong answers...
...Frankly it's non of your business. [Was the answer Hatred finally picked, still dressed up several layers of empty politeness, trying to mask the slight hostility creeping into it's voice]
[That answer felt like the only right one it didn't relive the suspicion but it also didn't anything to drive him deeper in the right direction.]
âRight, none of my business, sure.â His eyes narrow. âLook, maybe I trust Archer to not make stupid choices, but weâve had a fair nasty experiences with people we thought we could trust.â
Theo retains his glare, the look in his eyes hard and cautious. He could be overstepping, making a bad impression, but he couldnât let something like this slip by.
âI just hope you wonât end up likeââ
âHey! You guys done over there?â Archer calls from down the hall. They peek from around the corner, followed by two others. âWe gotta held out before it gets too crowded.â
âHm. Yeah, we are.â Theo shoots Hero a pointed look before starting towards the group. âYouâre coming, right!â
[Hatred nods, it stays near the back of the group beside Bane ironically enough. It took this opportunity to shoot Bane a very serious "Don't you dare say a WORD" look. Bane definitely saw but it doesn't acknowledge the look it had been given]
[Hatred stays quiet, listening to the group as they talk amongst themselves]
When Bane first saw them, it had completely frozen over.
Just hours ago, it had barely escaped the grasp of another Hatred, only for the very same one to be dragged right into the partyâs morning outingâ and by Archer, of all people.
It managed to hide their identity, deciding that, based on Archerâs excitement, it would be a horrible idea to reveal that theyâve just brought Hatred incarnate into their home.
Bane wonders if anyone else had noticed. In retrospect, it was a little obvious, given the nature of the one who named themself âHeroââ which it thought was an ironic name itselfâ but everyone seemed alright with their company, and they werenât hurting anyone.
Or so it hoped.
-
âOkay, we can goâŚâ Angie glances between two stalls, squinting at the menus taped to each post. âMm, there really isnât anything we havenât tried yetâŚâ
She realizes that theyâve stayed in this village for far too longâ and it was supposed to be a laid-back one! She liked the slow life, but when your life was made up of finishing quests, youâre bound to get a little bored of normality.
Then, she perks up, turning and pointing towards Hero. âWhy donât you choose? Youâre technically our guest, and itâll be our treat! Plus, must be your first time here, so youâve got to try all the local dishes.â
[Hatred who at this point had been mostly zoning out and listening to the passive conversations around them, jumped a little as Angie addressed them directly. It pointed towards itself more than a little caught off guard]
Me really?? I- uh alright let's see......
[It hadn't really tried much food, and there was also so meny options that it was honestly a slightly overwhelming decision to simply be thrusted upon it... what even categorised food as 'Breakfast' anyways??]
Uh- This one??? [It said pointing at the word 'soup' on the menu with a nervous smile]
âSoup for breakfast? Havenât done that since we were in Blackrock!â She says excitedly, taking Hero by the wrist and leading them closer to the stall. âPick whichever one, donât worry about the prices.â
While Angie and Hero glanced over the different options, Bane and Archer observed from behind.
-
âNice to know we finally know someone outside of the sword business, huh?â Archer remarked, slinging an arm over the otherâs shoulders. âI mean, that would make two now: Kyoko and Hero.â
Bane hesitates. Archer was⌠not exactly right. Hatredâ or, Hero now, was anything but âoutside of sword businessâ. And it even found its way out of the Dream WorldâŚ
âYes. Theyâre⌠a refreshing, new face in our busy lives. You and Angie seem to get along well with them.â
âI mean, good for her, especially, right? The more people she knows, the better.â They say knowingly.
[Hatred smiled as Angie dragged them closer to the stall. For once it was a genuinely happy smile, even with over half the group being unsettled by them. They still felt as if they belonged here, it was only bittersweetened by the fact this could last forever.]
[Hatred ignored the thought turning towards Angie, asking her with genuine delight]
Well out of the selection what would you recommend? I'm don't exactly have a well versed palate.
âHmmm,â Angie ponders for s moment. âI think the tomato-basil is really good. A classic, too! I usually get it, but there are also some spicier options if youâre into that.â
She calls the stand owner and orders one. Hero was pretty sweet! Honestly, she was expecting them to be a little crazy, given Archerâs personality, but they were pretty much the complete opposite.
