Current Events > Experimental CYOA: You might be trapped in a simulation

(+) Yeah! (+)

Up
---

down
---

Is Lex Luthor black?
---

Nob: Ask if she knows anything about Dani's secret. Ask how she got such good equipment
---

Bumping
---

>Nobert: Ask about Lex Luthor

You clear your throat. "Soooo, uh, is Lex Luthor black?"

Val blinks a few times. "Wh--"

"Y'know, from the Superman comics? The bald guy? Or was he not bald in some issues? Back me up here, Dani."

She looks away. "Back you up on what? This is an absurd question."

You sigh. "You are officially uninvited to my damnation."

Val laughs awkwardly and bats her eyelids at you again.. "Oh hon, I don't think it really matters how this Rex Buford person looks like--"

You shush her. "Hold. The fuck-phone. Did you just disrespect Lex Luthor? Muthafuckin' Lex Luthor? You walk in here looking like female Thor crossed with Deathstroke and you dare to butcher Lex fucking Luthor?!" You lean closer and stare her down. "Look lady, I don't give a three-legged flying fuck about your level, your equipment, or your libido, but if I don't get an answer here soon, you get to burn in hell alone."

She starts sweating. "I only said I know this game--"

You lean in even closer. "IS LEX LUTHOR BLACK. ANSWER THE QUESTION."

She stumbles back unto her butt. Tears start welling up in the corner of her eyes. "I...I don't know anything!" she cries out with a way higher-pitched voice than her previous deep flirty voice. "*sob* I'm just on a power trip and thought I could seduce anyone!"

Dani runs up to comfort her, then glares at you with the intensity of a bucket. "I am both impressed and appalled at you. Mostly the latter." She tries to pat Val on the back, but instead pats her head like a dog. "Also ma'am, the answer is no, he is not black."

Val sniffles a bit more. "He...he isn't?"

She gives her a disgustingly gentle smile, not that it could be seen. "It doesn't actually matter. Because we have other, more productive questions to ask you." She glares at you again. "Isn't that right, Nobert?"

>Ask if she knows anything about Dani's secret.

You look away while scratching your neck. "Uh, yeah! Totally. Let's see...what's, uh, what's the point of winning this game?"

Dani looks at you like you just stepped on her metaphorical puppy.

She claps her hands together. "Oh! I know this one! You get any wish granted! Like a genie!"

You raise an eyebrow, then glare at Dani. "...That's it? Seriously? THAT's your fucking secret Dani? A goddamn wish? Shit dude, how could my desire for physically bottomless breadsticks at Olive Garden be anything other than harmless? Why the fuck would you deny me of that, Dani?!"

She digs her hands into her own face. "I. Am done. I've been playing this game in fear of breaking the rules set for me, and this assfaced bimbo crashes down here with the forbidden knowledge of the Seers and just blindly tells somebody about it. What the fuck." She starts shaking Val by her shoulders. "Where did you even hear that from?!"

Val shakes her head to reorient herself. "I...uh, oh! I heard it from my former party member! But then she immediately died right after telling me. So sad to see her go."

Dani flails her arms up. "GOD--" she slams her buckethead against the gravel "--DAMNIT." She gets up and walks past you. "I. Am going to calm myself. This idiot is all yours, Nobert."

(gonna post the rest of the update later tonight. unless you guys want to shoot another input from here, then go ahead)
---

>Ask about Val's equipment

You shrug. "Welp, it's just you and me, Belle. Except my respect for you is way down here now."

She tilts her head in confusion. "Belle?--"

You crouch down to meet her eye-to-eye. "Better think fast, princess. I got a third question for you. Where--"

Her eyes start sparkling. "Did you just call me a princess?! Do you mean it?! Oh oh! Is that why I'm Belle now? Like from Disney--"

"Overruled," you say while shoving your palm on her mouth. "I'm gonna have to cut you off right there before Walt Disney himself smites us for copyright or something. Wait, am I even allowed to mention his name? Is this like Voldemort? Oh shit, is that one a gray area too?"

She giggles. "You talk a lot."

You jab her nose with your finger. "Uh. No. YOU talk a lot, Sal--"

She claps her hands together. "Oh, Sal! Like salmon? I love seafood! But does this mean I'm no longer a princess? Oh wait, maybe this means I'm a mermaid like Ariel now?!"

You stand up and rub your head. "Oh my god, where the hell is your off switch? Ugh, look, can I just ask my question already?"

She leans forward. "Of course! I'm all ears! ...Like Dumbo!"

"Can we stop with the--" you take a breather, "look, I just wanna ask where you got your equipment."

Her sword pixelizes from the ground and back into her hand. "Oh, all this? My friend gave them to me. But then she died. So sad to see her go."

"Wait, like, the same friend that told you about the wish thing?"

"No silly, my other friend! I have many friends! Like Snow White!"

You pause for a bit. "...but they're all dead?"

She pixelizes the blade away. "Haha, nah! Just those two. But wait, I guess they were my only friends? At least in this game? So..." her face suddenly gets overcome with despair. "Oh my gosh. My friends are gone."
Suddenly, she bursts into tears.

Oh hell, this is NOT your scene. And Dani's not here to do the hard work for you. What do you do/say?
---

Make more Disney references in a halfhearted attempt to cheer her up.
---

uppin
---

>Nobert: Make more Disney references in a halfhearted attempt to cheer her up

Your eyes dart left and right trying to think of something, until you finally blurt out "Obama."

She stops sobbing, but mostly out of confusion. "O...what?"

Why the fuck did you say Obama. "Y'know, uh, from Lilo and Stitch! Obama means family. And family means you gotta die at some point. Like, uh, the Cars franchise."

She pauses for a while. "...What?"

You crouch and grab her shoulders. "Look, point is, Wall-E didn't need friends and neither do you."

"B-but, Wall-E had that little roach pal! And Eve--"

You shake her a little. "Oh hell no. He didn't need Eve. He was about to single-handedly create an entire goddamn city out of a pile of shit. You don't need friends."

Her mouth slants a bit. "So, does this mean I DON'T get a roach pal?"

You let out a long exhale, then grab a pebble and shove it into her hand. "Alright, fine, here. Your new pal. His name's, uh...Dwayne. And thus you and Dwayne lived happily ever after. Go suck three dicks and do something productive with your life already."

Her eyes sparkle as she beholds her new friend in her hands. "I would die for you, Dwayne." She then looks up at your and embraces you. "You're the best, Nopants! You should, like, totally join my guild!"

You slowly shove her back. "First of all, too close there, pal."

Her eyes sparkle even more. "Pal?! Does that mean we're friends too?!--"

"Second of all, I'm not sure if I can be in a guild whose leader is, uh...how'd you manage to lead a bunch of people again?"

