Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen

>Follow the crazy man.
>Ask the crazy man what his name is.
>Also, once you get to the place, check out their menus.

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"I still maintain that he isn't crazy. He's a lot of things, but he's- It's hard to put into words. . . He's. . ."

"Criminally Lucid?"

". . .Sure. We're going to follow him. Then I'm going to have a glass of water to calm myself down, then I want something alcoholic."

"Hm. Never would have taken Aliss for a drinker."

"I've only had a few sips throughout my life, unless you count the drinking I did in my dreams."

". . . Is this Viss' chance to get closer to Aliss? Viss can show Aliss so many delightful drinks!"

". . .You know, one is usually supposed to keep the sinister planning as internal monologue."

"Viss' internal monologue is busy at all times with much more important things. Besides, if Aliss was bothered now, just wait until we have a few! Qhen is a lightweight and a baby. Just you watch."

"Qhen is not having anything alcoholic as long as they have to play bodyguard to you two, and this maniac. He keeps mumbling to himself."

"Hm? Hm Mm. HmHmm. The voices, your voices use that common tongue, hm, Allison?"

"My name- Isn't actually Allison- Whatever. Your voices don't?"

"No- No no. They talk to me in dead languages. I had to do a lot of research. A lot of research, to get it right. I know a lot of languages. Maybe some of them are made up. I'm not sure anymore. And I already told you, I don't know what my name is."

"Huh? Oh- I don't have any control over them. I'm surprised they can talk to you."

"If you need something to refer to me by, I guess you can refer to me by the name on all the books I have in my possession, which means my name is Earl Viscount."

". . ."

". . .YOU'RE Earl Viscount?!"

"Oh, you read my drivel, huh? It helps pay for my various addictions. . ."

". . .Are we there yet? I've changed my mind. I need a drink now."

"Hm. Yes. Here we are."

Earl opened the door, and wandered inside. Delightful music poured out of the building, along with a cloud of other sounds and smells. Qhen followed immediately. Viss looked at Alice for a moment, before heading inside. Alice stood outside by herself for a little bit. She looked around. Everything felt odd. Of course, it doesn't help that the sights were all alien to her. All these buildings were more. . . Modern? Something about their design.

But there was something else off. It was something unsettling. Like having a word on the tip of your tongue but being unable to remember what it was. Or waking up after having a great idea and being unable to put it down onto paper. Or. . . the mysterious smell that comes before a rain storm.

She wondered how much about the world she didn't know about. She stepped back, and looked up at the sign.

. . .

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". . .E- ... Empty?"

". . ."

"Empty?"

Alice looked up at the sign. She reached down to her hip and checked her firearm. It popped into her hand. She broke open the action and checked that there was a shell loaded. She closed it, and put it away, then pulled it out again, just to make sure.

She opened the door, and her skin got goosebumps when she crossed through.

It was a lovely little place, but everything sort of hit her at once. All these weird contrasts. The building's exterior was stone and metal. The interior was beautiful wood. It also felt bigger on the inside than the outside. The moment the door had closed, it had shut the sounds from coming outside, but the opposite was also the same. When the door closed, it was almost like she forgot where she came from.

The kinds of people that were here were varied- more than varied. . . Is that a word for that? Alice could only guess that the people all dressed the same were waiters- They were carrying trays after all, but they were all fairly unique also. There were almost half a dozen tables. Long padded seats covered most of the walls, with tables set up in front of them. The bar was long but-

The bar! There was some very small, somewhat older looking gentleman sitting behind the bar on top of a stool. His eyes were closed, and his brow was furrowed... and bottles and glasses and all sorts of things swirled around him like a small whirlwind.

Her head was starting to hurt again. She was only just now aware of the fact that someone was tapping her on the wrist. It was one of the wait staff.

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"I take it this is your first visit to our fine establishment?"

"Wh- Ah- Yes. . ."

"If you wait for a moment, we can find you a seat. . ."

"Ah- No- My. . . My crew came in here just a few minutes ago. A dhemon, slightly shorter than myself, and a blue drahke. They were following an odd little man who smokes a lot and hides his fatigue behind dark glasses. . .?"

"- Oh, you're talking about Mr. Viscount. I think he slurred something about there being fourth. He wanted a private table. They're over there."

"Th-Thank you."

Alice bowed a little to the wait staff, who gave her an odd look before going back to work. She slowly worked her way through the place, glancing everywhere as discreetly as possible. The thing that most caught her attention was the music. Believe it or not? She does not get to hear music very often. Music is expensive.

But this place had. . . Musicians. There was for it. Band? Band. There was a band here, all dressed in very nice clothes, although their styles all clashed. It was less like an organized-thing, and more like a group of friends who showed up and just happened to bring instruments. The music was also quite similar, in design.

She watched them play, as she sat at the table. She was aware of Qhen attempting to hold a conversation with 'Mister Viscount'. Talking about his works of writing, and how he could manage to write all of those books and not really remember it. Viss was trying to look like she was enjoying herself, but it was clear to Alice that she was on edge. Her hand wasn't on her weapon, but if she could, she probably would just have it out already.

An object dropped in front of Alice. She glanced at it. A menu.

Alice opened the menu and began to glance through it. They offered so many things that she had never heard of. Luckily, they offered descriptions underneath, but that didn't exactly help her. She closed it and put it down on the table in front of her.

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"I shouldn't have left home."

"Huh? Why not?"

"This place, it's too big. There's too many people. It's all so- heavy."

"We haven't even been here long enough to get a drink! . . . But if Aliss is not feeling good, perhaps we should go back to the ship. . ."

"Uh- Hey. What is her muse's theme?"

". . . Wh..?"

"Don't you what me, young lady. You saw what I wrote down, and you didn't even once question me being able to hear those weird little voices. Of course I know what's going on. I'm high, not stupid. Look at me, I write best sellers!"

". . .I- Don't know. . .? I call them. . ."

Earl pushed his glasses up and got a good look at Alice, squinting one eye shut, chewing hard on the end of his cigarette holder. A few moments later Alice's vision suddenly pitched upwards and she was aware that she had hit her head, but it didn't hurt. She was very tired. She was getting tired of being tired. Was her entire life going to be punctuated with surprise-attack-naps?

The lights go out.

Alice has become unconscious, and where she currently is, you are unable to observe her or anybody else around her. This carries over to her dreamscape, as Empty is also currently unavailable.

You can wait for Alice to awaken, or attempt to contact Qhen or Viss, or, for an odd change, you are still currently capable of interacting with 'Earl Viscount'.

( ) Wait for Alice to Reawaken
( ) Try to find Empty or Alice's Dreamscape
( ) Try to switch to Qhen
( ) Try to switch to Viss
( ) Switch to Earl

let's hang out with Earl

>Switch to Earl.
>You know Earl, it does not speak well of your books if Alice fell asleep before even reading them.

"Yeah, what the hell do you know anyway? Bag of air. Talking shit about my books. . ."

"Uh, Earl? Did you have another episode just now?"

"What? Episode of what? I haven't written anything new lately. I raise."

"We have not even started the round yet, you weird little man."

Earl was sitting at a table, playing cards. To his left was that avelle. Her name was something like Kh'tak'ak'ha'ta'tch or something. It was all bird song to him. Pretty enough. She responded to Katie. Avaracious, that one was. Not in a bad way though. Earl respected a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and knew exactly how to cheat to get it. That's why she was always sat next to Earl and the next person. The next person would toss her across the room if they caught her cheating, and Earl was considered crazy, and a distraction. Hmph.

