Chapter Text
The world was fuzzy and blurry. Void black and radiant white. Warm yet cold, all at once. A shield against the harsh light stood cloaked around them like their very own mask. They could almost hear a whisper in their mind, but it felt safe, like a blanket of shadows, and not like the touch of a sun on their shell.
I’ll protect your dreams, until you wake.
The voice faded in and out, before the static of sleep took it away. Here, they could close their eyes and taste the void slumbering deep below them. They would never escape the void. They were silly to think they could. One could never escape what one was, only learn to accept it. The void was as much them as their shell. It made up their body. They could only learn to become acquainted with it, and hope the void did not deign to rise up and chase them.
༺𓐍༻
They woke to darkness, groggy eyed and confused.
They had just been building the roof, hadn’t they?
You fell asleep. The voice explained.
They had never slept before, and with hazy recollection they tried to recall their dreams. The images ran from them like they were water droplets sliding down glass. They seemed to recall some of it, but just like water, the rest slipped away between their fingers.
They sat up on the soft ground, packing it down a bit so that dirt didn’t stick to their already dirtied cloak.
Looking up at their work, a feeling of pride flitted past. No wind got through the cracks. No pesky pebbles either.
They climbed up the entry they made. The wind almost immediately buffeted their form. They jumped up and started off towards the town.
They felt well rested and ready to do something. Maybe they could do something with that Geo they had found.
༺𓐍༻
They came upon the well, then passed it, looking at the signs for the many many shops. However, they could tell that some were houses too. One building that really caught their eye, mostly because it was bigger than the rest, was the Stagway Station.
I forgot about that place. Darn it. We could have skipped Crossroads entirely.
They tripped a little as their foot made a surprise visit with an almost invisible step of stone, falling fast to the floor.
A hand caught them by the arm. “Woah there—” some bug said. They looked up in surprise. It was the same bug from before, the one who had given them the token. They had stepped away from where they had been leaning against a small hut, light shining out from the window and into the dark street. “It’d be a shame to crack that wonderful mask of yours.”
For a moment, they thought he was talking about the mask they were born with. Then they remembered the teal cloak and other mask.
In fact, both their masks were similar in a way, eyes upturned into crescents. Still, the eye placement was different. So was the line that cut through theirs while the other bug’s was pearly white and clear of any scratches, accidental or otherwise.
The other let go of them once they were safely on their feet.
They looked up, and while this wasn’t the tallest bug they had seen, he was twice as tall as them, even with the added height from their horns.
If nothing else, he was good at blocking the wind.
They shook themselves off relatively easily and stepped away.
“Well, I suppose I’ll be off then. Have a wonderful walk!” He dipped his head, then turned on his heel. They watched him go with bemusem*nt, disappearing behind a hut.
That was interesting.
They shook their head and walked into the first shop they saw.
༺𓐍༻
They didn’t actually go far from where the well was located. They only visited two locations before their Geo ran dry, and they were left with disappointment.
Back to their little Hidey hole, they took in their purchases.
A blanket, which was soft and fuzzy and felt good on their fingers.
The second, and last thing they bought was a small tub, which they had been advised to get by a shopkeeper. They had taken one look at them and declared they absolutely needed it . The voice agreed, so they bought it, even though it was 150 Geo.
At least that’s what the shopkeeper said.
They, unfortunately, had to carry the tub unless they wanted to fully deconstruct it and put it back together. They reasonably concluded that carrying it was easier when they didn’t even know how it was made, or what kind of metal it was made of.
Their pit was a bit too small, so they dug out a cubby to put the in blanket. Then, they placed the tub in the center of their little room.
Take off the cloak and mask, then fill the tub with water.
As they held the cloak in hand, they looked closer and felt distress start to claw at them. The cloak was gray and brown, no longer that vibrant teal. The mask, too, was smudged on the corners.
That’s what the tub is for.
They stared at the tub in confusion, before filling it with water. They didn’t have any injuries so they saved the Hotsprings water and instead used what they got from Blue Lake.
I’m pretty sure the cloak is silk, so it’ll be fine in the cold water. Wish we had soap though.
They tilted their head, then dipped their hand in the water. A cloud of dust lifted from their shell and dispersed.
Everything in the tub, please. Including you.
The cloak went in the tub, and so did the mask. Then they lifted themselves over and plopped down in the tub. The water displaced and splashed over the edges, onto the dirt floor below.
Maybe we need a bath mat too…
The water quickly grew filmy with spreading dust. They splashed around a bit in delight. It was the smallest body of water they had ever been in, quite literally a bucket compared to a lake.
They waved the cloak around in the water for a bit, before they deemed it teal enough to come out. The mask too, they made sure was no longer scuffed and dirty.
When they were done playing with the ripples, they just absorbed the water, leaving the tub as is, yet still damp. They could only take what they could touch, after all, and their void saw no difference between leftover water droplets and the metal sides of the tub.
They jumped out of the tub, only to find mud squishing below their feet.
It’s because you splashed water over the side.
They leaned down to poke it, and it squished between their fingers.
Don’t go getting dirty again. You just got washed.
They sat down and rolled a mud ball, shaping it into a square and then a circle again.
Now you’re doing this on purpose.
Then, they shaped the little head and body of a tiktik. It was a gray tiktik, not an off-white one. It still had the shape and it still had the eyes.
The tiktik developed legs, and the ridges were shaped sharper. They had to be careful because the mud was wet and crumbly.
You know, that’s actually pretty good, for what you’re working with.
Finally, they set it down on a little shelf they carved out just then. It dropped a little, but held its shape surprisingly well.
Then, they absorbed all the mud touching their shell, no bath required.
I didn’t even think of that. That’s pretty smart.
Intrigued with the little tiktik figure, they pulled out a piece of stone. Instead of starting with mud and building up, they used their digging ability to slowly carve away sections.
The tiktik they ended up with was a little lopsided, but it still looked like a tiktik, even more so because they used a lighter colored stone.
One of the rusted nails they found at Blue Lake worked the best, though. They just had to separate and squish the metal in their void, molding it in big motions before they brought it out to work on the details.
When they were finished, all three sat on the little shelf they made, a representation of their progress. The last one actually looked quite good.
They could make more, but for now they wanted to go out. Sitting here in the dark all the time brought back bad memories, even if the settings were completely different. Maybe they would add a window.
But they didn’t have their disguise on. They wondered if it was even necessary here, but there was an incessant doubt of theirs that some bug would recognize them and drag them back to city.
Hang the cloak up to dry. It’ll dry faster than it will in your void. Outside would be better, but the dust would cling to it.
They looked around, before shrugging and plopping the cloak on the ground.
Or, they would have if an impulse stopped them.
Don’t. Don’t put it on the muddy ground. That’s just—don’t.
They looked around, but there was just nowhere left to put it. They guessed they could dig out another shelf, but the voice warned against that too.
Instead, they got out their nail, wedged it into the wall, then plopped their wet cloak atop it.
They sat back on their blanket, and this time tried to make a vengefly.
