TW's/CW's: Swearing, flirtatious behavior, mild gore, mild-to-heavy violence, self-harm, self-hate, depression, referenced suicide, repeated character deaths, and heavy violence directed at children (it's Undertale, you know the drill).
INFO: These sections are long, so keep that in mind if you venture below the cut. Music will be used sparingly throughout the story, and full credits will be given to their respective teams/composers. Be sure you loop each track, as the moments they appear in will typically last longer than the songs themselves.
Word Count (Chapter 1): ~12,800 (Not including text in images) Word Count (Chapter 2): TBD Word Count (Section 1 Total): TBD
The ceiling light nearly blinds L as their eyes flutter open, hesitantly. Their leg had come dislodged in the night, feeling frozen and stiff, while their throat deals with the opposite problem, dry and aching.
Nothing unusual, or even too annoying, but combined, it doesn't take long for them to grow bothered, getting up and dangling their legs over the edge of the bed. He instinctively reaches for his dresser. He fumbles around, almost knocking over their target—a glass of water, left by their sister.
He grabs the glass and takes a stand, downing its contents swiftly. They breathe a content sigh as water drips down his chin, which he wipes away with his shirt sleeve. Much better, they internally voice. He goes to step forward, but retracts his foot once it hits something. There's a photo frame on the ground. Did the house shake, last night? They pick it up.
Inside is a photo of him, his sister, their mother, and their father, dressed up in Easter apparel for a party they'd gone to a few years back. Their sister has two fingers above her head, and tracing them back makes it clear who the perpetrator is.
The memory of L actually doing this wasn't there, but it seemed pretty funny in retrospect. He sets the frame right back where it should be, leaning against his table lamp.
After getting that sorted, he grabs a fresh set of clothes from the drawer and changes. It's the same outfit he was wearing, only fresh. His mother would always say “consistency is key,” when questioned, but looking in the drawer, and seeing a mess of green, purple, more green, more purple… They purse their lip, and close it.
He heads downstairs, and- Speak of the devil, they think, as they see their mom sitting on a comfy-looking chair placed near the door. She looks up from her watch when they enter, a glare plastered on her face that quickly dissipates. “I almost went to wake you up myself; you're late.”
“I'm sure I'm not that late, mom,” L halfheartedly replies as he heads down a hallway to his right, bee-lining it to the bathroom. After passing a shelf, however, he stops, taking notice of something that was left on it.
A little halo with connecting rods, so it can be placed on one's head. They immediately recognize it as something his sister made for a class project, a while ago. He takes the halo and slaps it on, turning back to his mom and grinning.
They thrust their arms out to the side, making a big show of things. Their mother's face is one he can't read. Silence. The air grows still, then stale. …Awkward silence. Their smile falters. …Until they just take the halo off, and glance down at it.
“…Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, what do you think I should have for breakfast?”
His mother continues, as though nothing had just occurred, and his question had gone unvoiced. “Your sister's been at school for half an hour already,” she says.
L rolls their eyes, a twinge of some nondescript emotion making itself known in their chest. “Overachieving? Her? Noooo, c'monnn, really?” He turns away, placing the halo back in its “proper” place, before sauntering down the hallway.
Their mother clears her throat. “Yes, well, at least she's achieving something. Go get ready, and meet me outside in five.” L frowns, letting out a little huff. But he turns his attention to his sister to get his mind off of whatever that was supposed to mean.
Half an hour? That's- L glances at the clock on the wall -ten minutes early. Weird… Even for her. Today’s not, like, a school event, is it? No, no, can’t be. She would've woken me up if it was. He spends the next two minutes showering before taking the three after that to suit up: clean clothes, backpack, running shoes… Ahh, good to go!
He goes to step outside, but a rumble from his stomach halts this. Right, food, silly me. He heads right, passing a bookshelf that contains literally everything except books, and enters the kitchen. Whatever it was, it needed to be quick, they were already past five minutes.
“Hmm…” Looking over his options, they didn't have a lot. Nothing that was quick, anyway, except for the brand of cereal his dad made. Tastes like nails, but it's better than dying. Debatably. He takes the box off the shelf, shoving a hand in and taking a few good mounds into their mouth. Just enough to stave off the hunger. They close the box and shove it in their pack. If they were going to suffer, they'd make their friends join them at lunch. With a satisfying zip, they sling their backpack back over their shoulder, and bounce outside, sauntering over to the car.
He gets in the passenger's seat. His pack plops down on the floor beneath him, as he leans his head against the door. He sighs. His breath fogs up the window a little. They rub the fog away, eyelids already drooping from boredom, until something catches their attention. A glint, in the rearview mirror. He focuses on it, trying to make out what it could be.
It's… A… Tall, dark, beam-looking thingy? Near the school…? He rolls the window down and sticks his head out of it, turning to see the tall geyser spew plumes of dark clouds into the air!
“Uh… Mom, what is that?” His mother glances over, raising an eyebrow, to which he gestures outside. She follows them, rolling her window down and peering through it. She freezes. Then she shifts to get a better look. Her head's pulled back in seconds later, her eyes wide, breathing unsteady. She stammers.
“Wh- I-I thought- He-” Her mind seems to run a mile-a-minute.
“Uhm?? Mom, are you-???” She turns to him, gripping his shoulders, a look of desperation adorning her features. That look… L feels a pang of terror.
“Listen to me, L. Go to the basement. Your father was working on something on the off chance… This,” she gestures in the direction of the geyser, “happened.”
She points back to the house. “You need to use it! Look for a dark brown cloth! I’ll head to the school to…” She glances away for the briefest of moments, before turning back with an empathetic look. “Minimize the damage.”
At a loss for words, L nods and is shoved out of the car. He runs into the house before backtracking and remembering the fastest way to the basement is the storm shelter; Don’t have to ride an elevator, they reason.
So they run to the side of the house, prying open the doors with adrenaline-enhanced strength, and they practically leap to the bottom.
He goes as fast as he can, now in the basement via a connected hallway, practically tearing the place apart to find what his mother described. Some loud booms on the surface encourage him to work that little bit faster.
Eventually, he finds what his mother most likely described, grabs the cloth, and rips it off! It’s massive. Sleek, but only half-painted with red. It has a large “intake” booth and a control panel with a qwerty keypad. Having some familiarity with their father's design philosophy, they press a green, unlabeled button, off to the right. The machine whirs to life, and a synthesized, androgynous voice begins to speak.
“POWER LEVEL: 100%. MACHINE INTEGRITY: 99%. TIMELINE INTEGRITY: 89%. FURTHER DESTABILIZATION IMMINENT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENCE TRANSFER? Y/N”. L quickly presses Y on the keyboard, with little time to hesitate.
“PLEASE ENTER.” The intake booth opens up, and he hops inside.
Another keyboard emerges from a panel on the right, labelled “NAME”. “Charlie” is already written. He decides now’s not the time to correct it, pressing enter. They nearly leap out of their skin as the booth door slams shut!
“COMMENCING TRANSFER IN T-MINUS 10…” Nerves start to get the better of them. The booming on the surface gets louder, more frequent, and the longer it goes, the more it starts to sound intentional.
“9…” The voice continues, counting down at an agonizingly slow pace.
“8… WARNING: BREACH IN BASEMENT SUB-LEVEL-1.” A breach? What could've done that?? Sublevel one's at the top, so I guess it’s not a problem yet, but…
“7…”
“6… WARNING: BREACH IN BASEMENT SUB-LEVEL-2.” Ohhhh, it’s coming closer! L backs up to the edge of the machine. They plant a hand on their chest, trying to steady their breathing. He contemplates praying to the Angel, but can’t find the right words over the sound of his heart in his ears.
“5…”
“4… WARNING: BREACH IN BASEMENT SUB-LEVEL-3.” L's eyes widen as a shadowy fog rounds the corner. There's a low, gurgling sound, almost like growling. There are loud thumps, and banging, all around. Whispers emanate through the few cracks the machine has. L crouches down, getting into the fetal position and holding his head in his hands, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes even as they slam them shut.
