Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen

>Viss, if you can hear me, I think you're a conniving little schemer and I approve wholeheartedly. Good job.

>Qhen, not to be rude, but how often do you brush your teeth? I've heard from several reliable sources that your morning breath is strong enough to kill a flying walrus. That might be your first mission for the morning.

> So hey Qhen how do you feel about this.

> A mental pat on the shoulder to Alice, even if she's not receptive of it. :T

> Viss, first. Hello! Second, you're a sneak. You could have at least watched quietly.

> Qhen, how ya holdin' up? Are you feeling alright after getting the literal blood knocked out of you? And how's your cloaked buddy doin'? Still grumpy?

> Viss. You are doing God's work.
> @Qhen. So first off, how are you even living after having both your blood and muscles gone. Secondly, how were you in that dream with Alice?
> Alice. Did you at least enjoy your brief beach vacation?

How about you all go salvage some stuff after Alice is done cooling off, in a preferably not "a large mechanical beast with song powers will come and try and murder you" kind of way, just a "you're still recovering from fairly grievous wounds and should recuperate before reattempting a murder fest" kind of way. This'll be a good time for Alice to improve her arsenal, too.

*Do Dee Doo!*
We're sorry, the Alice you're trying to mentally pat is not available at the moment. Please hang up and dial again, or press zero twice for the directory. . .
. . .
*BWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-*continue ad infinitum*

Qhen stretched, and rolled their shoulders and yawned and- stopped. They put a hand in front of their face and breathed out and in a few times. Viss snickered.

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"Viss has mint drops, if Qhen needs one."

"For what it's worth, The voices are divided between thinking you're a conniving little schemer, and that's alright with them, that you're doing 'god's work', or that you're a sneak, and could have just watched silently- How long were you watching anyway?"

"For the record, Viss did nothing but ask if Viss should come back later. You're the one that woke up and ruined Aliss' little moment. Also, I may be a sneak and a schemer, but I'm not the one that killed someone else with that mouth."

". . . Give me the damned mint drop."

Qhen and Viss slowly made their way into town. As they did, Qhen made an appreciative noise.

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"I feel pretty alright, all things considered..."

" . . . Viss did not say anything?"

"Oh, I know. The voices are still talking to me, and I don't know how to do internal thinking, so I guess pretend I'm talking to you, if it makes you feel better."

"Is what you have contagious? Perhaps Viss should be wearing plague mask. . ."

"I dunno. The perks are pretty good. I mean, look at me. For someone whose flesh, blood and muscle was converted into a long, bloody cloak, and used as energy to fuel incredibly powerful attacks. . . I'm not exactly in bad shape right now!"

"You have been asleep for almost an entire day, Qhen."

". . . AH! That is- Huh. You've been taking care of us all day?"

"Sss. Viss took care of you for part of that. The rest of the time, Empty watched you."

"Mm. Well, as for getting the blood knocked out of me- It- I don't know how to describe it. When I was merged with Free... pain didn't matter. I could just- It was powerful. And kinda terrifying, to be honest."

"What about AFTER all of Qhen's blood and skin and muscles came back?"

". . .I feel like crap, Viss. Do you have any pain killers?"

"Yes, Viss does, Qhen. Hold on."

Viss led Qhen to the fountain spring, and they sat down for a little bit. Viss dug out a canteen and filled it up, then handed it to Qhen, along with a pill.

Qhen gladly took that pill and a drink of water, sitting back against a part of the fountain and staring up into the sky.

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"Hsss... So. Aliss, hm?"

". . . Do you really wanna have this discussion, Viss?"

"Viss is listening. We have nothing better to do until Aliss decides to come out of her shell, as it were. The crew is clearing buildings- The Brasstahkh is keeping an eye on the ruins. . ."

"Well, I mean, Alice has some feelings for me, I suspect."

"Qhen suspects."

"Look, it's a deep, complex issue!"

"Mmm. Aliss must really bother you."

". . ."

"Is Qhen grumpy because Qhen woke up from Viss' voice before they woke from Aliss giving them a sweet morning kiss~?"

"Maybe I thought you would be a little less... nonchalant about all of this?!"