Next to Katie was Jude. Or Judith, if you were a cute lady, an adorable child, or were paying for her drinks that night. Big lady. Strong lady. Comes from some. . . Engineer's Commune? An airship- an Air. . . Land? Too big to properly be called a ship, but one enormous city that flew under it's own power. A very few people claim to have actually ever seen it- because it flies around in the CloudSea? Whatever. Too wild for Earl. So. Jude. Her people were kinda weird. They made prosthesis. . . But for themselves? Not like- for losing a limb. They'd just cut the damn thing off! How about that?! But only after they had properly assembled the thing. It was like a spirit quest for them.

Earl didn't particularly know why Jude was here. Didn't generally care. Not for a lack of caring. She was nice. She's only broken his arm twice. But he didn't care because she didn't show up in one of his books. The short of it? She was an 'airship-tribal', her right arm was a very well made mechanical prosthetic that did it's best to resemble a human arm, her left arm resembled her right arm through very intricate tattoo work- and the rest of her body was the same. Don't ask how he knows that. He almost stopped smoking that day. Oh right. He'd refer to her as 'Intense'.

Then there was Ken. And Vizz. They were alright, for kids. The tall one was some form of demon, kinda red-skinned even. Although, that's because their skin was sorta see through. It made Earl a little uneasy. Not used to seeing demons unless he was really deep into a personal vacation. Also, those perfect jet-black spheres. Earl wasn't sure if that one ever blinked. Vizz on the other hand, blinked a lot. Cute little lizard. Drake. Dragon. Whatever. He hadn't really figured out what their deal was. That's why there were back here, playing cards.

Oh, and before her forgot, the other one on his right. Sebastian. Odd duck, this one. Probably the only one he really got along well with, most days. Some sort of nobility in the Imperial Sphere, he spent all his time 'rubbing elbows' with the 'lessers'. . . His guardian's words. Not his, of course. Sebastian was alright. He was honest. To a fault. That was a good word for him. He was 'Honest'. He figured being honest with everyone, including oneself was a good way to get popularity with the people. So he serves drinks in a bar, had a portion of his hair dyed a ridiculously bright color, and had a bunch of pieces of metal inserted into his face. Earl remembers being young and rebellious. Ah. Those were the day-

". . .Earl? You have been staring into space for like, five minutes. You're making the newbies nervous, and you're starting to tick me off. What the fuck?"

"Huh? What? Shut up, Seb. I was just narrating for our lovely viewers. I guess while Alissa or whatever takes a nap, her ghosts are peeking over my shoulder. I was introducing you all. Be grateful. It'll save us time later when we have to decide who is the new favorite. My money is on me."

"Your money is about to be fed to you. Are you in or out?"

"Oh. What are we playing?"

"CARDS! Ditch your trash and bet or fold already! Some of us like to be able to spend our winnings while we're young, you know?!"

Oh. Sorry about all that. They can be like that. If you want any more information, just ask. Earl reserves the right to drown you out with drugs and alcohol though. Just forewarning. He just absentmindedly tosses his bet into the center of the table and picks up his cards.

King of Clubs,
Jack of Clubs,
Six of Spades,
Four of Spades,
Two of Spades.

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Wow! What a completely garbage hand he just went in on! What cards should he keep, if any?

Earl checks the information. This is a modified poker they play here. Starting with the first player (Katie in this case) and going clockwise, each player either folds, or tosses in the set bet, and any number of cards, face up.

Each player afterwards gets that information to formulate what they're going to discard. Afterwards, all discards are shuffled back into the deck, and each person is dealt back to five cards. Then another round of betting. Simple, huh?

It helps that Earl also cheats by [reading] his opponents like a book.

Katie threw out a Nine of Diamonds and a Five of Hearts.
Katie is trying for a Flush.

Jude threw out a Eight of Spades and a Ten of Hearts .
Jude is trying for a Straight.

Ken threw out a Ace of Spades, a Jack of Hearts, and a Nine of Hearts.
Ken is trying for either a Straight OR a Flush. Interesting.

Vizz threw out a King of Spades and a Nine of Spades.
. . . Earl can't read Vizz's thought process. More Interesting.

Finally, Seb threw out a Two of Hearts and an Ace of Hearts.
Seb is also trying for either a Straight OR a Flush.

( ) Choose 0-5 cards to discard.

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Damnit, whoops. Okay, no more Noon-time postings when I haven't slept yet, Here is a chunk of information I left out:

Katie will cheat by replacing the worst card in her hand with any better card.

Jude will cheat by changing any card in her hand up or down a value.

Seb will cheat by changing any of his cards into whichever suit he likes.

Also no, it's not important that you win, but I felt like doing this, so here we are. ' <';

> Golly I actually kind of like poker or the concept. This might be intresting.

> Maybe try for a flush, Earl. Discard both your clubs unless you're a risk taker!

>Earl, I have a flawless plan. Throw out ALL your cards and go all in. Don't even look at your new cards when you get them. That'll surely intimidate them and show off your confidence.

>Earl, I have a flawless plan. Throw out ALL your cards and go all in. Don't even look at your new cards when you get them. That'll surely intimidate them and show off your confidence.

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". . .Sure. Let's do that."

"Hold on- Don't you dare. . ."

Earl threw his hand into the center of the table. Ken and Vizz looked confused while the others groaned.

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"Does he do this often?"

"No, but it's annoying every time."

Vizz and Ken looked at each other, then back to Earl. Katie pushed her wings back with her shoulders and grabbed all the cards on the table. She shuffled them up, and dealt everybody back up to five. Katie stared at her hand, and thought for a little bit.

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"You know, we ARE playing a game, Katie. While we're young, right?"

"You can't be lucky forever, Earl. I'll prove that when I kill you for your sass someday."

Katie threw in more coins. Jude put her cards face down on the table. Ken threw a small handful of coins into the pile. Vizz threw in an even bigger pile. Seb threw in a slightly bigger pile of coins. . .

Earl put his hands on top of his pile of coins, and shuffled them forward into the center of the table. Katie hissed angrily, and clicked her beak.

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"Uh- He didn't look at his cards."

"I get the feeling he is the kind to not look at his cards until it's time to show em."

"Yeah, he's kind of an asshole that way."

"Your luck will not hold out forever, Earl. I am also all in."

"Uh. . ."

"Fold, Ken."

". . . Okay."

"I am in."

"What, really?"

"I think I have a shot."

"I like this one! I'm also in. Here's my pay for today."

Earl began to stack all the coins up based on type. Katie clicked her beak angrily again, and flipped her cards over.

Ace, Two, Three, Queen, Jack - All Clubs, Flush

Katie looked particularly pleased with herself. Ken made a face. Maybe they had a better hand? Jude sighed happily, however. She folded, so she didn't have to show her cards, but was clearly very sure she made the right decision. Very safe, that one. Vizz let out a small hissing whistle under her breath which was successful in getting Katie's attention like she wanted.

Six Spade, Six Diamond, Seven Club, Seven Diamond, Seven Heart - Full House.

Katie narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, and looked at Vizz. Katie didn't like to lose. Especially when she suspected that someone just 'out-cheated' her. Viss flicked her tongue in an adorable manner and leaned back in their chair. Sebastian sighed. He regretted his decision, and his cards showed why.

Two, Eight, Nine, Ten, King - All Diamonds, Flush.

Seb then turned to look at Earl. Earl was now making two piles of coins. He was stacking them perfectly. Slowly. Agonizingly. Someone probably said something, but he was busy. He had to do this. It was important. So Seb reached over and grabbed his cards and spat a truly vile curse in a language that only he and Earl knew. It's part of why Earl liked Seb. It wasn't HIS language by any stretch, but he learned it. Seb liked to learn things.

Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace - Royal Hearts Flush.

Katie let out a strangled, furious squawk and the feathers around her neck puffed up and she gritted her beak. Jude patted Katie on the shoulder.

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"You knew you was gonna lose that one."

"No! I did not! He does not ALWAYS win every time he does something stupid! You will starve to death one of these days, Earl! I will take every last coin you own and I will throw them off into the CloudSea just to spite you!"

"You would NOT. You like money and shiny things too much to do that, and Earl wouldn't starve. I think he's proved enough times that he knows what he's doing."

*INCOHERENT HISSING*

"Does he do this often?"

"NO. Sometimes he just gets the one card he needs to win! This is why I do not play cards with you people anymore!"

"I thought it was because Jude threatened to toss you out a window if she caught you cheating again."

"JUDE ALSO CHEATS."

"Well- Yeah. Of course."

"Wait, was everybody cheating?"

". . .Well- Yeah. Of COURSE."

". . . I wasn't cheating."

"Oh! Oh, right! You wouldn't! Let's see what you got!"

Two Heart, Three Spade, Four Club, Five Club, Six Heart.

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"Ooh. That's good! Natural luck?"

"Who, Ken? Not often. He just likes to charge ahead into things without thinking. That's his muse. He's obsessed with finding his true 'freedom'."

"I like them even more! I suppose you're already dating Miss Vaugen."

"Huh? What? No?"

"Reaaaaallyy~? That is a SHAME. Tell me, Kenny, how does Alison feel about strong, passionate mechanics?"

"What?"

"Stop, Stop, Stop! Ken is a dope, we are in a relationship!"

"But that means Alison is still free, righ-"

"NO! It's a very special thing we have! The three of us! Together!. . . She's mine, back away, mountaintop."

"Aww. You're cute. I bet you weigh less than a cannonball."

"I will grind you into rubble."

"I'm afraid I will have to decline. My apartment does not allow pets."

"HISSS-Ssssss?"

Earl shoved a small pile of coins in front of Vizz. About a quarter of the pile. Another quarter of the pile, he split up into two smaller stacks, which he gave to Katie and Seb. Then Earl gave Jude one of the larger coins.

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"You're all too noisy. You're making it hard for a man to enjoy his hallucinogens. Alice is still asleep- so let's play another round. Okay?"

"I do not need your PITY COINS, Earl-"

"They are not pity coins. They're your buy-in for the next round, right? Unless you didn't actually go all in, because Seb forked over his pay for the day, and I put my rent up for the pot. . ."

". . . I hate you, Earl Viscount."

"I hate me too, Katie. Not much longer left, through."

". . ."

"Hey, thanks, Earl. Just try not to pull another stunt like that, yeah? I haven't eaten tonight yet."

"Don't lose next time, idiot. I didn't even do that because I wanted to. Alice's voices told me to do it. They must be my lucky charm. . ."

"Okay-Hey. No lucky charms at the table then. Deal?"

". . .Well, I'm not going to be able to get rid of them, unless they go away of their own volition. But I'll try not to tap into their infinite power to do fuck all with a deck of cards."

"So you DO know Alice's name?"

"And what exactly were you talking about anyway there? It got kinda- Uncomfortable."

"If it got uncomfortable, why did you bring it up?"

"Because I wanted to know. So I asked. Simple as that."

"Can't fault that! Still, it's not a conversation topic for right now. I'd like to enjoy my game."

"Alright Alright- Sorry I brought it up. Later, Ken. Alright? How about you deal this time?"

". . . Uh- Sure. Pass me the deck. Same game?"

"Absolutely same game. I like this one."

Earl reached into his pocket, pulled out a pouch, reached under his hat, and retrieved a slip of paper. He began rolling some strange blue leaves into the paper as Ken began dealing the cards. He rolled it up and stuffed it into his cigarette holder. Jude helpfully extended her right arm, a little flame popping out of her thumb.

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"Thanks, Jude. So. Kenny's muse is 'Freedom'. What about you, Vizz?"

"It's Viss."

"Oh just answer the question, Vizz. You tell me, and I'll give you the dirt on my friends here."

"Earl, you garbage human, I wish more people were as unlikable as you- I'd feel less bad about taking all your money."

"Katie's Muse is Avarice, if you couldn't guess."

*SCREECH*

"My Muse is True. I'm constantly in pursuit of the truth, after all."

". . . I'm- Uh- I'm Intense, I guess."

"Yeah you are."

"Do you just naturally make everything you say sound like you're flirting with someone, or is your muse like- Lust or something and you're just too embarrassed to admit it?"

Ken was dealing out cards- but Jude stopped him, because he was counting out five and giving them to each person. Katie clicked her beak in amusement at that, as Ken started over again, after re-shuffling, and dealing one to each person, starting with Vizz, and going clockwise again.

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"No- I don't know what my Muse is. I don't particularly care. It caused me enough trouble as it is. So I keep it locked up in my head with useless thoughts. When I tried to kill Alice- My darkness was known as Envy. So I don't even know what the good half to that would be. The muse of Acceptance? Maybe it really would be a Muse of Lust or something. That would be convenient, if it would make Alice or Ken actually notice me.

"Man, you are just all knotted up in it, aren't you? I can't even tell what you say is a lie and what's truth. That's not healthy for you."

"I didn't even know muses had a 'dark side' or a 'light side'. What's the difference?"

"The difference is when you merge with your own darkness, it consumes you, and you become driven with a need to destroy everything, including yourself."

". . .Merge?"

"Heh. Looks like the new kids have been up to some interesting things. I didn't know deviancy could extend to muses as well. . ."

"I-I-It's not like that! They don't have a defined gender or body even!"

"I think I'm the only one here who actually cares about that sort of thing, anyway. Katie's too busy rolling around in her money, and Seb is too busy being a good person."

"I will have you know that waitress you keep hitting on has been going out with me for dinner after work about twice a week now."

". . .Why didn't she say anything?!"

"Because she didn't want to break your heart, I guess?"

"Why didn't YOU say anything?!"

"I don't own her. Not my business what she tells other people about her personal business, and you never ask me anything. . ."

The chatter kept on going. Earl tuned it out into a dull fuzzy hum. The world around him began to fray at the edges, and bits of color came into his sight again. He missed the colors. It was such a bother, seeing the world in literal black and white. Well, not entirely. The tiny numbers on the back of his right hand, slowly ticking down, were red. That's why he liked having the colors around. It drowned out the ticking.

So Earl decided to just tune out everything for now. He wanted to think, without that damn doomsday clock ticking away in his heart. He tossed in coins. Played cards. Whatever they were talking about out there was probably super interesting, and incredibly stupid. Not that he thought THEY were stupid- but sometimes people could just- talk about the most inane crap. Nobody seemed to actually want to talk about the very obvious interesting bits about say- how Viss attempted to kill Alice? And the weird jealous hoarding of Alice and Qhen to herself? And Qhen either doesn't get it, or has a heart of stone.

Earl thought about Alice. He'd want to talk to Eli after the place closed. That guy didn't know any more or less than anybody else about Muses- if you could put information into mass, anyways. I guess if you wrote it all down, Eli might know a little more. But his knowledge was also completely different. They all brought different snippets of knowledge to this table, and right now, he had questions he wanted answers to.

What was up with Viss and Qhen? Were their muses vastly different from their own? Probably. Katie, Judith, Sebastian and himself all manifested in vastly different ways.