âSo, howâd you meet Archer?â She asked, trying to create small talk.
[Hatred nodded as Angie spoke, making it 110% clear they were paying full attention, they eventually opted for a slightly spicier version of the tomato-basil she had recommended. That slight kick sounded quite appealing]
Oh right- well, Archer was on a 'morning run' and I simply happened to stumble upon them. I was a little lost at the time so I'm quite lucky to have run into them..!
[Hatred smiled awkwardly as it retold the events, even if it was just them bending the truth slightly it still made them feel kinda... bad? Would that be the word for it?]
Angie hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of her mouth.
âThey were on a morning run?â Her expression retained its friendliness, but concern had started to bubble in her eyes. That was awfully early for a run in the mornings.
Archer had promised her that they wouldnât try running off whenever those nightmares came back. She reassured them that they could trust everyone and talk, but⌠did they not trust her?
Maybe she was overthinking it too much. She should probably just forget about it. Archer was⌠they were getting a lot better recently. She hoped.
âThatâs⌠rare for them.â She sighs, but flashes a relieved smile. Itâs a little tight, but still genuine enough to not be rude. âBut Iâm glad they found you! Mustâve been hard, huh? The pathways to these villages are always kind of weird, hard to follow.â
Ah- so going on a run into the woods at dawn isn't normal? I never would've guessed.
[Hatred chuckled to itself, finding it's relatively innocent yet sarcastic jab towards Archer maybe a little too funny. It's giggles slowly as it spoke up again.]
This village is nice though, even with it's confusing pathways. It very... homey, I'd say.
[Hatred fell quiet for moment, it's eyes absentmindedly scanning Angie up and down. It wanted to try striking the nail with the friendship hammer pretty hard after all!]
Soo... What about you? Tell me a bit about yourself. I'd love to learn more.
âOh! Uhm, well, Iâm an artist! Or I used to be, before I started⌠traveling a lot more.â She explained, quickly picking up the ready soup and dropping some tix into the stall ownerâs palm. âI did a bunch of commission work for gamâ portraits. I really miss it, though.â
In fact, Angie still yearned for that part of her life. Going on these quests were fun, sure, but⌠she had a life going for her in the present. In Modern Bizville. It felt selfish to think that way, but it was her life. She hardly had the time to do any art now.
âYour life can get turned around so suddenly. And I⌠I appreciate them,â she glanced over at the others, and her jaw clenches a little. âBut IâŚâ
Angie paused, before shaking her head. She canât just say those things! Thatâs exactly what Hatred had used against her. She was supposed to be over all of this by now.
âOh, never mind. Point is, I guess Iâm turning over a new leaf!â
[Hatred nodded, staying entirely quiet as Angie spoke. It just ate it's soup and listened. It tasted good, she certainly had good taste in food and the kick from the spice just made it extra good. Once Hatred was such she had finished it spoke]
It's okay to be angry you know. [It began with a calm smile] You so obviously resent your current position, so why not be upset about it? It's your right after all.
[It spoke of this anger in such a weird matter of fact, calm way. Like it was just the most obvious correct response to her situation in the whole world. It was equally comfortable and uncomfortable to hear all at the same time...] ..I bet your art is lovely
âI⌠yeah. I mean, I used to be mad about it. So much that it hurt them,â Angie mumbled, cringing at the memory of the Dream World. Consumed by those horrible feelings, sinking into her own personal void. âI kept pushing them away for a while, thinking that being alone would heal me, but I was really wrong.â
Hero was⌠a little right. It was okay to be angry, but she didnât want to hold it against her friends. None of this was anyoneâs fault.
She wondered if they felt the same, at some point in their life.
âBut⌠thank you,â she smiled, a little brighter. âAlways good to have another opinion on this. You feel the same sometimes?â
[It blinked at her momentarily pausing as it tried to think of an answer]
...Yes, I do... Although I think our responses to our turmoils are quite different, you've gone down a route of solitude while I've picked a much more...... violent path.
[Hatred eyes drifted down towards their half eaten soup, trying to avoid Angie's soft gaze. When they put it like that... it was sad wasn't it, being alone due to ones own actions. Maybe they had more in common with it then they could've ever realised......]