She grins. "That's easy! I'm the only one in the guild! It's the easiest job ever!"

You die inside a little. "...What. The fuck. How?"

"Well, my friends used to run it, but then they died. So by default, I'm now in charge--wait...my friends are gone and I'm taking all their things." She starts sobbing again. "I'm a terrible friend!!"

You shake her shoulders again. "No no, not this shit again. Look, I've had shitty friends and you're nothing like them. Granted, none of them died and neither have I so I don't actually know how a bad friend is post-mortem, BUUUUUT you're probably fine."

She rubs her eyes. "Y-you mean it?"

You stand up. "Fuck no. But I'm sure Dwayne does! Isn't that right Dwayne?"

Dwayne says nothing.

"Y'see? Dwayne's silence means he's in AWE of how great you are. Now, seriously, can you get the fuck up already? I have a whiny girl to find. Actually I guess I have two whiny girls to find."

Suddenly, Dani appears behind you. "Alright, I have successfully calmed down. What did I miss?"

"I now have one whiny girl to find."

Val gets up and dusts herself off. "Oh yeah! You're looking for a pirate ship or something, right? I can help with that! I'm good at finding things! Like...like, um, Bolt?"

You cross your arms. "Yeah? With that fucked up airship of yours? And Jesus, does anyone even still remember Bolt?"

She twirls around and walks up to her ship. "Oh, I can fix this up in a jiffy! Like they did in Cind--"

"Alright, I get the point just bippity boppity do your shit already!" you interject.

She focuses on the ship, just like you would when you're activating a prompt. In the next instant, the ship just pops back into pristine condition.
---

Your jaw drops. "What the hell did you just do."

She grins. "I fixed it! I mean, yeah it costs like a million Icas but that's nothing! Are you newbies impressed?!"

Dani death-grips your shoulder. "Please tell me you have made her your ally."

You slap her hand away. "Nah, but I'm friends with her friend Dwayne so that's good enough--"

Val grabs your hands and starts leading you towards the ship. "C'mon, let's go find your friend! Adventure!"

You instinctually grab Dani, creating a conga line to the ship.

The layout looks nearly identical to Krugg's ship. Truly the pinnacle of lazy game design.
Val runs up to the wheel of the ship and spreads her Dragon wings out. "Alright! So, where to, friends?"

Dani points towards a peculiar direction. "Our friend should be that way."

Val gives a thumbs up, and the ship starts taking off.

You walk up to Dani. "Hey, wait, isn't that where we came from? How'd you even know where they crashed?"

"Nobert. Hear me out here. We have free access to the other airship, and she could easily fix it up too so we could fulfill the airship requirement for invading the final dungeon. And she's heavily decked out." Dani's breathing starts getting heavier. "Victory is literally right within our grasp, Nobert! It's just. Right. There!"

Your brow tenses up. "Wait, you're seriously just gonna abandon Evi?"

"Evi can handle herself just fine! I'm sure she'll be able to meet up with us again!" She grabs you by your shirt. "We can finally win and since Evi's part of our group, she wins too if we do! Don't you get it Nobert?!"

You're not sure how to react to this.
What do you do/say?
---

Hell no we're not abandoning Evi. It's the principle of the thing.
---

updog
---

been busy with life dudes but rest assured, i will def get an update in sometime
---

Up
---

>Nobert: Don't abandon Evi

You swat Dani's hands off your shirt. "Dude, no! What the shit?! Weren't you all 'ooh I'm Dani I love playing with my fucking friends' and then you go and pull this crap? What if it was me you were abandoning?"

She rolls her eyes at you, but all you register from her bucket is silence.

"Okay forget the bit about me, I know I'm not the most likable, and--on second thought, all three of us are unlikeable, BUT still! I refuse to abandon Evi! Our fucking friend!"

Dani looks into the distance, takes a deep breath, then looks at you with balled up fists and a calm face. "Then...I'll see you at the finish line...sarcastic stranger."

With that, a burst of wind erupts from Dani, knocking you off of the ship.

As you're plummetting to the ground, you can distantly hear Val above yelling "Whoa, Nopants! Are you--"

"Don't worry about him," says Dani with no remorse. "He's stupid like that sometimes. But he'll catch up to us--"

In the next moment, all you see is gravel all over your face, as well as the bitter red flash on the corner of your HUD that normally would have just looked like a number to you. But this time, it truly stings.

HP [ 20% ]

You slowly get back up, dusting off the debris off of you.

They're far gone now. She's far gone now. Now this, you have no choice but to roll with it.
You certainly would have loved to flip her off as you fell.
In fact, you certainly have a way to do that right now.

You materialize your good old [ Laptop ].

satellyte is offline.

That won't stop you.

nopants: You absolute asshat.
nopants: I honestly have no words for you.
nopants: Which is just fine, because I can be using this time to save my friend. Dick.

You then slam the laptop shut. That'll show her!
...You open up the laptop again.

satellyte is offline.
nopants: Friends.*
nopants: Also I don't mean that I'm saving a friend named Dick, I meant I'm saving Evi.
nopants: I mean, I'll be saving her the moment I'm done telling you off.
nopants: Look, point is, you fucking suck. But I did tell you about me, which makes you my friend.
nopants: So if you ever get a chance to see this, I promise you that I will personally deck you in the boob.
nopants: And then we'll have a nice talk about feelings.
nopants: All three of us.

You then close the laptop and pixelize it back to your inventory.
Feeling less steamed, you start marching towards the opposite direction of where they were flying.

...

>Evi: Awaken

You are most certainly not awakening.

>Narrator: Narrate what's going on with Evi

That doesn't seem like a legal literary move.

>Your face is not legal.

Okay, fine, if it'll make you more polite about it.

Peon emerges from Evi's hood, then flies to her unconscious face. "Awaken, mortal! You have much to do!"

No response.

He tries divebombing into her face. That usually annoys her.

Still nothing.

However, he notices something strange about her; there is a black aura eminating all around her, with an especially thick black smoke fuming out of the x-shaped wound on her fingertip. Looking around, with nothing but gravel and purple fog ahead, he finally realizes where he is.

"I can feel my powers coarsing here..." He flutters around energetically. "Am I perhaps, home?!"

The smoke gets even thicker.
---

Peon flies over to her finger. "Pathetic, mortal! You should be able to handle this much miasma if you wish to continue escorting me!"

The black aura and smoke start gathering towards him, until eventually he just looks like a black sphere of mist.
The sphere slowly collapses and starts taking form into something more human-like.
Like a caterpillar hatching into a butterfly, this butterfly hatches into...some kind of...dark...fairy?
The mist around him clears, until he finally shows up looking like a much smaller version of Evi, but with butterfly wings.

He wiggles the fingers of his newly formed hands. "Yes...I can feel the power! Soon, I will be able to take back what's rightfully mine!--"

>Evi: Awaken.

