Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

what do you fucking MEAN you cant comprehend the horrors thats my BROTHER

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Themoonwasgone @GPTim

replying to @jonnyboy

why is your name that

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CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

replying to @GPTim

the fuck do you mean by that

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The moon was gone @GPTim

replying to @jonnyboy

youre the first fucking mate

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

@jonnyboy I BEG YOU STOP SHOOTING PEOPLE IN THE HEAD

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mint ice creme sucks @carpethatdick

replying to @alvarthearchivist

I'M SORRY WHAT

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @carpethatdick

YEAH HE SHOT @GPTim AGAIN >:[

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evil scientist hehehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @carpethatdick

In a game. he eant in a game.

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ba dum tss @thepurpleguy

replying to @lifeisahigh

haha eant

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @thepurpleguy

Die.

science!! @raphael.la

tfw you just came to life and the first thing you do is create a twitter account

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @raphael.la

Twitter doesnt even exist there??

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The Toy Soldier @TTSoldier

replying to @lestyebearthur

And Yet Here You Are Using Twitter In The 1920s!

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @TTSoldier

1930s now actually. im a priv inves

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Grab the popcorn @candykayne

replying to @lestyebearthur

HAHAHA YOU???

Grab the popcorn @candykayne

my brother somehow became a PI and i am DYING

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santa is a drug addict @icanseeghosties

replying to @candykayne

now imagine your brother becoming a VIGILANTE with his fancy ass knives 

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Grab the popcorn @candykayne

replying to @icanseeghosties

WHAT???

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santa is a drug addict @icanseeghosties

replying to @candykayne

YEAH DIEGO BECAME A VIGILANTE

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Happy gay frog @yalle

replying to @icanseeghosties

isn't the umbrella academy fictional??

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slxxpyfxxker @spaceboy!!

replying to @yalle

this is multiuniversal twitter i thikn

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Happy gay frog @yalle

replying to @spaceboy!!

I am not going to question anything because I feel I won't get answers

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @yalle

good (but also not keep questioning thing it gives me life)

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @spaceboy!!

do your fucking homework PLEASE its overdue by three days

T he di ST oR tIOn @micHAeeElllLlLl

iM sOr rY i fEE doN FeAR i ca nT HeL P it

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @MiCHAaaaaAeeLL

please tell me youre sorry for giving me a migraine

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th E DIst Ort ioN @mIChaaeEellL

replying to @lifeisahigh

no

sandwiches NOM @ticktocktick

i was about to @ jack dorsey about why the twitter logo is new but then i couldnt @ him at all because his twitter doesnt exist??

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @ticktocktick

ah.

————————————

borne in the vallen

lesmis: okay who the fuck made twitter a mini distortion domain

lesmis: or at least this version of it

ḿ̷͔Ǐ̴̠C̵̟͂h̷͍̽Ă̶̗é̵̜l̴͙͝:̷̻̄ nNot m Ee!

holding coffee: not me either

holding coffee: ill ask spiral if you want?

lesmis: thank you sm alv

holding coffee: no probs

————————————

fear me you bitch

Beholding: @Spiral!! did you turn twitter into a mini domain

Spiral!!: maa A Ayy Be Ee e E

Desolation: What the FUCK happened this time

Desolation: I was having fun with Gerry YOU ASS

Beholding: gerard doesnt know youre watching him anyway

Beholding: theres thousands of not millions of people whos twitter suddenly changed to accept multi-universal messaging somehow

Beholding: here

Beholding: [screenshot of new twitter logo] [screenshot of user @slxxpyfxxker's tweet regarding the issue]

Stranger: Oh, That's Why I feel Stronger! People Are Scared About The Unknown Change!

Stranger: I Bet My Ringmaster Would Like This.

Beholding: yes yes we get it you like that tim guy a lot 

Beholding: why do you even let him suffer in that circus

Stranger: Character Development!

Beholding: i see

Lonely: well lets just let this pass by and accept it

Lonely: not like it'll matter anyway, everyone has to move on

Lonely: especially in something as simple as this

Beholding: my friend is currently freakign the fuck out about the fact klaus hargreeves is messaging him and respondign to his tweets

Beholding: it matters but well accept it either way

Spiral!!: yOU hav E fRien Ds?

Stranger: Our Eye Has A Friend!

Beholding: shut up you guys only have existed for 17 months

Buried: What do you mean by that beholding

Beholding: shit my experiments done SEE YA

Hunt: BEHOLDING WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT.

————————————

borne in the vallen

holding coffee: [screenshot]

holding coffee: bastard wont tell me straight on

failed experiment: Ill look into it if you want

holding coffee: yes please

holding coffee: @everybody's lonely @diversity win! @vines of ivy @#1 james wright hater

holding coffee: to the archives you motherfuckers

Chapter Text

uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

why is living in the 1930s so much of a PAIN?? 

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ba dum tss @thepurpleguy

replying to @lestyebearthur

because ww1 ended and ww2's going to start in less than a decade

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @thepurpleguy

so grateful i was transported during 1923 🙏🙏 

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @lestyebearthur

maybe a god does exist

Jonathan Sims @jsims

POV: you don't fucking exist

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vampire teeth @flybutter

replying to @jsims

Hi i like your shoelaces

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Jonathan Sims @jsims

replying to @flybutter

Thanks i stole it from the president (you could just ask)

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vampire teeth @flybutter

replying to @jsims

OH MY GOD WHAT

vampire teeth @flybutter

POV: THAT ONE SHITPOSTER YOU FOLLOWED JUST SUDDENLY PMED YOU HIS TUMBLR USER???

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get that dick and GO @reindeerstan

replying to @flybutter

DROP THE USER

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Jonathan Sims @jsims

replying to @reindeerstan

Or ask him directly idk

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @jsims

you broke them you arse i can See them freaking out

pothead extraordinaire @realeliasbouchard

the one day that i got offline i learn that twitter got turned into another domain by accident  @S Pi N nY >:(

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spIr alLin G rIgh Tno W @sPIn nY

rE PLy INgt O @re a L El IA s bo Uc Har D

hA HaAha AhhA A hA ah A

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pothead extraordinaire @realeliasbouchard

replying to @s PI n Ny

i only tolerate you because of michael

old king cole @junejulyaugust

@alvarthearchivist I have not seen you leave your office in three days please get out

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @junejulyaugust

ON FUCKING TWITTER???

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goopy and spooky @localeldritchhorror

replying to @junejulyaugust

Otw to get that bitch out

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @localeldritchhorror

IM IN THE MIDDLE OF SORTING YOU ARSCXJK

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sunday is my wife @jacob

replying to @alvarthearchivist

what the heck has twitter evolved to now 😭😭

CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

SO who likes the odyssey here

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we all hate calypso!! @geeseareterrifying

replying to @jonnyboy

Too many people thats for sure

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shipfucker @nastya

replying to @jonnyboy

Jonny go to bed I can see you hunched over your desk

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CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

replying to @nastya

SHUT UP im doing shit

trust in the eye @daylightisfake

@alvarthearchivist did we teleport to america or something why are my shit getting pushed around

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @daylightisfake

nope, the new guys just like shooting people. the soundwaves of gunshots are particularly playful this time around

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trust in the eye @daylightisfake

replying to @alvarthearchivist

what did i expect from the drunk space pirates (please come to n̶͍̑m̴̮̀e̷̠̕ ̵͉̽l̸̞͋d̴̟̏ḫ̷̀r̶̰͗ẗ̷̪́s̵̢̐e̴̼̕d̸͝ͅn̶̼͐a̷̹͠ aerophobia's circulating around again)

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @daylightisfake

ill try to get them a silencer or something (again??? god fucking damn it)

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trust in the eye @daylightisfake

replying to @alvarthearchivist

no its fine HAHAHA just send some lithium chloride over here i need to tell the pink fire soundwaves something (yup)

what happened to twitter @moonlightcookiestan

GUYS I DISAPPEARED FOR FIVE DAYS WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED

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the last centurion?? @rorytheroman

replying to @moonlightcookiestan

I'd tell you if I knew, mate

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What's gender? @thedoctor

replying to @moonlightcookiestan

universes merged, timelines overlapped, and everything's going to hell!

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @thedoctor

different universes (from what i could tell) different explanations ig??

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the last centurion?? @rorytheroman

replying to @thedoctor

Are you alright??

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What's gender @thedoctor

replying to @rorytheroman

debatable :PP

The Toy Soldier @TTSoldier

Hello! Do Not Enter Wax Museums Ever! You Will Get Skinned, I Guarantee You!

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too close i cannot breathe @theburied

replying to @ttsoldier

preach it louder for the people in the back

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I Do Not Know You @TheStranger

Replying To @TTSoldier

I Like You Already! Everyone, Do Follow This Fellow's Advice.

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The Toy Soldier @TTSoldier

replying to @TheStranger

What The Fuck!

keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

what's up with twitter: a thread (1/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

new twitter logo (2/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

for some people there are users that disappeared for them but for others are still there (3/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

so many new users from other universes??? i think???? allegedly??????? (4/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

better algorithm! yay! (5/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

whatever's happening with @alvarthearchivist and co! (6/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

limit on tweets has been changed to 500 words (not characters) per post somehow (7/?)

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @iliketitties

will be adding as time goes by

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

TAHNK YOU SM archives knows we need you

[quoting the last thread by @iliketitties]

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keeping up with twitter updates @iliketitties

replying to @alvarthearchivist

UHM THANKS???

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sandwiches NOM @ticktocktick

replying to @iliketitties

afd 'hate bots all removed' 

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CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

replying to @ticktocktick

good fucking riddance

Jonathan Sims @jsims

i have been informed that all the porn bots here have been removed and i would like to say good fucking riddance

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it is wednesday my dudes @AAAAAA

replying to @jsims

as an sex-repulsed ace i would like to say: I AGREE SO MUCH

it is wednesday my dudes @AAAAAA

i am not spider-man guys. does he even exist in this fucked up version of twt??

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Meme Croissant @realspiderman

replying to @AAAAAA

can agree!! also im pretty sure i exist??

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it is wednesday my dudes @AAAAAA

replying to @realspiderman

WHAT HU HWHAT

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BURN IT ALL DOWN @ashes

replying to @AAAAAA

Welcome to the underworld kid. you cant fucking leave :)

Voice of Nightvale @Cecil

Hello Twitter! I have been informed by the SSP that we are now allowed to legally post things here. I have also been informed by The Beholding that there is another Nightvale-like town called Vallenborne. @alvarthearchivist ?

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @Cecil

SDFNGVKAERJLSVLKXZ HI!!!! CECIL!!!!!!! :DDDDD

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goopy and spooky @localeldritchhorror

replying to @Cecil

welcome to hell, we have no phobias (unless you get infected) and The Horrors (trademark pending)

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

hi chat im going to nightvale wish me luck

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Mother of Puppets @theweb!!

replying to @lifeisahigh

Good luck, my child!

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @theweb!!

...thanks :>

Chapter Text

Alvar D'ville has created a new groupchat

Alvar D'ville has added 8 people

Alvar D'ville has changed the groupchat name to 'Avatars of hell itself'

Alvar D'ville has changed their name to 'parental supervision'

parental supervision: hi guys welcome to hell

parental supervision: because i need to fucking keep track of all your asses

parental supervision: theres too many of you guys ffs

Jonny D'ville is online

Arthur Lester is online

Kayne lester is online

Jonny D'ville: AT FUCKING 2 AM IN THE MORNING WHAT THE HELL????

Arthur Lester: goddamnit i was on a smoke break beholding

Arthur Lester: i had to sneak into the basement just to not get weird fucking stares

Arthur Lester: because guess whos stuck in the past 

Kayne Lester: you?

Arthur Lester has changed their name to let me have one good day

Kayne Lester has changed their name to GIVE IT A REST BUDDY

The Toy Soldier is online

let me have one good day: i need a fucking break from missing people 

GIVE IT A REST BUDDY: HAHA good luck in like

GIVE IT A REST BUDDY: 2 years idk

GIVE IT A REST BUDDY: its 1930 on your end right

let me have one good day: just about yeah

GIVE IT A REST BUDDY: malevolent starts what year @parental supervision

parental supervision: 1934 (Malevolent, Part One)

let me have one good day: FUCK PARKERS LOOKING FOR ME BYE

let me have one good day is offline

GIVE IT A REST BUDDY is offline

Jonny D'ville: @parental supervision hey asshat where are you

parental supervision: dreamlands

Jonny D'ville has changed his name to CAPTAIN of the starship aurora 

The Toy Soldier has changed CAPTAIN of the starship aurora's name to First Mate Of The Starship Aurora!

