My sillies

And he didn't really want to leave and cause the reflection to reset, it'd erase his save file. Not that he'd ever admit that, that's a really stupid thing for a being like him to care that much about. How'd he let that happen???

But 6 days of suddenly nothing didn't seem right. So he started with the reflective surfaces in the house, searching. Finding still nothing, sensing still nothing. Raelynn wasn't in the Waylay either. Something had clearly happened. Something was wrong.

There was no way of knowing if they'd both died, or were just somewhere else. All Nelo could do was search, wandering the endless crystaline labyrinth of the mirror realm until he could catch sight of Raelynn in something reflective, or feel her suffering nearby.

It's hard to navigate the mirrors when you don't know what or where you're looking for. But they always lead Nelo to his destination eventually.*

-🪞

Like a sweet nectar to a bee, her suffering clung in the air like a trail. It was more pungent than normal with undertones of a caged animal looking for escape. As a garnish, longing and nostalgia were sprinkled on top.

At the end of the trail was a reflective TV screen that viewed the red head laying on the couch. She was reading a warrior cats book but she had to reread the same line ten times with how her mind fluttered everywhere.

He's still silent for a moment, not sure what to say that might not startle her. In the end, he settles for gently tapping a claw on his side of the screen.*

...Raelynn?

“Nelo?” He gasped.

Holy shit. He never even considered this an opti. Oh. My. God.

*Nelo tilts his head sideways like a confused dog. At least sh- he? Is... happy to see him? Missed him?*

“So, long story short, I got kidnapped by a god, Saris, who basically has an obsession over me as her favorite follower. She wants to ‘keep me safe’ so there’s apparently no where safer than in a pocket dimension at the depths of the ocean.”

With her sitting up it was much easier to see the tattoo on her neck that stood lighter than her skin. It was an eel-like anglerfish that was eating the light of its esca. The tail wrapped around her neck and continued down where the fabric covered.

*He points down at the bruises on her legs.*

*He's silent for a moment, his expression flat and unreadable. There's something piercing in his pale green gaze, knowing. Then he averts his eyes.*

In all fairness, he wasn’t making eye contact either. He glanced at Nelo every so often but never for longer than a few seconds.

You want out, yes?

*He can't help but laugh, sharp fangs glinting in the reflection*

No no, I don't think you're going to explode, I moreso meant... well, it's complicated but, no you won't explode.

If... you are willing to try this, then.. *He sighs*

*Nelo tries to sit on the reflected couch, but a tv screen really isn't as good as a mirror. He appears to just, phase through it, like a model collision glitch in a video game. He makes a "tch" sound and looks like a cat who just had their comfy spot disturbed, but still opts to just. Stay there, halfway in the couch.*

....This realm wasn't always a prison. There was a very, very short time in my life where I could move through it freely. I'm stuck in here, but theoretically I can still open the door for you from the inside.

It's not really a door though, more like a... sand trap? I might be able to pull you in but I don't know if I could push you out, or if you could pull yourself back out.

*His eyebrows suddenly raise, an idea clicking.*

She set in down in front of the couch before plopping down once again, “That makes a lot of sense and frankly…I might be safer making an escape attempt in there than anywhere else. I can actually hide out for a bit as Saris freaks out. She won’t ever cool down fully but it won’t be as bad.”

You didn't have to... thank you.

*He walks off-screen, then into the mirror and sits, couch privileges restored.*

*His brows furrow a little. He has his suspicions.. but it's fine. They don't have to know about him.*

*His eyebrows pinch together in confusion.*

...There's only one Nyarlathotep. Do you.. you don't really know what you're involved in, do you..?

A cage within a cage.

And Nelo could taste the panic like sugar on his tongue.

“What are you talking about? There’s plenty. There’s The Manager, Emcee, and Saris just to name those three off of the top of my head. Kayne is also one but he’s wherever the fuck. Sure, plenty died but there’s still more than one.”

I... what? I didn't.. I didn't know-

*You have to play Nyarlathotep's game. You can't opt out. You can't win. You can only hope to still hold onto something after.

Nelo's focus slips, and his breath catches in his throat. It slowly becomes more apparent what his strange reaction really is, in the way his shoulders start to shake and his body starts trying to curl in on itself until he forces himself to be still and stare straight ahead again.

“Nelo, hey,” she stood up and went to her freezer, grabbing an ice pack. “Put this on your neck.”

It was something to snap him out of it. Something to help ground him. It was a trick The Manager taught her.

*He looks confused, but does remove one clawed hand from the ruins of the reflected couch to take the reflection of the ice pack. He places it on his neck and holds it there, shutting his eyes.

You can play along with the idea that there's multiple. This could all turn out fine. There's nothing else you can do about it anyways. Put the revelation out of your mind.

Very, very gradually, Nelo's other hand relaxes it's grip on the couch cushion. When he opens his eyes again, his pupils(?) aren't quite their usual size, but they aren't nearly as constricted either.*

*He shifts the ice pack off his neck, and starts to knead it between his hands, careful not to poke it with his claws.*

“I guess that makes two of us that have had bad experiences with a Nyarlathotep then, huh?” She tried to lighten the mood.

*He pauses, blinking.*

Wait no, I didn't exactly answer your other two questions when I got.. surprised, did I?

*Nelo stands up from the couch and walks up to the mirror, then uses one of his claws to slice a shallow cut into his own palm. Thick, olive green blood starts to pool in his cupped hand. It flows slowly, with the consistency of wax. He dips a claw in, and starts to draw a set of intricate runes on the glass.*

She set it down and inside primarily held activities. She had her tattoo gun, a ton of fake skins, a sketchbook, pens and other art supplies, as well as some clothes and a sewing kit.

“..but now I gotta get blood somehow…will it heal instantly in there or do I have to be concerned.”

She hesitated before opening her sewing kit and grabbing the needle. Raelynn tapped the end, testing the sharpness. It’s work but damn, it would hurt.

She went to get some bandages and disinfectant from the cabinet, throwing it into her basket. Hopefully, that’s all she would need.