Also this Alice girl. Who was she? What was her muse? And why was it so hard to meet her gaze? Earl's muse did not like her. Earl's muse was afraid. Which was interesting. Earl's Fatalism was usually just, you know. Depressing. That's the other reason for the drugs. And the Alcohol. And the Escapism. It's really hard to be surprised by anything, when you know the date of-

Earl suddenly kicked away from the table, knocking over his chair, scattering coins and cards across the surface- luckily nobody had a drink with them right now. That got people's attention. He still couldn't hear them though. They were just buzzing in his ears. Blurs of color and sensation, screaming at him incoherently through the darkness. He stared at the back of his right hand. He shouted something at them that made them stop. He got up. Okay. No- Need answers. Earl will trade information, but Earl needs answers.

He stumbled out of the room, and into the next room, throwing the door open. He reached over, grasping blindly a few times before realizing that his depth perception was all messed up. He began shaking Alice, who woke up confused, and a little terrified at this person shouting at her incoherently-

(X) ฬђ๏ คгє ץ๏ย
(X) ฬђคՇ ђคשє ץ๏ย ๔๏ภє
(X) ђ๏ฬ ๔๏ ץ๏ย รՇ๏ק เՇ

Suddenly, Earl was asleep. Unconscious. Knocked out cold. The back of his head stung. That was probably Judith's doing then. He must have been freaking out something bad- she barely pulled her punch.

Right. Answers. YOU LOT!

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"COME OUT! COME OUT HERE! FACE ME! I DEMAND ANSWERS!"

( Earl Viscount, you are being irrational. )

"Shut up you. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Alice's GHOSTS! Come down here and talk to me! Alice eludes all literary explanation! She's like a Non-Entity! No-one, and I mean NO-ONE Comes and just shows up and sets my clock to midnight like that! What kind of devil are you?!"

( Earl- )

( I will handle this. )

Suddenly, Earl was aware of how alone he was. In a dream-like state, his brain was scrubbed. He was uniquely, and for the first time in decades, lucid and clean. The empty white void stretched on in all directions. There was a table. Chairs. A number of them. But only one was pulled out. In it sat a roughly humanoid-shaped cloud of ice-cold fog, wearing a grey cloak.

( Please. Have a seat. )

( ) Have a seat.
( ) Have a seat?
( ) Have a seat!
( ) Don't. . .have a seat?

> Have a seat, question mark question mark?

> Hello Empty, Earl, Fatalism! How do you do?

> Have a seat, wave robe arm!

> Hello! What do you want to know, Early?
> Hi Empty! Hi.. Fatalism? Greetings!

>Take a seat, but take the last one and knock over all the others as you approach it.

Earl walked over to the table. He began knocking chairs aside. Then he stopped, and walked around the table the other way, knocking all the other chairs over, except for the one that Empty is sitting in, and the one he turns around and sits on, gripping the back of the chair in his hands angrily. He doesn't even notice the grey cloaks fluttering around behind him. Oops.

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"She is an enigma. A god damn mystery. I've read her story. I'm the one writing it, for fuck sakes. How does she do it? Where does she get the reserve of energy? How did she fend off those other two? They're clearly more powerful than she is. She doesn't even know what you are!"

"Did you know that anger is often fear in disguise?"

"I- Don't fear her! I don't fear you! I don't fear anything! Until today, I had no reason to fear anything! I knew my own punchline! Down to the minute! I have engaged in every form of self-destructive behavior, from drugs and alcohol to slapping Jude on the butt when she was in a particularly bad and drunken mood! Death was not a mystery to me- so I have no reason to fear you."

"Then why are you angry?"

"This poor girl doesn't deserve this kind of story! I know at best, I'm an unreliable narrator. Most of the time I can't even properly tell you the color of the sky or left from right. But I've read ahead, and you- you god damn monster. . ."

"Yes?"

Earl was reaching for Empty's hood, when he suddenly just- deflated. His arms fell down to his sides, and his forehead rested on the back of the chair. He was searching for something. Some hidden reserve of energy, but Fatalism was out of his range- something this THING did. . .

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"I've spent a long time studying muses. I've traded information. I've written theories. I've fought others. Clawed my way from the brink of destruction. Struggled with internal demons. Lost a few times."

"You know quite a lot about them, I'm sure. You also have- as you said, written, and re-read her story. I don't really need to tell you anything you already know, do I?"

". . .A muse has a flavor. An identity. I've never considered that the darkness and the light were actually the sides of a single coin. I thought they were separate entities. You either embraced the truth, or you were embraced by your shadows."

"That does not tell me what it is you want to know. You are avoiding the subject."

". . .What has she done, to deserve such a painful life? What pursues her? Pursues you? What dark clouds are on the horizon, and how long do we have until their shadows sweep our streets? Why did you come here? Why am I so afraid?"

". . .Mortals are divided into two categories. Those who find the unknown future thrilling, and those who find it threatening. The division between those two sides is a grindstone slowly grinding your kind into blood and ash. You want to know what Alice is?"

"I never NOT want to know something. I thirst for knowledge. . ."

"A thirst of knowledge that has been slowly consuming you. You have experienced so many things, but how many does your deteriorating mind remember? How many beautiful words have you forgotten?"

". . .Enough to fill a dictionary. . . Unlike Alice, or Qhen or Viss, I am an adult. I am responsible for my own actions. Even when blasted out of my mind and into another universe. . . No knowledge is forbidden."

"Hm. I wonder, if we might have been compatible, at some point. Let me explain something to you, and to the 'ghosts' as you call them."

Empty began to explain, and Earl listened.

A muse, the thing that you call a muse, is largely a figment. A fragment of a broken psyche, a wounded heart, a shattered moral compass. A portion of one's own mind, given form. Each person's muse manifests in different ways, and is an extreme representation of one's deepest thoughts. Qhen is filled with a potent anger at a world that has seen them 'subjugated', and seen their friends and family taken away from them. Just the same, they are filled with a powerful desire to be 'free'. To escape the chains of society and be their own person.

Earl understood that. Qhen and Viss had a bit of a punch up over something related, didn't they?

Yes. Viss' muse reflects a powerful jealousy. An envy that burns hotter than her own blood, a dark reflection of a cry for help. A desire to be held. To be loved. To be 'accepted'. She could not admit to herself or others her desires, and so she gave in, at an early age, to the burning 'envy'. She sated a thirst for acceptance with fear.

Earl did not like where this was going. He nervously gripped his right hand.

Not to worry, Earl. I will not reveal the secrets of yourself or your friends yet. That is something that Alice shall discover on her own. Speaking of. You have asked many questions, but none with substance. But just this once, I shall give you the answers you have been looking for, Earl Viscount.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Alice van Vaugen. She led a lonely life. Not tortured in any sense, but an extremely lonely life all the same. For most of her life, she was surrounded by guardians, people that she did not know that owed her parents a debt of some kind, and would have their accounts settled by passing on some of their knowledge to this precocious child. Despite all of that, she was still alone. You see, a muse is not some magical intrinsic power one has. Everyone has the capacity to summon a muse from deep inside. Everyone hurts, Earl.

Earl had stood up. Empty had stood up. They were floating towards Earl. Earl took a step back, then another. He gripped around in his head. Fatalism wasn't there. He desperately tried to decipher his own puzzle. If fatalism would not help him here-. . . what did he want? What did he desire? What would save him from this-

No one lives a perfect life, Earl. Everyone hurts. Everyone suffers. Some more so than others. Some so much that they feel a need to escape. Muses are that escape. An attempt to bring one's life back into balance with barely understood powers. It almost never works out. After all, you've written and read so many books, as a histicion, you know how those stories end.