First Mate Of The Starship Aurora!: TS YOU ASS

First Mate Of The Starship Aurora! is offline

The Toy Soldier: Well Fuck

The Toy Soldier is offline

Ivy Alexandria is online

Ivy Alexandria: I heard a gunshot

Ivy Alexandria: Considering the fact that 84.2% of Jonny's reactions to annoyance or anger or any emotion, really, is shooting the source, I'm willing to guess that he tried

Ivy Alexandria: And failed

The Toy Soldier: And Failed!

William Irvine is online

June Embers is online

William Irvine: what the fhxk

parental supervision: hi william

June Embers: Hihi<33

Ivy Alexandria: Hello, William :)

William Irvine: wheres elias

William Irvine: where is thag pathetic man

parental supervision: hes uhh

parental supervision: wait ill check on him

William Irvine has changed their name to everybody's lonely

June Embers has changed their name to set it OFF BABY!!!

set it OFF BABY!!! has changed Ivy Alexandria's name to library od alexandria

set it OFF BABY!!! has changed library od alexandria's name to library of alexandria

parental supervision: [Picture of Elias, clearly taken hastily. He is smoking a cigarette has he leans on the wall. His eyes are looking towards the camera in amusement.]

parental supervision: @Real Elias Bouchard

Real Elias Bouchard is online

parental supervision: [Another picture of Elias. The cigarette is in his mouth as he stares at his phone.]

Real Elias Bouchard: Heeeyooooo :]

Real Elias Bouchard: @parental supervision Should you list down wbos whay avatar?

parental supervision: oh

parental supervision: yeah probably

Real Elias Bouchard has changed their name to i have green eyes (web)

i have green eyes (web): 'Probably' 😭😭

parental supervision has changed their name to parental supervision (the beholding itself)

parental supervision (the beholding itself) has changed let me have one good day's name to let me have one good day (spiral)

parental supervision (the beholding itself) has changed libary of alexandria's name to library of alexandria (corruption)

parental supervision (the beholding itself): dear archives im fucking tired already

everybody's lonely: L + ratio old man

parental supervision (the beholding itself): >:(

set it OFF BABY!!! has changed their name to diversity win! that woman is a murderer! (slaughter)

diversity win! that woman is a murderer! (slaughter): william fucking itvine you are an ICIN

library of alexandria (corruption): *Irvine *icon

diversity win! that woman is a murderer! (slaughter) is offline

library of alexandria (corruption) is offline

everybody's lonely has changed their name to everybody's (lonely) 

parental supervision (the beholding itself): huh. clever.

everybody's (lonely): ikr 

parental supervision (the beholding itself) has changed GIVE IT A REST BUDDY's name to GIVE IT A REST BUDDY (webholding)

i have green eyes (web): WEB X THR BEHOLDING CONFIRMED??? /j

everybody's (lonely): nonono 

everybody's (lonely): al's in love with the spiral (through michael)

parental supervision (the beholding itself): i.

parental supervision (the beholding itself) has changed First Mate Of The Starship Aurora!'s name to First Mate (beholding's archives)

everybody's (lonely): WAIT WHAY ACTUALLY

i have green eyes (web): HOLY SHIT BESPIRAL CONFIRMED HAHAHAHA

parental supervision (the beholding itself) has changed The Toy Soldier's name to TTS (hunt's arrow)

parental supervision (the beholding itself) has changed i have green eyes (web)'s name to i have green eyes (web's fateweaver)

parental supervision (the beholding itself): no one speak of this

parental supervision (the beholding itself) is offline

Chapter Text

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

GUYS ITS @lestyebearthur 'S BIRTH 

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @alvarthearchivist

ah, yes. my birth 🥰🥰 

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @lestyebearthur

SHUT UP 😭😭

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Grab the popcorn @candykayne

replying to @alvarthearchivist

POV: you're an eldritch god who collects knowledge but also just presses post immediately after your thought process is done #alestersbirth

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @CandyKayne

HOLY FUCK THAT IS BRILLIANT #alestersbirth

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

@miChHhaElLlllLlLl MIKE THE LESTER BROTHERS ARE MAKING FUN OF ME :(

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tH edIs Tor T IoN @MiChaEEEeeELllL

replying to @alvarthearchivist

de SerV e :p #alestersbirth

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @MmmMmiChaElLllL

dick. @localeldritchhorror?

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goopy and spooky @localeldritchhorror

replying to @alvarthearchivist

Suffer #alestersbirth

Grab the popcorn @CandyKayne

happy BIRTH brother dear @lestyebearthur (#alestersbirth HAHAHA)

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Grab the popcorn @CandyKayne

replying to @CandyKayne

i hope youre having fun in the 1930s! remember im watchinf you 🥰🥰

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @CandyKayne

thats not ominous at all but thanks :)

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Stripes n pins @pinsnstripes

replying to @CandyKayne

watchinf

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Grab the popcorn @CandyKayne

replying to @pinsnstripes

ceaseless watcher turn your gaze upon this wretched thing @alvarthearchivist

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @CandyKayne

you BETRAYED me kayne. im not turning my gaze upon that beautiful being

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @alvarthearchivist 

COUGH COUGH #alestersbirth COUGH COUGH

Stripes n pins @pinsnstripes

this new twitter is fucking weird but i just got complimented by the guy who actually might be a beholding avatar so i think this place is SICK actually

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Jonathan Sims @jsims

replying to @pinsnstripes 

No pornbots :) no hatebots :) all is well :) also alvar is the beholding itself :)

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DING DONG THE WITCH IS GONE @asdfakfw

replying to @jsims

No!!! Shitty politicians!!!!!! 

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @asdfakfw

NO SHITTY POLITICIANS!!!!!!!!!!! (@alvarthearchivist send me a list of the Shit Politicians)

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @lestyebearthur

i cant see?? intot he future???? so no?????

jonny sims needs a hug @vinestjebeyond

CALLINF ALL FANS WHOS FANDOMS ARE HERE WE CAN LITERALLY TELL THEM WHAG TO AVOID!!!!!

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jonny sims needs a hug @vinestjebeyond

replying to @vinestjebeyond 

@jsims COMMUNICATE TO YOUR ASSISTANTS AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DONT FUCKING STALK PEOPLE

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Jonathan Sims @jsims

replying to @vinestjebeyond

Would be useful if i was at That Part but i havent even been hired?? plus elias hasnt been jonah magnus-ized so

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Mother of Puppets @theweb!!

replying to @jsims

::::>

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pothead extraordinaire @realeliasbouchard

replying to @theweb!!

Ah

uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

thank you guys for greeting me happy birthday and for getting #alestersbirth trending

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @lestyebearthur

fuck you and fuck you @CandyKayne

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Grab the popcorn @CandyKayne

replying to @alvarthearchivist

nahh youre not my type

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @alvarthearchivist

i only let Big Eldritch Horrors fuck me thank you very much

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arthur lester's tree-finger @untowardcunt

replying to @lestyebearthur

OH BOY DO WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU

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uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

replying to @untowardcunt

?

uh i like yellow @lestyebearthur

theres a book?? on my office doorstep?? it has this weird symbol on it. brb gonna open it because if theres one thing vallenborne and alvar has taught me its always be curious (and by god i cannot rwsist The Temptation)

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sugar and spice and vodka @femalevolent

replying to @lestyebearthur 

ARTHUR NO FUCK

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arthur lester's tree-finger @untowardcunt

replying to @femalevolent

DAMN IT ALL >:(

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Mother of Puppets @theweb!!

replying to @femalevolent

The story must progress, child. Apologies, @lestyebearthur !

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

new update on the timeline! march 30, 1930 is officially the start of the events of malevolent. dont worry dear fans, @CandyKayne and i are watching arthur and the being that would later be called john and making sure all goes well and no events are added or removed with the aid of @theweb!!

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stream angel with a shotgun @azzythemortality

replying to @alvarthearchivist

whar do yoy mean 'no events are added or removde'

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @azzythemortality

👀

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parmesean is yum @permaryu

replying to @alvarthearchivist

WHAY DO YOU MEAN. BY THAG.

two in one baby @lestyebearthur

we have a problem

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two in one baby @lestyebearthur

replying to @lestyebearthur

We are fine. I think. -Entity

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Grab the popcorn @CandyKayne

replying to @lestyebearthur

boutta live up to my name cause this is gonna be hilarious

Chapter Text

It was dark. Very, very dark. The man, for some odd reason, thought he had been swallowed up by the shadows at first.

He grunted as he sat up– he was laying down, apparently– instinctively drawing a circle on the floor, before pausing as he realized his intentions were to turn on the fucking light.

"What–" he mumbled. He knew his eyes were darting– he could feel it– and yet he saw nothing but darkness. "Where– Where am I..? What happened? W-Why can't I-?!"

"Don't you remember?" a deep and honey laced voice asked. It had a metallic undertone to it.

The man gasped in surprise. Somehow, he just knew something happened. Related to his... sight? 

The entity has his sight.

...Alright, then. He felt like he was being watched, and yet whoever it was, their gaze (gazes?) settled on him like a comfortable blanket.

"Who are you?" he asked. He felt oddly calm.

"Who am I?" the voice asked. "I'm a friend. The best friend you have right now, the only friend you have right now."

"What happened?" the man who cannot remember his name–

Arthur Lester.

–Arthur asked. "Why can't I see anything?"

(If he heard the distant sound of laughter, Arthur paid no mind to it. He's sure one of the gazes cast upon him is from whoever or whatever that was.)

And– oh. The entity was laughing. "I know."

"What do you mean you know– Who are you?!" Arthur hissed, scrambling up and clutching his head. Fuck, it feels like his skull is about to split. 

"Relax. Take a deep breath, relax."

He should. He may be of the Spiral, but he shouldn't go spiralling into insanity just yet.

Arthur took a deep breath. His mind was still scrambled, but it was more organised than it had been just a few minutes ago.

"I-I can't remember who I fucking am, where I am, what the hell happened, and I can't see anything. Give me a break."

The entity laughed again. "Calm down, friend. I’ll tell you everything you need to know, okay?"

He took a deep breath. "Alright, okay. Great."

"Let’s start with where you are. You’re standing in the office that belongs to one Arthur Lester."

Arthur was about to comment about it being his name, but then Knowledge creeped into his mind.

I shouldn't. This entity underestimates me. He can use this to my advantage. Do what I to best and lie.

"Arthur Lester?" he decided to say. Might as well do it.

"Yes," that voice, still covered in honey, said. "Sound familiar?"

"...No."

"'It should, because they’re your offices."

Ah. Alright, then. He was a PI, right? 

(He distantly recalled rolling his eyes as he read a message from... cane? No, Kayne.)

"M-Mine?" Arthur asked, and his voice just couldn't help but stutter. How irritating. 

"That's right, friend," that soothing voice confirmed softly.

iN anDO uT, ina NDo U t!

Alright. Listen to the oddly distorted sound of your inner voice, Arthur thought, before trying to move–

"Don’t move just yet, friend."

The last part was tacked on hastily. Set it aside for later.

He Y!!1 do N Ts Tea L th e S PI R AL' sCor r Id oR!

Arthur was starting to think that his 'inner voices' weren't just his own thoughts. But, then again there was a voice inside his head that belongs to an entity who has his eyes, so maybe it wasn't too far fetched.

"Why?"

"Cause I want you to do something."

Huh. Okay, then. Not like he necessarily has a choice, does he?

"Okay," Arthur mumbled. "What is it?"

"Reach down by your feet," the voice ordered. He did. He felt something that felt like...

"Oh, it's a book," he said. "Alright. Okay."

"Yes, that's it," the voice urged, "pick it up, Arthur."

Arthur just grabbed the book, but didn’t really stand up. He turned it around in his hands curiously, fingers running on the spine and the pages. He should take advantage of his left hand while he still can.