Raelynn sucked in a breath and tested it against her skin with a swipe

Nothing.

Then another with more pressure.

The blood came out of the tiny slit in beads of crimson liquid. It wasn’t anything she could use.

*With his half of the runes done, Nelo sits back on the couch.*

Raelynn groaned and stared at the needle as if it were the devil itself. He knew what he had to do but in no way shape or form was he pleased. Goddamn the fact he got baby proofed.

“I’m getting myself ice cream for after this bullshit,” he grumbled, taking a tub and spoon into the basket.

“You better help heal me if I need it.”

“FUCK, DAMN ME, SHITBALLS!”

Great vocabulary and it certainly was loud enough for someone down the hall to hear. Her throat may be sore from the vocal chord ripping volume

Could you blame her though? It wasn’t as if driving a sewing needle into your forearm was a pleasant experience. Her nerves sent enough agony to force her to bite down on her tongue until she tasted iron to silence her cries.

“Goddamn, that’s the worst thing I’ve felt in awhile,” she laughed, taking a deep breath. “I’m glad my choice of words tickled your fancy though.”

Raelynn gradually unfolded herself and went over to the mirror, carefully beginning to trace the sigils. She kept looking over her shoulder in paranoia.

She could hear footsteps down the hall and she nearly fainted. Thankfully, she realized it was just Elijah pacing around as normal.

A faint tingling overtakes Raelynn's hand, the sort of "static" feeling you get when one of your limbs is starting to fall asleep. The reflection vanishes entirely as the glass turns to liquid silver, and her palm is suddenly met with Nelo's, the barrier between them dissolved.

His hand is colder than the mirror.

When their palms meet, Nelo laces his fingers between hers and grips, firmly but not too tightly. The sharp points of his claws poke into the back of her wrist. It's not intentional, that's just how damn long they are.

Then with a firm tug, he pulls Raelynn into the mirror. The glass slowly settles down, becoming still and reflective again. The blood on the mirror, and any that dripped to the floor, has evaporated into nothing, leaving no trace of what just transpired.*

_

* Cold.

That's the first sensation the mirror realm has to offer. It's like stepping into a walk-in freezer. Nelo probably isn't even aware, he wouldn't still be showing that much chest cleavage if he could feel the cold.

It's beautiful though.

Crystalline structures and paths stretch infinitely into the distance, a labyrinth of sparkling quartz, glass and iridescent opal. The mirror Raelynn was just pulled through is still directly behind her, and countless other mirrors of all shapes and sizes are scattered across the opaline plane, embedded in the floors, walls and ceilings.

Nelo has been staring a few seconds too long.

He may not feel the cold, but he is standing frozen. He hasn't let go of Raelynn's hand yet. He can't. How long has it been since he was last able to touch someone?

It would be so easy to hurt her.

Flesh to peel open, nerves to pluck like strings on a harp, write a song of agony with blood as the ink- No. No. No. Stop it. You won't do that. You don't do that, not anymore. You're trying to do something good, something right this time. You can have something real here, don't ruin it. No matter how sweet the betrayal would taste.

Everything around her blurred into nothing. The glittering structures and reflective surfaces were background noise to this moment of friendship and freedom.

She nearly wrapped him in a hug…

Until she saw the familiar look.

The haunting expression of someone one push away from digging their claws into her flesh. Someone who is about to snap. Someone who will cause her to need stitches later.

Her warmth was flooded by frigid blood and her face went pale. No, no, no.

She yanked her hand away and stepped back. This wasn’t freedom. This was another cage.

...? I'm.. sorry, I, shouldn't have held on that long..

Her breathing came frantically and she gripped the edges of her sweatshirt, hands already trembling. Her pupils dilated like an animal on the hunt or rather, in this case, an animal about to fight for their life.

“Not that. What are you planning to do to me?”

*Shit, shit, shit. He doesn't know how to calm a person down the normal way. He could compell her to be calm again, but that turned out badly the last time.*

I got you out of there because- ..we're, friends, aren't we..?

*Not for long if you don't fix this. She's the last person you haven't gotten to hate you yet. Think. How do you do this the human way?

His eyes flick to the basket. The ice cream tub. That cold thing before sort of helped, and that's a human trick isn't it? An idea clicks, and suddenly he shrugs his jacket off of his shoulders.

Nelo is 7 feet tall, and his legs are long, it only takes one long stride for him to close the distance and flap his jacket over top of Raelynn's head and shoulders, like you'd do to a wild possum that got in your house so you can burrito it and put it outside. While she's momentarily blinded, he snatches the ice cream tub from the basket and shoves it into her hands.*

When what she felt was ice cream instead of pain, which she nearly dropped, she just…blinked.

“What…?” She laughed hesitantly. “Nelo, what the fuck?”

*Somewhat following her lead, he forces out a nervous-sounding laugh.*

I don't- hahah, I- You were freaking out! I didn't know what else to do!

“I can tell,” she teased, sliding the jacket on. “You don’t get this back. It’s freezing in here.”

She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back. Calm down. You can’t figure out what that was if you don’t think logically.

“…but seriously, what was that? Why’d you look at me like that?”

*What does he say here? What's the approach that won't ruin everything?*

I don't, know how to explain, in a way that won't.. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I may have a humanlike form, but I've never been one. I'm far from it.

You know what I feed on.

*He quickly raises both of his hands, palms forward*

But I don't want to hurt you! I'm not going to! I'm not planning anything, I swear.

*He finally lowers his arms back to his sides, relaxing now that she's calmed down. Then after a beat of awkward silence, he gestures to the sparkling surroundings.*

But she didn’t want to address that yet.

She opened her arms, “How about a hug first before we explore?”

It sounds a lot like a drumbeat. A song.*

Well you're a- ....a..... a possum.

“How am I a possum?” She chuckled.

She withdrew from the hug to hold Nelo’s hands, not minding the claws too much.

*He grins, baring his long fangs in all their glory. He actually has a much shorter pair in the back as well, on the bottom row.*

Nelo's complete bewilderment at the statement is immediately obvious on his face. Because what? Why? Huh?*

.....Wh. You're meant to be afraid of these, not- what..?