“3…” Knock.
“2…” Knock.
“1…” Knock.
“0… TRANSFER COMMENCING.” The world feels like it's spinning, as the terrifying sound of bolts and nails exploding echoes all around. He feels a hand on his shoulder. A terrifying, looming, incomprehensible presence. A sensation that can only be described as 'the end'. Then… Everything goes white.
Suddenly, their sensations shift. The ground feels softer, the hand on his shoulder's gone, there's a breeze… Everything feels less claustrophobic. A few moments pass. One eye cracks open, and the sight they see surprises them enough to open their second. They're back on the surface, in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by forest on all sides, the only exception being a path behind them.
They blink, their mind still reeling. Looking up doesn't reveal a dark whatever-that-was, and with how massive it was, they must be really far from town. The birds are chirping, the wind is blowing, the leaves are fluttering, there are unfamiliar scents in the air, the sounds of the forest are very loud, his heart's thrumming in his ears, every molecule of his being is burning-
He slams his eyes shut. One thing at a time, one thing at a time… He looks straight ahead and opens his eyes. He was surrounded by trees. Weird, considering where they were before, but trees by themselves are perfectly normal. Though they aren't the same species, he notices. They're more like swamp trees, or willows. …I think.
The tree closest to them stands out like a sore thumb. It was the same species of tree they were used to, and it had a face carved into its bark. For a moment, L feels weirdly impressed. Whoever carved that should- It blinks. L freezes. …And it blinks again. It takes notice of him staring, raising a wooden eyebrow. His stomach sinks.
The two lie motionless for a while, eyes shuffling awkwardly, silence hanging over them like a sword on a string. L waits for the metaphorical shoe to drop, which doesn't take long. The tree somehow clears its throat. “Uhhh, soooo… Are weeeee in a staring contest? Because I feel like you should've asked, first. I need time to prepare!”
L crawls back, but bumps into a strangely thick root, that had dislodged itself from the ground. They don't risk looking away, or even blinking, doing everything they can to keep the tree in their sights. It leans forward despite this and thrusts a hand out, to shake with. Said hand is floating, with leaves jutting out from the wrist area. L holds an arm up, defensively, doing their best to glare.
He doesn't accept the handshake, for obvious reasons, stunned into motionlessness. The tree relents, pulling its hand back and attempting to calm his nerves. “Heyyyy, hey lil' guy, there's no need to panic! I'm a friendly tree, see? Watch, I can do a magic trick!”
The tree forms two circles with its fingers, interlocking them before holding them behind its head. When it brings the hands back around to the front, the circles are no longer together. “Ta-daaaaaa!”
…
…
…
…
…
…
“T-Ta-daaaaaaaa?” L stares at the tree, thinking. His mind quickly thinks over everything, processing as well as they can, from the moment he woke up to this tree starting a conversation, and everything in-between.
“Uhhh?” A thousand and one realization's cloud his mind. “Newbie??” His dad made teleportation technology, he'd have to file that one away to talk about later. “Kid!” Now sentient plant-life was talking to him. Was it a costume? A hologram? A fake? Was it- The tree snaps its fingers, and he zones back in.
“Hey, Ground Control to Major Tom, are you in there?” L blinks, tilts his head, thinks a moment, then…
“…Heh.” His chuckle is faint, and almost definitely out of nervous tension, but it's enough.
“Oh, did you like that one?” The uneasy smile on L's face is the only response the tree gets.
“Right, right, baby steps, small guy, I getcha. Wellll, let's start with introductions! The name's…” It pauses, for a moment. Visible sweat drops carve themselves into its bark. “Uhhhh- (Ohmygod…)”.
L tilts their head. “…What?”
“Oh, uhhh- I said, the name's Omega! What's yours??”
Silence. A suspicious squint. Then a response. “L,” they reply simply.
The tree raised an eyebrow, seeming relieved. “Oh! El, that's a nice name!”
“No, it's- It's L. The letter.” L finally gets tired of sitting in the dirt, rising while dusting off the back of their clothes.
“What?? How'd you-” The tree trails off, then scoffs. “Well, L,” the tree begins. “It's nice to meet you!” It extends a floating hand for him to shake. He does not, and it awkwardly slinks back to where it came from.
“You're new around here, aren't you?”
“Actually…” L stops for a moment, debating what to say. The unfamiliar trees catch their attention. Eventually, he lands on, “I think so. It depends on where we are, but… Probably?”
“Hm… Well right now, you're in the Overworld! That's the whole region. If you want specifics, this part of the Overworld's called Luminous Forest. …Kiiiiind of a bad clearing to start in, though, the rest of this place looks much nicer. Ugh… No fireflies or wildlife in sight! Pretty dull, ain't it?”
Looking around… L can tell it's pretty bare bones. Just trees, some dirt, a few flowers here and there, as well as the path they'd noticed earlier, which seemed to lead further into the woods. Or… Out of the woods. It was hard to tell. Technically, every direction leads out eventually, so- The tree snaps its fingers again.
“Hey, short stack, no need to zone out! C'mon, am I really that boring?” The tree teases. L turns back around and simply stares, waiting for them to continue.
More silence. L briefly ponders asking about why the tree seems to pause so frequently, but before they can… “Quiet type. Right. Well, that's fine! I can do enough talking for the both of us! Here, I'll pretend to be you. Watch.” It clears its throat.
The tree places a hand palm-out on its head, leaning back as though it'd just been stabbed. “Ohhh, woe is me! I am but a small, frail child with no idea how to defend myself! Oh, Omega, what even is a battle system??” Aside from the blatant inaccuracies, that last part causes L's ears to perk up.
“Battle system?” He decides to press that. The tree smirks.
“See?? I was right!”
…
“Uh- A-Anyway, that's right, 'battle system'! It's how we fight in our world.”
“Oh.” L looks away, back toward the path that treads onward. “I'm good, then.” They start to walk away.
“Wh-” A floating hand is thrust out in front of L, stopping them in their tracks. “Now hang on there, pal, this is important stuff! You're a new kid, ain't'cha?”
L doesn't say anything, just glancing over his shoulder at the tree. It continues, a touch quieter than before. “Because if you are… People are gonna try to hurt you.” Their eyes widen, a touch.
“Yeah, see, you aren't exactly… The safest… In this world.” L turns back around, pivoting on their heel like a statue being turned in a museum. The floating hand hovers back to Omega's side.
It continues. “You don't need to know everything all at once, just know that there is a way to defend yourself! All you need to do is gather some LV, and you'll be strong enough to handle the foes that come your way, got it?”
LV? Does he mean, like…
“Lev-” L begins.
Omega cuts them off. “LOVE, that's right!”
L purses their lip in annoyance, but the expression, as well as the emotion attached to it, quickly subside. “In this world, gaining LOVE can make you all sorts of strong! And although it is quite rare to find, if you meet someone generous enough, they can share some with you! Now, you and I aren't really friends, per se, buuuuut… If you want, I can share a bit of LV with you. You want some, don't'cha?” L stands there, finding the answer to that question obvious.
“…(Not making this easy, huh…?)” Omega clears its throat. “Well, uhm… Assuming you are, just…” They trail off for a moment.
L waits patiently. “W-Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. See, everyone has their own unique ways of sharing LOVE. Some use sticks, some use rocks, some use vines… Like me! Magical constructs, of course, we're not actually using real things.”
“Magic?” L questions.
Omega waves a hand dismissively, saying, “Oh, don't worry about that! It is important, but, uh …One thing at a time, ya know?” L hums once, in acknowledgement.
Omega doesn't get a reply beyond this, so it keeps talking. “Now, as I said, I use vines to spread LOVE! All ya have to do is reach on out and touch it. Easy, right?” A spot on the ground directly between L and Omega cracks, just a little. A second passes, and a thick, hefty vine bursts through the earth!