HeS hou LD aLs O st OP bEi nG PamP er E D by Th eBe hOld inG. Aft ER al L, h eB el ON gs tO Th eSP I RA L.

"Arthur!" the voice, now strong and deep, barked. Arthur blinked back to reality. "Pick up the goddamn book."

He rolled his eyes, standing up with the book in hand. "Alright, you don't have to shout at me."

”I’m just adding some levity into the situation, friend,” it commented, before shifting back into that honey laced voice that greeted him as he entered this new world of darkness. “Now, turn around and head towards your desk.”

Shit. Fuck. “I can’t see-“

”I’ll tell you when you’re close.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Arthur pointed out. “I can’t see, there’s you, and then-“

”It will be fine,” the voice growled. “Just take a deep breath and step backwards.”

And so Arthur did. He didn’t quite manage to sync his body to the voice’s commands, and so he tripped over something, landing with a grunt.

”Fuck, wha-?”

”I said stop, friend!”

”I tried,” Arthur mumbled, feeling around for whatever he tripped o-

It’s a body.

”This- This is-“

”Now just calm down,” the voice tried, and yet fear just filled his being.

”Oh my fucking god. This is- This feels like a body!”

”Yes,” the voice said, lowering its voice to sound more like a growl. “It’s a body, Arthur. Your partner.”

Oh. Oh god. It’s his fucking partner, because apparently he had one (Peter Yang, his mind supplied, but you called him Parker), and it was just laying there. In his office, of all places.

“Arthur. Arthur!”

He snapped back to reality.

”Listen to me! I have your eyes now, so you’re gonna shut the fuck up and listen to me. Walk to the desk, and put the book down.”

His legs felt like jello, and yet Arthur felt like someone was helping him up. Long twisting fingers wrapped around his arm to provide him stability, and the pressure of a gaze kept his legs planted to the ground. Those touches were comparable to a fleeting moment. It was there one moment, then not in the next. He placed the book on the desk.

“That’s right. Good. Now that wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

Arthur just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “No. Okay, what now?”

“Open up the book, I need to read something.”

Arthur fumbled, opening the book. “Where do I, um…”

“Just open it.”

Okay. Alright. This is fine. He should’ve gone through the malevolent spoilers tag on twitter to try and figure out something- Fuck.

He should probably open twitter soon. Or tell the others about his whereabouts.

The voice ordered, “Start flipping pages and I’ll tell you when to stop,” and Arthur has never been so glad to have instructions to follow, to use in order to not have to think about the future and what he should tell this entity.

Ah right, entity in my head who just so happens to have my sight. I’m actually from the future, or some place there, time doesn’t exist in Vallenborne after all, and I should use a device that won’t be invented for more than fifty years int he future in order to use an app that’s able to bridge the gap between multiple universes to inform complete strangers that I’m doing just fine.

Yeah, that’ll work for sure.

He focused on taking deep and controlled breaths until the voice said, “There. Stop.”

And this time, Arthur did. The voice mumbled words from another language, from another world, and it was like his skull was about to blow up.

When it yelled, “Close it!”, Arthur did as he was told immediately.

”What did you learn?” he asked curiously.

”Nothing I didn’t already know.”

The voice seemed to drop the sickly sweet tone that it used before. Arthur liked its (actually, what pronouns does it use?) voice, and the metallic undertones just made it better. Now, if only it wasn’t much of an ass.

He huffed, leaning against his desk and instinctively bringing his fingernails to his face to inspect them before realizing that he couldn’t fucking see. “And what is that?”

“I don’t know why someone gave you this book, Arthur, but in opening it, you’ve cursed yourself.”

A memory popped up. Ah, right. The absurdly good luck curse. He remembered that day as clear as glass.

(After all, it’s when he became the Spiral’s Corridors. But that’s a story for another time.)

”Well, nothing that hasn’t already happened to me,” he offhandedly mumbled. “So, what’s the curse?”

There was a brief moment of silence that had Arthur concerned, before the entity (so UNd s be TT eR!!) said, “We’re bound.”

Oh. He’s heard of those types of curses (didn’t he cast one before?) but it wasn’t like this. So, slightly confused but still curious (one of the gazes cast upon him clearly felt smug for whatever reason), he asked, “Bound? In what way?”

The radio flickered on, and a tape recorder probably clicked on. Arthur was sure about the first part, but the second not so much. Music flowed into his ears. An almost somber piano song, accompanied by a cello.

Faroe’s song. He made it for her, before tragedy struck.

”I’m trapped inside you,” the entity explained. “I can see through your eyes, and as far as I can tell, I control nothing else.”

”But I can hear you,” he pointed out.

”Yes, well, I guess sharing a body means that we share a mind,” it (or he??) snarked. Arthur didn’t quite care for his tone, all he wanted to know was-

“Who are you? Or what are you?”

“What am I?” The entity laughed. Arthur wanted to bash his face in. “Let’s save that for now. The simpler question is; who are you?”

”Arthur Lester,” he said like clockwork. “Private investigator, the Spi-“

”No. I mean, who are you to have received this book? As for who you are, I know that because it’s written on the door to your office; Arthur Lester and Peter Yang, Private Investigative Services. It’s on the open door. Though, since you already know you’re a PI, I don’t think this is new information.”

”So my partner is this… Peter Yang,” Arthur said.

The entity hummed. “Yes. I can’t imagine why he’d call out his own name before dying if he wasn’t Peter Yang.”

He should probably be more panicked than this. He’s trapped in darkness, there’s an entity who has his eyes, his thoughts are literally fighting each other (‘Well, he’s my friend so-‘ ‘hE SM yc ORr Ido RS!’), and his partner is dead. And yet all he felt was interest and a tiny bit of fear.

”Well, that’s sweet, I suppose,” Arthur sardonically said. “He called out my name in his final moments.”

”Yes, yes. You dropped the book and turned to hi. He called out your name, and then…”

”Bang.”

The entity, Arthur could tell, was confused. Probably about how calm he was and how he knew stuff. “Yes. Don’t ask how, Arthur. Question and answer period is over. Did you not hear me? The door is open.”

”And?”

”And your partner is laying dead in the middle of the floor!” it- fuck it, he growled. “You need to move him before some passerby looks in.”

Right. Okay, alright. He stepped around where he assumed the body was, bumped into a piano on the way, and shut the door, sighing in relief right after.

“Better.”

————————————

Arthur sighed. Yeah, maybe he should’ve done the idea that he got back in the office a while ago.

”I’m not lying,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road. “My car looks the same as every other on the outside, but inside it’s different. This is not how cars look like in this time. Plus, I have a phone, so…”

”How do I know you’re not lying, Arthur?” the entity asked. “You know I haven’t seen the outside world-“

”Jesus fucking christ.”

”-and I know humans can be manipulative. Who’s to say you aren’t?”

Once again, he sighed. “Just- Trust me on this. Uhm, off-topic, but do you mind helping me type?”

”What?”

Arthur took out his phone. “Find the… square that looks like a bunch of circles.”

With the entity’s help, he found twitter with ease and changed his twitter handle (“Yes, I’m letting you choose.” “Oh.”), before typing up something, the position of each key engrained in his memory.

‘we have a problem’

”You wanna add more?” Arthur asked. “Just tell me what, and I’ll type it in.”

”…We are fine. Type that in.”

Arthur added the ‘I think’ part with a snicker, adding ‘The Entity’ at the end. Just to make sure everyone is aware of it.

Good luck.

go Odl Uc K!

Good luck, brother mine.

Chapter Text

Carlos the Scientist @CarlosNV

imagine feeling pain. couldnt be me you fucking normal people (heavily derogatory)

|

i need to get a prescription @davidsdead

replying to @CarlosNV

CARLOS WHAT.

|

Carlos the Scientist @CarlosNV

replying to @davidsdead

Ignore that.

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

the horrifying ordeal of being Known

[video attached: A CCTV recording of a Latino man scrolling on his phone as a spider sits on his shoulder, contrasting against the while lab coat he has on. The audio is also on, and so is the radio.

CECIL: "–Taurus: Watch what you say and where you say it. They are watching you, even if they don't know it. One slip up, and they'll end up on a path that leads to them knowing your secrets. Or don't. This is just a suggestion from the stars."

CARLOS: "...Eh, it's just a suggestion."

Two seconds later. There's a faint ping. Carlos freezes after he taps the notification.

CARLOS: "WAIT, FUCK, THAT WAS MY PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNT?!"

CECIL: "If you don't follow this day's horoscope, then who knows what will happen? Though, it seems like some already have suffered the consequences."

CARLOS: "Damn yoh, Cecil. You and your sex-"

Video cuts off.]

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @lifeisahigh

l + fucking ratio + youre an idiot + dense motherfucker + doesnt double check + no life + science geek

|

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @alvarthearchivist

SHUT UP 😭😭

arthur lester's pinky @treefroggo

@CarlosNV Hows it like in nightvale

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Carlos the Scientist @CarlosNV

replying to @treefroggo

It's quite nice! I'm surprised they warmed up to me easily, being an outsider and all, but I'm glad they did, in the end.

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arthur lester's pinky @treefroggo

replying to @CarlosNV

Great! @lifeisahigh?

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @treefroggo

hhhh HOT RADIO MAN (who happens to be?? al's avatar??? very sexy of him)

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @lifeisahigh

@Cecil 👀

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

alvar you bitch

|

science!! @raphael.la

replying to @lifeisahigh

@alvarthearchivist square up :))

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @raphael.la

👀👀👀 no 👀👀👀

Non-professional VoNV @CasualCecil

Apparently @lifeisahigh (or @CarlosNV) has been caught lusting over my voice! Updates in an indeterminate amount of time as time is nothing but a social instruct, but most likely at the end of the day (for most people) once he gets out of work :)

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh

replying to @CasualCecil

cecil. cecil what do you mean.

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @CasualCecil

unpictured: both cecil AND carlos freaking the fuck out. also can i be the flower girl :)

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Mother of Puppets @theweb!!

replying to @alvarthearchivist 

And can I be the officiant? Or the one to walk Carlos down the aisle. ::::)

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

replying to @alvarthearchivist 

fuck it, YES

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

replying to @theweb!!

HI MOM (also yes)

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

@theweb!! is not my actjal mother guys.

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CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

replying to @lifeisahigh

ONE KF US!! ONE OF US!! ONE OF US!!!!!!

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Mother of Puppets @theweb!!

replying to @lifeisahigh 

::::(

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evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

replying to @theweb!!

...alright maybe you are my mom or whatever 

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Mother of Puppets @theweb!!

replying to @lifeisahigh

::::>> !!

i need to get a prescription @davidsdead 

@CarlosNV were you. implying. that you have. CIP. CARLOS. 

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Carlos the Scientist @CarlosNV 

replying to @davidsdead

What's CIP? Oh, and @realeliasbouchard can I make a statement?

|

i need to get a prescription @davidsdead 

replying to @CarlosNV

...SIR.

jessi bestiee!! @jessicaville

Today's learnings! @CarlosNV is the same person as @lifeisahigh ! This makes things so much more fucking complicated!

|

Non-professional VoNV @CasualCecil 

replying to @jessicaville

And don't forget 'interesting'! It's important to let partial eldritch horrors know they're wanted and loved <3 (@alvarthearchivist did I do it right?)

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @CasualCecil 

you are a gem ceec. also yeah you did it right!!

|

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

replying to @CasualCecil 

IM A QHAY

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist 

replying to @lifeisahigh 

you can summon tentacles

|

evil scientist hehe @lifeisahigh 

replying to @alvarthearchivist 

MY POINT. STKLL STANDS.

slxxpyfxxker @spaceboy!!

i lied about malevolent being the focus for a few chapters:)

Chapter Text

Click. A scream of pain from a child. 

NIKOLA

Yes, dear. It hurts, I know. But you'll be perfect for our Circus once we're done!

A lullaby begins playing, a mere backdrop as the screams intensify.

TO-BE RINGMASTER

(screaming, in pain)

PLEASE! N'MORE! 

A rip. The screams are gone, but the bubbling of blood is heard. 

NIKOLA

There, no more screams. Dear, get me the Mechanism! We must make haste, lest our Ringmaster passes. After all, he is still mortal.