....Okay..?

“Your reaction was golden. That was not was I was expecting.”

...I'm not sure I have to have them, they're...

*Is this something he should reveal? Will the fact that he lied through ommision about it be a problem? Things are just fine now, is it worth the risk?.. She just said she wants to grab his fangs, her reaction couldn't be that bad... right?*

“Saris and The Manager both have the same different form thing. It seems like a theme with you non-human folks. You gotta make yourself vaguely approachable to us humans.”

She couldn’t resist it and poked the tooth. Huh, so it did feel real then.

Well... okay.

*The change itself is quick. Nelo's features darken and stretch, ridiculously long fangs vanishing entirely as his face lengthens into a snout without a mouth. At the same time, a long tail swishes into existence while horns sprout from his head and his short hair flares out into a mane. In a matter of seconds, Raelynn is faced with a very large and bizzare lizard.*

*Despite the fact that his clothes melted away into his body, the jacket that Raelynn wears still exists, the material just changed. Instead of soft and thin fabric, it's now thick, green and leathery. Almost like something made from alligator skin.

When Nelo speaks, the small holes in the sides of his snout and throat open and close, different ones for different syllables. Like a living flute. His voice is far more melodic than normal, sounding less like speech and more like musical notes played in the shape of words.*

Like normal, her first instinct was fear. It was her body reacting before her mind could reason and relax. Her heart thudded in her chest and the panic was sweet on Nelo’s tongue.

It died out just as quickly as her face dropped into realization, “Nelo, am I wearing your skin right now?”

..Y...yes? Sort or..? I..

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?”

She didn’t understand. She wasn’t too disgusted, more playful, but now that she thought about it, it was like wearing an animal hide.

“Sorry, I was still on the whole human-thing. It’s not that gross now that I think about it…but imagine if you put on human skin. My brain wasn’t exactly putting two and two together that’s not what happened.”

Her words were a flurry, panicked.

*Completely caught off guard by the sudden hug, Nelo just blankly stares down at her for a moment, processing.*

..So, you don't..? Why are you...

*His eyebrows knit together in confusion, and he unfolds his arms. He doesn't seem to know what to do with them, and just kind of awkwardly holds them out to the side a little. Slowly, his confusion darkens into a frown.*

And he didn't really want to leave and cause the reflection to reset, it'd erase his save file. Not that he'd ever admit that, that's a really stupid thing for a being like him to care that much about. How'd he let that happen???

But 6 days of suddenly nothing didn't seem right. So he started with the reflective surfaces in the house, searching. Finding still nothing, sensing still nothing. Raelynn wasn't in the Waylay either. Something had clearly happened. Something was wrong.

There was no way of knowing if they'd both died, or were just somewhere else. All Nelo could do was search, wandering the endless crystaline labyrinth of the mirror realm until he could catch sight of Raelynn in something reflective, or feel her suffering nearby.

It's hard to navigate the mirrors when you don't know what or where you're looking for. But they always lead Nelo to his destination eventually.*

-🪞

Like a sweet nectar to a bee, her suffering clung in the air like a trail. It was more pungent than normal with undertones of a caged animal looking for escape. As a garnish, longing and nostalgia were sprinkled on top.

At the end of the trail was a reflective TV screen that viewed the red head laying on the couch. She was reading a warrior cats book but she had to reread the same line ten times with how her mind fluttered everywhere.

He's still silent for a moment, not sure what to say that might not startle her. In the end, he settles for gently tapping a claw on his side of the screen.*

...Raelynn?

“Nelo?” He gasped.

Holy shit. He never even considered this an opti. Oh. My. God.

*Nelo tilts his head sideways like a confused dog. At least sh- he? Is... happy to see him? Missed him?*

“So, long story short, I got kidnapped by a god, Saris, who basically has an obsession over me as her favorite follower. She wants to ‘keep me safe’ so there’s apparently no where safer than in a pocket dimension at the depths of the ocean.”

With her sitting up it was much easier to see the tattoo on her neck that stood lighter than her skin. It was an eel-like anglerfish that was eating the light of its esca. The tail wrapped around her neck and continued down where the fabric covered.

*He points down at the bruises on her legs.*

*He's silent for a moment, his expression flat and unreadable. There's something piercing in his pale green gaze, knowing. Then he averts his eyes.*

In all fairness, he wasn’t making eye contact either. He glanced at Nelo every so often but never for longer than a few seconds.

You want out, yes?

*He can't help but laugh, sharp fangs glinting in the reflection*

No no, I don't think you're going to explode, I moreso meant... well, it's complicated but, no you won't explode.

If... you are willing to try this, then.. *He sighs*

*Nelo tries to sit on the reflected couch, but a tv screen really isn't as good as a mirror. He appears to just, phase through it, like a model collision glitch in a video game. He makes a "tch" sound and looks like a cat who just had their comfy spot disturbed, but still opts to just. Stay there, halfway in the couch.*

....This realm wasn't always a prison. There was a very, very short time in my life where I could move through it freely. I'm stuck in here, but theoretically I can still open the door for you from the inside.

It's not really a door though, more like a... sand trap? I might be able to pull you in but I don't know if I could push you out, or if you could pull yourself back out.

*His eyebrows suddenly raise, an idea clicking.*

She set in down in front of the couch before plopping down once again, “That makes a lot of sense and frankly…I might be safer making an escape attempt in there than anywhere else. I can actually hide out for a bit as Saris freaks out. She won’t ever cool down fully but it won’t be as bad.”

You didn't have to... thank you.

*He walks off-screen, then into the mirror and sits, couch privileges restored.*

*His brows furrow a little. He has his suspicions.. but it's fine. They don't have to know about him.*

*His eyebrows pinch together in confusion.*

...There's only one Nyarlathotep. Do you.. you don't really know what you're involved in, do you..?

A cage within a cage.

And Nelo could taste the panic like sugar on his tongue.