L takes a step back, hunching over into a defensive position. The vine looks… Quite hefty. Green, with brownish-red thorns adorning it all the way along its surface. They slowly return to their normal stance after a few moments of inaction on both sides.
“Just go on out and tap it. It should barely even take a moment, and you'll feel stronger than ever!” L stays put, weighing his options. On one hand, the vine is definitely capable of being dangerous. Even without it moving, pricking himself on a thorn was no doubt possible.
But… the tree seemed kind, and honest, if a little anxious. They just can't help but feel like they're missing something. Some crucial detail. But without knowing what that is, or even having proof it exists… They take a step forward. Then another. Then yet another series of slow, delicate footfalls, until they are mere inches away. They reach a hand out, cautious to avoid the sharp edges, and carefully tap the tip of the vine.
It was gone in a flash. The air leaves his lungs in one, labored gasp. What- Is all L is able to even think before he feels it. Something in his chest. Looking down, there's- Oh. Oh. Oh, no. The sight makes their legs go weak. They collapse to their knees, and the vine, pierced firmly through their chest, comes with them. But they don't remain on the ground for long.
Said vine hoists him into the air, his limbs dangling uselessly, and what's left of his strength barely letting them look Omega in the eyes. Their carved, wooden smile is now replaced with a dark, twisted grin that appears to be hovering ever-so-slightly off of their bark. The face itself keeps shifting gently, like an inconsistent animation that has very small changes between frames. It lets out a deep chuckle.
“You… IDIOT! Did you really think that I would pass up on this opportunity?! To get that SOUL of yours? Not that you'd even know what that is! God, you made this so easy for me!” The vine retracts itself from L's chest cavity, and all of a sudden, they feel very, very empty.
They land on the dirt with a sickening squelch. Something… warm starts pooling across their back. “…Ohhh, you survived that! Hah, you're resilient! Good. For. You.” Ten more vines burst from the floor, surrounding L, towering high above, each bent over and pointing at different sections of his body.
“Now, be a good little puppet… And give. Me. THAT. SOUL!” The vines dart downward. L slams his eyes shut, adrenaline fighting against the overwhelming need for rest. There's nothing, for a few moments. Nothing, nothing, as their life slowly dissolves into ash.
But he's alive. He… Hopes. His eyes slowly reopen with what little strength they have left just in time for him to hear a strange noise, and feel a pleasant sensation course through his chest. His eyelids shoot all the way up as he is now acutely aware of his surroundings and each little micro-feeling. The breeze, each speck of dirt, his clothes, his hair, his skin- They gasp again, overwhelmed.
The warm pool beneath him is also felt, which they did not miss, but what's more pressing is that he feels whole again. They sit up and pat their chest. The wound. It looks like it closed itself?? Lying all around them were severed vines. The cuts were somehow both frozen, and a little scorched. Omega looks just as surprised as them, then angry.
Its “brow” furrows. The earth cracks a little more, but before another vine can be summoned, a buzz saw made of something clear slams into the ground from above. L tries to shuffle back, finding limited success. The saw spins, kicking up dirt as it revs up, rocketing toward Omega!
It hops out of the ground when it gets close, slamming into its wooden exterior. Omega is sent flying backward, into the forest, out of sight. The saw hovers for a moment, then fizzles out into sparks.
The air grows still, filling with silence. They sit there for an amount of time they quickly lose track of, staring at where Omega just was; their mind was overloaded once again, filled with the betrayal from the tree and how their near-death-experience felt. His breathing gets faster. His chest tightens.
His vision goes blurry from the tears welling up, so he brings his palms up to his eyes, covering them. They curl up a little, the events playing out in their mind over and over again. The pain they felt and the lack of strength they had left to even scream… They don't notice the area growing slightly cooler; they are too preoccupied with their own mortality.
What somewhat breaks him out of this is a hand placed on his shoulder. In an instant, he's turned around, kicking off the ground just enough to gain some distance, but not enough to stand upright.
He has his hand up defensively, the fierce look on his face betrayed by the streaks of water running down his cheeks. The person he sees, thankfully, is not a SOUL-hungry tree, but rather, a tall woman. Almost twice L's height.
She wears a long white robe that reaches her ankles, getting wider the lower you look. L would presume this is to allow for ease of movement. Her sleeves go down to her wrists, and she's wearing sandals.
There's a symbol on her chest that L finds oddly familiar: a hollowed-out heart with three triangles inside, all in a line, and a circle with wings above them. The triangle in the center is lower than the other two, and upside-down. L's tears stop flowing. His shoulders relax, and the tightness loosens up somewhat. But he still takes caution, standing up and backpedaling farther from the lady.
She had already retracted her hand, and was eyeing L curiously. Her gaze briefly flicks up over his head. “What a terrible creature that was, torturing a child.” Her eyes are fixed on the treeline. For only a moment, before she gazes back at him and gives a warm smile. Her eyes are blue, her skin complexion is almost golden, her hair is light brown, and the whole thing is pulled back into a bun.
She has one teardrop-shaped tattoo (scar?) beneath her right eye. If L had to guess, she would be… Twenty-five? That information was swiftly categorized and filed away inside their head, somewhere in the M section for Mysterious, right before the woman started to speak again.
“Greetings! I am Susan,” nevermind, L files it away under S, “the caretaker of these woods. And you are…?” She gestures with her hand. Silence fills the grove. She closes her eyes and lets out a soft giggle.
“I suppose that is fair; you have been through quite a lot. Are you still hurt? Do you need pain relief?” L is still.
“Child…” She takes one step forward, and L takes one step back. “I understand the concern, but I promise you, I am only here to help! If you do not wish to answer me, that is fine, but will you at least accompany me back to town? This forest is normally quite safe, but I'm sure the comfort of a village would be welcome!” L doesn't move. For a moment. Eventually, they relent and give a barely noticeable nod.
Susan clasps her hands together. “Excellent! Right this way, child, it's a lengthy walk back.” Susan turns around, taking swift steps down the path. They follow behind at a safe distance. The walk turns out to be quiet, for obvious reasons. It was uncomfortable, however, even for him. So they break the silence. “…L.”
Susan glances over her shoulder. “Hm?”
“My name,” they clarify. She makes an “o” shape with her mouth before smiling down at him and turning her attention forward.
“Well, L, it is nice to meet you!” She… Leaves it at that, which L wasn't hoping for. Neither side continues the conversation.
The quiet stretches on for what feels like ages. It's more bearable this time, although it doesn't last long. A solitary minute goes by, until a strange, static-y jolt shoots through L's chest. It was hard to perceive, but they noticed it just enough to get their attention and for them to stop. Their chest feels empty again- Panic floods their nerves until they glance down and notice something hovering in front of them: a stereotypically-shaped red heart.
Susan looks moderately annoyed when they look at her for guidance. Following her gaze, L finds a crab-like creature, seemingly entirely made of mud, standing before them. It's about half his height with a crude smile, like a child drew it on. He hears a voice in his head.
* Muddle Crab steps into view.
He files the crab internally under M, and goes silent. But the voice does as well, so he asks aloud, “What?” Susan turns her attention to him, still wearing a moderately irritated look.
“I suppose your tutorial will have to come early. This,” she gestures vaguely between L and the crab, “is how we handle conflict in our world. So that crab, right now, is your enemy. They're a species of Monster, though don't expect all of your opponents to fall under that category. Being a 'new kid', you should…” She winces. “…expect to be attacked.”
L takes a moment to drink all of that in, deciding which topic to press her on first, to get more information. One question at a time, L decides.
❤️(Ask her about the term 'new kid'.) (Ask her about the voice.) (Ask her about safety.) (Ask her about the heart.)
“…What does it mean to be a 'new kid'? You say that like it's a specific name for something.”
“Huhwhat?” Then recognition lit up her face. “Oh! That's just a catch-all term for anyone not native to this universe.”