âHmm, you could say that. Itâs nothing to be ashamed of, though! I think everyone goes through these things all the time,â Angie waved her hand a little. âItâs a natural part of being human.â
Going down a route of solitude⌠never thought sheâd hear words like that again.
âMaybe youâve noticed, or not, but Iâll tell you anyway,â She gestures over to Theo in the distance, waiting with the other two. âI guess you and him have this similar vibe. He struggled with a sort of âviolent pathâ, for a little while. But he healed from it! Iâm sure you can, too.â
[Hatred stared at her completely deadpan mostly because it had no idea what it was even supposed to say. It's Hatred itself how could it ever hope to improve or overcome what it is at it's core? It stared at her unsure before giving her a small nod. She was trying her best even if she could never truly understand.]
...T-Thank you... Should we maybe group back up with the others now? They seem to be wait for us.
âRight, oh my gosh, got too engrossed in our conversation.â She instinctively takes Hero by the arm and drags them both to the rest of the group.
They were all seated at a table, leaving two empty spots for Angie and Hero. She takes the one beside Archer, leaving the only other one across from Bane, who stared intensely at⌠âHeroâ.
âWe got some of the soup from that stall,â she points in the general direction. Angie says cheerfully, âAnd kinda talked for a bit! Heroâs pretty interesting once you get to know them a little.â
âI would assume so,â Bane comments, still keeping a heavy gaze on Hero. âThey seem to have quite the mysterious origins. Theo tells me that they didnât even tell him what city they were from.â
[Hatred was frankly glaring daggers into Bane as they spoke, all it wanted was for Bane to be quiet and just let it have this. It just wanted to keep playing this game of pretend until it headed home, was that really so much to ask?]
I don't need to share such information if I don't want too...
[It said flatly curling slightly into itself as it used it's words as a flimsy, half-hearted defence against Bane's accusatory tone. If it would only just back down.......]
âEh, I donât really mind, doesnât actually matter in the long run.â Archer sighs, waving a hand at Bane. âWhy so pushy, anyway?â
It pauses, weighing their options. It wouldnât make sense to let the shoe drop on everyone else now, but it was pretty sure that Theo was well aware by now.
âI was not being pushy. I was only making an observation about Hero.â
âOkay, maybe all of yâall get this weird feeling around them, sure, but itâs all probably just the stress from the Heights!â
â⌠Yeah, like thatâs a reasonable explanation.â Theo grunts, and Archer smacks the back of his head.
âDonât even worry about those two, theyâre just beinâ weird,â they laugh nervously, turning to Hero with a grin. âSeriously, we donât actually mind anything.â
[Hatred was frankly a little dumbstruck! They had expected truly expected the worst. For them to be outed, for everything to violently and painfully explode in their face. Archer rushing to their defence was genuinely something Hatred never would have ever considered. They were speechless.]
Oh uh-... I- okay. [It managed quietly nodding it's head and giving Archer one awkward thumbs up, the surprise was written all over it's face. How long would this all last before it finally blew up???]
[God it had never been so wanted and unwelcome in a place before...]
âI mean, I admit, not the most settling vibe,â Angie considered, thinking back on the earliest moments with Hero. She admits that, at least in the beginning, she was a tiiiiny bit suspicious of them. âI think itâs just the mystery. Itâs not like, well, you know.â
Theo raises a brow, unconvinced. She was talking about Builderman. âAnd why compare Hero to that? Compare them to me, by extension?â
She pauses, glancing between Hero and the other. Angie understands the implication behind those words, but⌠thatâs a low possibility. Very low. Or she hoped.
âDonât just say that,â she sighs. âThatâs behind us, and itâs over.â
âIâm just sayinâ, if you put two and two togetherâŚâ But Angie quickly stops him.
âWeâll talk about that later! Theyâre pretty nice, alright? Genuinely!â
You keep acting like I'm going to do something bad......
[Hatred suddenly started, their harsh, intense gaze intent upon Bane and Theo. Mostly Theo, it didn't take a genius to figure out why Bane stared at them like that. It continued it's calm smile beginning to strain]
Am I not allowed to be nice? Am I really just some... unforgivable sin to you both?