You swats Peon away as you bring your hands to your eyes to rub them. You then slowly sit up and stretch your arms out. "Oof...that landin' coulda been smoother. I'm so glad I don't gotta worry about broken bones 'ere."

A minature version of you suddenly starts flying erratically in your face, pouting exactly like you usually do. "Mortal! Hurry and recollect yourself! We are at the verge of reaching my goal here, and thus we have much to do!--"

You grab her instinctually. "Whoa, Peon, issat you?! I didn't know you we're a girl!"

Peon wails on your hands, trying to break free of your grasp. "Unhand me, Mortal! And I am not a girl! Gods have no use for trivial concepts like that!"

You unleash him...her? You unleash them back into the wild. "Golly, you sure look adorable like that, Peon! I mean, you looked adorable as a butterfly, but this is a different kind of adorable, ya feel me?"

Peon flies up to your face and slaps your nose, which really just feels like a poke to you. "Gods also have no use for aesthetics! Now let us depart!--"

Evi gets up on her feet and looks around. "Golly, there sure ain't a lot to see out here, huh? Oh! Where's Krugg?!"

"If you are seeking your large companion, he flew away a long time ago to 'get help'. Pathetic that he must resort to the intervention of outsiders when I am present! "

You look up to the 'sky'. "So, hold up, you mean he still hasn't come back?"

"You would certainly be seeing him here otherwise, would you not?" they say with crossed arms. "I would not advise waiting a minute longer. Danger might be lurking."
Peon flies over to your head and sits. "More importantly, we are very close to where I need to be! If you escort me further, I can help you escape trivially! Or even find your friend! Consider it a favor under my Godhood!"

That does sound interesting to you and might be better than being a sitting duck in the middle of nowhere, but you do wonder if Krugg might come back anytime soon.

What do you do?
---

Evi: escort Peon. Leave trails along the way if possible.
---

(Warning: Gets a little dark up ahead. Read with caution.)
>Evi: Escort Peon, leaving trails along the way.

You take a firm step on the ground, confirming that it does leave a noticeable footprint. With this, Krugg should be able to find you if he does come back.

You start marching forward. "I ain't much of a waitin'-around kinda gal! Let's get to adventurin'!"

Peon bops your head. "This is no mere adventure, mortal! This is a sacred--"

You poke them. "Nitpicky as always! Can ya just point to where we gotta be?"

They grumble. "I'll overlook that transgression for now! But only to focus on the task at hand! Now, head that way!" they say, pointing forward.

Where forward is, or what it even means around here, you're not sure. Regardless, you don't have much to go off of except for your faith in Peon.

As you traverse ahead, the purple fog gets darker and thicker. You hear the ominous low-pitched howl of the wind as it blows through you.

You hold yourself to keep yourself warm through the chilly breeze. "Golly, where are we, Peon? What am I even escortin' ya to?"

"You stand in the Fallen Kingdom, mortal! Currently, we head for my rightful throne!"

You look left and right. "Uh, hate t'break it t'ya, but I don't see a kingdom?"

Peon circles around your face, leaving behind a trail of black smoke. "You must accept the miasma, mortal! The Kingdom only shows itself to those who are Fallen." They poke your chest. "I can sense it within you, mortal. The heart of a Fallen. I would have accepted nothing less from my escort."

You breathe in the smoke they leave behind. Immediately, you start coughing; it feels like you just inhaled a bunch of cigarettes. "Kuh...whaddya do that for?!" you yell at Peon.

They say something back at you, but you can't make out what the words are. It's all muffled.
You look left and right again. You see humanoid silhouettes made of smoke. "Wh-what th'heck are these, Peon?" you shakily ask your companion, but looking back to where they were, all you see is black smoke. Your vision gets more and more obscured. The winds start sound more and more like whispers.

"Everything is okay," it says.

You look around to find where that came from, but all you see around you is black. You look at your hands, quivering like you're losing control of them.

"It's okay...because nobody likes you," you hear from the same voice.

You take a step back, confused and afraid. You feel sweat running down your cheek. You wipe it off your face, but your fingers show nothing.

"Just kidding, you're surrounded by love."

Your heart feels like it's being held in your hand, tightly squeezed as your fist is right now.

"That love isn't real. Nothing is. You don't deserve it."

Suddenly, you see a hand grab your wrist. You dart your head to the owner of the hand: another humanoid silhouette of smoke.

You try to let go, but you can't feel your arms right now.

Its head clears up a bit, revealing an exact copy of your face. Its mouth starts to move.

"Ya don't deserve anything," it says, with your own voice. "'Specially freedom from me."

It grabs your other wrist, pinning you against what feels like a rough, concrete wall that you can't see.

The face changes into that of a peculiar old woman. Tears well up from her face. Out comes a different voice.

"You're nothing but a burden on this household. A burden on your own mother."

You struggle with all your might to get her off of you, kicking and screaming, but your voice won't come out. The kicks won't reach her. It feels like she's so far away, yet she's right against you.
---

The silhouette dissipates. You fall on your back, as though the wall was never there.

The floor disappears. Was there even a floor here?
It feels like you've been falling forever.

In your hand, you're holding a violin. It's been so long. You wonder if you still remember it.
You only ever remember one song--Canon in D. A song you always wanted to play at a wedding.

The whispers pervade your ears as the gentle chords of Canon sing out from the strings.

"You were doing so well in high school...what's going on with you now? Don't end up like your father." says the same voice of the woman from earlier. "Or you might die just like him, with no real dreams."

The silhouette returns, embracing you from behind.
You don't dare to look back. All you see are misty hands caressing your arms. You continue to play without acknowledging it.

The whispers start sounding like crackles. The sharp, crisp sound of skin being slapped echoes around you.

"I need to borrow money from you again...not like your job at the pizza place gives you much anyway..." she says again.

You wanted to shout back at her, to call her hypocritical when she herself isn't even employed.
But your voice refuses to work.

"I need more..."

You try to cover your ears, but your arms are being held in place by the hands, forcing you to continue to play.
The sound of bottles breaking rings out.

"I pawned off your violin. I needed more money...Alcohol isn't cheap, you know. It's the least you could do to show gratitude for the roof on your head."

You look up and see murky water drippling from drywall. She hasn't fixed that roof in years. It's always been leaking.

The murky water starts turning red; its consistency slowly shifting from something watery to something thicker.

It splashes on your wrist.

You finally hit the floor. You've always been on the floor. It's where you belong.
Sitting up, you look at your wrist again, curiously gazing at the red stain on your skin. Were you holding something earlier? You can't remember.
You slowly get to your feet, trying to keep your balance. You lean against the sink. Water refuses to come out. You gaze in the mirror as you aimlessly wait for any single drop to emerge.