“…” L furrows their brow. “…What.”
“Ahhhh, it doesn't matter.” Susan waves a hand, dismissively. “Just know that you're not the first to appear here like this.”
L opens their mouth to speak, but she cuts them off. “Oh, and before you ask, I know you're new here, because I'm just that good of a mayor.~ I remember every face in town!” She turns her head up as she closes her eyes and places a hand on her chest, looking proud.
L rolls his eyes, smiling. “You probably have a population of five,” they remark.
“Uh-” Her eyes go wide for a second. She clears her throat.
“N-No, of course not; that'd be… too easy, yes!” She mumbles. “(…We have at least eight.)” L lets out a huff that one could mistake for a laugh. Questions…
(Ask her about the voice.) ❤️(Ask her about safety.) (Ask her about the heart.)
“Didn't you say this forest was 'quite safe'?” Susan nods glumly.
She sounds exasperated. “Yes, and I stand by that statement. Just because you are being confronted does not mean the enemy is dangerous! W-Well, they may still try to be,” she lets out a tiny laugh, “but in this area, most of them do a… Sub-par job of it, to say the least. On top of that, this is hardly a normal occurrence! Typically, the monsters of the forest know not to attack passers-by, especially when I'm with them. I wonder what's wrong?”
L nods. I suppose that makes sense. What else…?
(Ask her about the voice.) ❤️(Ask her about the heart.)
“What's this?” They tap the red heart and feel a poke on their back. They startle a little.
Susan grins. “That, dear child, is your SOUL! It is you, and you are it. Different colors signify personality traits that are very apparent or make up the majority of your being. Although, red… I can't say I know off the top of my head what that represents. Hm. Something to study up on, I suppose. Your SOUL is what allows you to select your actions!” She points to L's right arm.
They hold it up, noticing four rectangles encircling their wrist. As they take notice, their SOUL gently moves over the first button, which is labeled “FIGHT”. The others are unable to be read from the angle they're at, and strangely enough, they don't rotate when his arm does.
Susan continues. “As we do not wish to hurt anyone, you should mostly… Avoid… That first option. Try ACTing, instead! Just imagine the buttons rotating; that should accomplish it.” She does a small swirl with her finger.
L raises an eyebrow, but trusts that she's right. And sure enough, a quick mental cylinder rotation is enough to move the buttons. “ACT” is now where FIGHT once was. They do this a few more times, finding “ITEM” and “MERCY”, before the wheel cycles back around to FIGHT. One more rotation back to ACT, and L clenches their fist in an attempt to select the option. It works! A menu appears before him. It simply has “Muddle Crab” listed in it. His SOUL hovers next to the name. Another clench of their fist selects it, revealing a whole host of other options.
L glances at Susan. She simply makes the “go ahead” motion. His SOUL follows his finger as he goes to select one of the words, acting like a mouse cursor. He taps the first one. The same voice they heard earlier re-enters their mind.
* Muddle Crab - 3 ATK - 6 DEF - 1 LV
* Could use a good scrubbing.
L pauses. The voice doesn't say anything else. …Again.
❤️(Ask her about the voice.)
They turn to Susan. “Hey, is there any part of this system that involves voices in your head?” From the concerned look on Susan's face…
“…Nnnnoooooo? Why, are you experiencing that?” L nods.
“And… did you experience this before arriving here?” He shakes his head. Susan purses her lips.
“Allllllright then, well, we'll discuss that later. For now, just try and get through this battle unscathed.” L nods. Again. He goes to select an action, but the wheel of orange buttons is missing. They look at Susan, then at the crab, noticing it appears to be charging something!
It looks up, spewing out a chunk of mud in an arc! Immediately knowing where it's going to land, L steps to the side, avoiding the ball as it slams directly into the ground. It splatters, mixing with the dirt.
This repeats two more times, with just a singular ball of mud being launched, which is easy to dodge. He's able to calculate its trajectory pretty easily, imagining a red line for it to travel, which he can sidestep. After the third ball, the wheel of actions returns to their hand. “This seems…”
“Fun, right?” Susan cuts him off. I was thinking 'complicated', but… L smiles.
“You're doing good,” Susan reassures. “Now take your turn again.” L does just that.
ACT - Muddle Crab - Clean
When L taps the option, the black-and-white menu disappears. They step forward, but the crab, pinching its claws threateningly, wards him back. Frustratingly, this wastes their “turn”, as Susan put it, and they have to sit through the same slog of an attack from moments prior. No variation, just three mud balls, and that's it.
It was still a little harrowing, given the fact that he was actively being attacked, but otherwise, it was pretty tame. As tame as a crab launching the same material it's made from directly at him can be, at least. L selects ACT again, mulling over their options. They think carefully.
ACT - Muddle Crab - Approach
They approach the crab, holding their hands palm-out, trying to seem like less of a threat. It looks… Accepting of this? Hard to read the facial expressions of a crab, L thinks. Unfortunately, despite the supposed acceptance, the crab attacks once more. This time it bears its claws at L, snapping dangerously.
It's just a simple, easily telegraphed pattern. The crab pinches with the right claw, so L dodges left. It pinches with the left, dodge right, rinse and repeat about four more times until L's turn begins anew. Now, L reasons, I can go back to plan A.
ACT- Muddle Crab - Clean
L kneels down, searching their pockets. Nothing to clean with. Figures. He sighs. So instead, they take the bottom of their shirt, take it to the crab, and just sort of… Rub it. The same way you would polish a trophy.
* You clean Muddle Crab.
* It seems good as new! …Comparatively speaking.
It looked the exact same, but L had more pressing things to question. Okay, who are you??? Nothing. L groans internally.
Muddle Crab repeats the pincer attack. By now, L was starting to get the hang of this—dodging and ACTing and dodging some more. These “attacks” weren't that complex, meaning Susan was right about this being a good way to learn.
L selects ACT again, but Susan stops him. “Wait!” They freeze.
“Do you see how the name of your foe is colored yellow?” Looking at the name in the box shows that, indeed, it is.
“This means that your enemy no longer wishes to fight. So instead, use the MERCY button to SPARE them!” L nods, flicking his wrist to back out of the option- why did that work? -and swapping to MERCY. They select it, finding two options: Spare, and Flee. They choose the former.
* You won!
* You earned 0 EXP, and 7 GOLD.
Must be their currency, L guesses. Susan claps for him. “Very good, child; you did a wonderful job!” They heel-turn to her and give a dramatic bow. She stifles a laugh. His SOUL returns to his chest when he stands upright, and the wheel of buttons disappears.
Muddle Crab just… Saunters back into the forest.
They continue their walk. “I must say, L, that was impressive! Most newcomers don't do that well in their first encounter.”
“It just felt natural,” they say.
Susan replies. “Hm! Maybe you're a prodigy.”
“…Maybe,” he mutters in response, a twinge of annoyance surfacing. They look down at their right hand and clench their fist to quell the feeling. “That felt so strange. To control something without touching anything.”
Susan nods. “Yes, that is the typical reaction. You get used to it. Eventually, battles will become second nature to you!”
L's eyes glaze over, as he's deep in thought. He mutters more. “Second nature, huh?” His fist tightens before gently returning to his side. He speaks normally again, refocused. “I assume I'll need complete mastery of this system if I wish to return home?”
Susan stutters. “Wh- Uh- W-Well, you- Okay, firstly, where did you learn to talk like that? You're a child, and secondly, we, uh, we can discuss that later!”
L raises an eyebrow. “I'm ten. (…Not that young.) I just hang around smart people all day. My dad was a science teacher, ya know? So my vocabulary grew up faster than I did.” He steps ahead of Susan but doesn't stop walking, just glancing back at her. She seems… Skeptical. “And why can't we talk about this now? It…” He looks away for a moment. “It is possible for me to go home… Right…?”