Earl tried to stand their ground. There was something about Empty that was deeply unsettling. It was like a bad trip. Maybe he was just hallucinating. Maybe this was all a bad dream.

Earl's back hit an invisible wall. Empty reached out, their cloak opening up, and a slender arm, formed of the infinite starry expanse of the universe beyond the CloudSea, slowly reached out. Empty grabbed Earl's shoulder, and Earl began to stare into Empty's hood. Jesus- it was full of stars. . .

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"You have accepted your darkness, Earl. This is not a fault of yours, nor Katie, or Judith, or Sebastian. You try so hard. You use your powers to do the best you can. But these 'children'. . . They cannot survive such power. Not Qhen, not Viss, not Alice. So. That story. Remember the story, Earl?"

He licked his lips nervously. He had stuffed his hands into his pockets, and was desperately trying to put something into a pipe. A desperate chuckle escaped him.

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"Lonely girl, right? So what- you're the darkness in her heart? Is that why you're Empty? Is it because she's lonely? She has friends- I suppose she doesn't really know that. . . No- That's not right. You said she wouldn't be able to survive such power. Wait. . . No. . ."

"I said cannot. Qhen and Viss could not survive such power. Alice didn't."

"Didn't. . .But she did. She's here. You're here."

"Yes. She is. But it is also an irrefutable truth that she died. She is the result of when one's darkness goes out of control."

"So you're the good half- then? That it? Her 'desire' is to be 'Empty'? What kind of garbage is that? Nobody WANTS to be alone- Oh."

"Oh, indeed. I see I do not need to answer that question. But I will answer the one that you actually managed to get out."

Earl stared into Empty. He saw planets. Stars. Solar systems. Galaxies. Nebulae. Moons. Asteroids. He also saw what lay in-between those things. An infinite, yawning abyss. An Emptiness like none other. He wondered if he touched their face, if he would become lost in that Emptiness. He reached out with a hand. . . And Empty grabbed it with their other hand.

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"Alice's Darkness is what pursues her. It is a ruthless, ravenous void, that consumes everything in it's path. A cloud of shadow that takes the form of terrifying nightmare beasts. It is coming this way because Alice cannot hide from her own Darkness. The best she can do is confront it, escape, and live to fight it again, until she learns to banish it forever."

". . .I thought muses. . . were like coins. . .Unless- No- I get it. I get it! The Darkness... Alice's Muse is coming for her. . . But that-"

He squinted. He leaned in, trying to get a good look into that hood. He studied the shifting patterns- and realized he was staring at a face. He jerked back. Empty did not let go.

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"You're not a muse. You're not a MUSE, You're NOT a MUSE. YOU'RE NOT. What are you- WHAT are YOU- Damn you! Let me go! What are you?!"

Empty leaned in. Closer. Closer. . Closer. . .

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". . .I am Empty. Nothing more. Nothing less. It is what I am, and what I will be. I am also issuing you a warning, Earl Viscount- for what it's worth. I do not intend on letting you remember anything useful from all this."

"A warning. . .?"

"Alice has a hard enough life. She suffers from wounds that will never heal, the result of pains she takes onto herself from those around her. Pain she might take from you soon. You understand how that could take it's toll on someone, yes?"

"Y-Yeah. I can understand- I suppose I lost my cool- Didn't need me yelling at her like that, right?"

"As such, Earl, let me make something abundantly clear. If you ever 'lose your cool' like that with Alice again, you will not need to worry about Viss' blade, or Qhen's claws and teeth. I will seize your tools and write you out of existence. Understand?"

"For once- I think I actually do understand. I understand that you are a dangerous monster."

"As long as we're clear. Nap time is over. Wake up."

Empty took in a deep breath- and Earl heard the the sound of stars roaring into existence, great cosmic fires burning deep inside Empty's infinite confines of their hood. They learned in just a little closer- the heat coming from their open mouth practically scorching Earl's face- and they let out a sharp- quick breath.

Earl vanished, blown out like a candle.

Empty slowly exhaled a cloud of beautiful, glittering purple nebula fire, crackling with electricity. They calmed down, repeating something quietly to themselves- and quickly became the floating cloud of fog wearing a cloak that everybody knew and loved(?).

"Do you think I was too hard on him?"

> No. He was being quite rude to poor Alice. I'm surprised you handled him as gently as you did.

> So.. what ARE you..? I didn't quite obtain the knowledge Early did from your conversation.

> Not too much!

> So... if you're not her muse, then who is?

>Too hard? Nah. If anything Earl good use a few more people talking to him like that. Where he is right now in his life, you only get there when nobody ever tells you, "No."

Earl woke up in a pool of water. Not a pool. A lake.

Not a lake. An ocean.

How did Earl know an ocean was? Easy. He read books. You would be surprised what you could learn when you tried.

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". . .Fatalistic."

" At last, Earl. You can hear me. I was trying to tell you not to challenge the Meddler. They are powerful beyond reason. "

"Thanks for the prompt and quick warning. I would be lying if I said I didn't know you were my darkness."

" Who, you? Lie? Never. You are the picture of truth and clarity, Earl Viscount. "

". . .So, why haven't you tried to kill me yet?"

" Because I don't need to. One of these days, you'll do something stupid, and your luck will not be there to save you anymore. "

"That does not make sense."

" Oh? Explain. "

"If I die by my own means, you go with me. That is what I have taken from our- excruciatingly stupid exchange of meaningless words."

" You would be correct. "

"So your goal is to take us both out. Care to explain why, while I try to dry out my god damn smokes?"

Earl sat up. The ocean was, in fact, a pool. A pool of his own sweat. He was in his bed. He remembers having a terrible reaction to something he was smoking- he had an epiphany. Then Jude clocked him in the 'off switch'. You know, that spot at the base of your skull and- nevermind. Mental note: Drink a lot. Water. Juice. Milk. Coffee. Tea. Whatever. Just drink a lot of it. He felt like a wrung out sponge. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a wet cigarette. He put it into his mouth.

He almost jumped a little when the spark appeared in front of him. A crackle of electricity between Fatalism's fingertips. A muse. A demon. A thought. Thoughts were impulses inside one's brain. Conquer someone's electricity, and you conquer their body. Earl looked up at Fatalism. They had crawled up on his bed. A thought, a being of pure mental energy. Electricity. Their fingers crackled with lightning, which they brought up to Earl's face. The electricity began to pass through the material, harmlessly shocking his face. He grunted.

Then, all at once, the material dried out and caught fire- Earl inhaled deeply, reducing the entire thing to ash. He held his breath and stared at Fatalism. They leaned in and touched his face. His nervous system twinged. His shoulders, then his elbows, then his wrists and hands lost control in that order. Earl exhaled, and Fatalism inhaled, taking the cloud of foul smoke into it's face. . .

Fatalism stood up, and exhaled a small black cloud, charged with electricity. Releasing it, it joined the other clouds that circled the top of Earl's room, a uniquely weird little weather system just in his house.

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" Because, Earl, as your Fatalistic Nature, There is nothing more beautiful than for us to perish, destinies intertwined- Fading into history like storm clouds after a heavy rain. "

"Right. And without the flowery poetic bullshit?"

" If I killed you, and set myself free, who would possibly hold me back after that? "

". . .You're afraid of what you might become. You're afraid of the unknowable future."

" Just as you are. I am formed from you, after all. "

Suddenly, there was a rumble of thunder. Earl jumped again a little, and looked up angrily. He preferred his indoor showers when he had already taken the time to lock up his book. . .s. . .