Viss blinked. She flicked her tongue, and then slowly narrowed her eyes at Qhen. She hunched down and then LEAPT at Qhen! Qhen put their arms up and Viss landed on them, knocking them down over to the side on the ground. She stared into Qhen's eyes, and flicked them in the face with her tongue. A whisper of a hissing giggle crept out of Viss.

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"Qhen, are you angry that Viss is not angry about Qhen liking Aliss? Would you prefer if Viss was possessive? Would you like to take a bet on which of us would win if Viss challenged Aliss for ownership of Qhen?"

". . . Nobody OWNS me, Viss. Knock that off- I just thought you would have an opinion on it."

"Viss does! Viss believes Qhen should be less hard on themselves! Qhen has not done anything to deserve to be unloved, and Qhen is not as terrifying as they think."

". . . Oh wow."

"Viss makes perfect sense, yes?"

"No- I mean... Yes? But I'm suddenly remembering a really interesting dream I had with Aliss in it. . ."

"Viss is listening! Tell Viss all the details! Viss promises not to tell Aliss, unless Aliss is particularly persuasive, or maybe just asks a related question... or even an unrelated question!"

". . . Viss, you are a inconsolable gossip."

"Viss may be such things, but it is in Viss' nature! One little detail! Qhen knows Viss can be good!"

"... Fine. But get off me first."

"Viss can be good, but Viss is not gullible like Qhen. Besides. . . Viss is quite comfortable."

-sigh- "Fine. We were... there was an endless expanse of beautiful white sand, and beautiful clear, warm water... It was basically just Alice and I, sitting there, having something to drink. Alice was wearing this really weird tight, black, rubbery outfit."

". . . Viss did not know Qhen was that kind of person."

"No, this was a lucid dream, and I'm pretty sure Alice was actually there too. Anyway, she put on some proper clothes when I brought it to her attention-"

"Of course Qhen would. Qhen did not even indulge curiosity a little?!"

". . .Anyway, Alice and I talked about some stuff, I taught her how to swim."

"Aliss did not know how to swim. That- makes sense, Viss supposes. This island is very- boring. Small."

"We spent most of the day teaching her how to swim- and then she tried to ask what I thought about her."

"And Qhen said something very disappointing and brought down Aliss very gently."

"All I said was that I thought she was a good, interesting person, and that she was too hard on herself, but I wasn't ready to let someone I've only known for a few days that close and- . . ."

". . . And WHAT?"

"I may have said that I thought that she should take some time to think more about how she actually felt about me just in case her feelings were motivated by something other than genuine feelings for someone she's really only just met and oh I messed up."

Viss blinked at Qhen. She leaned in reeaaaallll close. Qhen visibly swallowed. Qhen did not particularly fear Viss, but Qhen knew they had messed up. They just decided to close their eyes and wait for whatever was going to come. . .

Qhen sighed. They hefted a piece of rock out of the way, and dropped it to the side. Their muscles hurt. Their joints hurt. They had been doing this for a while now. Qhen is not going to think about what transpired that got Qhen here, basically unearthing a particularly ruined house on their own.

Viss sat nearby, happily snacking on a piece of fruit they found on a tree in the back yard. She was waiting for Qhen to be done, because this was Qhen's punishment for being so insensitive and blunt to a poor, innocent maiden like Aliss! Not that Viss was probably in any position to look down on Qhen, considering her constant meddling in affairs. But still, Qhen did wrong, and Qhen was going to make up for it!

. . .Viss hoped, if Aliss was still angry at them, that this would help. If not- Hm. If Aliss cooled off on Qhen, maybe Viss could get a kiss! She giggled to herself. Some might call her morally corrupt. Viss preferred 'overly friendly' or 'too helpful' or 'shoulder devil'. She has her reasons.

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"Okay... Oh... Okay... Viss, I'm done- Oh god my body hurts. I promised I'd never do this kind of work ever again after we escaped the pits. . ."

"And the only reason Viss would make Qhen do this is to teach Qhen a lesson! Aliss' heart may be irreparably broken forever! It is only through an offering of hard work and friendship that we may mend the bonds that Qhen has so carelessly shattered with their cruel, hurtful, cold hearted words!"