Susan can't bring herself to meet their gaze. “That's... ...A complicated question,” she eventually relents. “I wished to discuss it later, when we're not actively traveling. I-It's just easier that way, for all of us.”
The two stared at each other for a few long moments. Until L sighs. “You're right.”
They weren't paying much attention to the sound the ground made as they walked. But that was quick to change when the sound itself did. He glanced down. The dirt was a little more blue than before, and it felt tougher, more like cement or concrete.
The area darkened as they went, and it seemed as though time was fast-forwarding to night. It was still a gradual process, but tens of times faster than it had any right to be. Susan didn't offer any explanation, so L tugged at her robe. “Hm?” L points to the sky.
“Wh-” Recognition. “Oh! Right, of course. Well, the 'who' and 'why' of this are unknown, but someone long ago put a spell over this part of the forest, converting it into a more… Scenic area.” Susan smiles. “I promise none of the wildlife was harmed!”
She places a finger on her chin, glancing up. “…We think. It was a long time ago.” She resumes her normal look. “Regardless, the biodiversity of this location has actually been steadily expanding!” She gestures ahead.
L follows after her. Tree stumps litter the area, creating a rectangular clearing before the path continues, on the opposite side. Tiny yellow dots float through the air, and the few that are close enough for L to get a good look at reveal themselves to be fireflies. The one he's keeping an eye on floats to the ground, landing on a glowing piece of grass. Patches of the stuff are sprinkled across the area, but this one is… on its own. L takes a seat next to it, as does Susan.
The former mutters, “It looks lonely,” motioning to the lone blade.
“…That it does,” the latter replies. “Would you like to fix that?”
L turns his head to her. “Hm?”
“You'll need to remind me to get the tools later, but, if you'd like, you can take this grass with you on your journey. Give it a friend.”
L purses their lip. Taking the plant would be a hassle, but Susan was right. It certainly needed companionship. She could've gone even farther and compared them to it, though he's glad she didn't. They didn't feel like getting called out right now.
“What would I carry it in? A flower…” Susan's glaring over his shoulder. “…Pot? What are you-” He turns around and notices a sea horse-looking creature. It has a platter on its head, and a cup of tea floating next to it. It's backing away, clearly intimidated.
“Oh, uh,” L turns back to her, “thanks. I… Guess? It saves me time, more than anything, if they were like that crab from before.” After some rustling leaves, Susan sighs, dropping the stare.
She says, “Sorry, go on.”
L does. “What would I carry the grass in?”
“Oh, well, we have all sorts of gardening tools! A trowel to dig the grass up, and a pot to carry it in.” A bottle of water materializes in Susan's hand. “Dirt too, of course.” She takes a swig.
“…How-” L begins, but Susan cuts him off as she spins the cap back on. The bottle disappears.
“You have an inventory. How you access it is, uhhhh… Ohhhh, what was it…? I know how, but there used to be a saying that helped people figure it out faster. Hmmm…” She glances at the other side of the clearing. Her eyes light up.
“Ah! Over there, come on!” In a flash, she's up and about, stepping carefully over L before darting further. They follow, trailing much slower. She leads them to a toppled-over vending machine that's blocking the path forward.
Susan turns to L, gesturing to the machine. “Reach inside the slot,” she instructs. They stare up at her, then back down to the machine, then up at her, then the machine… And they shrug. Their whole arm fits inside, digging around. It takes a moment, sifting through the dirt, and cobwebs, but eventually, they feel something solid, and they tug at it. It… Disappears?
* You got the Bottled Water.
Ah, there you are. I was starting to miss you. Is that weird…? The voice continues, though it says nothing in relation to L's thought.
* Press C to open the menu.
Press… What? A black menu with a white border opens in front of them. They reel their arm back, stepping away from the machine, defensive. Susan seems just as shocked. “How did you…?”
L takes a moment, before shuffling around the menu, to look at her. “I… Pressed C… I guess?”
Susan snaps her fingers. “That was it! Ugh, that was killing me! Now, how did you know that?”
They shrug and reply simply, “The voice told me.”
“Well, that-” Susan pauses. “Y- Uh- Eh- Youuuuu… Hmmmm.” She holds her chin in between her thumb and pointer finger, squinting suspiciously.
She shakes her head. “(Such a strange child.)”
L crosses their arms. “I heard that.”
This earns a smug look, and some equally-crossed arms from Susan. “Do you want a medal?”
He… Takes a moment, letting his arms back down. Then, “yeah, actually, that'd make me feel pretty good about myself.”
She grins, struggling to hold back a laugh. “N-No, we don't hand out participation trophies!”
L also has to struggle holding back a grin, to be able to talk normally. “No, no, it's a participation medal, there's a difference.”
Susan throws her arms down, fists balled, and huffs, puffing her face up in faux-anger. L can't help but beam at the display. “We don't do those either!!! Now focus!” She gestures to the menu.
“Right, right,” they say, moving back behind it, “this weird thing.” In the menu, there are a few things to note. First, a pixel-art portrait of his face. Weird, but strangely accurate. Then a bar next to that labeled HP, which is at its maximum: twenty out of twenty.
Below all of that are three words that seem selectable. ITEM, STATS, and CELL, although the last one's greyed out, and seemingly not selectable. Susan now stands at L's side, looking at the menu, just like him. She seems a little confused. “…Cell?”
“Oh,” L begins, “that's probably for a… Cell phone, right? Shouldn't you know that?” Susan shakes her head, holding out her hand, and opening her own menu, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Among the differences in the portrait and HP, “CELL” is now “RADIO”. L gives a little hum of acknowledgement, again. “Do you… Know what a cell phone is?”
“That sounds familiar, but no, I don't believe I do. Considering its placement in the menu, however, I can assume it's similar to a radio?” L wiggles their hand back and forth in a “so-so” motion.
She replies with a nod, waving her hand and making her menu disappear. L's SOUL hovers before his hand as they select ITEM in their own inventory. The menu grows taller, and everything in it disappears, replaced by a single phrase in the top left: “Bottled Water”. They tap it, then hit “Use” when it shows up among a few other words at the bottom. The menu vanishes, and the bottle of water he collected appears in his hand.
“…Huh. That's needlessly complicated.” The label's blank. They unscrew the cap and take a swig.
“Maybe so, but it offers more space than traditional pockets. Not that those aren't options, of course.”
L screws the cap back on and lets go of the water. It disappears, presumably back into their “inventory”. “I'm being taught a lot; how much more is there??”
Susan seems a little worried. “Well, uhm, actually quite… a… bit… But I can slow down if you need me to.”
“Please do,” L says, exasperated.
Susan claps her hands together. “Alright then, less tutorialization!” She glances to the side. “I should take note of that.” Then back to L. “Let's get a move on!” She turns on her heel, holding her hand out to the vending machine that's blocking their path. She throws her arm up, causing a massive spike made of what looks like ice to ram into the machine from beneath, launching it into the sky! L steps back, eyes wide.
“Uhm-” He stammers for a moment. “D-Don't you think that's a little bit… Much…?”
“Hm?” Susan looks over her shoulder. “Oh, no, of course not! See, I calculated that perfectly, all in seconds! If I'm correct-”
SLAM!!!
The machine crashes down between the two of them, leaving a small crater and making a really loud noise. Some birds fly away from the nearby trees.
Miraculously, the machine remains structurally sound. Still, the sudden crash startles L and Susan into motionlessness, the latter breaking out of it sooner. She clears her throat. “Y-Yes, as I pr-predicted! Are… Are you alright?”
L is too stunned to move, but one glance at them eases her worries: not a scratch. So Susan just reaches over and picks them up, their body remaining in the same rigid pose, like a cardboard cutout. She takes them with her down the path, now free of any flying metal rectangles of death.
By now, the ground had shifted over completely to whatever this new substance was. It was strange, like a mixture between gravel and sand and rock and dough. L had plenty of time to study it while recovering in Susan's arms, and yet it still made no sense, despite the analytical part of his brain having a field day.