You see yourself reflected. But you don't see you. This isn't you. You don't know what you are.

"Nobody loves ya...but y'know exactly where t'find it," says your own voice once again, with the mouth of the reflection moving, but not your own.

Suddenly, in your other hand, you're holding a knife with a shaky, but firm grip.

"Nobody will ever embrace ya...except th'cold touch o'steel."

You slowly bring your hand over to your other hand, still holding the dagger firmly.

"The knives will give ya what ya want. They can never disappoint ya."

You turn your free hand so that your palm's facing up.

Behind the mirror, you can see the fuzzy screen of an old TV flashing out in a dark room. The fuzziness clears up, and you see a familiar woman in a wedding dress. You refuse to acknowledge that woman.
The volume of the TV grows louder, with the dissonant sound of Canon ringing in your ears.

"Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse?" says the TV in unison with an unknown voice...coming from the knife.

You close your eyes and try to shut out what you're hearing, but the violins of Canon grow sharper and louder.

"...in sickness in health...be faithful to her...for as long as you both shall live?"

The violins stop. You open your eyes. The mirror still shows the TV. Except, that woman is there in person now, clinging onto the TV as she sobs.
---

You hold the knife firmly, with no hesitation. For what felt like an eternity of silence, the words finally slip out of your own mouth:

"I do."

The knife morphs into the [ Cursed Dagger ], and you reel it down with the swiftness of a violin's staccato.

Everything goes black. You don't remember the rest.

The silhouette appears before you again, clearer than ever before. It takes your exact form, smiling like you do.

You hold your wrist, which aches as you glare into the doppelganger's eyes. "Ya follow me around, even in this game. I nearly forgot why I was even playin' in the first place til ya showed up. Why can't ya leave me alone for once?!"

It caresses your face. "You're a funny one, lady. Y'can't just smile everything away and pretend like nothing ever happened." It holds your hand--the one you were nursing. "Y'can't even hold a violin properly anymore. Do y'think y'can smile that away?"

You say nothing. All you can do is glare it down.

It holds your other hand. "Ya can't get rid o'me. So long as ya love the knives--so long as ya love me, I ain't ever goin' away."

And thus, smoke engulfs your vision once again.

It slowly clears out as you cough up again.

"--tal. Mortal! Awaken already!" shouts Peon as they slap your face with wings aggressively.

You jolt up like you just woke up from a nightmare. You look at your hands, still shaking from what should have been a long-forgotten feeling. You take off the glove of your right hand and see a certain scar that never left.

Peon lands on your wrist. "So this is the source of your Fallen nature, mortal? I'm truly impressed at how much miasma it houses! You were covered in so much of it that it took me forever to absorb it!"

You slowly get back up and put your glove back on. "Peon...just...what th'heck are the Fallen? Why do I gotta be one o'them? I wanna be normal again."

They fly up and sit on your head again. "Normal? You were never normal, mortal! Neither you nor I are. We both have lost a large part of ourselves and have since Fallen into our current selves."

You hesitate in moving your body again, but you muster the strength to continue walking. "What are ya--"

Peon tugs your hair towards a diffent direction. "You are headed the wrong way, mortal! The throne is that way!"

You absentmindedly look towards the way 'forward.' Suddenly it dawns on you; you can finally see what Peon meant by the Kingdom. Pillars of black flames line your surrondings, forming what looks to be the Kingdom walls. A large, foggy, castle-like structure prominently looms over you, where 'forward' is.

You blink a few times. "Issat where the throne is?! That looks metal as heck! Actually, this entire place looks metal as heck!"

"Tis not a place of grandeur, mortal. Tis a land founded on suffering." They clench their fist. "And its denizens shall know true suffering for overthrowing my rule!--"

Suddenly, you're stopped by a dark spear being pointed against your throat. The owner of the spear being a black knight covered in foggy armor. A ghastly voice comes out of it:

"Halt! You are approaching the abode of his majesty! State your business at once or turn away!"

You take a step back as not to get impaled on the spot, then try to feel for your head to ask Peon what to do. But it looks like they are hiding under your hood again. Great.

What do you do/say?
---

shmup
---

---

Negotiate your way to the nearest tavern? idfk I just specialize in funny answers.
---

delaying update (as always :y)
---

Bump
---

>Evi: Negotiate to the nearest tavern

Tavern? Do they even have taverns here? Is alcohol (hopefully) a thing here? Only one way to find out.

You stand tall, pretending like this guard did not just point a deadly weapon at you. "Business? I got a business date with a lil' lady named booze!"

Oh, looks like you can stop pretending, since the guard points it at you again, even closer to you. "I am not one for jest."

You raise your hands. "Whoa there! A lil' stab-happy, aintcha? I'm just tryin' t'find a tavern 'ere!"

He pulls back his spear. "If you shall not state your business, then I must turn you back. Forcefully!" he shouts as he lunges right at you.

Heck. Taverns? Weren't you trying to get to the throne? Why'd you even think about talking about taverns? You don't remember being this much of an alcoholic.

>Idk man I just specialize in funny answers

Wonderful. You think about all the ways you could get a joke out of getting your throat impaled as not to disappoint. Sadly you might have to disappoint.

As always.

Suddenly, black smoke rises from your finger. It quickly forms into a wall, which halts the guard's attack.

The smoke then winds up into a javelin, then flies right through the guard, killing him instantly.

Before you have time to be taken aback, you see Peon descend in front of you, pointing forward.

They pant a little. "That's it...mortal! Keep producing that miasma! With it, we'll be able to power through this Kingdom's paltry defenses!"

You're not sure where it's really coming from, but you nod and push forward. Though, forward isn't too far now, since the castle is right in plain view now.

From the very top of it, a black firework goes off, followed by the sound of thunderous metallic footsteps.

A pair of guards, looking just like the last one, burst from the metal gates of the castle front with spears in hand.

Peon readies a battle stance. "Alright mortal! Prepare the miasma!"

You look to your finger and try really hard to force it out, but instead you sneeze. "I...I ain't sure how, Peon! I think it just kinda happens."

"They approach with haste! You have no choice in the matter here, mortal!"

You try even harder, to the point where your hand's shaking. Still, nothing comes out. "It's not working...I can't do it, Peon."

Your hand lowers back to your side before you could realize it's starting to smoke up again.

"I guess I'll just...die bein' a failure. Sorry I couldn't be a good escort t'ya, Peon--"

Looking up, you suddenly realize that Peon's covered in dense black smoke. It then erupts into shadowy tendrils which impale the guards up ahead. "Wonderful, mortal! You truly are a Fallen! Now, onwards!"

You blink a bit. This miasma stuff just isn't making sense to you. Regardless, you nod reluctantly and run through the gate.

Once inside, you see a large room with gothic furnishing, as well as a staircase complete with angry guards running towards you.