“What are you talking about? There’s plenty. There’s The Manager, Emcee, and Saris just to name those three off of the top of my head. Kayne is also one but he’s wherever the fuck. Sure, plenty died but there’s still more than one.”

I... what? I didn't.. I didn't know-

*You have to play Nyarlathotep's game. You can't opt out. You can't win. You can only hope to still hold onto something after.

Nelo's focus slips, and his breath catches in his throat. It slowly becomes more apparent what his strange reaction really is, in the way his shoulders start to shake and his body starts trying to curl in on itself until he forces himself to be still and stare straight ahead again.

“Nelo, hey,” she stood up and went to her freezer, grabbing an ice pack. “Put this on your neck.”

It was something to snap him out of it. Something to help ground him. It was a trick The Manager taught her.

*He looks confused, but does remove one clawed hand from the ruins of the reflected couch to take the reflection of the ice pack. He places it on his neck and holds it there, shutting his eyes.

You can play along with the idea that there's multiple. This could all turn out fine. There's nothing else you can do about it anyways. Put the revelation out of your mind.

Very, very gradually, Nelo's other hand relaxes it's grip on the couch cushion. When he opens his eyes again, his pupils(?) aren't quite their usual size, but they aren't nearly as constricted either.*

*He shifts the ice pack off his neck, and starts to knead it between his hands, careful not to poke it with his claws.*

“I guess that makes two of us that have had bad experiences with a Nyarlathotep then, huh?” She tried to lighten the mood.

*He pauses, blinking.*

Wait no, I didn't exactly answer your other two questions when I got.. surprised, did I?

*Nelo stands up from the couch and walks up to the mirror, then uses one of his claws to slice a shallow cut into his own palm. Thick, olive green blood starts to pool in his cupped hand. It flows slowly, with the consistency of wax. He dips a claw in, and starts to draw a set of intricate runes on the glass.*

She set it down and inside primarily held activities. She had her tattoo gun, a ton of fake skins, a sketchbook, pens and other art supplies, as well as some clothes and a sewing kit.

“..but now I gotta get blood somehow…will it heal instantly in there or do I have to be concerned.”

She hesitated before opening her sewing kit and grabbing the needle. Raelynn tapped the end, testing the sharpness. It’s work but damn, it would hurt.

She went to get some bandages and disinfectant from the cabinet, throwing it into her basket. Hopefully, that’s all she would need.

Raelynn sucked in a breath and tested it against her skin with a swipe

Nothing.

Then another with more pressure.

The blood came out of the tiny slit in beads of crimson liquid. It wasn’t anything she could use.

*With his half of the runes done, Nelo sits back on the couch.*

Raelynn groaned and stared at the needle as if it were the devil itself. He knew what he had to do but in no way shape or form was he pleased. Goddamn the fact he got baby proofed.

“I’m getting myself ice cream for after this bullshit,” he grumbled, taking a tub and spoon into the basket.

“You better help heal me if I need it.”

“FUCK, DAMN ME, SHITBALLS!”

Great vocabulary and it certainly was loud enough for someone down the hall to hear. Her throat may be sore from the vocal chord ripping volume

Could you blame her though? It wasn’t as if driving a sewing needle into your forearm was a pleasant experience. Her nerves sent enough agony to force her to bite down on her tongue until she tasted iron to silence her cries.

“Goddamn, that’s the worst thing I’ve felt in awhile,” she laughed, taking a deep breath. “I’m glad my choice of words tickled your fancy though.”

Raelynn gradually unfolded herself and went over to the mirror, carefully beginning to trace the sigils. She kept looking over her shoulder in paranoia.

She could hear footsteps down the hall and she nearly fainted. Thankfully, she realized it was just Elijah pacing around as normal.

A faint tingling overtakes Raelynn's hand, the sort of "static" feeling you get when one of your limbs is starting to fall asleep. The reflection vanishes entirely as the glass turns to liquid silver, and her palm is suddenly met with Nelo's, the barrier between them dissolved.

His hand is colder than the mirror.

When their palms meet, Nelo laces his fingers between hers and grips, firmly but not too tightly. The sharp points of his claws poke into the back of her wrist. It's not intentional, that's just how damn long they are.

Then with a firm tug, he pulls Raelynn into the mirror. The glass slowly settles down, becoming still and reflective again. The blood on the mirror, and any that dripped to the floor, has evaporated into nothing, leaving no trace of what just transpired.*

_

* Cold.

That's the first sensation the mirror realm has to offer. It's like stepping into a walk-in freezer. Nelo probably isn't even aware, he wouldn't still be showing that much chest cleavage if he could feel the cold.

It's beautiful though.

Crystalline structures and paths stretch infinitely into the distance, a labyrinth of sparkling quartz, glass and iridescent opal. The mirror Raelynn was just pulled through is still directly behind her, and countless other mirrors of all shapes and sizes are scattered across the opaline plane, embedded in the floors, walls and ceilings.

Nelo has been staring a few seconds too long.

He may not feel the cold, but he is standing frozen. He hasn't let go of Raelynn's hand yet. He can't. How long has it been since he was last able to touch someone?

It would be so easy to hurt her.

Flesh to peel open, nerves to pluck like strings on a harp, write a song of agony with blood as the ink- No. No. No. Stop it. You won't do that. You don't do that, not anymore. You're trying to do something good, something right this time. You can have something real here, don't ruin it. No matter how sweet the betrayal would taste.

Everything around her blurred into nothing. The glittering structures and reflective surfaces were background noise to this moment of friendship and freedom.

She nearly wrapped him in a hug…

Until she saw the familiar look.

The haunting expression of someone one push away from digging their claws into her flesh. Someone who is about to snap. Someone who will cause her to need stitches later.

Her warmth was flooded by frigid blood and her face went pale. No, no, no.

She yanked her hand away and stepped back. This wasn’t freedom. This was another cage.

...? I'm.. sorry, I, shouldn't have held on that long..

Her breathing came frantically and she gripped the edges of her sweatshirt, hands already trembling. Her pupils dilated like an animal on the hunt or rather, in this case, an animal about to fight for their life.