[It was impossible to deny the anger in their voice, they were sick of being the accused! Could they not just be ignored..? Hated from a distance..?]
âYou could say that, yeah,â He glares at Hero with scrutiny, ignoring Archerâs gaping expression. âLetâs just say youâre not exactly something we had a good experience with in the pastâ Iâm sure you know exactly what I mean.â
âHey, thatâs a huge accusation to be making about them! Weâre the only ones who know about that worldââ Archer starts nervously, trying to hold Theo back. Deep in their eyes, a subtle fear could be recognized. âThey havenât done anything to us yet.â
âI was hoping that you all couldâve seen it by now. At least, come to terms with your uncertainties,â Bane cuts in, its hand moving to the Ghostwalker at its hip. âI would only like you two to see the truthâ wouldnât you agree, âHeroâ?â
No.....
[It bluntly said it's smile fully dropping as it looked at Bane, it felt like it was in trouble. In trouble for a crime it hadn't even committed to these people! It balled it's hands into tight fists, shrinking backwards into it's seat uncomfortably. It hated this.]
[It had gotten too much in it's own head, it hadn't paid attention to the Ghostwalker now clutched in Bane's hand. It's eyes widened it's mouth gaping open like a fish, it didn't even have time to ask or fully react before Bane used it.]
Angie's stare darts between Hero, Bane, and then down to the Ghostwalker, to which she startles up in her seat. "Wait, waitwait! Not in public-!?"
"If not now, then when? This opportunity will slip from our grasp," Bane replies calmly. It clutches the ghostly sword in its hand, raising it. "Rest assured, I do not mean to hurt any of us. This is simply meant to... clear any misconceptions."
In almost an instant moment, the surroundings of the market started to dissipate into black, and Archer yells something, their voice turning muffled within the growing void. The group falls down the endless dark until finally- they crash into the groundless surface of the Dream World.
[Everyone other then Bane had a less than graceful landing when they hit the floor, Hatred especially slamming face down as they tumbled into a familiar house. It recovered quickly, stumbling back to it's feet. Their eyes scanned the group a defeated look on it's face, if the others were anything like Bane it wouldn't take them long to see the truth of what it really is...]
Are you happy with yourself..? [It mumbled it's stare moving towards Bane glaring daggers into them, if looks could kill. Bane would be dead plenty times over.]
âDude, Bane, what the hellâŚâ Archer groans, rubbing the spot where they hit their head. They ended up tangled with Angie and Theo, the mass of bodies slowly twisting away from each other. âYou know, if you really wanted to have a private conversation, you didnât have to leave Hero up in realiââ
A shudder crawls up their spine, and Archer clutches their head as incoherent voices whisper into their ear. It wasnât actually there, butâ this wasnât supposed to happen anymore. Theoâs hatred had long calmed down, no longer causing such severe side effects.
They whipped their head towards the source and sputtered in shock.
Hero, standing right there, perfectly okay in the Dream World, which should only really exist to the group.
âHow the fuââ
ââBelieve me, I do not take enjoyment in this,â Bane responds to Hero, sheathing the Ghostwalker. âThis is simply for our own good. The deception cannot continue any longer.â
[Hatred continued to silently stare, it's fist balled up so tightly they'd turned white. It deserved this for all it was, for it's niceness to be spat back at it with such vitriol]
Was what I was doing really so wrong..?
[It asked itself sounding like it was trying not to scream, it tillted it's head towards Archer and Angie. It watched as Archer visible flinched back and Angie stared at it with a distant look it knew all too well... it wanted to punch Bane until they stopped.]
[Instead it wearily drew it's own Ghostwalker, holding it with shaking hands as it glared hateful dagger into two of the four.]
âHow do you have the Ghostwalkerâ?â Theo starts, but Bane cuts in sternly.
âHiding your identity, knowing our circumstancesâ yes, I believe that it was wrong,â its tone, though angry, is laced with guilt. Bane could accuse Hatred all hey wanted, but were they in the right for this themself? âLeaving the Dream World and targeting my companions is something I canât forgive.â
âBane, how are you not questioning that?â
âWe have⌠other priorities.â
âIâm pretty sure a second Ghostwalker is very important,â Theo wracked his head for a moment. Everything was happening too fast for him. âAnd⌠the others. We have to remember what comes first, remember? We could be⌠overthinking this?â
He admits, he was highly suspicious of Hero. But he saw himself in them too much, just their subtle behaviors. It set him off, seeing almost another version of himself, without any support systems.