The clouds over his head remained silent, just slowly circling the ceiling. He was reminded of something. Cripes. He leapt out of bed and grabbed the Chronicles of Allison. He began flipping through them. He missed something. Something important.

---

Alice sighed to herself. She was greatly uncomfortable. She passed out, or something- and was put on some boxes, with a blanket under her? That was not nearly enough to offset the fact that she was sleeping on wooden crates. Then add the fact that she didn't have a pillow, or a blanket to go on top of her. . .

Also, while she was sleeping, that weird man- Earl? Earl started screaming at her incoherently before Judith knocked him out cold. She tried to go back to sleep after that, but found that hard to do, as shortly after all that was over, Viss came in and tried to get Alice to 'share her time' with Viss.

Alice was not in the mood for shenanigans, so Viss decided to go for the second most annoying option. She climbed up on Alice, curled up on her legs, and fell asleep. Or was pretending to be asleep. Either way, it was annoying, Viss weighed quite a bit for such a small, lithe lizard- and every time Alice stopped petting her, Viss would make an angry hissing noise.

So. Alice had time to think. . . and read! Qhen had very very helpfully made her some notes- with Judith's help. Judith was very kind. Brought Alice a pillow for her back. Brought her a glass of milk. Brought her a slice of bread with some jam! Offered to rub her shoulders. Around this time, Alice had realized that she had made another 'friend mistake'. Judith and Qhen's notes were fascinating.

So, the Cafe- the Idle Amusement- was owned by the short, angry man. His muse was 'Terse'. His muse 'type' was 'trade'. He traded his ability to have conversations with more than one word at a time, in exchange for his ability to move objects with his mind. But only when he was angry.

In fact, basically everybody who came to the Idle Amusement were Musers. Was that a verb/adjective for people who mused? Or a portmanteau of Muse User? She wasn't sure. Judith had also, helpfully included information about herself. Quite a lot of it. Height. Weight. Age. Color of Eyes. Blood Type. Favorite Food. Least Favorite Food. A little written bit of history about herself and her people. It was all fascinating, but sort of devalued by the fact that Alice was absolutely sure that this lady was being sorta- desperate. Although Alice was touched? Viss, she could excuse. But some random person she's never met taking a serious interest in her? That was. . .funny.

What Judith did NOT include was information about any of the other people that Viss and Qhen had met and played cards with. Nor information about Earl Viscount. Alice sighed, and put the notes down. Okay, so she had gotten some information. The muse thing was not unique to her. Also she wasn't technically a Muser? Apparently the way she utilized Empty's power didn't count. . . And also, Alice was not seized by a consuming emotion or thought, positive or negative.

This was all interesting, but Alice had some more important thoughts in her mind.

Could she get any information she was actually interested in? She wanted to go out into the CloudSea. She looked around. . .

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"Pen. . . Pen. . . I have a pen in my bag, but Viss is still- Uh."

Alice began to tip backwards. She laid down, and Viss sat on her stomach, and stared down at her. Her tail folded around, and offered Alice her pen.

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"Ah- Uh- Um. Viss- Thank you. Could you move, maybe?"

"- "

"Already regret what I said. I take that back. Can you get off of me."

"I could. But I'm comfortable here. You're cold. What are you writing about?"

". . .I'm cold. . .?"

"Yes. Contrary to what you understand about most reptiles, my kind have hot blood. Very, very hot blood, Alice. It's just so difficult to contain and control ourselves, you know? It's only thanks to your delightful, calming- cooling influen-"

"Oh look at that, a change of subject. I'm making a list of what we need in order to go out into the CloudSea"

"Hmm. Hmm. Well, while you do that, surely you don't mind me being here."

"Keep your body-parts to yourself, and we have a deal. It's already hard enough to think with you on top of me like this."

"I just heard something amazing."

"Have you considered maybe not eating your own weight for every meal?"

". . .You have a heart like ICE, Alice van Vaugen. Cold, frozen ice."

"Right. That's why you're snuggling up to me, right? Because I'm cold. Get used to it."

"....HhhhHHissSSSS- ALISS IS SO AGGRIVATING! VISS CANNOT STAND IT!"

"You don't have to stand, I'd be fine with you just rolling onto the floor and staying there."

"And again! Again, Aliss grips Viss' feelings in her cold, unfeeling claws, and fashions them into a spear upon which she cruelly impales Viss' heart- Another innocent love slain upon your harsh, terrible words! I surrender! I acquiesce! I will lay on the floor and SUUUufffeeeerr."

Viss put a hand up to her forehead and spun slightly to the side and then hit the floor. THUMP. Viss let out a pained hiss.

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"Regret anything yet?"

"Yes. I regret having only one life to give for my love. Also I cricked my tail. That hurt."

"That's what you get."

". . .Alice?"

*sigh.* "Yes, Viss?"

"What would it take to convince you to relax even a little bit? A hug? A chuckle? A snuggle? A kiss?"

"Peace and quiet. No stress. No worries. For just- A night."

". . .I can do that."

"Can you now."

"Sure! Have you looked at the time? The Cafe is closed. They locked us in here hours ago."

" --* WHAT?"

"You were sleeping really peacefully for a while there when I was resting on your legs, so they told me you could just spend the night here. The boss made some grumble about it, but that 'Bastian kid said he'd cover it with part of his winnings from the poker game."

"H-Hold on. Poker game? What the hell did I miss?"

"We played poker. We cheated. A lot. All of us. Except for Qhen. Probably doesn't even know HOW to cheat. Anyway. There is no way for us- for YOU to be disturbed in here. So. . ."

Viss watched Alice, her tail flicking back and forth idly. Alice rolled her eyes, and stared up at the ceiling. She tapped her papers with her pen. Viss' tail began to flick a little more.

Alice let out a long sigh. Viss' tail began to wag. She wanders over, and peeks at Alice.

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". . .Get up here."

"Eee!"

"Beside m-Oof. Beside."

"Eeehehehee~"

"If you keep laughing like that, >I< will sleep on the floor."

"Do not be silly! If Aliss attempted something so silly, Viss would simply cuddle up to her even harder. It's cold down there."

". . .Okay. C'mere. No kissing. Keep that tongue to yourself. Keep your HANDS to yourself. If if you do ANYTHING untoward, I will do something dramatic, like- poetry and playwright dramatic."

"Murder Suicide! Got it Cap'n. I'll be content with a hug and to be invited to spend the night next to you."

Alice stared up at the ceiling. She could hear Viss breathing. She really was excited about this. That's weird. Viss is- Viss is weird. Alice closed her eyes.

. . .

Sigh.

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"Viss."

"Yyyeeeesss?"

". . .I'm cold."

"Uh-Huh?"

"Arms at your sides, face away from me."

"It is like you don't even trust me!"

"Just DO it."

Viss rolled over. Alice reached out and grabbed Viss by the arms- She wasn't a fool- and pulled her close. Viss began to do that purring thing, and she was warm and Alice just- fell asleep.

Her pad of paper and pen fell over. She really had gotten one thing written down.

[ ] More Crew?

. . .

---

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". . . So. You guys are the type to get to know each other through beating each other up, huh?"

"Simplest way to get to know someone's true feelings. Especially someone who has a muse."

"I'm not comfortable fighting like this though."

"That is surprising. Viss was talking pretty highly of your skills."

"Oh- No. It's not that I'm against fighting- It's that- Do none of you know how to form a voidspace?"

". . .A what?"