Metal clinks together. Clothes shuffle together.

NIKOLA

Alright... and... there! Oh. The Ringmaster has passed out. Oh well! It makes the procedure easier.

Click. Static. Another click.

NIKOLA

Don't forget to remove his memories. We must make sure he sees us as family. He must stay in The Circus.

Click. Static. Click.

TO-BE RINGMASTER

What did you do to me?! What is-?!

NIKOLA

Why, we made you one of ours! You're perfect for our Circus, dear. Though, we must first train you to–

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

Wait. Wait, please! I-I don't know what's going on, a-and my body hurts! 

A sob, then a hush. The sobs become muffled as clothes shuffle. It's safe to assume Nikola is hugging The To-be Ringmaster.

NIKOLA

Shh... We'll be your family now. We'll help you become one of the best.

Click. Static. Click. 

Muffled screaming.

TO-BE RINGMASTER

(yelling)

Nikki! There's another human here!

A few moments pass. Footsteps approach.

NIKOLA

Wonderful! Now, dear, usually we skin these humans–

The muffled screamings intensify.

NIKOLA

–but we do need to teach you how to Feed. Here's what you must do. Get a silk rope.

The sound of silk seemingly being pulled out of air.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

Alright... what now?

NIKOLA

Tie him down! You know the technique we showed you, yes?

Shuffling. Whatever's muffling the screaming is gone.

PERSON

(in horror)

Get away from me, you– you monsters!

Someone clicks their tongue.

NIKOLA

Now, that's just rude! Don't you think so, Ringmaster?

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

I... Yes. It's very rude, mister.

A muffled yelp of pain.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

You ought to be silent. Did-did I use that word, uhm, 'ought', right, Nikki?

NIKOLA

Yes, you did! Good job, Ringmaster. 

The ruffling of hair, paired with acknowledging hums.

NIKOLA

I do advise you to finish the bindings.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

Right, right, right, right, right, right, right.

Shuffling. Grunts. Heavy breathing. After what feels like far too long, The To-be Ringmaster sighs, pleased, likely with his work.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

Alright. Now what?

NIKOLA

You see this button, dear?

Three times, metal clinks together.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

Yes..?

NIKOLA

Press it, and from your fingertip shall bloom a blade of your very own! It's quite sharp, so don't let it near your torso.

A fwip, then a hum.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

Handy. What's next..?

NIKOLA

Right. Make an incision right about... here.

The muffled screaming turns from terror to pain.

NIKOLA

And another here.

A pause as The To-be Ringmaster hums a song. 'You Always Hurt The One You Love' by The Mills Brother.

NIKOLA

Alright, now! Remember our anatomy lessons? Search for the vocal cords. 

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

(singing)

One, two, three, four. Front and center, through the door.

The screams intensify. No one pays any mind.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

(singing)

Five, six, seven, eight. Find the rings, cut atop the raise.

A slice. The gurgle of blood.

TO-BE RINGMASTER 

(singing)

One, two, three, four. Cut the top, and out the door.

The screaming cuts off.

TO-BE RINGMASTER

(singing)

Five, six, seven, eight...

NIKOLA 

(hushed, proud)

Clean it up, and prepare the stage.

A deep breath.

NIKOLA

Good job, Ringmaster. Now, ask one of the mannequins to teach you how to swap out your voice box for that one's! There's a recording device just about... here.

Clink. Nikola taps a metal compartment once. It's clear that the device recording this recording is from is not the one she is talking about.

TO-BE RINGMASTER

...Okay.

Click. Static. Click.

THE RINGMASTER

(loud, in a performance voice. The same voice as the man from before)

Hello, hello everyone! Welcome to The Other Circus! Today, we shall have acts like none have seen before. Open your eyes, lend us your ears, for the show shall start!

A loud cheer. A shuffle. Someone is holding the recorder.

TOY SOLDIER

(closer to the recorder, hushed.)

It's Very Loud. But... We Have Our Guy.

Another shuffle. The cheers die down.

THE RINGMASTER

But first! Introductions. After all, it's best to have a connection to the audience. I am the Ringmaster, and tonight! I will be the director, producer, narrator, reporter, and most importantly, the..?

CROWD

Entertainer!

THE RINGMASTER 

Good, good! Wow, we're working with an old crowd, are we? That's not to say the new ones aren't welcome, of course.

A laugh.

THE RINGMASTER

Alright! Let's not dilly-dally. Let the show...

THE RINGMASTER AND CROWD

Begin!

Click. Static. Click.

Silence. Then, a sigh.

THE BEHOLDING

I've been investigating, or, well, following the Circus out of curiosity, this Circus for who knows how long. It's mostly just the occasional visits and such. Then twitter came in. There's people who knew of this Circus. Then...

A sigh. Papers shuffling

THE BEHOLDING

There's this missing person case from 1952. Alexei Vasiliev, last seen in an area near this Circus in Russia. And... at the time, when I saw this case after learning about the Circus, I just Knew. This was Alexei. I had TS investigate. The last recording on this particular tape was from about two weeks ago. Uhm... yeah. We found Alexei Vasiliev. Now, all we have to do is figure out how to get him out.

Click.

Chapter Text

whats a glow cloud @sacrificethelight

Youre telling me. Youdont live in like. A dream world. Where youre chilling with an eldritch god. 

|

BTS fucking rules @fearlessgal

replying to @sacrificethelight

N NO???

|

whats a glow cloud @sacrificethelight

replying to @fearlessgal

Damn. You fuckers would like yellow. Hes the chillest dude ive met??? #teachthevallens

helicopter go brrr @thedarknessishot

hi twt :33

|

she was a fairy @inserttwinkling

replying to @thedarknessishot

o great shadows, you do fucking realize we all know sharon is part of you now right

|

helicopter go brrr @thedarknessishot

replying to @inserttwinkling

awh :((

|

BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY!! @washingmachine

replying to @inserttwinkling

WH- WHAT. PART. OF THE SHADOWS??

|

she was a fairy @inserttwinkling

replying to @washingmachine

call it o great shadows! it doesnt like just being called shadows :P

|

helicopter go brrr @thedarknessishot

replying to @inserttwinkling

:) <3

kiy @yellowdude

Hello. 

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @yellowdude

YOOOO!! HI KING!!!!

|

two in one baby @lestyebearthur

replying to @yellowdude

LET US OUT PLEASE

|

kiy @yellowdude

replying to @lestyebearthur

Give me my fragment back. Make me whole.

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two in one baby @lestyebearthur

replying to @yellowdude

NO. -John

i ahve!! candy!! @livingvendingmachine

i love vb sm

[video attached: The camera is pointing towards a stack of books on a desk.

LVM: "I needed books about origami because I wanted to practice my magic, so I was preparing to get out. Even if that-"

The feed shifts to the window. There's small furballs with transparent, dragonfly-like wings whizzing about. There's far too much of them. A few of them are shown soaring through the air in a hoop-like structure.

LVM: "-is happening."

The video returns to the books.

LVM: "Then these guys came in with a floating eye up top. So, Alvar, if you're watching this, thanks!"]

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @livingvendingmachine

yw :) also the swarm is directed SPECIFICALLY at elias THAT BITCH

pothead extraordinaire @realeliasbouchard

@alvarthearchivist Youre welcome :]

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @realeliasbouchard

FUCK OFF YOU GODDAMN LIAR

|

slay you funky lesbian @sapphicsaph

replying to @alvarthearchivist

what happened??

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @sapphicsaph

HE. PRETENDED TO BE. POSSESED BY. JONAH.

saint bernaEYY @thirtyseven

listening to the wtnv radio channel is so fucking nice because one moment cecil could be talking about their librarians and the next he could be waxing poetics about carlos and i love him for that

|

SA (NT) @threespacefive

replying to @thirtyseven

Trueeeee

the juan @eatthefire

whats a bathroom #teachthevallens

|

sippy cup @Isaa

replying to @eatthefire

YOU DONT HAVE A BATHROOM???

|

the juan @eatthefire

replying to @Isaa

n no?? im made of fucking fabric??

isometric triangles @ninetydegrees

So. You guys have whatever cars are. Thats great. 

|

Logan Sanders @logicalside

replying to @ninetydegrees

At this point, it's hard to tell if you're joking.

|

isometric triangles @ninetydegrees

replying to @logicalside

No im not. We use thesr #teachthevallens

[picture attached: A portal in a garage, in front of a car.]

and now, the weather @allhailiguess

i im sorry. YALL HAVE?? LEVERS?? THOSE ARE LEGAL???

|

science enthusiast! @hpbarisfull

replying to @allhailiguess

wdym legal 

|

VB Police @VBPOfficial

replying to @hpbarisfull

Rule 823: Levers are illegal. It is illegal to use and acknowledge them. #teachthevallens

[picture attached: A post-it note with 'LEVERS ARE ILLEGAL' written on with a hurried and rushed handwriting. For some reason, there's an extra note. 'This is very, very true. -Alvar :33']

blood runs thicker than water @maplesyrup

HOW is #teachthevallens trending bro

|

asdznxvkl @qwripda

replying to @maplesyrup

vnxjlwaojiszdxlvkna

|

eldritch translator! @silverhour

replying to @qwripda

'Don't fucking ask me'

|

blood runs thicker than water @maplesyrup

replying to @silverhour

cryinf rn bro

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

APRIL FOOLS @Everyone !!!!

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @alvarthearchivist

i honestly didnt expect for yall to take the bait BUT heres what happened

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @alvarthearchivist

we (as vallenborne) decided to fuck with everyone NOT from vb because we know we're fucking strange!! thus #teachthevallens arose

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beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @alvarthearchivist

we do have a somewhat normal life guys. its just that magic and weirdness have practically taken over this place so we're all just not fazed by anything that has happened

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @alvarthearchivist

for example:

[video attached: The person holding the camera, presumably Alvar himself, approaches a fridge, which has a rope tied around the handle. He runs towards the other end of the room, and grabs the end of the rope, before pulling.

The fridge slams open, and an entity with a flower-like head with- Y'know what? It's a black demigorgon. A black demigorgon sprouts out the inky black inside of the fridge and screeches, reaching out towards Alvar.

The video cuts off.]

|

beholdin deez nuts @alvarthearchivist

replying to @alvarthearchivist

so yeah. april fools!

Chapter Text

fear us cunts

Stranger: And That Is Why Bone Cancer Is The Sexiest Cancer! Any Questions?

Beholding: yes. what the fuck did i log on to

Flesh: oh heyyy

Beholding: hi??? also who wants :33 to :33 have a date :33 in a museum :333

Web: One! Never use :3 ever again. Two! I'm not available, but I'm sure @Spiral!! is available. ;)

Spiral!!: w Hu h 

Beholding: WAIT NEVERMIND THE CIRCUS FUCKING MOVED. AGAJN.

Stranger: Fuck This Shit I Hate The Circus

Stranger: They’re Gatekeeping My Ringmaster!

Beholding: i love how much weve progressed as fear gods who just recently gained sentience<33

Beholding: we have the stranger who hates 

Beholding: wait whats your pns

Stranger: Can't You Know It?

Beholding: our powers dont work on each other

Beholding: any time i try to get info on you (as a 'being') i just hear fucking circus music

Spiral!!: W hA TAb? ou T m eE 

Beholding: colours and shapes. and possibly what 4th and 5th dimensional shapes sound like

Beholding: wait.

Beholding: fuck

Spiral!!: aR e yO Ual r Ig ? hT

Beholding: i just realized i lost Sight of elias about a week and a half ago

Beholding: last seen near the fucking manila film center

End: Oh. Fuck.

————————————

The Manila Film Center. Its construction started in the year 1981, and ended on 1982. The building was abandoned because of the people who died because of the rushed construction. About 169 people, specifically, died.

Apparently, the Circus of the Other decided to refurnish it and turn it into their 'tent'.

A tent that Elias mistakenly wandered into just about a week and a half ago.

Alvar stood in front of the Circus, lips pressed to a thin line. Behind him, stood Komets. The Stranger, condensed into a corporeal form. Though, there's just something off about it, just enough to make people paranoid. 

"For Who Knows How Many Years, My Ringmaster Has Been Forced To Play A Part He Never Wanted," Komets said blankly. "And Now, It Might Happen Again."