“Not that. What are you planning to do to me?”

*Shit, shit, shit. He doesn't know how to calm a person down the normal way. He could compell her to be calm again, but that turned out badly the last time.*

I got you out of there because- ..we're, friends, aren't we..?

*Not for long if you don't fix this. She's the last person you haven't gotten to hate you yet. Think. How do you do this the human way?

His eyes flick to the basket. The ice cream tub. That cold thing before sort of helped, and that's a human trick isn't it? An idea clicks, and suddenly he shrugs his jacket off of his shoulders.

Nelo is 7 feet tall, and his legs are long, it only takes one long stride for him to close the distance and flap his jacket over top of Raelynn's head and shoulders, like you'd do to a wild possum that got in your house so you can burrito it and put it outside. While she's momentarily blinded, he snatches the ice cream tub from the basket and shoves it into her hands.*

When what she felt was ice cream instead of pain, which she nearly dropped, she just…blinked.

“What…?” She laughed hesitantly. “Nelo, what the fuck?”

*Somewhat following her lead, he forces out a nervous-sounding laugh.*

I don't- hahah, I- You were freaking out! I didn't know what else to do!

“I can tell,” she teased, sliding the jacket on. “You don’t get this back. It’s freezing in here.”

She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back. Calm down. You can’t figure out what that was if you don’t think logically.

“…but seriously, what was that? Why’d you look at me like that?”

*What does he say here? What's the approach that won't ruin everything?*

I don't, know how to explain, in a way that won't.. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I may have a humanlike form, but I've never been one. I'm far from it.

You know what I feed on.

*He quickly raises both of his hands, palms forward*

But I don't want to hurt you! I'm not going to! I'm not planning anything, I swear.

*He finally lowers his arms back to his sides, relaxing now that she's calmed down. Then after a beat of awkward silence, he gestures to the sparkling surroundings.*

But she didn’t want to address that yet.

She opened her arms, “How about a hug first before we explore?”

It sounds a lot like a drumbeat. A song.*

Well you're a- ....a..... a possum.

“How am I a possum?” She chuckled.

She withdrew from the hug to hold Nelo’s hands, not minding the claws too much.

*He grins, baring his long fangs in all their glory. He actually has a much shorter pair in the back as well, on the bottom row.*

Nelo's complete bewilderment at the statement is immediately obvious on his face. Because what? Why? Huh?*

.....Wh. You're meant to be afraid of these, not- what..?

....Okay..?

“Your reaction was golden. That was not was I was expecting.”

...I'm not sure I have to have them, they're...

*Is this something he should reveal? Will the fact that he lied through ommision about it be a problem? Things are just fine now, is it worth the risk?.. She just said she wants to grab his fangs, her reaction couldn't be that bad... right?*

“Saris and The Manager both have the same different form thing. It seems like a theme with you non-human folks. You gotta make yourself vaguely approachable to us humans.”

She couldn’t resist it and poked the tooth. Huh, so it did feel real then.

Well... okay.

*The change itself is quick. Nelo's features darken and stretch, ridiculously long fangs vanishing entirely as his face lengthens into a snout without a mouth. At the same time, a long tail swishes into existence while horns sprout from his head and his short hair flares out into a mane. In a matter of seconds, Raelynn is faced with a very large and bizzare lizard.*

*Despite the fact that his clothes melted away into his body, the jacket that Raelynn wears still exists, the material just changed. Instead of soft and thin fabric, it's now thick, green and leathery. Almost like something made from alligator skin.

When Nelo speaks, the small holes in the sides of his snout and throat open and close, different ones for different syllables. Like a living flute. His voice is far more melodic than normal, sounding less like speech and more like musical notes played in the shape of words.*

Like normal, her first instinct was fear. It was her body reacting before her mind could reason and relax. Her heart thudded in her chest and the panic was sweet on Nelo’s tongue.

It died out just as quickly as her face dropped into realization, “Nelo, am I wearing your skin right now?”

..Y...yes? Sort or..? I..

And he didn't really want to leave and cause the reflection to reset, it'd erase his save file. Not that he'd ever admit that, that's a really stupid thing for a being like him to care that much about. How'd he let that happen???

But 6 days of suddenly nothing didn't seem right. So he started with the reflective surfaces in the house, searching. Finding still nothing, sensing still nothing. Raelynn wasn't in the Waylay either. Something had clearly happened. Something was wrong.

There was no way of knowing if they'd both died, or were just somewhere else. All Nelo could do was search, wandering the endless crystaline labyrinth of the mirror realm until he could catch sight of Raelynn in something reflective, or feel her suffering nearby.

It's hard to navigate the mirrors when you don't know what or where you're looking for. But they always lead Nelo to his destination eventually.*

-🪞

Like a sweet nectar to a bee, her suffering clung in the air like a trail. It was more pungent than normal with undertones of a caged animal looking for escape. As a garnish, longing and nostalgia were sprinkled on top.

At the end of the trail was a reflective TV screen that viewed the red head laying on the couch. She was reading a warrior cats book but she had to reread the same line ten times with how her mind fluttered everywhere.

He's still silent for a moment, not sure what to say that might not startle her. In the end, he settles for gently tapping a claw on his side of the screen.*

...Raelynn?

“Nelo?” He gasped.

Holy shit. He never even considered this an opti. Oh. My. God.

*Nelo tilts his head sideways like a confused dog. At least sh- he? Is... happy to see him? Missed him?*

“So, long story short, I got kidnapped by a god, Saris, who basically has an obsession over me as her favorite follower. She wants to ‘keep me safe’ so there’s apparently no where safer than in a pocket dimension at the depths of the ocean.”

With her sitting up it was much easier to see the tattoo on her neck that stood lighter than her skin. It was an eel-like anglerfish that was eating the light of its esca. The tail wrapped around her neck and continued down where the fabric covered.

*He points down at the bruises on her legs.*

*He's silent for a moment, his expression flat and unreadable. There's something piercing in his pale green gaze, knowing. Then he averts his eyes.*

In all fairness, he wasn’t making eye contact either. He glanced at Nelo every so often but never for longer than a few seconds.