The science mumbo jumbo running through them calms his nerves, and his body finally relaxes, to which Susan hoists them up higher for better carrying. They now sit on her shoulders, their legs dangling over and getting dirt on her mostly pristine robe. Not that she seems to mind.
She stops moving quite suddenly, almost flinging L over her head. After recovering, they look up ahead and notice a small alcove in the treeline off to the left, but they're unable to see what's inside. He taps Susan's head gently.
She returns this with a mischievous grin, before placing a finger against her lips. They nod in understanding. She steps forward so quietly that it takes a few moments for L to notice they'd started moving at all.
As they approach the indentation, the familiar sound of mechanical humming greets them. There's a cord that juts out from the tree line just before and enters the small space, which, when they arrive closer, is revealed to be connected to a generator.
It has three cords hooked up to it, with one connected to a vending machine a few feet away. There's a man staring at the machine, pondering his options. There are two benches, with the vending machine and generator sandwiched between them.
Susan steps stealthily behind the man and holds her hand out. The air grows cool. A thin layer of ice covers the surface of the machine. The man takes notice, tilting his head over to get a better look.
It doesn't take long for him to see their reflections as he startles, spinning around in a blind panic. His expression was that of horror for all of half a second before he saw who it was, and that horror transitioned first to bemusement, then annoyance.
Susan tilts her head back to laugh, knocking L off her shoulders. He quickly grabs on to her hood and climbs their way back up, the mayor clearly not being affected by his weight. The man—who seems way more jacked from the front, L notices—is less pleased than her. “Oh, you think that's funny? Is that what I'm hearing?”
Susan calms down from her laughing fit, enough to give a reply. “Yes, actually, it is! Come on, you'll find it funny one of these days.”
“(I doubt that),” he mutters. While the two banter, L takes the time to analyze the man. His hair's brown, though a bit more dirt-colored than Susan's. It extends through sideburns down into a beard that- “So, who's the kid?” He snaps back to reality, for a moment.
Susan taps L's leg. “He's a new kid. I found him being attacked by the tree; it was… It's a good thing I found him when I did.” The man grimaces.
“Ough, I definitely believe that…” The man rolls his eyes. “The nerve of 'im, attackin' the first new kid in years. Wasn't scarred too badly, I hope?” Years? Hm. Something to ask Susan about.
Susan raises an eyebrow. “No? Why would he be? Healing magic doesn't leave any scars.”
“Not…” The man seems somber. “Not what I meant, Suze.”
“Then wh- Oh.” Her expression softens. “…Right. We're, uhm… O-Or I'm not sure, yet. I was…” She glances up at L. They wave dismissively at her, not really caring what she talks about in relation to them. Relief paints her face, and she turns back to the man. “I was planning to ask him when we got back to town to see if therapy's required. The usual checkup stuff.”
The man nods. “Right, right, sounds good.” He glances over Susan's head. “Name's Dan, by the way. Dan Seph.”
Susan starts, “Steely Da-”
Dan steps forward. “NO. Not in front o' the newbie; you know better, Suze!” He gives Susan's shoulder a weak punch, and she gives one in return.
“L,” they sheepishly reply, while Susan stifles a laugh with her hand.
Dan sighs. “Nice to meet'cha, El.”
“Like the letter,” L corrects.
Dan whispers to Susan. “How did he know which one I was using?” She doesn't reply. L scoots back a little before climbing down Susan's back like a ladder.
“Ohp!” This startles her for a moment. “What are you up to, huh?”
“Nothing, just-” He hops off when he gets low enough, grunting and dusting his hands off dramatically. “-taking a stand, you know how it is.” Dan groans, but Susan's stifled laughs bubble higher into streams of giggling.
Dan holds his face in his palm. “Newbie, I'mma let you have that one. 'Cause I'm nice.”
Susan crosses her arms. “Lying? To the new kid? For shame, Daniel, for shame!”
Dan“iel” gives an underhanded point upward at her. “You hush, I can be nice! And Dan isn't short for anything!!! Stop confusing the newbie!”
L has to speak up to get her to hear him. “Are you two going to be talking for a while?”
The volume slowly dies down once more as she replies, still laughing a little. “N-nohoho-no, I don't believe so, child. Let us keep moving.” She takes a step, but Dan stops her, reaching a hand out.
“Hey, wait, actually, there is something you and I need to talk 'bout.”
“Hm?” Susan turns back to him. “Is this about your anger management classes?”
Dan replies, straight-faced, “Susan, I will throw you as hard as I can down the nearest cliff if you keep making things up.”
L steps around to her side, so she can see him easier. “Right, you two do that. I'll scout up ahead, okay?”
Susan looks down at them and purses her lip. “Hmm… Wellllll…” She seems… Remorseful? That's the best word L knows to describe her look; he's never seen something quite like it. But it's gone before he can process it further. “Just don't get too far from us, alright?”
L gives her a little salute. “Ma'am, yes, ma'am!” Her eyes light up.
“Awww!!” L raises both eyebrows in surprise when she reaches over and pats their head.
“Uhm-” For lack of any better ways to respond, he just lets her.
“You are just precious, aren't you?” Their cheeks flush, and they glance to the side. “Alright, alright, you can go. Just had to get that out of my system.” He nods, doing a one-eighty and advancing down the path.
The ensuing conversation between Dan and Susan was already obscured by his shoes crunching against the dirt, and the distance only serves to muffle it further. They spot a cliff up ahead. Perfect place to stop and get a lay of the land, they reason.
Next to the cliff is a strange sight. A stereotypically star-shaped object hovers there, colored yellow and shining bright. Despite the glow, it's strangely easy to look at. They feel at ease as they take slow, measured steps, ready to leap back should anything happen. But as they get right next to it… Nothing. It just spins gently.
He reaches a cautious hand out, noting its lack of overwhelming heat yet its still-pleasant warmth. His hands grasp around its center. Smooth and spherical, not at all like he was expecting. The rays of light are blocked by their hand, almost like a hologram.
* The breeze soothes your soul.
* You're filled with the Power of Determination. HP fully restored.
L opens their mouth to speak, but a menu appearing catches their attention.
A few moments pass, of L simply staring, re-reading the words over and over, trying to make sense of them. The menu seemed... Interactable. And so, they reach a finger out, their SOUL following behind as they tap on "Save".
The menu disappears as they retract their hand. …Weird. Guess I'll have to ask Susan about that later. If this world's like a game, with stats, menus, combat, then… Can I…? L closes his eyes, clenching his muscles.
But try as they might, they don't seem capable of “loading” on-the-spot. He feels a little excitement bubble up, despite this. Ohmygod I have a save file! I really hope this works how I think it does!!
They step over to the edge of the cliff, still a little giddy. Some rocks break loose, tumbling down the long drop. The “cliff”, on closer inspection, is actually more of a really steep hill, so falling down it wouldn't be too dangerous. At the bottom is a small clearing that leads into more forest.
Nothing else of note there, but far in the distance is one really tall windmill. They can see the tops of buildings as well, lower down, but they're too short to be identifiable. That's… Definitely going to be a long walk. They sigh. At least I have a landmark to look for. He heel-turns, ready to head back to Susan.
What greets him instead is a tall bat-looking creature, right in his face! It lets out a piercing screech that disorients them completely and startles them into backpedaling. Their foot slips on the edge of the hill, and he falls back, the breeze picking up substantially!
They roll down the slope uncontrollably, hitting loose rocks and roots, frantically trying to slow themself down. They finally manage some progress, steadying their position to now be lying on their back. The bat's wings flap loudly as it descends on his right.
It takes one wing and throws it to the side dramatically, as a piece of the hill right below them juts out in tandem. He slams into the newly-created platform, stumbling forward into a stand before nearly tumbling back over. “WOAHWOAHWOAH-” Said momentum nearly carries him over the newly-created edge, but he manages to flap his arms just enough to step back.
