Dave clenched his teeth. "All the more reason to work on liberating them, isn't it?" He exhaled slowly through his nose. "Look, that was the Blacklight."
Poppin' Arms ~ Holding Cells
- Thread starter Namohysip
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"...How many do you think are gonna see that?" Soda asked in a small whisper. "All the people I killed, all the spirits I twisted. How many lives were just... changed forever from what I did." He laughed, suppressed and low. "I can practically hear their spirits, y'know. Death isn't gonna help me. I-in fact, this is just the beginning, isn't it? Haha... I'm... I'm going to see them all waiting for me. They'll tear my spirit apart, over and over and..."
Wheat's eyes glimmered slightly. Soda didn't realize it, but his countenance changed, and he sighed. "I... maybe I'm overreacting," he said, and Wheat's eyes dimmed to normal again. "But... this is gonna... I don't know, Dave. I don't know if I want power if that's the risk. I fucked up twice. Maple gave me a second chance already, and..."
Wheat's eyes glimmered slightly. Soda didn't realize it, but his countenance changed, and he sighed. "I... maybe I'm overreacting," he said, and Wheat's eyes dimmed to normal again. "But... this is gonna... I don't know, Dave. I don't know if I want power if that's the risk. I fucked up twice. Maple gave me a second chance already, and..."
Dave's chest tightened. In his mind’s eye he saw Adne in the cottage, walls splintering apart as she tried to repair them.
He glanced back at Wheat as Soda stopped abruptly, saw the Xatu's eyes glowing. He supposed it seemed like he was helping, but this was still creepy as fuck.
“Look, fuck anyone who doesn’t see that. Thing was controlling you. It could’ve twisted anyone. You were fucking unrecognizable.” For a moment he wondered if Soda remembered seeing him at Spirits' Edge. “You don’t want more power, okay, cool. Doesn’t mean you can’t…” He took a breath. “Flesh needs you, not your power. I don’t give a shit. Hell, have you talked to the rest of the God Squad?”
He glanced back at Wheat as Soda stopped abruptly, saw the Xatu's eyes glowing. He supposed it seemed like he was helping, but this was still creepy as fuck.
“Look, fuck anyone who doesn’t see that. Thing was controlling you. It could’ve twisted anyone. You were fucking unrecognizable.” For a moment he wondered if Soda remembered seeing him at Spirits' Edge. “You don’t want more power, okay, cool. Doesn’t mean you can’t…” He took a breath. “Flesh needs you, not your power. I don’t give a shit. Hell, have you talked to the rest of the God Squad?”
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"Yeah. Yeah, I have." Soda looked down. "They're all... being cordial and everything. Potluck says he still wants me on the team. Truffle is making all these fancy teas. Leg made a doll." He dug through his mane and pulled out a little Zoroark plush, which he placed gingerly down. "And Maple..." He sighed. "Maple gave me a whole long talk about mistakes and moving past them, and... It's just not the same. Yeah, she has Telum inside her, but... She protected them, in a way, didn't she? Me, I was..."
“Like Maple hasn’t been zonked to hell and back on Blacklight too. Nearly killed us at the Tree of Life, if it hadn’t been for you leaving that lure.”
He looked away. Glanced at the little Zoroark doll. Shadow was there again, beside him, paw on the glass to Soda’s cell, but Soda wasn’t looking at him, didn’t seem to notice him - probably couldn’t anymore, could he, with all the corruption purged out of him.
Shadow looked back at him, and he took a deep breath. “I’m glad you made it.”
He looked away. Glanced at the little Zoroark doll. Shadow was there again, beside him, paw on the glass to Soda’s cell, but Soda wasn’t looking at him, didn’t seem to notice him - probably couldn’t anymore, could he, with all the corruption purged out of him.
Shadow looked back at him, and he took a deep breath. “I’m glad you made it.”
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"...Yeah..." Soda didn't seem to agree. There were probably a thousand reasons, likely more, individual names, that he wondered were reasons why he shouldn't have made it. "...At least you get to move on," Soda finally murmured. "I'm... gonna be stuck with these memories. That's how memories work for us, you know. It's a curse. Every mistake... will stick with you forever."
"For... us? Immortals?"
Dave sat there for a moment, chewed on another mozzarella stick, avoiding Soda's gaze. Fuck.
"Isn't Breaker some kind of psychic surgeon? Maybe she can just, fucking cut something out." Did he seriously just fucking suggest that? "I don't fucking know. Point is, you don't deserve to sit there stewing in guilt for literally forever over what some other entity did while parasitizing your body. That's bullshit."