You want out, yes?

*He can't help but laugh, sharp fangs glinting in the reflection*

No no, I don't think you're going to explode, I moreso meant... well, it's complicated but, no you won't explode.

If... you are willing to try this, then.. *He sighs*

*Nelo tries to sit on the reflected couch, but a tv screen really isn't as good as a mirror. He appears to just, phase through it, like a model collision glitch in a video game. He makes a "tch" sound and looks like a cat who just had their comfy spot disturbed, but still opts to just. Stay there, halfway in the couch.*

....This realm wasn't always a prison. There was a very, very short time in my life where I could move through it freely. I'm stuck in here, but theoretically I can still open the door for you from the inside.

It's not really a door though, more like a... sand trap? I might be able to pull you in but I don't know if I could push you out, or if you could pull yourself back out.

*His eyebrows suddenly raise, an idea clicking.*

She set in down in front of the couch before plopping down once again, “That makes a lot of sense and frankly…I might be safer making an escape attempt in there than anywhere else. I can actually hide out for a bit as Saris freaks out. She won’t ever cool down fully but it won’t be as bad.”

You didn't have to... thank you.

*He walks off-screen, then into the mirror and sits, couch privileges restored.*

*His brows furrow a little. He has his suspicions.. but it's fine. They don't have to know about him.*

*His eyebrows pinch together in confusion.*

...There's only one Nyarlathotep. Do you.. you don't really know what you're involved in, do you..?

A cage within a cage.

And Nelo could taste the panic like sugar on his tongue.

“What are you talking about? There’s plenty. There’s The Manager, Emcee, and Saris just to name those three off of the top of my head. Kayne is also one but he’s wherever the fuck. Sure, plenty died but there’s still more than one.”

I... what? I didn't.. I didn't know-

*You have to play Nyarlathotep's game. You can't opt out. You can't win. You can only hope to still hold onto something after.

Nelo's focus slips, and his breath catches in his throat. It slowly becomes more apparent what his strange reaction really is, in the way his shoulders start to shake and his body starts trying to curl in on itself until he forces himself to be still and stare straight ahead again.

“Nelo, hey,” she stood up and went to her freezer, grabbing an ice pack. “Put this on your neck.”

It was something to snap him out of it. Something to help ground him. It was a trick The Manager taught her.

*He looks confused, but does remove one clawed hand from the ruins of the reflected couch to take the reflection of the ice pack. He places it on his neck and holds it there, shutting his eyes.

You can play along with the idea that there's multiple. This could all turn out fine. There's nothing else you can do about it anyways. Put the revelation out of your mind.

Very, very gradually, Nelo's other hand relaxes it's grip on the couch cushion. When he opens his eyes again, his pupils(?) aren't quite their usual size, but they aren't nearly as constricted either.*

*He shifts the ice pack off his neck, and starts to knead it between his hands, careful not to poke it with his claws.*

“I guess that makes two of us that have had bad experiences with a Nyarlathotep then, huh?” She tried to lighten the mood.

*He pauses, blinking.*

Wait no, I didn't exactly answer your other two questions when I got.. surprised, did I?

*Nelo stands up from the couch and walks up to the mirror, then uses one of his claws to slice a shallow cut into his own palm. Thick, olive green blood starts to pool in his cupped hand. It flows slowly, with the consistency of wax. He dips a claw in, and starts to draw a set of intricate runes on the glass.*

She set it down and inside primarily held activities. She had her tattoo gun, a ton of fake skins, a sketchbook, pens and other art supplies, as well as some clothes and a sewing kit.

“..but now I gotta get blood somehow…will it heal instantly in there or do I have to be concerned.”

She hesitated before opening her sewing kit and grabbing the needle. Raelynn tapped the end, testing the sharpness. It’s work but damn, it would hurt.

She went to get some bandages and disinfectant from the cabinet, throwing it into her basket. Hopefully, that’s all she would need.

Raelynn sucked in a breath and tested it against her skin with a swipe

Nothing.

Then another with more pressure.

The blood came out of the tiny slit in beads of crimson liquid. It wasn’t anything she could use.

*With his half of the runes done, Nelo sits back on the couch.*

Raelynn groaned and stared at the needle as if it were the devil itself. He knew what he had to do but in no way shape or form was he pleased. Goddamn the fact he got baby proofed.

“I’m getting myself ice cream for after this bullshit,” he grumbled, taking a tub and spoon into the basket.

“You better help heal me if I need it.”

“FUCK, DAMN ME, SHITBALLS!”

Great vocabulary and it certainly was loud enough for someone down the hall to hear. Her throat may be sore from the vocal chord ripping volume

Could you blame her though? It wasn’t as if driving a sewing needle into your forearm was a pleasant experience. Her nerves sent enough agony to force her to bite down on her tongue until she tasted iron to silence her cries.

“Goddamn, that’s the worst thing I’ve felt in awhile,” she laughed, taking a deep breath. “I’m glad my choice of words tickled your fancy though.”

Raelynn gradually unfolded herself and went over to the mirror, carefully beginning to trace the sigils. She kept looking over her shoulder in paranoia.

She could hear footsteps down the hall and she nearly fainted. Thankfully, she realized it was just Elijah pacing around as normal.

A faint tingling overtakes Raelynn's hand, the sort of "static" feeling you get when one of your limbs is starting to fall asleep. The reflection vanishes entirely as the glass turns to liquid silver, and her palm is suddenly met with Nelo's, the barrier between them dissolved.

His hand is colder than the mirror.

When their palms meet, Nelo laces his fingers between hers and grips, firmly but not too tightly. The sharp points of his claws poke into the back of her wrist. It's not intentional, that's just how damn long they are.

Then with a firm tug, he pulls Raelynn into the mirror. The glass slowly settles down, becoming still and reflective again. The blood on the mirror, and any that dripped to the floor, has evaporated into nothing, leaving no trace of what just transpired.*

_

* Cold.