"I- It wasn't that bad! I just didn't want Alice to turn out like you."

"Care to run that by Viss again?"

'-COUGH- "Just a bit of dust in my throat, Viss! So- Like you said, there's a stairwell. What are we hoping to find here?"

"Obviously, we're looking for-

( ) a blacksmith!
( ) a storehouse!
( ) a guard post!
( ) an interesting secret~
( ) a place where I can set up a lab!
( ) something special~
( ) [insert response]

>A hidden place where Viss can set up a secret lab, she probably could just put one together closer to everyone else in plain sight, but it's more fun for her if no one ever knows what she's doing. What terrifying dastardly deeds could she possibly be doing? Let their imaginations run wild. Ha.

>Also, something special to give Alice to begin the long road to recovery after Qhen so viciously and irreparably destroyed Alice's fragile little heart. Something like assorted chocolates, or a book. Or assorted chocolates in a book-shaped box.

> A storehouse that could double as a lab. Maybe you'd find some interesting things down there, a gift for Alice. Books, small delicate treats shoved onto shelves. Heck, even some meat might be nice depending on what Alice actually had in her house.

> Don't worry Viss. Soon you'll hear us too. Soon. No mask will save you. o _o

Here is a letter written to the whole team I personally composed:

dear team emotional baggage,
plz get ur shit back together,
bear is an excellent writer and an impeccable human being who i admire greatly,
love zeph

For a suggestion, Viss finds a hidden sex dungeon inside the lab.

. . .

Alice laid on the floor of the voidspace. Her heart hurt. Earlier, that may have been for a completely DIFFERENT reason- but right now, the reason was because her lungs were on fire. Her lungs were on fire because she couldn't breathe properly. She couldn't breathe properly because she had just taken a critical dose of medicine intended to give the user more energy. She used to take it for nights when she needed to do a bunch of studying for a particular subject of discussion with a visitor. The reason she had taken a critical dose was because she was practicing with the voidspace, learning the limits of her power- and she had the bright idea to restore her own energy with medicine, then to exhaust herself, over and over.

So here she was, laying on the floor of the voidspace. She had been building. Tweaking. Editing. Erasing. Copying. She learned the maximum size of the voidspace, and had placed blocks at those limits so she knew how much space she had to work with. Then she started making rooms. Storage rooms mostly. It was busy work. To keep her mind off of things. She was so. . .

Her heart started beating again. Oh god that hurt even more. It was like her entire body went to sleep and now was getting oxygen and blood flow and EVERYTHING was doing that tingly thing and-

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"Oh god. I just died for a moment."

( You did. How do you feel? )

"Everything is pain."

( And that is probably the tamest pain you'll feel, coming back like that. Please, do refrain from doing such foolish, dangerous things in the future. Or at least think them through a bit more. )

Alice rolled over, slowly, and sat up. She got dizzy, and instantly regretted that. Speaking of instant regret, she started thinking of the dream again! And waking up! And attempting to kiss Qhen awake, and Viss being there and- Oh yeah! Yeah! ATTEMPTING! She more or less just headbutted Qhen in the mouth! Which was probably fine because Alice forgot that Qhen has terrible breath! She reminds herself to make sure Qhen owns a toothbrush. Or at least- like, some form of breath spray. Alice fell over and rolled over onto her other side.

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"I- am just so angry with myself! And angry with Qhen! And angry with Viss! And even angrier with myself still! Do you know why, Empty?!"

( Is it because you aren't as angry as you feel like you should be? )

"YES! I DON'T UNDERSTAND! Why-... Why..."

( . . . )

"Why do I always end up feeling so -empty-, Empty?"

( I cannot tell you that, for I do not know. I still will not look so deeply into your personal life like that. Which is why I do not interrupt you unless called for first. )

"And why you couldn't shield me when I was about to get murdered by that thing! I have another terrible scar thanks to you! . . . That was unfair of me to say!"

( Yes, and No. No, because in an ideal situation, I would gladly defend you with my power. But yes, because I have no power, Alice of Vaugen. I cannot defend you. Despite our hearts being similar in nature, being similar does not bind us together, certainly not like Qhen and Free. )

"I still don't understand why we can't be like that..."