After getting his footing, he pats himself: Back? Fine, sort of. Legs? Fine… A sigh of relief escapes his lips. The bat screeches once more, startling them and squaring their attention firmly on it. He can feel the wind brushing past, his clothes fluttering in the breeze, and his hair trying to do the same, though it's too short to become a problem.
The platform they're on glides down the cliff like an elevator, though the ground doesn't seem to be getting any closer. A red glint catches their eye. Their SOUL hovers in front of their chest, and the orange buttons return. “Oh, okay then…” They step back a little.
“Uhm- Susan?!” He calls for help.
…
He nervously looks back at the bat, and steps forward. “Deep breaths, c'mon, I can do this.” He takes a breath in, as he reassures himself. Then a long exhale follows. The voice in his head returns.
* Sonate heard you coming.
…Of course they did; look at those ears! L selects ACT.
ACT - Check
* Sonate- 7 ATK 4 DEF 3 LV - Can hear you from a mile away. Hhush hhush.
L uses this time to do some Checking himself, inspecting the enemy's appearance. Sonate's a bat-like creature, obviously, with brown fur and big, puffy ears that are folded behind itself. Its wingspan is massive, looking more like pterodactyl wings than those of anything else. Its legs are small, seeming like they'd never be able to hold up the creature's form, and its eyes are closed.
L's buttons disappear from their hand, as Sonate takes its turn. The sound of charging emanates loudly! L holds his arms up in an X, bracing for impact. One of Sonate's wings begins to glow a bright white, first starting as an outline, before being engulfed completely. The wing is swung in L's direction! It doesn't even come close, on its own, but it leaves a white-hot beam of energy that, after being completed, travels forward. Thinking fast, L hops to the side, stumbling and slamming into the rock wall. It feels like sandpaper on a treadmill, but they pull away before it can hurt.
They stand as close to the wall as they can without getting shredded, which happens to be just far enough away for the slash to travel past, leaving L unscathed. They step away from the wall, breathing an exasperated sigh of relief.
Heh, that was… Not too bad, actually! Doin' good, I just need to- Something slams into his back, sending them tumbling forward onto their stomach. He groans, meekly looking over his shoulder to see that the slash had bounced off another summoned wall, hit him, then went back and has started to rebound once more. He simply stays on the ground, letting it pass overhead. Always pay attention, right…
The slash fizzles out before reaching Sonate, as L's turn begins anew. He stands up.
* Sonate wonders what you are.
Owww… L grabs his back, rubbing it gently to ease the pain. Maybe it would know if it opened its eyes, for once. …Also, how do you know what it's thinking?
He brings his left hand up to scratch off a piece of dirt on his chin, but reels it back when noticing something hovering above his palm. It doesn't take long to realize it's just the HP bar from earlier. It's currently at seventeen out of twenty. Ah, well, that's handy. He lowers his left hand, holding up his right and deciding to ACT.
ACT - Halt
They freeze in place, as best they can.
…
Sonate looks around.
…
* Sonate lost track of you! Accuracy down. Lasts three turns.
The voice makes L jump. Oh, well, that's good. Doesn't seem like it'll help me show mercy, but… At least they'll miss. Sonate flaps its wings a little harder as it prepares for an attack!
Two red exclamation marks appear out of thin air, on the opposite end of the platform from the one touching the wall. It makes a strange alert sound before the marks disappear, and two stalagmites burst from the ground right where they were, just a little offset due to the lower accuracy.
L steps back, feeling a shudder creep up his spine, and a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. Half a second passes, and the spikes lower back down before the process repeats, slightly closer. And again and again, until they reach him, to which he just steps forward. The time between the old stalagmites lowering and the new stalagmites rising left plenty of time to dodge.
These attacks are, uh- L averts his gaze from the last pointy objects until they, too, disappear. -not that bad, actually. Scary, definitely, but… The only hit I've taken was from being caught off guard. I hope it stays this easy. That was the entire attack, allowing L's turn to begin anew.
ACT - Whisper
L steps closer. “Hey, hey big guy, I'm not looking for a fight, okay? Think we can just call this here?”
* Sonate considers the offer…
A loud rumbling sound is emitted, and Sonate has a pained expression.
* …But then its stomach growls, and it snaps out of it.
It's hungry; that makes sense… But I only have water on me. Uh, maybe it'll accept that? But before L can get the chance to offer anything, Sonate's turn begins. It's the same attack as before, except it starts on both sides and closes into the center.
L freezes up, his brain failing to process this, for a moment. Once he comes to his senses, he steps across the threshold where the left set of spikes lower, then does the same with the right, when they approach. His turn begins anew.
ACT - Whisper
“Sonate,” the bat raises an eyebrow suddenly, causing L to stammer. “S-Susan told me your name! Now, uhm…” He reaches into his pocket, taking out the Bottled Water, and twirling it like a baton. …He nearly drops it, and decides to just present it while it's still in his hands.
“I have something for you! Do you, uh, want… Water?”
…
* Sonate glares at you through closed eyes.
…
…L slowly stuffs the bottle back in their pocket. “(Worth a try…)” He clears his throat as Sonate's turn begins. Their massive ears uncurl from behind their back, now folded up like a pair of speakers.
A red exclamation mark appears right on top of L! They leap right, holding their left leg up high enough to meet their elbow, creating a shield of limbs. The moment his right foot connects with the ground, it echoes. Loudly. The physical manifestation of a soundwave appears where he stepped, travelling forward and to the right, bouncing off the wall. It travels forward-left, reaching the edge of the platform, and… Bounces again, off a seemingly invisible wall.
It ricochets once more, finally getting close to L, who steps back to avoid it. This causes two more loud echoes, before an appropriate number of soundwaves emerge, travelling forward-left and forward-right, respectively, bouncing around just like the first. They travel frictionlessly across the ground, short and small enough to be hopped over. L doesn't attempt this, wanting to minimize movement as much as possible after what they've learned.
L steps left to avoid a soundwave, creating one more, and trying to balance on one foot to not make two extra attacks. Thankfully, the turn ends before things can get more hectic.
* Smells like rock and dust.
That it does. They finally let their foot down, the threat of more attacks having been lifted. With how long the rock elevator's been sliding, a sizable cloud of dust has kicked up in their wake, threatening to consume the battlefield whole. Thankfully, they're moving too fast for that, but the thought lingers regardless.
ACT - Whisper
L coos, as they step forward. “Heyyyy, Sonate, you're hungry, right?” Sonate growls, in response, but L presses on. “I know Susan. She's the mayor, and I'm sure if we just spoke to her, we could, maybe… Get you some food? Something delicious, like, uhhhhm…”
* Mice.
“…Mice?” It's hard to read Sonate's expression, but from the subtle movements of where their eyebrows would be, L can assume they're considering the offer.
* …
* Sonate lets out a gurgle of appreciation.
Is that what that noise means? Despite the questionable sounds, they look pleased. L's turn begins again, Sonate having skipped theirs. He holds up his hand, rotating around to MERCY, and selecting it.
MERCY - Spare
* You Won! You earned 0 EXP and 14 GOLD.
Neat. Hey, how'd you know saying mice would work? Educated guess?
…
No response.
Figures. Is this how Susan saw me, when I was silent earlier? Sonate squawks(?) to get L's attention, which they succeed in doing. They land on the platform he's on, grinning dopily and overall seeming less imposing than before. “Oh, hey. …There .......You were just attacking me, so this is, uhm…” L trails off for a moment. “Kiiiiiinda awkward…” He fidgets with his hands, glancing to the side.
“No, uhm… hard feelings? I think??” L gets on his tiptoes and pats the top of Sonates' head. They lean into his touch, making a weird sound that's like a mix of a cat purring and a bird warbling. “…Cool. Yeah.” L retracts his hand, not sure what else to say.
