The Dream Wanderer

And to those doomed to rebirth, the concept of pain. Rusting away on the spot, screaming as all do from womb; and here the spasmodic jerking, stretching out of limbs, count ‘em– two arms, two legs but all fully corrupted,] (yes, yessss!) [all tainted flesh. Baby’s first steps are unstable. The rust gasps lungfuls of air (as authentic as it gets in .flow) but its legs already collapse under its own weight. Crawl, then.]

i live again

[(what a lovely day to be borne once more), the rust thinks, and staggers to her knees, to its feet, then out into the open expanse of the Nexus.]

hello world!– –

[It stops short–in confusion, or perhaps fear?

[There’s someone here in the Nexus with Rust. Someone] (host ??) [who looks astoundingly exact to the one freshly killed. This cannot be, and yet it is.

[The rust only carries the surprised expression for only a few panicked heartbeats before a beaming smile slowly spreads in its stead. It’ll be more fun this way, after all.]

you are here in flesh, [it remarks, drawing a little nearer,] and here i am in yours!

[Its eyes roam over the dreamer’s person, eager glee slowly rising, rising, rii-iising. What was it they mocked this girl with? Ah, right–]

You've been rushed before, but not so... Not in such a hostile way? This thing wants you dead, or worse. You feel the coldness of your trusty pipe materializing, your only defense in this position. Throwing swings towards it’s head, you try to stave it off.

“Back off, damn it! Get away! How did you get in here, disgusting creature?!? And, how do you know my name?”

The Wanderer jerked her now-stained shoes back; the Invisible effect fluttered to its first form. Now a faint, black gossamer-esque outline of Urotsuki (and eyes!) became visible. Shoot. Darn traitor-toes! It was time… For plan B..!

【Equip: Telephone Effect】  

Her head rang twice before Urotsuki’s hand picked up their transmitter and offered it to Sabitsuki. 

...What is this? Some strange entity no doubt here to be a nuisance? They seems to be a shapeshifter of sorts. What is a Pheletone? Is that what they are?

You reach out and grasp the strange object, placing the sound end to your ear. Truly not what you expected from today. Better than exploring the more dangerous areas though. You tap the ground impatiently with your pipe, staining the ground blood-red.

“Hello? Who are you? And how did you manage to get into here? Are you ill as well?”

「 sabi ? 」

even in the midst of a malevolent machine tamed and trussed by her so many years ago, her voice is a tremulous wheeze, high and scared and anxious in the humidity, near-silent against grinding wheels and crazed laughter. small hands fumble at brass latches and the helmet comes off, a comforting weight in webbed grip, window still reflecting a tinted, warped, image of the arrival’s visage. ice - blue optics, marked red over and under by the press of her goggles, widen in surprise as the cogs of an artificial mind turn and click, and soon she is smiling, helmet discarded and sleeved arms spread wide. 

` sabi ! `

pointed teeth are bared in a wide, chipped, smile; for she is ECSTATIC; for her lover has returned ( or, at least, a doppelgänger of the girl she once adored ); for the BEAUTY is no longer to be without her BEAST, and she will no longer be ALONE. delighted laughter, bubbly and sharp in the oppressive heat of her laboratory, skates from betwixt grey lips and she bounds forth, RUSTING screwdriver still clutched in one gloved hand. the exposed skin of her dearest, though pale, is warm against her fingertips; almost like her own after a day’s work—- indicating health, indicating LIFE. 

“Yeah, it’s been so long! I’m so happy to see you, how have you been? Have you been stayin’ outta trouble? I just, eh... Wanted to pay you a visit! Is all.”

You started the whole ordeal, maybe she doesn't remember? A blow to the head would surely be enough to knock the memories away, so it’s possible that she doesn’t. You look around. 

This place has most certainly changed though... Is it still your Flow? Whatever, You hold your arms out. inviting Oreko in for a hug.

“Phew! Alright, that should do it for this area,” said the Wanderer to no one in particular. She dusted her shoulders off one by one, then mentally procured a list of the Effects. 【Equip: Eyeball Bomb Effect】   ’S funny how this thing counts down exactly like when I fall sleep, she thought just before her head exploded. But this place of return wasn’t her Nexus, not the familiar huge spanse of various teleportation-objects. This was another Dreamer’s territory, something Urotsuki would considered sacred ground if another were to trespass upon his own. But before Urotsuki could get a proper look – “Uh –Whoa!” Urotsuki feebly chirped in surprise. Their heavy bomb-head jerked backward, the sudden shift in weight causing her to stumble a step back. The other Dreamer was coming out of their home-door, the one that connects to their dream room! Urotsuki prepared to light her headfuse again, but hesitated. But – What if they’re OK people? …What if the other Dreamer wasn’t the type to take kindly to visitors? What if they had something far more dangerous than a Chainsaw effect? What if she could even find a new trick to exploration? Even as unlikely that’d seem, to someone who thinks themselves already a master at it.

A slight flick of the wrist as your trusty walking stick weapon materializes in your hand, it’ll be a long session but you want to get some work done in here. But first, magical shoes? Or maybe, it’s a new effect? Who knows. You amble over and venture a few pokes with your pipe... Which only succeeds in  smudging the misplaced footwear with some unneeded blood.

“Oh, shit... Whoops, hey! Who left these here? Who’s trespassing in my .Flow?”