( Because it is dangerous. Qhen understands the dangers inherent with the power they are receiving. The price that Qhen pays is one they are willing to pay. I cannot say the same would be for you, Alice. )

". . . You don't even know. You haven't even TRIED to explain it to me. You just hide behind this impenetrable wall of mysterious junk, telling me that it's dangerous, for both of us! I saw what happened to Qhen! How can anything be more dangerous than that?!"

( Because the price of my power is not your body, Alice of Vaugen. It would be easy, if all I required was your body. What's another wound, another scar, in the face of having the power to defend yourself from such attacks? The price of my power is something much more dear. )

Alice sat up, slowly. She crossed her legs and leaned her elbows on her knees. A couple of experimental deep breaths. Then she slowly stood up, shakily, and stared up into the hood of the floating grey cloak, and it's foggy haze that drifted everywhere around it.

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"I'm so tired of getting the run around from people. You. Qhen. Viss. Everyone in my adopted family... All these people, spending so much energy trying to protect me from something I don't even know about. Tell me what you think I'd find so 'dear', Empty." and i'll show you how wrong you are. . .

( . . . Alice. . . )

"You UNDERSTAND me, Empty. Maybe our hearts aren't linked, but they're similar. Too similar. That's enough, isn't it? Whatever the price is... I can handle it."

---

Viss rubbed her hands together, and looked at her handiwork. She was just so- Just so DELIGHTED with herself! Truly, this would be a fabulous gift. Alice would never be able to ignore such a healthy offering.

Qhen just looked confused.

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"So, I get the candy, which you had me help you make. I get the books, which you had me collect, after making sure I was at least pretty sure she didn't have these in her collection already. I even get the rifle you found down in that- ... place. . . There's no way those jail cells were for prisoners. They looked way too... comfortable."

"Ssst! Do not worry about it, Qhen. Viss will clear the place up, and likely have most of the rooms re-purposed into labs and workshops. But please, continue to lavish Viss with your praise for Viss' clever ideas, and also headpats. You are still on the hook, Qhen."

". . . Right. So- ... What is THIS? A cannon?"

"Qhen does not recognize this? Look! Right here. The Imperial Seal! The machinery! This is a piece of mobile artillery! If we can get this running again, Aliss might be able to make use of this!"

"Ah- You think so?"

"Viss thinks it might work. If not, it still needs to be repaired so it can roll up the stairs and outside to be salvaged. Qhen will take a look, yes?"

"... Pray tell, Viss, what exactly happens if I say no?"

"Well, if Qhen doesn't want to start right away- Qhen could let Viss show Qhen what these cells are for-"

"Right! I'll get to work immediately."

". . . Aliss has really put Qhen on the spot, hasn't she... If Viss did not know any better, Viss would think that-"

"Viss! Qhen! Miss Alice sent a message! She needs you to come up to the house, as soon as you can!"

"... Hm! That took less time than Viss expected- We will be right up, Mossy! Qhen. Grab the gifts we can take Aliss for now- except the chocolates. I will carry those. You might drop them."

"You know what, I can't WAIT for you to start acting like you were earlier. . ."

It was only afternoon by the time Qhen and Viss reached the house. Qhen had to admit, they thought it was a little... fast? But then again, Qhen knows about the voidspace. Maybe Alice went and chilled out in there after her bath. Qhen immediately wondered what kind of toll that takes on the body. They walked into the house and looked around...

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"Aliss! Viss is here, with Qhen! Where are you?"

"Oh. I'm in the pantry. Come on in."

"... Hmm, I was right. Good to know. She's probably still in the voidspace."

"... The what?"

---

Viss looked positively... intrigued! Qhen had to admit, they were surprised to see the interior of the voidspace looking like this. It was like they had walked into another hallway of the house, inside the pantry. They called out for Alice again, and getting an answer, followed her voice deep inside. . .

Finally, they found a pair of doors, and pushed it open. It was a library. A really big library. Qhen was immediately on guard, because they JUST realized that the library in the house proper was empty when they passed it. Just how much had Alice been up to in the time they were gone?