"Just with Elias," Alvar whispered.

The two entered the circus. The show was about to begin.

————————————

The Ringmaster knew keeping Elias (temporarily called Anatoli) alive was a good idea. And so, this idea spread across the Circus, for what their Ringmaster said was what they followed.

(And yet he felt no empathy or happiness for these mannequins. And he will no doubt feel nothing but satisfaction and happiness if he gets the chance to leave.)

He entered the room where their aerialist was practicing for their next show.

"Good form," he commented. "You're adjusting well to your new life."

And Anatoli (Elias) grinned at him. The Ringmaster took a deep breath, realizing it's likely been decades since he's seen an actual human smile.

"Yeah?" Elias asked with that boyish grin. "Well, if you've been to where I've lived, then you quickly learn how to adjust."

Where have you been? The Ringmaster wanted to ask. What have you seen in a world of which I can barely remember?

He wanted to Know.

(And yet, despite the fact he hunts knowledge of the outside like a Hunter, it was far too late for him to be claimed by the Ceaseless Watcher.)

Instead, he returned the grin. "Y’know, the more you talk about this mysterious town, the more intruiged I am."

Elias laughed, and oh what a beautiful melody it was.

(Was this love? The Ringmaster couldn't help but wonder. In the few books he managed to get, love was portrayed as a fluttering feeling in your stomach, more often than not.

There was no fluttering feeling, but rather just a sense of fascination.)

Three days. Three days until the next show.

(Three minutes until the next show).

Chapter Text

Elias and The Ringmaster grew on each other very, very quickly. 

It turned out being the only people who actually remember the outside world made for a great thing to bond over. Even if Elias had only been in the Circus for just about a year or so, they stuck together like glue and told each other stories about the lives they lived back then.

It’s funny, Elias mused as he practiced his part in the upcoming performance. Their relationship could be considered symbiotic in an odd way. The puppet cannot move without strings, and yet the strings would be useless if not for the puppet.

He flipped through the air, each and every motion engrained in his mind. According to The Ringmaster, it took decades (or what was considered too much fucking time) for another show. He was lucky he came this early.

“How ready are you for your first performance?”

Elias paused, staring at The Ringmaster, who leaned against the doorframe. The Ringmaster often retreated to wherever Elias was whenever he didn’t want to act, which, sadly, was often.

He got off the silk rope that held him up, the threads he wove that helped him move like fluid snapping as he landed on the ground.

“Ready, for the most part,” he told the Ringmaster. “I guess it just feels like I haven’t practiced enough. How… big’s the crowd, usually?”

The Ringmaster shrugged. “Depends on where we are. This time around, it’s reaching the thousands, but there are times when there’s just a few.”

Elias pursed his lips. That… was a lot. Would he be able to do it without shutting down in nervousness?

The Ringmaster approached the Fateweaver and hugged him, mechanical hands tangling itself within Elias’ dark hair.

“I… I want to leave,” Elias mumbled absentmindedly. Those words left his lips often. He buried his face into The Ringmaster’s shoulder, feeling both the warmth of the Avatar’s skin and the coldness of the metal arm.

“I know, Elias,” The Ringmaster said. “I do too.”

“I’ll bring you along,” the Fateweaver decided. “How about that?”

The other man just sighed and held Elias tighter, before parting them. Elias watched as The Ringmaster reached behind his neck and unclasped the necklace that always hung on his neck, the three charms resting just below the collarbone.

Elias stared at The Ringmaster as the Stranger Avatar looped the necklace around his neck, clasping it together and standing back with a proud smile.

“You look good in silver,” The Ringmaster said. Elias laughed, before remembering something he was supposed to do.

He dug into his pockets and took out something he made on a whim one night. Before he gave the Ringmaster the bracelet, Elias gestured for him to close his eyes.

When The Ringmaster did close his eyes, Elias put the bracelet on his right wrist. Then, he tapped the other avatar’s shoulder.

“Open your eyes!”

When The Ringmaster did, he immediately looked down on his wrist and gasped.

“I… Wow! That’s really nice. How did you- When did you-?!”

The bracelets was made of golden chains, with three charms attached to them. The first one, the one on the left was a web.

(The Fateweaver was what it signified. The one doomed to be a puppet, and the one meant to be the catalyst of change, stopping every single plan that led to the Apocalypse.

The Fateweaver, who changed fate into what he wished it to be, weaving his own tale as The Mother watched with a pride comparable to that of a parent watching their child.)

The second, the one on the right, was a star.

(The Ringmaster was what this one signified, this time. The one who was forced onto a stage by a puppeteer who wanted a new member that could lead everyone. The one who captured everyone's attention to hide everything that was happening behind the backstage curtains.

The Ringmaster, who performed with a smile painted onto a mask, acting so perfectly well that even the Stranger couldn't help but be convinced that he truly did side with the Circus for a short while.)

And the one in the middle, the third one, was a pendant. 

(Within it, contained the world that The Ringmaster so desperately wanted to see. He'd be able to see the oceans as it stretched beyond the horizon, the dirt as it birthed life, and the skies as it reached out towards the stars.

He'd be able to see space itself, each and every glittering star so distinct. He'd be able to see planets form, and suns explode into a breathtakingly deadly sight. 

Every single thing he wanted to see would be just within his grasp.

He mentally vowed to never open it.)

Elias grinned. “Don’t tell anyone, but I may have stolen something from one of the dancers.”

The Ringmaster laughed. “Of course you did, Elias.”

There were a few moments of silence, before Elias asked, “Do you have a name? Or is it just The Ringmaster?”

The Ringmaster shrugged. “I don’t remember it. I know I have one, but I just can’t remember it.”

Elias hummed. “How about… Tim Stoker? Stoker’s my mum’s maiden name, so that way we can be pseudo-brothers, in some fucked up way.”

The name rolled off the newly named Tim’s mouth in an unfamiliar way, but even then, he smiled.

“Yes, I quite like that, brother mine.”

————————————

The Ring-... Tim retreated to his room once he decided that he disturbed Elias enough. After a few minutes, the door opened.

Without looking up from his drawing, he asked, “Are the explosives done?”

He heard a laugh from the dancer who entered. “All packed and loaded, boss.”

Danny made his way towards Tim and sat down on the desk where he was sketching the layout of where the bombs would go. “Are you sure you want to do this, Ringmaster?”

Tim laughed. “Whatever it fucking takes to get all you humans out of this hell.”

Whatever it takes to give people the freedom they deserve.

(The freedom that he didn’t deserve.)

————————————

Komets settled down onto the seat that Alvar managed to find. The Fear God that the two of them dragged here, the Desolation (or Syrios, as they called themself in this particular form), clicked their tongue.

“There’s explosives in far too many places,” they said. “At least thirteen hundred, I think.”

“My personal guess is that someone of a high ranking in the Circus planted them,” Alvar said. “Maybe it’s the Ringmaster himself.”

Komets sighed, one pair of arms crossing around her stomach, and the other laced its fingertips together and became a cushion for her head.

The lights dimmed, and the show began.

There was silence, then-

"Woa-aoaoh!"

Stomp. Stomp, stomp.

She and the others gasped. She recognized this song. They did too.

"Woa-aoaoh!"

Stomp. Stomp, stomp.

But how did they get this song? It was set to release in two decades!

"Woa-aoaoh!"

"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for."

Komet's eyes widened. Her Ringmaster.

"Woa-aoaoh!"

"You've been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor."

He was here. He was still alive, and sane, and human . Well, perhaps not human in the usual sense, but he hasn’t become a monster yet.

"Woah-aoah!"

"And buried in your bones, there's an ache that you can't ignore taking your breath, stealing your mind, and all that was real is left behind!"

She saw a shadow passing through the backstage.

"Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya."

It was her Ringmaster, approaching the place where he would make his entrance.

"It's only this moment, don't care what comes after."

She saw him snap once, and a spotlight turned on. Then again, he snapped, and another did. And then, the final one turned on.

She watched the show, captivated by what was going on. Never had she entered one of the Circus' shows. She, back then before she was persuaded to form a conscience because the Beholding did, saw them as nothing but an easy way to Feed. But now?

Now, she couldn't help but want to stay here.

Perhaps this was what everyone else in the audience thought, other than the two Fear Gods right beside her.

And before she knew it, her Ringmaster finally appeared.

"So, tell me, do you wanna go?"

She loved the Circus.

(She didn't love the Circus. She loved her Ringmaster.)

————————————

There was a special guest, Tim realized quickly. No, special guests. There were three of them.

As he sang, his eyes passed them, trying to gauge what exactly was so special about them. He put on his best performance, making the most of his final show.

Back then, in his little room, he swapped out his voice box to his original (and mechanical) one. He didn’t care that Nikola would scold him for keeping something she told him to throw out, nor did he care that he hadn’t used this voice box in so long.

(That he hadn’t heard his own voice in so long.)

Now, he learned that he had a wonderful singing voice as an adult. For the past year, he and Elias had been upgrading the voice box to sound less like a child’s (an eight year old child who just wanted to visit his friends) and more like an adult.

It was successful, overall, and now he wore his voice with pride, even with the glare that he felt Nikola give him from behind.

He ran around the stage, swiftly grabbing the detonator from Danny’s hands the most unnoticeable way he could, even crafting an illusion so that no one truly saw.

(Except he felt a curious Gaze behind him, and skillful hands rummage through his mind, searching for the plan. He didn’t care.)

As the song ended and everyone applauded, Tim gestured for Elias to come beside him. He knew that Nikola was staring at him, curious about what he had in store now.

“Everyone, it has been a true pleasure to be with you tonight,” he said. “This performance may be my final one.”

Gasps passed throughout the room. He saw, in the corner of his eye, purple webs that gleamed in the spotlight, reaching out to a certain puppet. There were silent footsteps, probably the humans running towards the exit.

Tim laughed. “Yes, yes. Surprising, is it not?”

“Why Aren’t You Going To Perform Anymore?” he heard one of the special guests ask. He smiled.

“Because this place is going down .”

He raised the detonator up high and pressed the button.

Boom .

The Circus shook with a force as Tim laughed manically. The first puppet to go was Nikola, with three hidden bombs just inside the hat he gave her before the show. Then, more and more followed her as the humans made their grand escape.

Flaming pieces of debris fell like a beautiful meteor shower, and Tim thought this might be the only time he'd see something like this.

Fire bloomed from the wooden seats as one by one, the guests left the venue, shaken and scared.

(They, he knew, would be marked by both the Stranger and the Desolation.)

His eyes caught three 'people'. The one with blue streaks bursting from his head was calling out for... ah. Tim couldn't hear what he was saying, but the man was calling out for Elias.

Then, there was the one who was grinning. They looked like they were having the time of their life, a manic laugh ripping out of their chest as the flames rose higher and burned hotter at their command.

And finally, was the one with four arms. She looked lost and dazed as she trailed behind the two. She seemed to be searching for someone as well, and yet their name looked like it couldn't escape his throat.

(He heard panicked whispers from his Patron. He ignored the Stranger. If it wanted this Circus to stay, then it'll have to kill him for it.)

He quickly pushed Elias towards the special guests, making sure the Web Avatar didn’t fall into the path of debris.

“Wh- Tim!” Elias yelled, facing him with pain in his face. “No, come with me! You can finally get out and see the world!”

(No, Tim begged in his mind. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t look at me like I’m still worth saving.)

The Ringmaster laughed, shaking his head. He made sure to close his eyes so he didn’t see what was no doubt sadness in his brother’s friend’s face, tears threatening to come out his eyes.

“Elias,” he said. “Don’t try. I never promised to join you, did I? You need to leave. It’s better without me, anyway.”

He dared to open his eyes, and flinched back, seeing a look in Elias’ face he never saw before.

Anger.

(Everything screamed at him to help Elias. He knew why the Fateweaver was angry. He ignored it.)

“You- You fucking bastard!” Elias yelled. “You’re my brother, and I’m not letting you die! Just come with me, please!”

He hesitated.

“Let me save you,” Elias finally said, his voice barely a whisper, and yet it was louder than everything in the room.

Tim paused. Should he join Elias?

For all his life, he’s yearned to see the sky once more. To feel the ground beneath him, to see everything that’s changed in his years of staying here. And yet, here he was. Staying put as everything went down in flames by his own hand.