Peon uses the leftover miasma to shank them with shadow quills, dispatching them. "Up the stairs, mortal. And get ready to produce more miasma for the coming army!"

You make your way up the stairs which the guards ran through. "I still ain't sure how it comes out, Peon. My fingers won't listen t'me." You continue up the stairs, still trying to force miasma out, but to no avail. "Nobody listens t'me. Not even myself."

Smoke starts clouding your vision, but it clears up once Peon absorbs it into a shadowy forcefield around themselves. "Are you sure, mortal? It seems to be pouring out naturally!"
---

You're starting to get a clue as to how the miasma works.

As you run up, another guard runs through, but you don't get the chance to take a good look at them since Peon already skewered them.

You finally make it up the stairs, leading you to a very wide corridor with more stairs at the end.
Wide, and lined with dozens of guards that were waiting for you at the top.

Peon uses the last of the conjured miasma to shoot down a few of them, but many still remain. "Mortal, I require more!"

You're a lot more reluctant to use the miasma now.
Something feels off about weaponizing your negativity. You get a bad vibe continuing like this.
Then again, you're surrounded. You could try to maneuver past them, or fight them the old fashioned way.
You look at your finger again. Is it worth it?

What do you do?
---

Continue to weaponize negativity.
---

Bump
---

>Evi: Continue to weaponize negativity.

As you stare into the black cuts of your finger, you can hear a voice call out within you.

"Y'can't escape me. Y'might as well use me."

You shake your head and grip your wrist. "I dunno if it's a good idea t'keep doin' this, Peon."

Peon crosses their arms. "I don't see you naming any other alternatives here, mortal!"

The guards start marching towards you.

You hear the voice pollute your head again.

"C'mon...take my love."

You grip your wrist even tighter. "Can't we just come back another time?"

Peon flies behind you. "We are so close to the summit, mortal! Backing out would be a colossal waste of our efforts thus far!"

"You're nothin' without me..." whispers the voice again.

You grit your teeth and materialize your usual [ Lovely Knife ]. The intensity of your irritation and frustration flows out as smoke from your fingers, spiraling through your arm. "God...can ya shut...the hell..."
You twirl the knife around, unconsciously switching it into the [ Cursed Dagger], then slash forward with all your might. "...UP!!!"

A myriad of black shockwaves erupt in front of you, eviscerating all the guards into nothing.

[ Affinity up! Lv 5 -> Lv 15 Edge Shadow ]
[ Level up bonus: Inventory expanded! (ALLOCATE: +500MB) ]
[ New Skill: Nether Shredder (Edge, SP 0%, Description: Requires Cursed Weapon. Unleash a burst of shockwaves in a large cone in front of you.) ]

You take a moment to catch your breath, then realize what you just did. Your hand shakes, dropping the dagger.

The moment it hits the ground, it pixelizes back into your inventory.

You death-grip your wrist once more and fall to your knees. "I hate this...I don't wanna let it win, Peon."

They fly back unto your head. "I haven't the slightest clue what you are on about, mortal, but we are clearly on the cusp of victory here! Especially with your impressive powers! Er...impressive for a mere mortal, that is!"

You sigh and try to grip your wrist again, but you lost the will to put power in your grip.

Shall you continue escorting Peon?
---

scratch ball first before escorting Peon.

Up
---

update coming maybe hopefully later
---

Bump
---

>Evi: Continue anyway

You slowly get up and shake your head to recollect yourself. "Let's jus' get this over with so I can get away from...all o'this."

Peon circles around you. "Wonderful! Forward, then!"

You run through the corridor, where you arrive before another set of stairs spiraling upwards. "Sure is a big place," you say as you start ascending. "How much longer 'til we get there?"

"I can practically taste the throne from here!" they say, rubbing their hands together.

You do a double take at how they phrased that, but you don't really have the energy to dwell on it.
A bit more running, and you're able to see the top of the stairs. In fact, it makes itself rather obvious due to it being a doorway bleeding with light.

You squint a bit. "Issat where it is?"

Peon enthusiastically flies circles around you. "YES! Quickly, mortal! Waste not another second dragging your limbs around!"

Well, you decide to do as they say by dragging your limbs up the last few steps.

Except, upon arrival, you are greeted with black, steel bars falling around you, trapping you in a metal fence.

You peer from the bars and see a humanoid figure completely engulfed in miasma, with some spike-like fumes eminating from its head to look like a crown.

They stand up from their throne of smoke. Okay, you're getting sick of this dark smoky aesthetic. It's too tacky.

Anyway, they get up from their throne and--okay yeah, it also doesn't smell that great. You just now notice how terrible it smells. It's like you walked into a convention for middle-aged suburban widows and you can't tell whether they're happier about the life-insurance check from their husbands or that they can now smoke freely around the kids without worrying about a divorce.

So yeah, the smoky dude gets up from their--

"Talus!" Peon shouts as they dart out in front of you, "release us at once and return me my throne!"

The weird person you presume is Talus crosses their arms--standing up of course, from the throne, which they finally got up from--and gloats as their low, raspy voice comes out. "Well well, I didn't think you'd return here, dear sibling, especially after I have humiliated you away from the throne. And you return in such a pathetic form, too! This is truly laughable. The all-powerful Perdix, reduced into a mere pixie."

Peon grits their teeth. "When I free myself of your silly prison, I--"

"Psst, Peon," you whisper, "y'know you're small 'nuff t'slip through the bars, right?"

They blink a few times, then fly out of the cage. "As I have freed myself of your silly prison, Talus, you will now face my divine wrath! Raaaagh!!!" They scream while charging towards Talus.

Talus swats them out of the air like a fly. "Oh my, truly divine dear sibling. Though, this is how I would have done it." They raise a hand, which then starts glowing purple. A black javellin appears above Peon's immobile body.

Talus then brings their hand down, allowing the javellin to be subjected to gravity.

The javellin drives right through Peon's chest. They cough up black blood while flailing for air. "T...Talusss...you will..."

More javellins rain down into Peon, with one plummetting right into their mouth.

All you hear now is silence.

Silence, and the rattling of metal as you grip the bars shakily.
---

"Oi...Peon. Y'gonna just let this clown get ya?" you say with a meek voice.

No response.

Talus cracks their knuckles. "Well, that was boring. I anticipated more from the former Fallen King. I suppose Gods are nothing without their believers."

You fall to your knees. "So, this is all I get? We do this whole trip, I get slapped in th'face with the feelins I've been tryin' t'hide, and my lil' companion dies?" You punch the ground. "THIS IS ALL I GET?!"

Talus picks their ear. "My my, how awfully noisy you are, peon. So, you were the one that brought my dear sibling back to die? I suppose I should thank you." Their hand starts glowing again. "Or should I execute you for bringing my sibling back to usurp me?"