That's the first sensation the mirror realm has to offer. It's like stepping into a walk-in freezer. Nelo probably isn't even aware, he wouldn't still be showing that much chest cleavage if he could feel the cold.

It's beautiful though.

Crystalline structures and paths stretch infinitely into the distance, a labyrinth of sparkling quartz, glass and iridescent opal. The mirror Raelynn was just pulled through is still directly behind her, and countless other mirrors of all shapes and sizes are scattered across the opaline plane, embedded in the floors, walls and ceilings.

Nelo has been staring a few seconds too long.

He may not feel the cold, but he is standing frozen. He hasn't let go of Raelynn's hand yet. He can't. How long has it been since he was last able to touch someone?

It would be so easy to hurt her.

Flesh to peel open, nerves to pluck like strings on a harp, write a song of agony with blood as the ink- No. No. No. Stop it. You won't do that. You don't do that, not anymore. You're trying to do something good, something right this time. You can have something real here, don't ruin it. No matter how sweet the betrayal would taste.

Everything around her blurred into nothing. The glittering structures and reflective surfaces were background noise to this moment of friendship and freedom.

She nearly wrapped him in a hug…

Until she saw the familiar look.

The haunting expression of someone one push away from digging their claws into her flesh. Someone who is about to snap. Someone who will cause her to need stitches later.

Her warmth was flooded by frigid blood and her face went pale. No, no, no.

She yanked her hand away and stepped back. This wasn’t freedom. This was another cage.

...? I'm.. sorry, I, shouldn't have held on that long..

Her breathing came frantically and she gripped the edges of her sweatshirt, hands already trembling. Her pupils dilated like an animal on the hunt or rather, in this case, an animal about to fight for their life.

“Not that. What are you planning to do to me?”

*Shit, shit, shit. He doesn't know how to calm a person down the normal way. He could compell her to be calm again, but that turned out badly the last time.*

I got you out of there because- ..we're, friends, aren't we..?

*Not for long if you don't fix this. She's the last person you haven't gotten to hate you yet. Think. How do you do this the human way?

His eyes flick to the basket. The ice cream tub. That cold thing before sort of helped, and that's a human trick isn't it? An idea clicks, and suddenly he shrugs his jacket off of his shoulders.

Nelo is 7 feet tall, and his legs are long, it only takes one long stride for him to close the distance and flap his jacket over top of Raelynn's head and shoulders, like you'd do to a wild possum that got in your house so you can burrito it and put it outside. While she's momentarily blinded, he snatches the ice cream tub from the basket and shoves it into her hands.*

When what she felt was ice cream instead of pain, which she nearly dropped, she just…blinked.

“What…?” She laughed hesitantly. “Nelo, what the fuck?”

*Somewhat following her lead, he forces out a nervous-sounding laugh.*

I don't- hahah, I- You were freaking out! I didn't know what else to do!

“I can tell,” she teased, sliding the jacket on. “You don’t get this back. It’s freezing in here.”

She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back. Calm down. You can’t figure out what that was if you don’t think logically.

“…but seriously, what was that? Why’d you look at me like that?”

*What does he say here? What's the approach that won't ruin everything?*

I don't, know how to explain, in a way that won't.. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I may have a humanlike form, but I've never been one. I'm far from it.

You know what I feed on.

*He quickly raises both of his hands, palms forward*

But I don't want to hurt you! I'm not going to! I'm not planning anything, I swear.

*He finally lowers his arms back to his sides, relaxing now that she's calmed down. Then after a beat of awkward silence, he gestures to the sparkling surroundings.*

But she didn’t want to address that yet.

She opened her arms, “How about a hug first before we explore?”

It sounds a lot like a drumbeat. A song.*

Well you're a- ....a..... a possum.

“How am I a possum?” She chuckled.

She withdrew from the hug to hold Nelo’s hands, not minding the claws too much.

*He grins, baring his long fangs in all their glory. He actually has a much shorter pair in the back as well, on the bottom row.*

Nelo's complete bewilderment at the statement is immediately obvious on his face. Because what? Why? Huh?*

.....Wh. You're meant to be afraid of these, not- what..?

....Okay..?

“Your reaction was golden. That was not was I was expecting.”

...I'm not sure I have to have them, they're...

*Is this something he should reveal? Will the fact that he lied through ommision about it be a problem? Things are just fine now, is it worth the risk?.. She just said she wants to grab his fangs, her reaction couldn't be that bad... right?*

“Saris and The Manager both have the same different form thing. It seems like a theme with you non-human folks. You gotta make yourself vaguely approachable to us humans.”

She couldn’t resist it and poked the tooth. Huh, so it did feel real then.

Well... okay.

*The change itself is quick. Nelo's features darken and stretch, ridiculously long fangs vanishing entirely as his face lengthens into a snout without a mouth. At the same time, a long tail swishes into existence while horns sprout from his head and his short hair flares out into a mane. In a matter of seconds, Raelynn is faced with a very large and bizzare lizard.*

*Despite the fact that his clothes melted away into his body, the jacket that Raelynn wears still exists, the material just changed. Instead of soft and thin fabric, it's now thick, green and leathery. Almost like something made from alligator skin.

When Nelo speaks, the small holes in the sides of his snout and throat open and close, different ones for different syllables. Like a living flute. His voice is far more melodic than normal, sounding less like speech and more like musical notes played in the shape of words.*

*The rain is coming down hard tonight, thunder accenting the downpour. Tell me, Mr.Merlot, what are you up to tonight?*

@limitless-liminals

....The hell's it look like? 'M drunk in the damn rain.

*He's sitting just outside the main Waylay doors, with a bottle of wine, absolutely drenched. He takes a long sip from what's left in the bottle, before it hits him that he just... heard...? and spoke to somebody.*

...Wait what. The fuck?

*He stands up and looks around. With nobody in sight, he squints up into the rain.*

*Okay, Merlot, I need you to pretend that I’m just in your head in the way your thoughts are! Still talk to me though because it’s lonely otherwise but I’m meant to be here. Got it? Got it. Amazing, great, moving on.*

..Ah whatever. Fuck it.