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"Aliss! Viss and Qhen have returned, as you requested. Qhen has something to say to you, and we also brought a gift, as an apology... Qhen?"

". . .I-... I'm sorry about what I said earlier, Alice- Last night- In the dream- Our dream? Crap. This is really confusing- I'm still sorry. I didn't really... take your feelings into account when I said those things- I have a really weird relationship system with the people I know and..."

"Hm? Oh- It's alright. It wasn't that big a deal. Getting all that worked up over it was just me being silly. I mean- It's only been a few days, right? I haven't really had any friends... or really anybody who would stop by to talk to me for something other than to ask about information about something else, or to try to sell me something, or otherwise take advantage of my naivete and quiet upbringing. . . I just got overly- attached, that's all. I'm sorry. You should come sit down with me, I can tell you about all the things I did today. . ."

Something was off. Qhen looked around. This room was... large. Very large. And outside of the massive bookshelves, the place was practically empty, if you ignored the large, comfortable looking chairs and small side tables. From the sound of it, Alice was sitting in the middle chair, facing away from them, and as Viss wandered over happily, having foisted the other gift package back onto Qhen- Qhen saw it.

Grey fabric. A hood, and Qhen was suddenly aware of how cold the room was, despite being brightly lit, as if by a fire. . . And the closer Viss got, a mist began to form on the floor, and- Oh-

( ) "Viss... Back away from her. . ."
( ) "VISS! NO!"
( ) Say nothing, you have to act!
( ) Say nothing in time, it was already too late.

>It's time for action! Dramatically intercept Viss and pull her back. If you shout "Viss!No!" just make sure it's after you've pulled her to safety, to make the timing comically off par.

> Say nothing in time, it was already too late.

>: )

> grab viss, "viss no!"

> Say nothing, just act.

"Viss..."

Viss' head turned for a moment, and the cheerful expression turned to one of confusion, and then steady realization as the chair Alice was sitting in went rocketing to the side. Qhen was already in motion, but the previous battle and all the hard work they had been doing was taking it's toll, and Qhen's entire body burned. The burning was like nothing they had ever felt before- like all the energy was being sucked out of them...

Something was wrong. The voice that had called out was also not Qhen's. It was- Alice's? As Qhen began to fall to the floor, their head turned, and as they bounced off the hard stone floor, they looked up.

. . .What was Alice doing up there? Alice- What's wrong? Crap. Qhen got it now. But there was no time to warn Viss. Qhen couldn't even open their mouth, the ice was spreading too fast- they could feel themselves freezing from the inside out. . .

Viss couldn't understand any of this. The voices, the weird cloaks, the magic, the mystery, this space, within the house, yet much, much larger... Viss was just playing along with Qhen and Alice's oddities. Qhen had been unusually aggressive ever since they lost the last Captain, and the few times when they had gotten into a fight, Qhen had destroyed the opposition with barely a thought- it had often taken Viss all her power to keep Qhen from killing random thugs that tried to pick the wrong fight at the wrong time.

But then Qhen met Alice. Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice. Alice knew nothing about them, and she was just as flawed and messed up as they were- but she was just so pure! Even at her worst, she was like an angry kitten. Alice stopped Qhen's rampaging heart. Alice soothed Qhen's broken heart. Qhen loved the Captain. Everybody did- But the Captain was like a father to Qhen- Qhen had been inconsolable ever since. . .

But now. Now. Now. Now. Now. Now. Alice. Alice... Alice... Just a couple days and she was getting closer to Qhen than Viss ever could be. Viss was not even jealous. Viss knew they were nothing special to Qhen. They were friends. Childhood friends. They grew up in an Imperial Pit together. They protected each other. Guarded each other at night. Fought their way up and out- but still Viss was just-

Viss wasn't good enough. She knew that. Especially now. She wasn't strong enough, or smart enough, or kind enough, or empathetic enough... Sure, she could read people- but so could any charlatan worth their salt.