"It's- It's like another world. One only Alice, Viss and I can interact with. We learned this before we left. Alice can make doors with a key she makes using her mind- and only other people with muses can see the doors. It's very convenient for not- causing damage to things you might want to leave intact. Like people's houses and lives."

"That sounds very useful. . .You heard of this, Katie?"

"No. Interesting."

". . .So you really locked Alice and Viss. . . alone. . .together. . .in the cafe?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Viss seemed to be perfectly fine with watching Alice to make sure she was fine."

"She is-"

"I knew it! ONE of you was the jealous one."

"ME? No! No. That's. . . A story."

"I only like stories that involve punching things."

". . .Is this really the way it has to be?"

"Either punches or kisses!"

"I am- QUITE aware that you are into other ladies."

"And. . .?"

"That information is a secret."

"Then PUNCHES it is! Katie, lets do th-"

"Hold-HOLD ON-"

"Look. You're the new kid. Literally. You also have some information about utilizing muses that we don't have. You're not great at this communication thing- clearly. So just pick one of us to rumble with. Let us see what you got. After that, we can sit down and drink tea and be respectable adults. Okay?"

". . .Alirght. Fine. Anybody?"

"Anybody you see here with you."

*sigh* "I pick-"

( ) Seb.
( ) Jude.
( ) Katie.
( ) . . .That Guy over There.
( ) . . .Earl?

> That Guy Over There TM.

>That Guy Over There

I would say Earl but I genuinely think he doesn't need this kind of bullshit right now
>Jude

> That Guy over there

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"I pick that guy over there."

". . .What?"

The figure stepped out of the nearby alleyway. They were dressed in a way that could only be described as 'fashionably plain'. The suit they wore looked well made- but it just didn't fit them properly. The fabric LOOKED expensive, unless you looked a little closer. Loose threads. Wearing through in places, almost. The flower stuck into the chest pocket was old and dried up. They walked with their hands stuffed into their pockets, even better underlining the ill-fit of the clothes. If this suit was tailored, it wasn't for THEM.

They walked past Katie, Jude and Seb, until they were only a couple feet away from Qhen. They pulled a hand out of their pocket, and stroked their chin. Their hair was dark and pulled back, and they had- to Qhen anyway- the most beautiful brown eyes.

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". . .Where did they come from?"

"I don't know. I didn't hear them approach."

". . .Uh- I guess I was a little vague about that, Qhen- I meant you needed to challenge one of US- it doesn't make sense for you to just challenge some random passerby to get out of-"

"Don't worry. It's perfectly fine! I admit I was really interested in your conversation. Hope you don't mind that I was listening in."

". . .I- what the hell?"

"It's like listening to silence. That's weird. Real weird. I'm not sure if we shouldn't step in. . ."

"You said I had to fight someone, right? I pick this person, and they accepted. Easy at that. If anything, you guys should step back a little bit."

"That would be wise, yes. Qhen, was it? Would that be Qhen of Fensrose?"

"If you got something to say, you can say it afterwards."

"A little aggressive, aren't we? I'm just some stranger, not one of your weird friends. What if you offend me and I just walk away?"

"Are you going to do that? Walk away?"

"Of course not. I was just giving them time to get away. I'm not interested in them right now. I'm not even particularly interested in you. I'd like to know more about that girl you're following around though. Did you know she's worth money to the right people? I don't care about the money, of course. I just want you to know what I'm going to do after I'm done with you."

". . .And now I really have heard enough."

". . .Wow. You really are just- a bundle of raw nerves, aren't you?"

Qhen began to express themselves. Their dance was one of passion. Heart boiling over. Lungs expanding. Organs burning. Eyes turning into smoke.

Qhen understood their lot in life. Free and Qhen existed to fight. Not because someone told them to, not to protect someone like Alice or Viss. But simply because it was the fastest solution. Why? Why did people make it so hard for one to simply enjoy life passing them by?

Because nobody makes sense.

---

Seb leaned against a wall. He wasn't particularly out of breath, but Jude and Katie needed to stop and rest, obviously!

. . .Why do you always lie to yourself, Sebastian? He put his back to the wall and took a deep breath. Katie had brushed her wings back and was shaking a little, as she loaded her rifle. Her beak clicked and gritted angrily. She let out a long, slow hiss. . .

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"Screw this. I'm going back in there."

"That is a devastatingly stupid idea. You are not well known for making good decisions unless there is money involved, however- so I suppose this is in character for you."

"That -THING- wasn't human! I still can't get that sound out of my ears! That terrible shrill- It was silence, wasn't it?"

"Well it won't help you to go back. We should rally the troops. Wake up Earl and Bartender."

"And what about Qhen? I can't say I'm gonna be SAD if someone I just met gets murdered, but this is OUR turf! We police this island. It's our job to keep the peace. Besides- I get the feeling we won't get many points with that Alice girl- and She actually kinda scares me a little."

"Delightfully honest. Doesn't matter. In fact, we should get Alice, then come back."

"Okay. Why?"

Seb pointed back the way they came. The alleyway abruptly ended- a solid wall of- something in the way.

Katie walked over. She reached out and placed a claw on it, and immediately jerked back- hissing. Now she backed up, and brought her short rifle up, firing a few rounds into the 'wall'. The bullets impacted- but made no sound or effect. They just- vanished.

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". . .You know what, that girl is cute, but she's not THAT cute. Maybe we should just- retreat."

"That's a hell of a turn around. Reason?"

"Maybe I don't want to die, smart ass."

"If you worried about your self when we don't know what that person can do, if anything- or rather, how much damage they could do to the island and it's inhabitants, maybe you SHOULD run away. I am going to go find Boss and get his keys to open up the store room. You two do whatever."

"That's not what I meant! I don't want you guys to get dead either! Don't just listen to half of my intentions, you self-important strut-bird!"

". . ."

"Aw- Shit, Sorry Katie. I didn't mean anything by it. I think you're beautiful just the way you are."

*HISSSSING NOISE* "Come ON, Jude. We're going to go swing by Earl's house."

"Yeah, I know. Be careful, Seb."

"Don't worry about us. Worry about Qhen- and if you have time to worry, maybe shift your weight a little more."

". . .I'm going to break your god damn nose if we live through this."

"I accept that, and still appreciate, repect, and love you as a close friend."

"It's easier to hate you because you're so honest, you know."

Seb turned and walked away. If people hate him because he was so honest, maybe they should stop lying so much. Maybe if they were more honest with themselves and others, they would stop hurting each other. . . But they wouldn't. Why?

Because nobody makes sense.

---

Earl had turned on the lights. The light of his smoking was no longer enough. He needed to find something. He pushed aside his bad habits- which did nothing to reverse the toll they were taking on his body. Stopping a dozen habits just meant a dozen and more withdrawals. He turned the lights on because his vision was starting to fade. He had a knife. He was splitting the spines of his books open. Cutting bindings. Laying out the papers in stacks.

Obsession. Eccentricity. Frivolity. Irresponsibility. Why bother learning so much when you know when you're going to die? Not in the general sense of mortality of course- most people who got to know Earl in any appreciable manner would inevitably ask this question.

Knowledge is power. Power is money. Money is time. Time is an illusion. He cut another book open and started separating the pages. He had made light in his room by lighting his fireplace. Piles of books sat nearby. The ones he wouldn't need any more, soon. The ones that nobody else should read. Some information should be secret.

Knowledge was important to him, because maybe, if he looked hard enough, he would find an answer to an actually good question.

Questions like: Why doesn't Seb smile? What does Katie need all that money for? Who hurt Judith? Why do people treat each other so poorly? There was a knock at the door.

We were such miserable creatures. Why?