He was a monster, he quite knew that. For years, he ripped out people’s fucking throats, let them bleed, because that’s all he’s ever known. He’s fed off their fear and enjoyed it. He wasn’t even biologically human anymore. His limbs and his respiratory system shone in a way that practically sang of his inhuman-ness.

So, he wondered.

Did he… deserve to see the outside world?

He’s hurt so many people. That small part of his mind, that small part that was still human, always cried whenever he clawed into people’s throats. Whenever he summoned those silk ropes out of thin air, ready to bind his victim, that small part yelled at him to stop, please. Because wasn't it enough? What he's already fed on, wasn't it sufficient, already?

Why make more people suffer if he was already full?

He always ignored it.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but realize that his victims had lives to live. Their begs always were something he disregarded, but whenever he looked back, he always remembered what they said. That human part of his mind wept for their lost lives.

The rest of his mind huffed. Why keep these stupid memories, anyway?

So, did he even deserve to get something he’s always wanted when he never did anything to deserve it? He would compare it to a villain getting a happy ending while the hero got a bad one. The villain didn’t deserve it, no.

And so, he decided, to stay put. He motioned for one of the still working puppets to shove Elias towards the special guests.

(You cannot save someone that doesn’t want to be saved, he sadly reminded Elias. The thought simply echoed through his mind, the words unheard by his brother.)

As he watched Elias getting dragged, even as the Fateweaver tried to reach out, to persuade him to come with him even if they both knew it was useless, The Ringmaster smiled, looking around at all the damage he’s done. 

(He dedicated this to every single person who he wronged. Every single person the Circus has wronged. Everyone who died at their hands, everyone who was forced to dance for their captors.

He dedicated this to every person who needed justice.)

He removed the bracelet and clutched it tight, bringing it to his very human heart, dropping to his knees and looking down as tears finally broke through and sobs ransacked his body.

As he closed his eyes, he saw a flash of purple.

“I’m sorry, brother,” he whispered with his very own voice. The voice he never thought he’d ever use. A voice that was unfamiliar, yet familiar to him. “I love you. Forgive me.”

It was funny, he mused as his final thoughts. Who knew the only times he’d use his own voice, in the hundreds of performances he’s done in his years, were in his first and last ones?

Then, it all went dark.

(And somewhere, the Fateweaver cried into his Mother’s arms about a brother he couldn’t reach any more, hand gripping the necklace with a strength he never thought he had.

The Mother shushed him, gentle hands running through his hair as he mourned a person he couldn’t save.)

Chapter Text

🎭 foolsgold

youd think an aeon would be able to piece together a piece of ikea furniture. YOUD THINK.

#IKEA WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH YOUR DAMN FURNITURE #I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR FOUR FUCKING HOURS

[54 notes]

🎰 letsgogambling

L + ratio you fuck

#just call me you idiot #i exist

[47 notes]

🎭 foolsgold

oh yeah i could do that

#i forgot that existed #come bbg 🥰🥰🥰

[61 notes]

🌹 smrose

yknow things are jsut fine until i get a reply from a post i made months ago. from the person who the post was about.

#rosetexts #far too chary bout this shit

[92 notes]

🌹 smrose

so neuvillette if youre out there

#rosetexts #istg if someone fucking tells on me im gonna drown myself #neuvillette if youre out there dont fuckign do shit #i want to live in ignorant bliss

[73 notes]

🌊 Funkylildragon

:)

#Don't drown yourself please 

[421 notes]

⚡ chargerup

OH GOD I HAVE ENTIRE POSTS JUST. DOING ANALYSIS ON CHARACTERS I THINK ARE COOL. THIS ENTIRE THING IS A NIGHTMARE???

#dear god help me the day tony fucking stark stumbles upon my posts #ill need a drink after this hahaha

[3,164 notes]

🕸️ itswednesdaymydudes

dont worry!! its dr banner who found them :DD

#Bruce banner #avengers #mcu #dontw orry mr stark doesnt touch tumblr #i think

[5,124 notes]

⚡ chargerup

WHAT

#HOLY SHIT ITS THE WEDNESDAY GUY #Spiderman

[10.3k notes]

⚡ chargerup

MY FIRST 10K NOTE POST AND ITS ABOUT ME CALLING SPIDER-MAN THE WEDNESDAY GUY???

#FUCKING ASSHOLES ALL OF YOU #Spiderman

[8,122 notes]

☀️ daylightdoesntexist

im pulling up with ALL the Marks honey

#the magnus archives #no but genuinely i have all the Marks #no im not gonna get involved with whatever fucknus has goin on

[42 notes]

🌫️ forsakenstears

good

#tma #dont. just dont.

[31 notes]

💥 gptim

[Photo: Jonny sprawled on the couch, scrolling on his phone. Because it's shot from behind, we can see that Jonny is scrolling through the Mechanisms' tag on Tumblr.]

watch out! first mate goin through all your arts and getting another fucking ego boost

#the mechanisms #jonny d'ville

[589 notes]

🔥 lampylamp

fuckin love randy feltface

#hes so funny

[3 notes]

💧 andtheplotthickens

[Photo: Neuvillette wheezing on the floor as his phone, surprisingly modern, plays a video of Shoot From The Hip. Wriothesley is covering his mouth, and a dragon that looks like Dan Feng is hovering over Neuvillette.]

How about shoot from the hip?

#yes neuvillette is fucking dying #not pictured: morax entering the room with pure confusion on his face

[25 notes]

🎰 letsgogambling

[Photo: A bookshelf, imbedded into a wall that's adjacent to a flight of stairs. A man with messy indigo hair is panicking as a man with white hair laughs his ass off.]

your elation is known for loving the twist and turns of fate. my elation fucking hates it sometimes

#aeons help my soul im in love with him

[1,286 notes]

Chapter Text

vines and stuff @archivy

We're going off to space without Jonny and he is sad. I suspect there's an 84.1% chance he'll spam the group chat, and a 15.9% chance he'll be completely silent and bury himself in work

|

do you like the stars? @caprediem

replying to @archivy

he?? has work???

|

old king cole @junejulyaugust

replying to @caprediem

Ye

[Photo: Jonny reading out a Statement on his desk. His goggles are hanging around his neck and his posture is comparable to that of a shrimp. One of his hands is buried in his hair and the other is holding said Statement as he reads it out to a tape recorder. You can spot Elias and William chatting in the background.]

|

do you line the stars? @caprediem

replying to @junejulyaugust

:o !!

The Toy Soldier @TTSoldier

We've Officially Taken Off, Everyone!

[Photo: Space. You can see Earth in the distance.]

|

confetti sounds !! @fearlessgal

replying to @TTSoldier

yoooo thats sick :ooo

|

mount everest tops @vastuniversesmalllife

replying to @TTSoldier

vast :]

Themoonwasgone @GPTim

whyd they name it yggdrasil anyway? fuckin stupid of you ask me

|

sneaky snakey bitch @lowkeyloki

replying to @GPTim

I know right? Why the double g? Why the lack of an i? Why that of all things?

|

Themoonwasgone @GPTim

replying to @lowkeyloki

at least you fucking understand

The Toy Soldier @TTSoldier

Fears Help Me, Marius Is Singing Louder Than An Explosion From An Atomic Bomb!

|

Lan The Hunt? @bowandarrow

replying to @TTSoldier

Would you like me to Hunt him and shoot him with an arrow?

|

vines and stuff @archivy

replying to @bowandarrow

We're causing havoc. Another day?

|

Lan The Hunt? @bowandarrow

replying to @archivy

Another day then, Corruption's Virus

shipfucker @nastya

My girlfriends restless for some reason?? Im trying to calm her down but shes fizzing here and there what do I do help

|

local fixer upper @themechanic

replying to @nastya

ask her what's wrong maybe??

|

shipfucker @nastya

replying to @themechanic

Ew proper communication

The Aurora @starship

UPDATE: Alexandria, Von Raum, and La Cognizi are captured. 

|

rainbow bigboy @fuckelonmusk

replying to @starship

its THAT album??

|

CAPTAIN @jonnyboy

replying to @starship

what.

ba dum tss @thepurpleguy

sometimes i forget that jonny's the oldest in the mechanisms lineup then i see him fucking stressing out because three of his crew got arrested

|

ba dum tss @thepurpleguy

replying to @thepurpleguy

he also smashed his phone the moment he saw it after replying to the update

|

ba dum tss @thepurpleguy

replying to @thepurpleguy

@nastya what to do help

|

shipfucker @nastya

replying to @thepurpleguy

Avoid and pray you dont see him lest you get shot (unless youre @alvarthearchivist then go ahead)

mint ice creme sucks @carpethatdick

my friend is not my friend what do i do???

|

mint ice creme sucks @carpethatdick

replying to @carpethatdick

elaboration: my friend is NOT a dude with black hair and white bangs with a star under one of his eyes. my friend is a man with pink hair and no tattoos beyond the bubble tattoo he has on his wrist. but they have the same voice??

|

vines and stuff @archivy

replying to @carpethatdick

try asking him about it?

|

mint ice creme sucks @carpethatdick

replying to @archivy

ill confront him now. also arent you in jail or something?

|

psychologist not @mariusvonraum

replying to @carpethatdick

Our phones didnt get confiscated ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

————————————

"You're not my friend, are you?" the woman asked, quietly, staring at the man who is not her friend. She ignored the pounding of her head, and the fact her sight was swimming.

She felt slightly unreal, the moment she stepped in this cafe. Her skin too rough, her voice too light. But she kept going anyway, desperate for answers.

The man blinked, before laughing slightly. "I forgot about you, honestly, when I was shifting everyone's memories. What's your name, anyway? Lys?"

She glared at him. "Lyre. Who are you, and where is Mark?"

(Something in her said that no. Her name wasn't Lyre. It was longer, and it didn't start with an L. But oh, she did not care. It's what she believed was true.)

The man grinned, and oh, fear enveloped her being. It was too wide, it was too small. His teeth were too sharp, or too dull. The entire room felt too hot and too cold. She felt trapped in her own skin, and her voice felt clogged.

Or was she a 'she'? Maybe she's a he. Or a them. Or an it?

What even was its name? Did it have a name?

This being laughed, and it sounded so plastic and so unreal. He made his way towards it, and it stayed there in whatever position it was in.

"Oh, little song," he softly cooed, tilting its head up as a blade suddenly appears on his finger. "You would've done lovely as a Beholding avatar. You're already marked by it, after all."

He cut its throat lengthwise, then crosswise while singing a song of defeat and loss. He let the blade retreat, then reached out, diving into its throat. It's surprised that the blade could cut into plastic, but at the same time not.

He grabbed what he needed and went away. It heard rushing water, and the song of hope and longing. It didn't care for whatever those words meant. Everything was unknown to it, now.

He came back, and as he exited, he spared it a glance.

"Goodbye, Mira Moreno. It's a pleasure to do business with you."

As the final thread of its identity snapped, the being that was once Mira Moreno smiled. Even as it was unravelling, being swallowed up by the unknown, at least it died thanks to the skilled hands of the Stranger's Favoured.

Chapter Text

"Statement of the Head Archivist of Vallenborne's Memory Archive, regarding the latest events within the last year. Statement recorded by subject on a date unknown. Statement begins.

On a day when green light fell upon us, probably somewhere in August in what I believe was 1995 outside, a peculiar app appeared on everyone's phones. What was odd was that we didn't have phones, and one just appeared in everyone's houses, one for each person, with memories of them using it implanted in their mind.

We didn't care much. Things are strange by the standards of outsiders. We just logged on with accounts we didn't know existed and got onto the app. 

Now, I remember that just mere moments after we received these phones, there was another Unleashing, which in itself was surprising. Unleashings happened very rarely, and two of them already happened in the past decade. The third, fourth, and now the fifth Unleashing happened so quickly, but we recovered, welcoming the new guys with open arms.

The Mechanisms, they called themselves. I unofficially adopted Jonny D'ville as my brother. After all, he's also my Archive. Then, we learned that most of them had gone through their respective Becomings when they got mechanized.