Alice was so much better, but Qhen was keeping her at arms length! Why?! Why can't Qhen let anything good just BE?! Maybe it was a little fast, a little soon... But Qhen had made their intent known, to stay on this island, with Alice. Keep them company. Over time, they could be happy together- Alice could come out of her shell, and Qhen could let themselves BE happy.

WHY were people so COMPLICATED? Why were they born with all these emotions and problems? Why did people suffer? Viss remembers being young. Viss remembers being... . . .

Viss didn't blame Qhen. Qhen was damaged. Their heart was broken into so many pieces, the only way to put it back together was to chain the pieces together so that they never came apart.

Viss didn't blame Alice. Alice was scared. She did not understand Alice's story completely, but apparently Alice never knew their parents, only heard of them as reverent whispers from the mouths of friends and family, who all took care of Alice as part of some obligation. Alice didn't know- Alice couldn't know what friendship or love was really like. People just wanted Alice to say the things that they wanted to hear- and they left Alice to her books.

And now there was some weird monster wearing Alice's face, clad in grey fabric, floating above the floor by a foot or so, supported by an ever expanding cloud of fog. Viss looked back and saw Qhen laid out on the floor, shivering, exhaling clouds of frost onto the ground. Viss slipped a hand down to her side and gripped her dagger tightly, and looked back to 'Alice'.

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"Viss guesses you must be Empty."

"I am."

"Empty did not attack Viss, because Qhen was the bigger danger."

". . . Yes. Also you apparently cannot feel the effects of these temperatures."

"Empty has made a terrible mistake. . . Before Viss finds out what color your insides are- Why?"

"Alice hates you. That is why."

"Viss finds that hard to believe, but continue."

"Alice did not understand the dangers. She does not understand the difference between a connection and a bond. Alice does not understand that the thing that possessed Qhen previously, and the thing that possesses them now, is the same being."

". . ."

"Alice wanted the power to defend herself. She could not stand the thought of having to constantly rely on the two of you. She thinks that she is supposed to be a hero in her own story, that there is some sort of destiny she is supposed to fulfill. So she asked what the price was."

Viss looked up. Alice hung from the ceiling, suspended by a web of hazy, ghost like arms, clinging to her and keeping her from moving. Alice just watched Viss, quietly. Viss narrowed her eyes, returning her gaze to the Alice in front of her. Releasing the handle on her dagger, Viss touched a pouch, and retrieved a much larger wax 'egg' than the others she had used previously. She calmly swallowed it down.

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"In exchange for the power, you take Aliss' heart- Her extraneous, excessive and hidden feelings. Feelings hidden from even herself. That is the devil's deal in this situation, yes? Like what Qhen had before Aliss stopped them. You are trying to show her the folly of pursuing power for powers own sake."

". . ."

"She is important to me. If she would be consumed by her own darkness, I will protect her the only way I can."

". . .Hm. You know- Viss suspected you were... a hallucination. Some mechanism of Aliss' mind made manifest. Misplaced emotional baggage... Like Qhen. But Viss now suspects you are very real- and very dangerous."

". . .viss. . ."

"If I am real, then you understand her feelings are also real. Even if she does not realize them herself, she will one day. Despite that, you are not angry. Not at me, nor Alice."

"Viss is angry. Viss is sickened... with herself."

"Mmmm?"

"Viss thought she understood Aliss. Viss did not think Aliss hurt so much. Viss wanted to help bring Aliss and Qhen together, even if Viss was going to feel a little lonely by herself. . . Viss- . . "

Alice watched Viss look right at her. Alice did not know what to think right now. She could not process these feelings. She remembered being very angry at Empty and then. . .People were such... weird creatures.

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"I just wanted to help someone important to me find happiness. Any happiness. Qhen- Qhen doesn't deserve so much pain... And if you think you're going to fuck that up with this misguided attempt to teach Alice a life lesson at your own expense..."

Viss swallowed hard, and grabbed her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and choked for a moment as that wax egg exploded in her throat. The pain never got old. She practically had to pry her own mouth open and reached in, grabbing something, and pulling forth- a handle of a sword. She pulled, and pulled, her back straightening, then arching, as she pulled the long, curved blade free of her mouth. She wiped her snout and spit light blue blood on the floor, the blade- seemingly formed of a single piece of amber resin- dripped with the same.