The bars float up into the air, then reshape into javellins all pointed at you.

Not that you can see it. You're busy looking at the ground with gritted teeth.

Talus tilts their head. "Hm. I was expecting more 'oh no, Great Talus, won't you please spare me?' and less...grovelling. Regardless, this was a wonderful meeting. Have a good day, peon."

They bring their hand down. The javellins start flying.

Time slows.

...

You stand in darkness once more. You could say this is your consciousness.

It stands before you again, with a devious grin that you're tired of seeing. "Howdy, lady. Thought y'didn't wanna see me."

You look away. "You're right, I don't. You're everythin' that's wrong with me."

Its grin grows even wider, almost like the cheshire cat. "Hmm...so why are you here then?"

You glare at it. "No, why are you here?! What do I gotta do t'stop seein' ya?!"

It takes a step towards you. "That's real mean, lady. Y'hate me that much, even though I'm the reason you're still sane?" It comes even closer, to the point where it can whisper in your ear. "Maybe even the reason you're still...alive?"

You want to push it back, but your body won't listen. "The heck are ya on about?"

It embraces you tenderly. "Oh, Evi, you've already forgotten? Without me, you might have completely lost your reasonin' within that household." It licks your cheek, which causes blood to draw out. "It felt real good to feel th'pain, didn't it? Better t'focus on the pain on your wrist than the pain in your heart."

It hands you something, then encloses your fingers around it. "This gave ya more love than your mom ever did. It knows ya inside 'n out."

You look in your hand and see a familiar kitchen knife. Your eyes widen.

It holds you even tighter. "Is it all comin' back now? How do ya feel?"

Your eyes are fixated on the reflection of you on the blade. "I...dunno. It hurts. My friend just died. I didn't even know 'em that well. But it still hurts."

It lets go of you and caresses your hand that's holding the knife. "I'm still here t'get your mind off the pain. C'mon Evi...y'know I love you."

You stare at the knife in long silence.

Will you accept it?
---

Accept it. We must avenge Peon! >:U
---

>Evi: Accept it.

The silence finally breaks with the sound of your words.

"Yeah..."

The sound of metallic ringing.

"...I love you too."

The sound of blood spilling.

...

Time resumes. You vision whips back to reality, and your immediate focus is on the large wound on your forearm.

Suddenly, it erupts like a dam breaking. Miasma blasts out profusely, covering your entire body and consuming the javellins around you.

Talus takes a step back. "In...incredible! Such an overflowing fountain of miasma! Oho, surely this will be delicious!" They hold their hand out.

The miasma starts to gather towards them, but halfway through, it starts being redirected somewhere else.

"What?!" Talus says while taking another step back. "You dare refuse my command?!"

It all starts to gather around...back to you. Not only that, the smoke that the entire kingdom is composed of starts gathering towards you too, all into a sphere of miasma surrounding you.
Everything is becoming consumed by you, almost like a black hole.

Talus grits their teeth and grounds their stance to prevent being sucked in. "Impossible...just who IS this mortal?!"

The miasma stops gathering, causing the remains of the kingdom to fall as debris around both of you.
Talus blasts away the falling debris and stares at you in caution and silence.

The sphere starts to form back into shape, embracing you tightly, then dissipating to reveal yourself once more.
Your formerly red clothing becomes dyed in black, and your hood is forced on, shrouding your face.
Standing up straight, you firmly grip the Cursed Dagger and Lovely Knife in your hands.

You glare at Talus with your now-purple pupils. "I dunno who the heck y'think ya are, but..."

In an instant, you vanish and reappear right in front of Talus, holding a dagger against their throat. "...I'm goin' to fuckin' end you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlWdBKLZL7U" data-time="

Talus immediately jumps back and starts conjuring another javellin.

Before you let them finish, you dart right up to them and roundhouse-kick their arm, disrupting the magic, then using your momentum to slash their face.

Talus staggers back, putting a hand on their face. "Such insolence! You dare to fight against a God--"

You refuse to give them another moment to speak, dashing forward to unleash another kick to their face.

"ENOUGH!!!" Talus erupts in rage and starts levitating high up into the air with their hands spread out, conjuring a giant javellin above them. "You will know your place at once, peon!!!" they yell as they bring the javellin down to you.

You take a deep breath and start running forward at full speed, then jump with all your might, bringing you right atop the flying javellin. You skate through it, slicing it like tofu as you go along, then spring forward at the end of it and spread your wings out.

More miasma shoots out of your forearm, looking like tendrils grabbing the segments of javellin behind you.

Talus freezes up. "This cannot be--"

You blast ahead with your blades pointed forward, screaming at the top of your lungs as you lunge a gigantic gaping hole through Talus's stomach--a hole just like Peon's.

The train of javelin chunks follow through, eviscerating the rest of Talus's body.

You land with grace, brandishing your knives as Talus's head falls in front of you.
---

They cough immensely with smoke. "How...just...what are you?!"

>Avenge Peon

You gather the chunks to reform the giant javelin. "Your escort to Hell."
With full force, you bring it down into their mouth.

With that, Talus screams their last breath.

[ Affinity up! Lv 15 -> Lv 50 Fallen Queen ]
[ Level up bonus: Inventory expanded! (ALLOCATE: Unlimited) ]
[ New Skill: Fallen Hands (Cast, SP 0%, Description: Requires a wound. Unleash tendrils of miasma to do your bidding.) ]

The cut on your arm starts to bleed immensely. You watch as your HP starts dropping dramatically.
In a panic, you clutch onto your forearm desparately, but it doesn't stop the bleeding. You fall to your knees and keep clutching anyway. "So this is all I get..."

A flash of purple light gleams behind you. You turn around and see a glowing purple orb above Peon's corpse. It floats towards the wound of your arm and assimilates with it, closing it up.

[ HP recovered. ]

You hear a familiar voice echo within your mind. "Welcome to Godhood, mortal."

[ Black Butterfly Wings get! Flight time: Unlimited. Equipped to WINGS ]

You stay kneeling in complete silence.
After a while, you notice the faint figure of someone walking towards you. You squint your eyes to get a better view of whoever that is.
Immediately, you see a distinct pair of Disco Pants. You spring up to your feet and run towards him.

"NOBEEEEERT!!" you yell with a raspy voice and your arms spread out, then tackle him into a hug.

For the first time in this game, you bawl your eyes out with geniune tears.
[ Game saved. ]

He tries to push you back. "Whoa who the shit is--wait, Evi?!"

You wipe your eyes. "I'm so done with this game, Nobert!!! I just wanna get it all over with!!!"

He scratches his head. "Hold up. First of all, what the fuck happened? Why do you look all grim and shit? When did you get white hair and purple eyes? HOW ARE YOU LEVEL FUCKING 50?!"