Ashes belonged to the Desolation. Tim to the Slaughter, and then Marius to the Spiral. Raphaella got accepted by the Flesh, and Nastya to the Lonely. The Corruption got to Ivy first before me, and the Hunt got the Toy Soldier before the Stranger. Brian got to the Vast, and last I've heard, Lyfrassir, a new member, got claimed by the Spiral. Then, finally, Jonny got claimed by me. Something about being stillborn.

And so, everyone had fun. They adjusted, flew to space every once in a while, and we thought that'd be it. Then, Arthur encountered the book that would blind him.

It was unexpected, yes. During his time, it was 1930 exactly. Four or so years earlier than usual. It was only by luck that a Shift happened just then. It's one of the largest Shifts known to history, moving four years in the future.

Exactly where we needed it to be.

We in Vallenborne suspect that the King in Yellow and a few other Fears had a hand in this, but other than that, we just attributed that to luck. After that, we moved on. 

Then, we found a tape that the Stranger had hidden in my Archives.

It held the backstory to a missing person named Alexei Vasiliev. Though, everything about him in the outside world had been erased. We only managed to ever make a connection thanks to the fact that the Archives holds all that I Know and drunken conclusions.

I had TS inspect. It managed to get a recording of a Performance. When it made a Statement, it said that it felt enraptured, but also like it was nothing but an inanimate observer. A placeholder, like something one would use as the audience while practicing. 

Just after that, the Circus moved. We didn't know it at the time, until Elias got missing. From calculations, a day in the real world would be 30 days in the Circus. He was there for almost a year.

According to him, he almost got skinned but got saved by a new Ringmaster, who we suspect to have once been Alexei Vasiliev. The one who was about to skin him, Nikola seemed hesitant and was clearly not used to following directions, but after a threat from this Ringmaster, she backed away.

The Ringmaster confronted him and decided to keep him around as an aerial dancer, in the end. In turn, Elias just gave him stories about the outside world. He's also an employee in the Magnus Institute, which sucks a lot but was needed for whatever the other Fear Gods have going on, so he knew a lot about the outside world.

Then the Ringmaster and some other guy exploded the Circus. Ethan, Michael, and I went to the remains and everything was charred. Nikola was barely recognizable, but somewhat functional somehow. Ethan had great glee crushing her soul and delivering it to his Patron.

But nothing could happen without repercussions. The Ringmaster supposedly died in the explosion, crushed by rubble. Elias felt... Lonely. Unfortunately, only the Mother and William could get close without being controlled to walk out of the room.

About two months passed before something interesting happened. Lyf joined the Mechanisms, and just recently arrived here alongside the other mechs. Jonny is currently being emotionally repressed and is not admitting to the fact he got really worried for Raph, Marius, and Ivy.

And, well, I don't think the Ringmaster died. Between you and me, whoever is listening to this or is reading the transcript, I don't think he's dead.

There's this one user who I initially thought encountered a Not-them. Their original username was 'mint ice creme sucks', and their 'at' was 'carpethatdick'. Then, they posted about their friend, probably 'BTS fucking rules, @fearlessgal', who doesn't look like what he should look like.

This sounded like another Not-them case, and I was about to dispatch June to get rid of the Not-them, but then I realized something. They had the same voice, fearless and the supposed Not-them, according to... creme? Yes, let's refer to them as creme.

Not-thems do not copy the voice of their victims. But, during a drunk night, I was listening to Elias describe the Ringmaster, before something clicked.

The description of the replacement and Elias' description of the Ringmaster matched.

I dug a little deeper, and recently there's a string of disappearances in the Philippines, most of which happen in Pasay, which happen to be where the Manila Film Center is situated.

I'll do a supplemental at some point, but for now? I'll just Watch and See what the Ringmaster, or Tim as he calls himself now, funnily enough, is going to do. If some casualties arise, I'll ask the Stranger to deal with her Favoured.

And... yeah. That's what's happened in the past year. Wait, I forgot about something! Elias is gonna get possessed by Magnus in a few days. He's in his room, recording tapes for the Ringmaster. I've already told him and only him about the situation with the Ringmaster, and he's just recording like hell in case the guy comes by after his possession.

He's already recorded a few hours' worth of tapes. I'm surprised his voice hasn't given out, but at this point I'm willing to guess he's restarting his voice every once in a while. That's probably how he's able to keep on going.

Yeah, that's it, right? Statement ends."

Chapter Text

borne in the vallen

holding coffee is online

everybody's lonely: it doesnt make sense

holding coffee: what doesnt make sense

everybody's lonely: why does michael have an account for michael the distortion and micheal the corporeal spiral

everybody's lonely: whyyyyy

M̷̢͆i̶͙͋̂ ̴̤͓͌͝C̵̛̥͚̈́h̷̡̛̼̄ ̴̓ͅa̴͚̓̿ ̵̘̒͝E̴̤̓ḻ̶̀̒: I tSc alL e dPr e pa Ri n Gf OR J onA h

holding coffee: its dramatic as hell

holding coffee: btw guess who got an account here

holding coffee: finally

failed experiment is online

holding coffee has added Cecil

failed experiment is offline

diversity win!: HAHAHAHAH WHAT

conspiracy theorist: we got another one boys

Cecil: Hello everyone! ( . ^ . )

Cecil: The guy's upside down :)

holding coffee: @failed experiment can i steal your boyfriend

holding coffee: pleasepleaseplease hes so 

failed experiment is online

failed experiment: you have two eldritch boyfriends

failed experiment: go cuddle them or whatever

failed experiment: hes mine 

Cecil: Aw, I'm touched :)

Cecil: Get off your phone, Carlos. There's about to be a digital sweep in three minutes and anyone caught using a device will be dragged into another dimension by the shadows of the trees

failed experiment: SHIT

Cecil is offline

failed experiment is offline

totally normal: Why did i come here

diversity win!: Youre a simp f

conspiracy theorist: she got got chat :(

holding coffee: wait for like

holding coffee: a bit

ṃ̶̨̒̌ ̸̪̦̹̑̏͠Ī̷̹͛ͅ ̸̠̖̂͊ͅc̶̠̪͝h̷͖̏ ̷̨͍̑̔Ä̴̜̓͒Ḛ̶̦͍̂̔͛ ̴͔͓̻̔͂l̴̡̟̩̄͠: TI-m E is nO: N ex Ist E)Nt 

totally normal: kys

Ṁ̸̨ḯ̸̜ ̶̖͝c̸̬̑ ̶͚̄h̸̲̿ ̴̞̿A̶̺̎Ë̶͕́L̸̮̑: no 

everybody's lonely: i miss elias :(

holding coffee: we know, william

everybody's lonely: im gonna make a statement in tmi

everybody's lonely: do you have the fuckin uhhhh

everybody's lonely: twisting insanity earphones

diversity win!: Yeah yeah just gimme a sec

diversity win!: Okay jusr draw this in your summoning table

diversity win!: [Photo: A sigil drawn on a table. It's glowing in the dark, and in the left corner, you can see a hand wearing fingerless gloves. Halfway through the fingers, the colour changes to green that fades to magenta at the very end, if it makes sense.]

diversity win!: just gimme a sec to find the earphones

everybody's lonely: sweet

everybody's lonely: brb im gonna do that

everybody's lonely is offline

diversity win! is offline

Cecil is online

failed experiment is online

Cecil: We are back! The digital sweep thankfully didn't take either of us, but I did hear a few screams of pain just outside

holding coffee: sweet

holding coffee: heresnthe list of people

holding coffee: holding coffee - beholding/alvar (yours truly)

@M̵͓̓i̷̢̽c̴̦̚h̷̝̓a̸̦͠e̷̺̓l̵̡̍ - michael the spiral and distortion (but it has naother acc for the spiral)

@totally normal - ethan (goopy eldritch being whos heavily marked by the end)

@diversity win! - june embers (archival assistant, slaughter avatar)

@everybody's lonely - william irvine (archival assistant, lonely avatar/favoured)

@failed experiment - carlos the scientist (local scientific cryptid)

@conspiracy theorist - lux dess (walking lightsource)

@lesmis - arthur lester (guy stuck in like the 1930s, spiral avatar)

#1 james wright hater - used to be elias bouchard except the guy got taken over by magnsu so we kicked him out (web acatar but hes under me for now)

@vines of ivy - ivy alexandria (archival assistant, corruptino avatar/favoured)

@jingle bells - kayne lester (the web and i's platonic lovechild, 'webholding' avatar)

Cecil: Ah, I see

Cecil has changed their name to 'Entity'

Entity: Alright then, is that alright?

lesmis is online

lesmis: FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK THIS SHIT 

lesmis: @jingle bells WHY.

holding coffee: hi arthur

holding coffee: hi yellow

lesmis: FJCK

lesmis: hello.

lesmis: how do you know of me?

holding coffee: i See you

holding coffee: dont be so rude to arthur lest you find yourself with another enemy

lesmis: i will consider itrwe

lesmis: GOT IT

holding coffee: watch your step

holding coffee: ouch-

lesmis: AHSDJKV I MISS JOHN :((

jingle bells is online

jingle bells: the fuck??

lesmis: HI KAYBE

lesmis: HOW ARE OYU

jingle bells: feelin guilty

jingle bells: had to have charlotte control me to be able to go through with the thing 

lesmis: you are kayne.

jingle bells: whuh

Entity: Hello, Kayne!

jingle bells: who the fuck

failed experiment: my boyfriend :)

jingle bells: what the fuck

jingle bells: arthur are you alright??? did the lack of your boytoy break you or what????

lesmis: i am yellow.

jingle bells: yeah youre decked out in yellow stuff but whats up w you??

holding coffee: NO ONE TELL HIM

holding coffee: ITS FUNNIER THIS WAY

jingle bells: TELL ME WHAT???

lesmis: that isdngk

lesmis: its yellow as in the john with no memories

lesmis: you fucking idiot

jingle bells: oh

jingle bells: OH

lesmis: anyways break time's over

lesmis: TIME TO DO THIS SHIT !!

lesmis is offline

jingle bells: sigh

jingle bells is offline

failed experiment: wait when did he find the time to chat with us

holding coffee: hes arthur, carlos

holding coffee: he can shove time aside to chat with us or just

holding coffee: type while running from The Horrors

Entity: I believe I'm out of the loop?

holding coffee: carlos insert-nonexistent-surname

holding coffee: did you forget to tell your boyfriend about

holding coffee: wait

failed experiment: cant you just chove the info into ceec's mind??

failed experiment: al? ceec?

Entity: I'm reoriented and now am in the loop!

Entity: Off topic, the tape recorders are trying to eat me again, so I'll just whisper the language of the boxes to them :)

Entity is offline

holding coffee: alright, that was fun ig??

failed experiment: brb gonna stop ceec from killing the tape recorders for the millionth fucking time

holding coffee: please do im tired of replacing htem again and again

failed experiment is offline

holding coffee is offline

————————————

lesmis is online

lesmis: JHONS BACK

lesmis: JOHNS BACK

jingle bells is online

jingle bells: JOHN!!!

lesmis: hello kayne :) -john

jingle bells: im so sorry i had to remove you :(( it was for the plot :(((

lesmis: i understand your reasoning, don't worry -john

lesmis: off topic, but why do i feel hungry? -john

m̸̪̲͙̒̋ ̷͎͚͛̊͌̒ĩ̷̥̼̾ͅͅC̷̝̘̞͚̃͆͛͒͐h̷̲͐̀̿́ ̵̫͂̾̍͛ë̵̩̠̟̮́͊ ̵̙̒̊̉̊̌̎͜Ä̵͉͙͍͍̹́̓́L̸̝͚̹̱͂̅ is online

M̸̦͇̭̥̗̓I̵̡̢̖͚͛͗͜ͅ ̶͇̇̑̐̍̽̋c̴̡̮̣̃̊̌̏̑̎́ͅh̵̻͈̞̲͓̏̅̄̃̏̒̾͠ ̶͇͚͓̍͂̕E̴̜̦̮͑̊͌́͌̊̕͝ ̴̢̦̺͙̥̱͊̊̒̚a̴̭̩̗͚͍̩̍͋̐̈́͑̇ ̵̢̢̳͕͛̈́̈́̂̇͊̌l̴̢͕̳̩̝̳̏̑͘͘: Y Ou a:r E N o W pA r)t o F me 

lesmis: what

holding coffee is online

holding coffee: congrats on the new twisting insanity spi :)

holding coffee: and for the love of god TELL JOHN ABOUT THE SITUATION

holding coffee: or im coming there myself and explaining shit

lesmis: ON THE NEW WHAT???

holding coffee: twisting insanity :)

holding coffee: i suggest check your domain

lesmis: oh motherfucker

jingle bells: sooo 

jingle bells: do i have a step sibling now?

lesmis: KAYNE

lesmis: oh fuck this shit i dont have enough time

lesmis: im going in my domain

holding coffee: good luck sorting everything out!