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"I will not hesitate to punish you, like the child you are, Empty."

". . . Alice was not aware you could do that."

"Alice is not great at reading people. It is her weakness. Allow me to show you the gap between our ability to understand each other."

- Viss has used Amber Bauble, and created the Amber Scimitar. -

Viss has lowered her defenses. You can now give her limited suggestions for this fight.

- Viss is using Trained Eye. -

She does not have enough information to know what Empty is going to do next. If they plan on fighting like Alice would, they will likely utilize battlefield positioning and long range attacks.

For now, Viss intends to Block. What shall you suggest Viss do?

( ) Block
( ) Attack
( ) Feint
( ) Heavy Attack
( ) Special Attack

>Can't go wrong with the classic Block.

Block!

Defend Yourself!

What was- Viss twisted just in time, her body contorting as her legs kicked out, throwing herself to the floor and rolling away as Empty Alice suddenly. . . Exploded. Empty Alice continued to float there, arms at her sides, with those dead eyes, monochrome hair... but there were so many arms coming out from under that cloak, stretching out- More than a number of them clutching rifles.

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"Damn."

Viss pushed herself up, legs kicking hard against the ground to throw her TOWARDS Empty Alice. Against a regular opponent, Viss' eyes could catch the moments just before the pull of a trigger. Against. . . This, She did not wish to find out how fast she'd have to move to avoid catching a bullet. She brought her arm around as she moved in, turning her movement into a corkscrew as she brought her sword along the curve of her movement-

Empty Alice shoved off the floor with a mass of the hands, and instead of the solid blow Viss was hoping to land, instead she only cut off a couple of it's limbs.

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"I just started to get used to life again..."

Viss' eyes fell on Qhen again. She harnessed the feeling that welled up inside her. . . She twisted again, and just barely caught a bullet whipping past her face- This THING was fast- but not fast enough. . . And the longer this battle went on-

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"I- I was... I was HAPPY! All I needed was my crew mates... All I needed was a place to sleep, and a job to do..."

"Alice could never understand that sentiment. . ."

"I'm not TALKING to >ALICE!< I'm talking to YOU! Even if you could properly bond with Alice, Even if you've taken away her feelings so she doesn't have to suffer... Even if you're wearing her face- You're not HER! You can't ever be anything but yourself! Nobody can get away from themselves!"

"You understand that well, don't you?"

Viss felt something inside her straining- bubbling up, like bile. She was making a mistake. She hasn't had to seriously fight in years. . . She hasn't had to push these kinds of feelings down in actual moments of stress... Her claw ran under her eye, and came away painted blue. She ran her hand along the edge of her blade, rubbing it into the amber material. Then with a swing- she struck the blade edge on the stone floor, making a spark, and bathing the sword in blue flames.

The next blow felt more substantial. The edge of the blade came up along Empty Alice's side, catching another pair of the arms right at the 'shoulder' joint, and with a push- cut through them, the blade leaving sticky, burning blood on Empty Alice.

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"Of course I do. . . Qhen has always been so sweet- I did everything I could to protect them when we were growing up in the pit. We got this nice job helping out an airship crew- We started to get close-"

Viss dodged a bullet, but ran right into a fist, stumbling back and severing the hand off at the wrist.

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"Then one day the Captain and Qhen went to investigate something on an island in the CloudSea... And the captain didn't come back, and Qhen was suddenly like they were someone else. . . I was just becoming satisfied, I was just starting to live... If I had been there, could I have stopped all of this from happening? How many of you devils are there?! How many of you are wandering around, controlling the lives of others?!"

". . ."

". . ."

Empty Alice stared right into Viss' eyes. Viss saw something... confusion? Disgust? Hate? Sadness? Viss couldn't tell. That feeling was boiling way in Viss' heart again... Empty Alice- Empty pointed at Viss' chest.

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"How many nights go by where you feel dissatisfied with your life?"

"Wh, What?"

"How many weeks have gone by, where you wanted to cry out, but couldn't?"

"How... dare you..."

"empty..."

"How many months has it been since you genuinely smiled?"