You look away. "It doesn't flippin' matter. Everythin' sucks and--"
Miasma fumes out from the X-cut of your finger.

"--ARE YA SERIOUSLY GONNA KEEP SHOWIN' UP EVERYTIME I SAY SOMETHIN' SHITTY?!"

He shakes your shoulders around. "Dude! Snap out of it. Look, fine, I won't ask about whatever the hell all this is, but we gotta go get Dani back."

You tilt your head. "Dani? What happened t'her?"

"She went fucking rogue, dude! Fucking stabbed me in the back with no remorse and left me here!"

Your brow tenses up. "Seriously?! Dani did?! Why are ya tryna go after her then?"

He gets up and dusts himself off. "Cuz she's our fr...well, we're all party members." He extends a hand to you. "That includes you."

You hesistate for a moment. "I dunno, still sounds like a real jerk thing for her t'do." You then take his hand and get up as well. "But you're right. She's our friend! We gotta get 'er back!"
"Fuck yeah! ...That said, I have no idea where to go from here."

You spread out your new Butterfly wings and grab Nobert. "Neither do I. But forward's better than nothin'!"
With that, you blast upwards to the sky.

...

>Dani: Continue being a real jerk

"Heyyyy friend that's not Nopants," whines Val, "when's Nopants gonna catch up? I'm, like, getting kinda worried."

You cross your arms. "First of all, you can call me Dani, and second of all, just give it time, okay?"

"But we've been flying foreverrrr."

Oh no. She's getting antsy. Looks like you're gonna have to say something to either distract her or convince her.
---

Was half expecting ball scratching.

>Sing Disney tune to distract her.
---

bump
---

>Dani: Sing Disney tune to distract her.

You sigh in disbelief that you're gonna have to resort to...singing. Which is gonna be especially hard in a bucket. "Look, um...~I can show you the woorld--~"

Val cringes a bit. "Gosh. Denny, your voice is, like, reminding me of a dying rat."

You mimick her attentuation mockinly. "Gosh. Val, your criticism is, like, totally uncalled for," you say with your tongue stuck out.

She scoffs. "You're, like, a newbie, even in singing. Let ME show you how, like, the PROfeshunals handle it."

You cross your arms awaiting an inevitable dumpster fire to pollute your ears. However, your arms slowly drop as the voice of this siren lulls you into a trance. Also the vivid image of the Beast's mansion.

You're brought back with a literal snap to reality.

Val stands in front of you with her fingers post-snap and in your bucketface. "Uh, hello? Earth to newbie?" She giggles. "Speechless much? That's the result of, like, four years in highschool choir y'know." She then puts her arms on her hips, exerting her tall stature over you. "Like, what did YOU even do in highschool?"

You cross your arms again. "Should you not be piloting the ship? What is your problem?! I do not remember any acts of trangression that I have committed against you--"

She makes a hand-puppet mocking you. "Blah blah blah, you sure like to use big words." She takes a step forward, further invading your personal bubble. "There's just something about you that makes it so easy to mess with you." Another step, forcing you to back off a bit. "It reminds me SO much of highschool." Yet another step. "Seriously, what DID you do in highschool?"

You panic. "I graduated it."

You then unleash a gust of wind to push her back. "...and I hope you did too. Seriously, what is wrong with you?!"

She barely loses balance even after being pushed back. "Okay, no really, have we met before? Your voice is like, SO familiar!"

The sound of her weapon pixelizing then rings out. "...and like, not in a good way."

Before you could react, the deafening cacophony of a blade scraping against your bucket grates your ears, causing you to fall to your knees and scream.

In the next moment, however, the accursed bucket splits apart, falling to your sides. You're filled with awe and relief as your vision returns to you.

[ Cursed Bucket unequipped. ]

Val's eyes widen as she takes a good look at your face. "Oh my god. I thought you like, sounded familiar."

You squint your eyes which are still adjusting to your returned vision. As the blurriness fades away, you finally get a good look at Val's face. "Oh. Fuck."

Her brow furrows and she firmly holds her sword with both of her hands. "Satela. You fucking bitch. Like, what are the odds I'd see your bitch-face in this game?"

You get up and materialize your wand. "Likewise, Valentine. I thought I'd never have to see you again after my family took care of you."

She slams the sword against the hardwood floor. "TOOK CARE?! Bitch. Your family literally squeezed all of our money out in that fucking lawsuit!"

You further ground your stance. "Maybe you should not have constantly tortured me in high school."

She mirrors by lowering her stance as well. "My family lost their jobs! We had to sell our fucking house, Satela! Like, I wouldn't be in this fucking game if it wasn't for you!"

Hm. Hearing it like that really does make you sound like the bad guy here. But then again it's still kind of her fault. You two are just about ready to fight. But maybe you don't have to?
How do you proceed?
---

I feel like we're missing some context here. So

Dani: Flashback for context.
---

Ump
---

updating soon
---

Jk the weekend has been too busy for me but I haven't forgotten about this
---

>Dani: Flashback for context.

You continue to stare right into her eyes. It really is all coming back to you now.
The ship starts flying through some ominous, thick fog.

You don't know when she's ready to strike. You might as well be on full alert. You take a deep breath to focus. Breathing in the mist. Focus.

...

"...Focus, Ms. Satela!" the teacher screams while knocking on the whiteboard in the front. "Did you even listen to the last thing I said?"

Shit. You were daydreaming. Gotta pretend like you were totally paying attention. "Umm...parabolas?"

She slaps the board, sharply jolting your ears. "A no would have sufficed, Ms. Satella, seeing as how we are currently in English class!"

Your peers laugh at your terrible excuse. Not that you really care about how much they respect you.

The teacher clears her throat. "Anywho, I will be flashing your partner groups on the board. I accept zero disputes about all of this. Go ahead and move around so you may meet up with your partners and discuss your plans to tackle this presentation."

A table of the students' names show up on the board, each grouped in twos. Amongst the shuffling students, your eyes naturally drift to where "Dani Satela" is located, right alongside a person named "Kylie Valentine."

Before you could look at the rest of the board, some girl blocks your view.

She looms over you, partially masking her meek face by holding her backpack up to her mouth. "Hey. Are you, like, Dani?"

You look away from her since you're not comfortable with eye contact, especially not with someone that's attractive enough for you to assume is a popular kid. "Um...yes. You're speaking to Dani. Did you need something?"

She pulls up a chair and takes a seat. "Well I'm Kylie. But my friends like to, like, call me Val, since Kylie has too many, like, syllables." She extends her hand. "Nice to meet you, Dani."

You scratch your neck, not acknowleding her handshake offer. "Oh. Fascinating. So you are my partner, correct?"

She looks to the front. "Well, like, that's what's what it says on the board, yeah. Did you have, like, a topic in mind?"