ṃ̷̡̏̎̅̓͌̽̓͂͌ ̷̨̬̞͔͎̲͍͚̫̺͎̄̆̐̐͆Ḭ̷̡̢̨̗̘̳͙̣̐̀͗̑̎ç̵̛̖͚̳̭̱̩̖̻̼̗̋̀̍͑͝ ̸̘̻̙̩̬̹̰̱̈̇͑̆͊̈͛̉͜ͅh̷̢̛̅̅̔̅̐̃̚ẽ̴̻̖͖͈͉̎́̾̈́̈́͋̽̇̓̈́ ̷̢̧̧͇̦͇̭̎A̷̧̤̣̭̰̜̦͗̐L̵̨͈̮̬̥͉̾̑̄̉͐͛͆ ̴̘͈̾: :)

Chapter Text

Arthur's domain, the Twisting Insanity, was similar to the Distortion. The only difference was that the Twisting Insanity encouraged insanity through forbidden knowledge, thus the maze of books that made up said Twisting Insanity, while the Distortion encouraged insanity though shifting colours and shapes, changing corridors, and a loss of direction and identity.

As he entered the domain, Arthur let himself let go of the physical and utterly Knowable form he had to stick to outside. Here, he knew, time wouldn't pass. Here, he knew that he and John could properly talk about whatever the Beholding, that bastard, said in the group chat.

As suspected, Arthur felt something new about his Domain. Like it's been expanded. He walked through the maze of halls with a form he simply called the Librarian ("Kayne, you do realize that I cannot keep calling it my 'true form'. That's boring."). A being made of words and ink, each of the words inciting madness within those who read it. 

It's an impossible form. Arthur always thought that the Librarian being an impossible form was just par for the course.

"Arthur, what's happening?" John asked. "What the hell is this place? How did a door just appear in midair, and why did you think it was a good idea to enter it?!"

Arthur sighed, floating through the maze with one goal in mind. Find the newly created exit and enter the new portion of his Domain.

"I'm so sorry about just dumping all this after you've just woken up John," Arthur said, voice echoed and, for the lack of a better term, scribbly. "But in my defense, I didn't quite know how to randomly insert the fact I was an Avatar that fed on insanity into conversation. Thought you'd just go insane trying to understand my Domain and my, well, everything."

He chuckled. "Not that it mattered much in the end, it seems. Uhm, do you know anything about the Fears? The main method of separation is Smirke's Fourteen, I believe."

John was quiet, just for a moment, before he sighed. "Arthur, I don't know about the Fears, but what I do want to know is this. What is happening? Where are we? Who are you, really?"

And with that last question, Arthur laughed. Full on belly laughed. The books on the shelves shook with the Domain Avatar's laughter, and he could feel John's anger rising. He couldn't really help it, really.

"I'm not a 'who', John," Arthur laughed. "I'm a 'what'. The original Arthur, the Arthur who was oh so afraid of these very halls, who ventured deeper and deeper until he found my heart, my core, is intertwined so much with me that we cannot separate. Not ever."

He could still feel John's anger. "Arthur, why the fuck did you hide this from me?!"

Arthur sighed, picking himself up and continuing his journey through his halls. "As I've mentioned, I was afraid you'd go mad. If I told you I literally fed on fear-"

"You do what?!"

"-then you'd ask me for proof. The only proof I really have is my Domain, but you'd think that it's just a maze of normal books. Then, I'd elaborate and tell you that the books contain forbidden knowledge. You'd then urge me to find at least one book about the King in Yellow, Shub Niggurath, Amanda, or anything related."

"What does this have to do with anything, Arthur?" John growled. "Get to the goddamn point!"

Arthur bumped into a bookshelf (oh Spiral, he almost missed his sight. His actual sight, not the projection he 'saw' in his mind), before explaining, "If I let you read the books, which I would've, then you'd ask for more. If you read more books, you'd go insane because of the forbidden knowledge being fed to you."

John took a deep breath. "Arthur. At the very least, you could have fucking told me. Maybe I'd react to it badly, but there were far too many opportunities-"

"I don't want you to go insane," Arthur admitted, pausing. John went quiet. "You're the closest person I know right now. Everyone I know is only accessible through an app or dead. And I'm sorry for hiding the part of me I think you would've hated or succumbed to."

There were a few moments of silence, and Arthur was about to just press on, about to continue his journey to find the exit, before John said, "Do you really think of me as someone you're close to, Arthur?"

Arthur laughed fondly. "Of course, John. You've been with me through this crazy journey with monsters and gods. Even if we had our fights, you still helped me. Body stealing agenda be damned, you're someone I'm quite fond of."

Then, he pressed on. Arthur could feel John's quiet happiness, seeping through their bond. He could feel John's relief, but at the same time, his curiosity. 

"So, what are the 'Fears', anyway?"

Arthur grinned. Or the best way he could grin when he's just a being made of words. Looks like he's in charge of John's introduction to 'the Fears and the gods', as Elias once joked.

(He missed Elias. He missed that little avatar who he's grown to think of as his son.)

————————————

"So which of the Fears do you serve under?" John asked once Arthur was done. They were closer to the exit, the Spiral's Corridors were sure, but they had enough time to talk about Arthur's, well, everything. Though, they were in so deep that they even passed by a few of Arthur's victims.

"I serve under the Spiral," Arthur said, dodging some random woman with glasses who was reading something about computer viruses. "I'm sure you remember Avatars, right? That and Aspects. I am- was? I was a human? No, that doesn't necessarily make sense, I'm still partially human. In a way. Identities are hard for those belonging to the Spiral."

John laughed. "Understandable, but I expected the Stranger's people to have trouble with identity."

Arthur just shrugged, absentmindedly picking up a book that had fallen and putting it back where it was supposed to be with a jumble of words that meant 'fix'. "I'm known as either the Twisting Insanity, what my Domain is called, actually, or the Librarian, my 'title', you could say. I dabble in insanity driven by forbidden knowledge, actually, which is why there's a lot of books here."

"Yeah, that isn't obvious enough," John dryly said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Between your talks about steering me away from forbidden knowledge and all the books around us, it's impossible to tell you dabble in those type of things."

Arthur snorted. Or something like that. 

"How did you Become, anyway?"

With that, Arthur paused, just for a moment. Did he feel like it was the right time to reveal his backstory? He's alluded to it, like a while ago when he mentioned that there was a fully human (or as human someone from Vallenborne, a place where magic changed people's species and biology, can be) that found the Twisting Insanity's heart and merged with it.

That was the most truthful he's been in regards to his backstory. He always told Kayne a twisted (ha!) version of it, wherein the original Arthur Lester spent too much time in the Twisting Insanity that he just merged with it. If he told-

Oh, why was he even bothering to think about this?

"I entered the wrong door," Arthur admitted. "I meant to exit through the exit door of the Archives, I really did. But, ah... The previous Twisting Insanity, I think his name was Charlie? Yeah, he just... chose me to succeed him. The Twisting Insanity merged with me and let go of Charlie. Haven't seen him since, but I think he mentioned he was supposed to be in Egypt."

"I assume you didn't merge in a normal way," John said with a bit of humour in his voice. "I doubt that you'd be able to do those types of things normally, Arthur."

Arthur laughed. "Yeah. I wandered around for a while. Took in a lot of forbidden information about the multiverse and other eldritch powers. Though, it was a Leitner that truly did me in."

"A Leitner?"

"The supernatural books, John," the Librarian laughed. If John had a physical form, Arthur would have playfully elbowed him.

"I know what they are!"

"Yeah? Not confusing it for a lighter?"

"What?"

Arthur coughed. "We're getting off track. The Leitner, Codex Seraphinianus, contained a map that I followed. It led me through dead ends, secrets entrances I never knew existed, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the heart. What would be my heart."

He still remembered that moment with surprisingly crystal clear clarity. None of his memories about the heart, the core of the Twisting Insanity, were ever corrupted by the Spiral. He knew that it the same way it happened.

The heart was so bright, so captivating. Even if he had a choice to turn back, Arthur doesn't think he'd be able to resist touching it. Observing it, like a little specimen. It was his curiosity that did him in, that drew him into trying to grasp something so unknown, so twisted and so clearly a creation of a madman. Madfear? Did specific even matter?

He remembered walking towards the core. He remembered the brief moment before the merge where he felt the core. Cold yet hot, rough yet smooth. Broken yet whole, soft yet hard. Then, he remembered hearing the giggles of the past Twisting Insanity. Charlie.

"Good luck, Librarian," Charlie had said that day, now released from the Twisting Insanity, but still the Spiral's, just in another way. "I must return to Egypt. Can't keep a friend waiting, after all."

"Am I going to see you again?" asked the Librarian, its identity still not complete.

Charlie had... smiled, at that moment. He seemed so hopeful, yet so sad. "Sure you will, Librarian. Sure you will."

Arthur absentmindedly grasped the only thing that persisted through his forms. A small notebook he never brought himself to open, attached to the closest thing that the Librarian could have to a leg. The right one, to be specific, but specifics never mattered in here. Right could become any direction here. Left, up, or down, it doesn't matter.

"We're here, Arthur."

Arthur knew, of course. This was his domain, he could 'see' anything within it. Or, rather, a picture of what he was supposed to see was projected is his maze (ha!) of a mind. He stood in front of what's the exit to this half, and the entrance to the other. John's half.

(He shared this Domain with John. He shared this goddamn Domain with John. And it would be a lie if Arthur said that it didn't make him so happy, that he was sharing the very foundation of his being with someone he trusted so much, or even, if he dared to say it, loved so much.)

With careful steps, he exited his half, the maze of books and forbidden knowledge left behind, and he entered John's half, and he 'saw' something so different from the bookshelves that have driven people mad with the books they contained. 

It was a vast place, with a sun that glowed a pleasant light blue. They stood above the land, and so they saw the forests, deserts, buildings, and everything else that existed in this space, but Arthur could feel a certain presence that he knew would be enough to drive people mad.

"The dreamlands," he realized with a tone of reverence. He'd last truly seen the dreamlands when he visited the one connected to Vallenborne, the one that, right now, would only be accessible years into the future, right before he was taken by the tides of time. The only other time he entered the dreamlands, he couldn't even see it.

With the way John was silent, Arthur could tell this brought up less than stellar memories. Of course, he couldn't care less if this implied that John was still, in fact, part of the King in Yellow and matched the King's ideals because of that, for fuck's sake he literally ate fear, but John was still determined on fully separating himself from the King in Yellow. Having a domain much like the King's was, well...

It wasn't good. Maybe. He wasn't sure. He's not of the Beholding, after all.

"John," he said carefully. "Would you like to leave? I know this might not-"

"This is a part of you the same way it's unfortunately a part of me," John interrupted. "I'm sure I'll grow to like it. Even if it's so similar to the King's domain, it is still mine."

Arthur hummed. "It's like an artwork and its reference. You can tell that the reference was the artwork's inspiration, but at the same time, you can tell that the artwork is the artist's and not the artist who made the reference's art."

John laughed. "Like that, I suppose."

And so, they set off to explore. To mold it into something of John's, something different from the King's domain. 

————————————

Somewhere, the Web smiled as another thread made itself available. With gentle hands, she grasped the thread and prepared to weave it into the new tapestry she's made for this future, making sure it was very close to the Spiral's Corridors' thread.

The Spiral's Doors. Seems like the perfect title for this new Avatar. She'll be sure to pitch this with the Spiral. Distortion? Michael? Eh, who cares.

(Her eyes wandered to the tapestry she once weaved for another universe. The most impacting rows had long been finished before she 'time-travelled' to this universe. She turned back to her tapestry and hoped that everything would be alright.)