âPlease put those away.â He sighs, glancing between Hero and Bane. âCanât really do anything in here.â
I DIDN'T TARGET ANYONE, YOU SELF-CENTRED RAT! [Hatred yelled, getting into Bane's face and clearly not listening to a word Theo had just said]
WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO JUST SAY IN DREAM WORLD FOREVER!
A-and didn't even know Archer was apart of your stupid little group until I was already in the hotel because someone here is overly vague and never bothered to tell me their names!
[It pointed an accusatory finger into Bane's chest, it's mouth twisted into a malicious smile as it's voice became something sickly sweet.] This is your fault, Creator.
Bane grits their teeth, making no move to fight back. âWhy would I have informed you of their identities? I recognized you as a danger to us, whether that be in reality or in this domain.â
âAre you saying that youâve met Hero before?â The commotion had forced the others out of their trances, and Angie stumbles to her feet. âHow could you haveâ?â
But she then realizes, and laughs in disbelief. âI mean, what else could it have been? I knew none of you still trusted me, running off and everythingâŚâ
Why else could she have been feeling like this? That crushing suspicion that was more than just an inkling. Angie wasnât supposed to feel like that anymore, but it was just spilling out.
âThere⌠was no point in telling you all,â Bane murmured, turning its attention back to Hatred. âI didnât think it would become such a problem.â
[Hatred growled at Bane, how dare it accuse them of being the problem! It hadn't done anything to them or its friend, they wouldn't even be in this situation!]
OH REAL RICH CALLING ME THE PROBLEM, I haven't even done anything! I WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING!!
[IT was sick of Bane pushing and pushing and PUSHING that it was the villain, that this somehow was all it's fault! It'd been pushed too hard..... Hatred lunged at them without thinking, discarding their Ghostwalker as it dug it's fingers into Bane's neck trying to strangle the life out of them. If they wanted a villain they would get a villain!]
The two fell to the ground as Bane drops the Ghostwalker. It wheezes, pushing its hands back against Hatredâs chest. They were never really equipped to fight properly.
âWait, shitâ!â Theo bolts over, wrapping his arms around Hero and trying to pull them away. He didnât think it would truly escalate that quickly, or become so personal to them. âItâs all a huge misunderstanding, alright? Baneâ itâs just being stupidâ!â
Angie looks around frantically, spotting Archer already pushed up against the corner, curled into themself. She makes a defeated noise and approaches them carefully.
[Hatred vision had completed tunnelled, nothing else was happening except for the scene in front of it's eyes. It's entire focus was this single minded goal. At until Theo grabbed it]
[It struggled, Hatred wouldn't give up it didn't want to, why should it even! It thrashed and kicked against Theo trying and failing regain it's painful grip around Bane's neck. It wasn't very hard for Theo to pull Hatred away, despite their sheer determination their body was still pretty light. It continued to flail]
I HATE YOU! [It yelled towards Bane but it's words felt hollow just feeling angry while lacking any real, painful bite. It was defeated, angry to the point it was crying...]
âWe all say that,â Theo grunts, holding it against his chest, trying to keep its arms from hitting him. âI get it, Bane did somethinâ stupid and wrong. Weâve all⌠weâve had our fair share of things. Doesnât mean this is all right.â
That hatred, known all too well by Theo, still ached in his chest. Even in his happiest moments, it still wrapped his heart in that subtle resentment. It was simply natural.
âYou get to deserve things and want them, Hero, and weâ we are allowed to be suspicious, given⌠everything. But this wasnât the way to go. For all of us.â
LET GO! [Hatred sobbed out loudly as they thrashed against Theo, doing everything in their power to escape. But Theo managed to keep them restrained their hits really hurt but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with by now]
[After a few minutes of yelling, hitting, kicking and even a few attempts at biting it seemed to have ran out of steam] ii-itts not fairr.....