You have no idea what the teacher even said about this presentation thing, but you'd never let Val know that. "Hmm, not in particular. We'll just go with any topic YOU are interested in!" you say, finishing with an awkward laugh.

She looks up in thought. "Hmm, I was thinking maybe like, broad representation in Disney media and how it affects the youth of today."

You blink in surprise, not expecting that kind of depth from her. "Oh. Um...sure! We can do that," you say with an unconfident smile. "...To be honest with you, I really have no idea what we're doing."

She giggles. "I think the teacher made that, like, publicly clear. You really should..."

"...focus..."

...

"...Focus, Dani!" Val says as she waves her hand in front of your eyes. "Hello? Like, Earth to Dani?"

You shake your head. "Wha--who, what's happening?" you say while looking around frantically at the sight of rows of tables, as well as other people eating and throwing trays around.

Val giggles at you. "God, you like, space out a lot." She takes a sip from some boxed juice. "I can't say much though, cuz like, I do that sometimes too. Dreaming of, like, princesses and stuff. What do you dream of?"

You look down at your empty lunch box. "Oh, um...just...a better life, I guess?"
---

She sips with a tilted head. "Are you, like, okay? You can, like, talk to me, you know. It's the least I could do to thank you for, like, keeping me company while Kaylee's out of town."

You lay your chin on the table. "Mmm...it's just dumb teenage angst I guess. Hating my mom and all that--"

She hugs you out of nowhere. "Hey. It's gonna be okay. Kaylee's got a shitty mom too, so like, I know all about it."

Your face reddens since you're not used to physical contact. "Um...thank you. Please release me."

"Oh!" she immediately backs off. "Sorry. Not much of a hugger?"

You look away. "No no, I'm just...not used to it. How is this Kaylee person like anyway?"

She looks up with a smile. "Oh, she and I are SO alike. We're like twins. I love her. I think you'd like her too!"

Your body slouches down your seat. "I'm very awkward and nervous with strangers. You know this."

"Hmm," she says while staring at you. "Oh, I know what can, like, help. When we meet, I'll be there anyway so like, you can keep your eyes on me. Like, pretend you're talking to me."

You raise an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like it'll work."

"Oh just try it, okay? All it takes is a little faith and trust. Y'know, from like, Peter Pan? Or think about like, Ohana? Wait, I meant to say that when you were talking about your mom.

You're not sure what to say.

"Look. Like. Just focus on me."

...

"...Focus, dumbass!" shouts some girl looming over you.

You look around the cafeteria again, with not a lot of people for today. "Wh...what?"

The girl sighs. "Ugh. Who the fuck is this, Val? Why is she in my seat?"

You look to your side, where Val sits.

"C'mon Kaylee, can't you be nice? She didn't do anything to you. And she's my friend."

She shoves you aside and sits where you were. "Yah, but like, I'm your BEST friend. So this seat is mine." She groans. "God, Val. I go out of town for a week and you're already, like, replacing me? The fuck!"

Val embraces her in a panic. "No no no! I wouldn't do that to you girl!" Over Kaylee's shoulder, Val looks at you with worry, mouthing a silent "I'm sorry."

You get up and move to another table. From the distance, all you can do is watch Val and Kaylee talk, all while you're shoved to the sidelines here.

With bitterness and loneliness, all you can do...

Is focus on her.

...

Gotta focus. Gotta walk down this hallway and focus. Gotta--

Kaylee snickers at you from the lockers. "Pfft, the fuck is this nerd wearing? Amirite, Val?"

Val looks away from her.

She snaps her fingers in Val's face. "Am. I. Right. Val?"

Val crosses her arms, still looking away. "Yeah."

You sigh and keep walking. Keep walking and focus. Gotta focus.

Focus on ignoring her.

...

Focus on something else. Don't focus on the pain. Fuck, you're focusing on the pain. Fuck it hurts.

Kaylee slams you against the locker again. "I told you to back the fuck off. Why are you still talking to Val?"

Don't focus on Kaylee. Focus somewhere else. Focus on faith and trust. Wait, where did those words come from again? Fuck, you're not focusing. Focus on...the sound of someone sobbing?

"Kaylee, oh my god...please stop," says Val from behind her. "She didn't do anything wrong--"

"Shut the fuck up, Val! Are you seriously taking her side over me?!"
---

You can't focus at all. "What...happened to...faith and trust...Val?"

Kaylee slams you again. "Oh my god. Stop talking to her."

Val screams out and raises her hand. "Kaylee!! Just! Stop!--"

The sharpest slap rings out through the hallway of lockers. No one there to dampen the sound waves. No one there to hear it.

Except you. You hear it loud and clear. You felt it loud and clear. Something wet drips out from your nose. You rub your fingers against the spot and see blood.

Kaylee moved out of the way just barely.

Val hugs you tightly while crying. "I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Don't focus on the pain. Don't focus on the words.

Don't focus on her.

...

"...Focus, dearie." says your mother while looking up from her smartphone. "Must I repeat myself to you constantly? Your airheadedness is very unladylike."

You shift around on your bedside while looking at her imposing figure standing in front of you. "I'm sorry mother. What were you saying?"

She taps on her screen. "I contacted my lawyer already. Those filth will be charged with battery, among other charges." She reaches for her wine glass. "Nobody messes with a Satela." She then starts heading out your door. "That will be all, dearie. Powder your nose every morning. You mustn't show imperfection."

You look to the side. "Mother, was this really necessary--"

"That. Will. Be. All. Dearie." She then slams the door shut.

You sigh and lay down.

Focus on the ceiling.

Focus on the next day.

Focus on...Ohana? Where did you hear that one recently? What did it mean again...

Nobody gets left behind.

Nevermind.

Don't focus on that.

...

Stop focusing on so many things. Don't focus on the noisy students in this hallway. Focus on class. Focus on--

The moment you enter the classroom, your teacher calls you over. "Ms. Satela, sorry for the short notice, but I am re-assigning you to another group."

You're still a bit spacey. "Wh...what?"

"Ms. Valentine is no longer in this class. It would be unfair for you to have a ghost partner, so you get to be in a group of three. Your partners are--"

You suddenly jolt to your senses. "Wait, what happened to Val?"

The teachers sighs. "That is confidential. I'm sorry, Ms. Satela."

Oh god. This is your fault.

No. It's not. It is. It's not. It's--focus on something else.

Don't focus on your mother. Don't focus on faith and trust.

Focus on no one.

Focus on yourself.

...

"Focus on me, bitch!" shouts Val while slamming her sword to the floor again. "God, you still haven't fixed that habit of yours?"

You shake your head to re-orient yourself to reality. Strangely enough, she hasn't attacked you yet. Is she hesitant about this?

How do you proceed from here?
---