Dave sat there for a moment, chewed on another mozzarella stick, avoiding Soda's gaze. Fuck.
"Isn't Breaker some kind of psychic surgeon? Maybe she can just, fucking cut something out." Did he seriously just fucking suggest that? "I don't fucking know. Point is, you don't deserve to sit there stewing in guilt for literally forever over what some other entity did while parasitizing your body. That's bullshit."
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Soda smiled wryly. "Maybe some worlds are different, but in the Overworld, what happened, happened. The reason I was so... hopeful that I could get Adne back, even if maybe she died and got reincarnated, is that the old life is still there, etched forever into the spirit, y'know? Sealed away under a layer of another life. And... that's gonna be me, too. It's not a Psychic thing. This is a memory of the soul, and... there's no getting rid of those. I'm stuck like this. Even if I... ask Pop to just, put me in a new body, start a new life, one day I'll die and I'll remember this life, too.
"Hell, like the stuff we've read in those books, I don't think those exist in the literal sense," Soda said. "Overseers make sure we clear those kinds of realities out. But... I think it's still out there. I think it's something we make on our own, from the regrets that's just never gonna go away." He shrugged, looking at the wall. "Funny how that works. Some people want to live forever. Makes you wonder if they know what that really means."
"Hell, like the stuff we've read in those books, I don't think those exist in the literal sense," Soda said. "Overseers make sure we clear those kinds of realities out. But... I think it's still out there. I think it's something we make on our own, from the regrets that's just never gonna go away." He shrugged, looking at the wall. "Funny how that works. Some people want to live forever. Makes you wonder if they know what that really means."
Dave was silent for a moment. “Well, if Hell is something you make on your own, then don’t make one. You can have regrets, everyone’s got regrets, but you’re not some kind of irredeemable villain because you got corrupted by this thing against your will. Don’t just…” He stopped, glancing at Shadow. “Don’t just sit there beating yourself up for the rest of time for something that wasn’t even your fucking fault in the first place.”
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"Not my fault, huh..." Soda sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It was my claws. It was my thoughts. It was everything except the Parasite ignited it all. Sure... it wasn't me, I guess, but... it's hard to dissociate it. I saw it, I did it..." He sighed, looking down.
Dave looked at him for a long second, a wisp of shadow curling around his chest. Christ. Why couldn't he just fucking help him.
"Look... you talked about how you went too far that first time, right? You fucked up, but then the God Squad took you in anyway. Maple and Joule both insisted when I talked to them about your skewed memory of events that you weren't that guy anymore. You'd moved on. You'd learned. And then you went on to help liberate people from torture dimensions and take in Flesh, and give him a translator and leave at least one Substitute to make sure he was okay at all times even after you were souped up on Blacklight, and-- You were a good fucking person, and you wouldn't have done any of this shit again without the Blacklight fucking with your ability to remember what you'd learned. You won't do it again. And that's enough."
After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Remember how Flesh didn't even believe me when I tried to tell him what was going on? That's how unlike you it was. Just... fucking talk to him, the guy loves you."
He shoved another mozzarella stick in his mouth. Shadow was looking up at him in surprise and... was he smiling? Fuck off.
"I mean, yeah, having to remember all that shit sucks, but just... you've got to move on anyway."
"Look... you talked about how you went too far that first time, right? You fucked up, but then the God Squad took you in anyway. Maple and Joule both insisted when I talked to them about your skewed memory of events that you weren't that guy anymore. You'd moved on. You'd learned. And then you went on to help liberate people from torture dimensions and take in Flesh, and give him a translator and leave at least one Substitute to make sure he was okay at all times even after you were souped up on Blacklight, and-- You were a good fucking person, and you wouldn't have done any of this shit again without the Blacklight fucking with your ability to remember what you'd learned. You won't do it again. And that's enough."
After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Remember how Flesh didn't even believe me when I tried to tell him what was going on? That's how unlike you it was. Just... fucking talk to him, the guy loves you."
He shoved another mozzarella stick in his mouth. Shadow was looking up at him in surprise and... was he smiling? Fuck off.
"I mean, yeah, having to remember all that shit sucks, but just... you've got to move on anyway."
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"Got to move on anyway," Soda repeated, looking at the sticks, of which he'd barely touched. "...Flesh..." He trailed off. "Yeah, I... I haven't talked to him in a while. I need to. And I need to make sure he isn't accidentally eating anything he shouldn't, heh. Need to get his favorite trees, the floods didn't get those, actually, so they won't be too hard to find... A-and yeah, guess he also wouldn't mind the company, and..." His voice quivered and he looked away. Breaths were shaky.