[Hatred weakly sobbed as it pulled it's knees closer trying and failing to hide it's face fully from view. It didn't want to be looked at or perceived like... this]
ww-why are y-you being soo... nice?? To... m-me? [It asked itself, it's shaky voice barely above a whisper, it really didn't understand these people. How Theo could still treat it with any amount of kindness even after it tried to kill one of his friends?]
"You don't think I haven't done the same to Bane myself?" Theo laughs weakly, sliding away awkwardly and starting to rub its back. They were practically one in the same, even if he didn't particularly understand just what was up with Hero. "I wasn't fully conscious doing it, but, eh."
He glances between his friends, exchanging a wary look with Archer, who seemed to be calming down already. At least things were settling, for the most part.
"I'm doin' it because I know what this is like- or, not exactly," he shrugged, "If I'm thinking about this right, you've lost that autonomy of yours, or that humanity or something, but it's just you being confused over your emotions. At least, that was the case for me."
[Hatred shuffled away from Theo, pulling their hood over their head as face as humanly possible to obscure their features. Hatred just stared at Theo really how can someone get everything right by picking wildly incorrect options?? It didn't get it]
You... you're c-close, it's... something like that........ [It paused, it's face twisting into surprise] W-waitt, have n-non of you... realised yet..? R-really..???
[Hatred chuckled weakly with small questioning tilt of the head. It was funny, it could guess from how Theo had just spoken. He didn't fully realise who or in this case what it was. It wasn't likely the others had either... had Bane's little stunt had really been for nothing????]
Theo makes a puzzled look, but Bane, who finally sat up, clears its throat. âYou were close to figuring it out, but Hero is⌠almost an incarnation of Hatred. Much like your possession, Theo.â
The room fully stops, and Archer mumbled a weakened âwhat?â from the corner.
âI had my suspicions,â Theo finally speaks up. âWhat else could explain this weird feeling I got around them? I felt the same with BuildermanâŚâ
âBut, uhâŚâ Angie whispered, a little quieter. âI thought we tamed Hatred? Isnât it sealed inside of Theo and in here?â
I'm not yours. [Hatred states bluntly slowly bringing itself to it's feet] I mean... how'd you think there were two Ghostwalker's? Don't worry Angie, this worlds Hatred is still very much defeated..!
[It walked towards one of the Ghostwalker's picking it back up, clutching it securely in it's hands.] Unfortunately I don't know how to get back.
A shame really, I didn't even get to recover my first sword...
âThatâs what you meant by beinâ lostâŚ?â Archer mumbled to themself. âI mean, basically thatâs right⌠shame about your sword, thoughâŚâ
âUnfortunately, this issue is outside of our current scope.â Bane shrugged, rising to its feet. It stretches its neck, still sore from Hatredâs attack.
âSo much for your pursuit of the forbidden knowledge,â Archer chuckled weakly before turning to Hero- Hatred? They hesitated for a moment, the words scrambling at the tip of their tongue.
On one hand, Archer was⌠alright with Hero. As a person. As âHeroâ.
Hero was a funny guy, Archer thinksâ and theyâre a little weird sometimes, but theyâre sure anyone could agree that, despite it all, they couldnât even out-weird Archer themself.
On the other hand, âHatredâ was now in the picture. Archer understood that it wasnât the same, that somehow they are different, but the fear keeps on crawling back. Screaming in their head to run away. Its very presence seemed to amplify the things theyâve learned to calmâ maybe it wasnât yet âtamedâ.
âBut, uh⌠what actually happened to you, Hero? Is it like a uh, Theo situation? Possession⌠thing? Shadow of your true self?â
[Hatred didn't answer at first a smile creeping into its face as it reminisced on the battle with Hero, ah good violent times~]
Yes it is like the "Theo situation". I beat them over and over and over again until they just... couldn't anymore! I fully took them over, it's just Hatred here now. Always has been! [Its smile widened]
I suppose the big difference between Hero and Theo is that Theo still had autonomy.
[Hatred snickered to itself, pointing towards its head] I'm not sure if they're even still rattling around in here honestly. Certainly haven't given me any indication they are!
[It clearly took so much glee in all this, in robbing their own 'creator' of life and autonomy.]