*He sits back down, still talking aloud.*

....Not a whole lot else to do. Ro has th'kids, don't need me hanging around constantly.

..Gah, that makes me sound fuckin' married or divorced some shit...

*We can talk about me and I’d love to, but just not— What do you mean I can’t talk about myself? I want to— fine, fine, okay…Please, ask me questions about myse— How on Earth did you hear that?*

*Merlot glares up at the rain, eagerly and somewhat drunkenly latching onto the idea of someone to be pissed at. How dare the background person he can't hear boss around his new head voice who he's not sure the gender situation of and is a bit too drunk to ask about it without stumbling around?*

The walls of the Waylay are marked by an unusually amount of moss. The longer you travel, the darker the green hue becomes and the denser the plant is. Frigid rain patters against you back as one cloud, hanging lower than the rest, follows you.

Kiki.

*What? It’s a good question! We need to tell the higher ups to stop leaving out important information.*

Kiki.

*He slows down a little to look over his shoulder, squinting up at the cloud that seems to be following.*

The cloud did a little circle in the air. Frankly, I don’t like how overt she’s being but who am I to complain?

*Keep talking!*

Kiki came down to the ground next to you, hovering right in front of you. Its pure white color stood out against the grey, stormy clouds.

*Thank you for the amazing gift!* she chirped, genuine.

*He cracks a crooked smile, then starts walking again.*

Kiki began a path into the woods, a portion that seemed unfamiliar no matter how much he had explored here. Dense pine trees decorated the rocky trail. Little light penetrated the forest despite the lack of a thick canopy.

*Im not annoying!*

You going in front of people’s eyes is though.

*…Oopsies! Sorry, Mr!*

*He complains after nearly tripping for a 3rd time.*

The air brought goosebumps on your skin, abruptly introducing you to a frozen breath that sent shivers down your spine. Breathing chilled your throat like ice would and it only lingered in your chest.

The path continued on then

Dark.

No light from Kiki and nor natural sunlight

The cold is... right. Somewhere cold is where he had been going, before he was stopped in his tracks. Before he was killed. Before he was Waylaid. He starts to move again, a slow walk building up into a desperate sprint. It doesn't matter that he can't see where he's going, it doesn't matter how many times he might crash into a tree or trip and fall and have to get back up, he keeps running with all he has.

Because this has to be it. This is where he needs to be. It's not too late afterall.

You crash into several pine trees and snow(?) lands on your skin. It melts and chilling liquid dribbles down your shirt and into your hair. Pine needles scrape your skin much deeper than they should and you trip over rocks countless times.

Personally, I’m confused by this new found drive as well but if you wish to quicken the process, who am I to judge?

I have to get there!-

What is your objective here?

*He keeps running, desperation taking determination's place. He's so close, he can't fail again.*

I have to- I have to get there, I have to find It- so I can go back and-

The treadmill-like quality never stopped. He wasn’t running into anything but the frigid temperatures persisted.

*Da— Narrator..?*

The.. the Deathless.

When I... am Deathless.. I can kill him- The fucker who killed me!

Sit down. Time is paused and running won’t bring you anywhere but closer to exhaustion. The ‘fucker who killed you’ can’t go anywhere either.

*He stops, but for several minutes just, stands in silence. Eventually, he turns to the left a little and slowly sits down, slumping forward a little.*

....

.

.

....Once upon a time, I had a city. I didn't just run it, it was mine. I built it up from the tiny shithole it started as. Turned it into something worth living in. And then I... lost someone. It... left me in a weird fucking haze. Suddenly nothing mattered. So this bastard, August, rose to power right under my fucking nose. Right in front of my face. I should've cared, should have fucking done something, but I didn't. Nothing mattered until...

Until I met his kid.

The piece of shit uses him as a fucking... executioner. Child soldier. Treats him worse than an object. By the time I figured out what was going on, I'd become... this.

*He gestures vaguely at himself.*

Too fucking old and frail and alone to do shit against this young bastard and his... arsenal of zealots and supernatural shit. So I made a little deal with.. something. Learned the answer to my problem.

"Go north, to the coldest corner of the world, and die in the presence of the Deathless. Become it."

....Except I never made it out of the fucking city. August got wind of the fact I was packing up to leave. I did fight back, but it wasn't enough. It was never going to be enough. Not with me like this.

I promised that kid I'd kill the fucker. That I'd give him a normal life...

*A kid doesn’t deserve that…*

The cloud appeared again and wrapped around you, unnaturally warm. It glowed like a night light, a comforting anchor in this dark abyss.

....Okay.

...Thanks.

The temperature gets lower and lower until you’re shivering and your teeth are clattering. Each step is laborious with deeper and deeper powder crunching beneath your feet. The cloud, now much warmer than before, aids you significantly in ensuring a proper body temperature.

*We’re almost there.*

Brighter.

Brightest.

Beckoning him in like an anglerfish’s light. Welcoming into its maw. A twisting sensation in your gut that something is wrong before it’s

Gone.

Gone like how the light disappeared

Gone like how the twisting in your gut unraveled

Gone like how your life faded away from you.

What awaited on the other side was an old village decorated with cobblestone homes. The same snow littered the roof tops alongside the same pungent cold. Smoke billowed from the chimneys, likely an attempt to stay warm.

A well sat in the center of the town, bucket lowered down inside of it. The same moss decorated the cracking stone while the rest of it remained in pristine condition.

The paths were covered with fresh footprints marking the snow(?). They led from home to home with the steps further down going to larger facilities. It was difficult to see through the thick on slaughter of powder but you could make out the shape of them at the very least.

....It's... just like it's supposed to be...

*Despite his better instincts, the sight of what appears to be one of the landmarks he was supposed to keep an eye out for on the journey he never started, melts the majority of his remaining caution and suspicion like butter on a frying pan.

The cloud hovered over your shoulder, emitting the same warmth as before. She hummed a tune and— Kiki, seriously, get out of there.

*Nope!*