"Still," he added, voice evening out after some time, "can't really leave right now. Safety and all that, just in case there's... something there. I'm not stable, they said..."
"Still," he added, voice evening out after some time, "can't really leave right now. Safety and all that, just in case there's... something there. I'm not stable, they said..."
Dave nodded slowly. "I can drop in with him for you, maybe. Tell him to stop by here, if they can squeeze him in. Or text you, or fucking video call, or something. See what Maple's been getting him to eat. What trees are those?"
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"He likes the Birch trees from the eastern Grass Continent," Soda said. "You gotta bundle up five of them with thick rope and he can munch on that all day. Satiates him for like a week. Longer if they were big trees." Soda rattled on, and Wheat stared intently at Soda, not that he noticed. A soft, scratching noise suggested Wheat was writing down some notes.
Soda looked calmer, and not because of Wheat's influence. "I guess I can write down some notes on it," he added, lost in thought.
Soda looked calmer, and not because of Wheat's influence. "I guess I can write down some notes on it," he added, lost in thought.
Dave wasn't sure how capable he'd be of bundling up multiple trees with rope and hauling them anywhere, but he could probably ask... somebody. Maybe fucking Joule or something. Christ.
"Yeah. Write something down, and I'll get it done." He paused. "Anything else? Something to bring or do? I don't know if the psychologists will have an aneurysm if you have a beer, but if they'll let you have it I'll get you some next time."
"Yeah. Write something down, and I'll get it done." He paused. "Anything else? Something to bring or do? I don't know if the psychologists will have an aneurysm if you have a beer, but if they'll let you have it I'll get you some next time."
Shadow was smiling again, and it was fucking disconcerting. The spectral Mightyena leaned the side of his head against the glass of the cell, whatever that was supposed to mean.
"You got some pen and paper in there, or should I go get you some?"
The shadow had eased away from his body, but Shadow seemed to be planning to hang around anyway. Whatever. Let him stay if he wanted. So long as Soda was improving.
"You got some pen and paper in there, or should I go get you some?"
The shadow had eased away from his body, but Shadow seemed to be planning to hang around anyway. Whatever. Let him stay if he wanted. So long as Soda was improving.
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R16 - Two Foxes and a Dave
Dave needed some way to unwind after the fucking therapy session. Luckily the Cauldron was open, and after ordering yet another batch of mozzarella sticks, he headed for the holding cells.
When they'd asked if he'd like anything to drink, he'd paused, and said no, and he wasn't even sure why.
He arrived with the takeout bag as usual, making his way towards Soda's cell, and all he could really think about was that he wanted a fucking beer and should have just gotten one, even if Soda didn't.
When they'd asked if he'd like anything to drink, he'd paused, and said no, and he wasn't even sure why.
He arrived with the takeout bag as usual, making his way towards Soda's cell, and all he could really think about was that he wanted a fucking beer and should have just gotten one, even if Soda didn't.
Fusion
Oh knee on
Pacing just outside of the entrance to the holding cells, Kora paced back and forth, or floated, actually. He didn't seem as energetic or hyper as usual. Shadow wisps anxiously fell of his body, fizzling as they hit the ground, and he held his elbows tightly.
Are we sure we're ready for this? We're a lot more shaken up than usual.
It's a miracle we can tell that difference at all... Man, almost forgot what it felt like to have butterflies in our stomach.
"I dunno... I dunno..." Kora muttered to himself. He didn't even notice anyone else until the scent of cheese caught his attention. "Huh? Oh--" Kora cleared his throat, putting on a smile and waving slightly to Dace. "Howdy! I think I bumped into you before, but, I don't think I caught your name. I'm Kora."
Are we sure we're ready for this? We're a lot more shaken up than usual.
It's a miracle we can tell that difference at all... Man, almost forgot what it felt like to have butterflies in our stomach.
"I dunno... I dunno..." Kora muttered to himself. He didn't even notice anyone else until the scent of cheese caught his attention. "Huh? Oh--" Kora cleared his throat, putting on a smile and waving slightly to Dace. "Howdy! I think I bumped into you before, but, I don't think I caught your name. I'm Kora."
Dave squinted at the other Zoroark. This was... another one of the Miracle Matters people, right? Wasn't he at the picnic, being fucking weird? And he was dripping Shadows, too. Not a great time.
Was he here for Soda? Why?
"Dave," he said, putting down the takeout bag. "What are you doing here?"
Was he here for Soda? Why?
"Dave," he said, putting down the takeout bag. "What are you doing here?"
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