Because nobody makes sense.

---

The Boss. The Bartender. He had a name. Just didn't bother telling anybody. Talking was tiring. If only other people than his muse could hear his thoughts. If only we could all communicate exactly what we had in our minds, instead of having to use awkward language. He watched Katie glide away with the keys to the Cafe. Jude looked down at him. He shook his head. He wasn't going to go. Jude nodded in understanding, even though she didn't.

She knew he didn't want to go. But she didn't understand. Nobody could truly understand one an other.

Because nobody makes sense.

---

Alice laid there. She tried to sleep, she really did. But her head was full of questions. MOSTLY about why they thought it was a good idea to just leave her alone in a room with Viss? Likely not Qhen's idea. Still, Viss was behaving herself- after Alice tied her wrists behind her back. Also, she was pinning Viss with her elbows. Viss didn't mind. Viss was asleep. Lucky her.

Empty couldn't hear her. Or was ignoring her. Alice was not sure. Admittedly, since entering this building, she was- unusually clear of mind. She had time to think, so she thought. She managed to put together some bits and pieces into full thoughts.

First, Plans. Her plan was to get enough crew to run the ship reliably. Supplies. She could pay for it. She had goods for trade, and a fairly sizable amount of Royals from the efforts to search the town back home.

. . . Home? Was that still home? Was it ever? She had to think about that one. For now, she called it home, because it was easy to do that. Gave her a data point to hang invisible strings on.

Where was she going to go? Right now? Anywhere. She would talk with her crew for information. That was what she lacked. Information. Understanding. Context. She was a visitor, a tourist in her own lands. Qhen and Viss had opinions about the Imperial Sphere. Maybe she wouldn't stick around. Maybe she'd try to change things. Was that in her means? Was she powerful enough to do that? Did it matter if she wasn't?

She also needed to learn more about these powers. Especially now that this was- well it was apparently rare. But not that rare. She needed to know if they were safe. Qhen had sort of- just put their arms out away from their sides and dived headfirst into their powers. Viss was holding them back with everything she had. What did that make Alice? . . .

Viss worked her way out of her wrist bindings. She rolled over and looked Alice in the eyes. Hm. She was asleep a moment ago. How long has she been thinking? Viss flicked her tongue against Alice's nose. Mm. Viss just said something. Alice couldn't hear it.

What was Alice going to do about Qhen? Qhen was bad at opening up. They said it was because they didn't find their past interesting or important. Was there something Alice could do for Qhen? Something to gain their trust? Alice couldn't even begin to think what it would be. She should just- be straightforward with Qhen. Right? Right. Next time she sees Qhen, she'll just ask them what they want. Then she'll put that on the list of priorities!

And Viss. The manic exterior she had was like some sort of pressure valve for stress. Which meant she viewed Qhen, and more often lately- Alice herself, as a way to relieve that stress. Alice also wanted to know more about Viss. What scared Viss? Did anything actually make Viss angry? Despite all her jokes, was Viss capable of love? Were any of them? Was that important?

All feelings are important, right? They're a part of you. Otherwise, a muse would not focus on them so powerfully. But Alice was Empty. Her feelings felt like a tool. Something she applied to get what she wanted out of others. Hm.

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"Viss."

"-Oh. You are conscious. I thought you were sleeping with your eyes open. It was quite worrying, Alice. Were you ignoring me?"

"Your mouth was moving, but I didn't hear you say anything."

". . ."

"Viss, I have a question about your feelings. Would you consider answering it seriously?"

"Is the answer important?"

"It is to me. It's information. It helps me understand things."

*grumble* "I was really content to just lay here and watch you think, but if you're going to make me work for it- I guess I can play along. What's the question?"

"Is your love for me emotional, or physical?"

". . .Uh- W-Wow. Viss is- Uh. Aliss sure is surprising!"

Viss sat up quickly, and shifted to the edge of the box they were laying on. She was distancing herself from Alice.

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"Uh- Can't it be both?"

"Can it?"

". . .Probably not for me."

"Would you prefer emotional love, or physical love?"

"- - -Haa- Ah- Uh- Ha. Care to repeat that? I think I'm still half asleep- you're saying some real weird stuff, Alice."

"Would it make you happy if I told you how much I loved you, or if I showed you how much I loved you? Would one make you happier than the other?"

". . .Uh- Well- I mean. . . Qhen-"

"I'm trying to understand both of you. Right now I understand that Qhen cannot express their feelings, if any, for me. I also understand that you have been avoiding Qhen ever since you two talked about what you did as ENVIOUS."

". . .You're taking all the fun out of my game, you know."

"Is love a game? Can it be won?"

"There is always a winner and a loser. By existing, we constantly compare ourselves to one another. This applies to all things. War. Peace. Work. Play. Hate. Love. Mutual love does not mean equal. Maybe they love you for a different reason."

". . . Why?"

"I don't know?!"

Viss stood up and walked across the room. It was some sort of store room, but there was a table and some chairs. Viss sat in one, facing the chair away from Alice.

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". . .You said you liked being close to me. Is that physically only, or also emotionally?"

". . . Can one be emotionally close to you?"

". . .I don't know. When I figure that out, I'll tell you. But I can answer the other question- my own question, because I think I really understand the answer now."

"Which one?"

"Why people are so complicated. Why feelings and words are a series of traps we use on each other."

"Traps- Huh?"

"Yeah. It's because nobody makes-"

The door opened. Katie leaned on the handle. They were out of breath and-

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". . . Is this a bad time?"

"No? - - Katie, I believe? I was just- getting dressed. I uh- forgot where I was sleeping?"

"- Well hurry up. It's about Qhen."

". . .Did they do something stupid again?"

---

Qhen did something real stupid this time. Viss always said that you should make sure you size up your opponent properly. Qhen doesn't know how to apply that to people with these weird powers! Most people just pull a blade or a gun on you and Qhen understands that those won't hurt them!

But this crazy person has been beating the crap out of them- and this voidspace of theirs was very unfair. It would put walls up just before Qhen could attack, and it would drop them when they got too close. Qhen didn't even know what their name was. Didn't have time to ask. When the battle started, the walls came up- That was probably where Qhen immediately understood that they were not going to buy much time.

Then their suit turned into a muse. Or- they were the muse? There wasn't anybody left behind when the suit shifted into a floating cloak, black as the night, with a darkness inside that made Qhen pause every time they looked at them. This was stupid.

Qhen was burning through Free's energy way too quickly. This was stupid.

Qhen should have said something when Alice wanted to leave as soon as possible! Qhen wanted time to practice, off in the forest. To train. To understand their own limits! Qhen couldn't even tell how much energy they had left- only understand that when it ran out, they wouldn't have any more energy to go on past the. This was stupid.

Qhen needed to think of a way out of this. The muse had vanished, and now they were fighting some sort of... massive bio-mechanical wolf man- dripping with black blood- and they have seen and heard some things... flying in the sky. All in all, a really really bad position to be in.

Did Qhen press the attack? Dodge as long as possible, to extend their time? Block and go for a counter? Escape? Could they escape- They could! They saw a door appearing- It was Alice's door! Good. Good. They had figured out what Qhen wanted them to do. See? Was that so hard? Just- be able to read the situation and/or someone's mind and you didn't even have to embarrass yourself by asking complete strangers for help.

The door opened, and the beast flew straight at Alice. Qhen didn't have more than a second to think.

( ) Get in the way
( ) Don't get in the way

Move, Qhen, Get in the Way, Get in the way Qhen, move in the way

Try and armor yourself as much as you can in the front and get your butt in there!