They start to get nervous, but thankfully, looking down the slope reveals that the ground is finally getting closer. “So how did you do that, anyway? Making us stay in one spot like that?” Sonate gurgles. “…Right, I forgot. I'll ask Susan about it later. If… I remember.”
L taps their chin, thoughtfully, attempting to cement the question in their mind. They can already feel it slipping, so they shake their head. “Wonder what they're talking about.”
He glances up the slope, back at where they started. “Probably something really important… Like taxes.” They scowl, playfully, before laughing to themself. “If those even exist here.” They glance back up the hill. “Actually, you think you can—” The ride comes to a sudden halt, and L's flung from the platform. “—aaaAAAAAAAAA!” His screams last for a concernedly long time, before he slams face-first into the hard ground.
They can feel their entire body sting, their face especially. Everything hurts, but they manage to give Sonate a weak thumbs-up when said bat flies down next to them.
His dirt nap is interrupted by a loud crashing sound a foot or two away that startles him onto his feet in less than a second. He wipes the dirt from his face, looking around for the source of the tremor. He finds, rather swiftly, Susan, on one knee with her fist crashed into the ground. A snowflake design spreads out from the site of impact. The ground around the design seems cracked, and broken.
She stands up even faster than L did, rushing at him and scooping them up in her arms. They go rigid again, a little overwhelmed as Susan talks a mile a minute about how she shouldn't have let them out of her sight and how dangerous the forest can be, and by the time she talks about how physically okay he is, he's zoned out.
A soothing aura refocuses him as a strange tingling sensation spreads across his back. It tickles for a moment before going back to a gentle warmth. The aching in his back from Sonates' attack lessens as they now relax in Susan's arms.
It dawns on them just how tired they are. Or was that a side effect of the- L was gonna go out on a limb and say -“healing magic” that she was using? They had no idea, and it didn't matter, as the feeling began to fade. The first thing he says is, “I'm fine,” having anticipated some of her questions.
“Are you sure?” Her eyes are wide with concern as she shifts their position in her arms to allow for even more comfort. L gives a sleepy nod, but they perk right back up when they remember Sonate.
“Oh, uh-” They scramble in her arms to climb up to her shoulders, pointing over at the bat creature. “Hey, you think we can get them some food?” She glances over her shoulder, then turns around to face the bat. Susan freezes, recognition prevalent in her features.
“…My child…” The air grows a little cooler. “Did they hurt you?”
“Uh-” L stammers, internally screaming. “N- uhm- nnnwellll uh…” They take the time to formulate the correct sentence. “Don'tfightthembecausewetalkeditout?” Susan steps forward.
“Okay. I won't FIGHT them.” Sonate hops back a little, like a bird.
“Oddly… Specific-” L clambers down her front, landing on the ground and gracefully messing up a tactical roll. He puts his arms out to the side to stop her. “Looklooklook, we talked it out! I, uh, spared them; it's okay!” Dropping the overtly serious look on her face, Susan pauses. She sighs.
“I see. L, I know I said that fighting was unnecessary in this world, and, while that is still true, are you certain we should let this one be… Free of consequence?”
They don't hesitate, giving an enthusiastic nod. “I forgive them! They're just… Hungry.”
“…Right. I'll trust your judgment. It's food they want?” Another nod. “Of course. Come along; we will go fetch some when we make it back to town. As for you…” She turns her gaze toward Sonate.
“We'll bring the food back to this spot. If I hear from anyone that you were involved in another attack, I will find you. Understood?” Susan mistakes Sonates' shivering for affirmation. She turns back around in the direction of the windmill L saw earlier. “This way.”
It was a bit of an overgrowth they had to trek through, given the lack of travel this path had seen. It was no challenge for L, of course, being behind made things simple. Susan somehow had it even easier, having conjured a few buzzsaws to clear the way as she walked.
The dirt-caked floor slowly gave way to a small concrete road the farther they walked. The dark atmosphere of the forest almost seems to seep off of the environment like water with each step they take. The path widens steadily, until there's ample space on all sides. L can see the towns' gates up ahead.
A soft, androgynous voice speaks up, off to their right. “O-Oh, hey Susan! Back already?” It's a cactus… Creature… Thing… With a satchel wrapped around one of its arms, and a full mailboxes'-worth of letters piled around it, some impaled on its thorns. It has a face that's the exact same as don'tthinkaboutit. Dread seeps into L's veins. He freezes, paralyzed by fear.
Susan gives a wave and a smile. “Heyyyy, Hoppen. How are the deliveries coming along?” How a cactus was able to sweat from being questioned, L wasn't sure, but this 'Hoppen' was doing just that. He files their name and face away in the H category, much slower than normal.
“Uhhhhhhhhh, it's… Goinggggreeeeeat!” They wince.
Susan lets out a tiny laugh. “Of course. Keep up the good work!” She starts walking away. L raises an eyebrow at Susan before finally mustering the courage to move and tugging on her robe like the reigns of a horse. They turn back to Hoppen.
Against my better judgement… “Do you…” Deep breaths. “Need some help with that?” Hoppen seems even more nervous.
“N-N-N-No! No, I've got this; don't worry, hahaha!” If L wasn't bound by anatomy, his face would certainly be three perfectly straight lines directed at the cactus. Hoppen shrinks back a little.
A moment passes with L's unamused and somehow-at-the-same-time piercing stare. The mail-cactus sweats a little more, glancing to the side, then back to L, never able to hold eye contact for long. They finally cave with a quiet, “p… please…?” L smiles, hopping off of Susan's shoulders and attempting, with slightly more success, to do a tactical roll. Still fudged the ending.
Susan has a cocky grin. “You know, when you signed up for this job, you had so much bravado! Whatever happened to that, hm?” L gives her a non-threatening glare, to which she rolls her eyes with a smile.
L turns back to the cactus. “Which letters do you want me to deliver?”
“just… the three on my head please.”
L nods and reaches up. They have to stand on their tip-toes to reach even the bottom letter, but they finally do, pulling it—and, by extension, the two above it—down. “Leave it to me!” They stand at attention, offering Hoppen a salute. “I'll have these envelopes delivered by, uh… Whenever I get around to it!” They seem slightly more at ease than before. Or is it just that they've run out of water to sweat…? L couldn't tell.
He reaches his hand out to pat them, feeling himself tense again as the thorns sit mere centimeters away. They do their best to ignore it, just reaching for a spot without any and giving a gentle pat, ripping their hand back as quickly as they extended it. “Thanks for trusting me with this.” He holds the letters up, then lets them fade away into his inventory.
“N-No, uh, problem! Heh… Heh…” Hoppen still seems embarrassed, but without any further teasing from Susan, L wagers they'll be okay. They give one last patient smile before hopping back over to the mayor, nearly falling over, and grabbing on to her robe to prevent that.
They pull themselves from that position and up her cloak again and again until they reach her shoulders, sitting there and letting her take them both forward. It only takes about five more seconds of walking before they reach the city gate.
Susan stops just outside of it. The door's slightly ajar, which she scowls at before sighing. “Ready?”
L goes to nod, until a glint off to the right catches their eye. It's… A star. Like earlier. He reaches out to grasp it without a second thought, just barely reaching it from their position atop Susan. She seems to have looked away, which L feels thankful for. He makes contact with the star.
* The scent of home permeates the air.
* It fills you with the Power of Determination. HP fully restored.
A sense of relief washes over him! He'd forgotten the lingering pain in his back until it was washed away by the sensation, like a warm bath soothing his tension.
They tap on “Save.”
L grins, feeling content as he lets go of the star. It slowly floats back to its normal spot, near the ground. They gently tap on Susan's shoulders like drums to get her attention, staring into the little glimpse of the town, anticipation rising. “I'm ready,” they say. She nods down at them, turning back to the entrance. Without another word spoken, or another look shared, the two enter into the bright doorway.
(Psst, link to that here!)
(And hey, link to my buymeacoffee here, if that's your thing!)