"You can't- Understand..."

"empty this is wrong"

"How many years has that devil in your heart been telling you that you should have died back then?"

. . . There it was. The calmness. The stillness. Viss understood. Her head was screaming and throbbing. She looked over, and verified that Qhen was still down and out. She re-gripped her blade. She let the sensation wash over her, and for a moment, she could hear the crowd screaming her name. Pounding their fists on the railings. Fight. Fight. Fight. Kill. Kill. Kill. That's all she was good for. Even now, she was only posing as a doctor. Posing as someone who was happy. Posing as someone who was a complete humanoid. If Qhen's heart was shattered, her heart had exploded, and nothing of it remained. That was why Qhen couldn't return her feelings. That's why Alice seemed so good. That's why- Why... She lifted her sword. The next blow would be the last one. She would make sure of that--------no, NO.

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"NO!... Alice... You're actually in there, aren't you..."

"I'm here, Viss. You don't have to do this- Empty, we can stop this now-"

"Alice, Please..."

"No. The enemy has revealed itself. If we do not stop it here..."

"Empty. . ."

Viss held the blade up high, reversed in her grip, the curved point glistening and burning in front of her face. . .

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"I'm sorry... I've done so many bad things- I've lied to Qhen for so long- I thought I could be satisfied if I left Qhen in your care and I... But-"

"Empty- This isn't going to work!"

"Viss... Tell me, do you trust us?"

". . .I can't... I can't trust anyone, but myself. . . But- I don't want this anymore! I just wanted to make Qhen smile. . . I just wanted to stop fighting. . ."

The blue flame started to drip down Viss' arms, enveloping her arms, then her body- covering her body in a vibrant sapphire cape, which began to then grow arms, reaching up Viss' arms and gripping the sword, burning away the amber and leaving behind a blade of solid fire. . .

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"Viss. . ."

"Alice... I'm sorry. I- I guess--

. . .

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"Viss has just been consumed with Envy. . .Ha.. Ha hahak--/\/-k .. kk k k. . ."

"Viss! EMPTY!?"

". . . I'm sorry, Alice of Vaugen."

Viss slumped forward. the sword withdrew from her chest, leaving no mark behind but leaving a long wet streak of blue blood on the ground, as the blue flames engulfed her completely, growing into a new, but familiar sight... A floating blue robe with a hood- of a beautiful blue color... Inside the robe, blue flames churned, and in the hood, Viss' face could be seen for a moment before a mask of blue porcelain formed over it, bright blue fire burning behind the eye holes. . .

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"We're going to have to do this the hard way."

". . .Can we do this?"

"My will is your will, Alice of Vaugen. If you wish to save Viss, then you must Empty your heart. You do not have time to feel. You must instead think, and use your resources to their fullest. . ."

". . ."

"Identify yourself, Muse. Let us record your name into history one last time."

". . ."

The Muse lifted it's arms, gripping the now appropriately sized blue flame sword in both of it's hands. It brought the blade down with a single stroke, not to hit, but simply to get into a battle pose, as a nimbus of fire roared into life around it, expanding outwards and buffeting Empty Alice with a wave of choking heat. . .

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". . .I am the Muse of Passionate Criminals and I BURN with jealous love- you cannot hope to stand against my flames, Meddler! I will enjoy cutting you into pieces for my host, just like I killed every other fool who has gotten too close to our most cherished one. . . "

- . . . Viss has been slain . . . ? -
- Viss is now MUSE of Passionate Criminals. . . -
- Empty has cleared it's mind, Alice has cleared her heart. Together they fight as one. -

Empty Alice's equipment has changed:
Equipped: Artillery Rifle of Thought
Equipped: Rifle of Will
Equipped: Coldflare Pistol
Equipped: An Empty Heart, An Empty Mind.
Exist For: Yourself, do as you will, will what you do, and write your own story.

ALICE> (100/100 Morale)

Alice has not even begun to explore these new powers. The only thing she knows how to do is [Attack]. She could use some help learning about the other powers at her disposal. The universe still whispers to her. Help her.

( ) [ATTACK] {WEAPON}
( ) [?]
( ) [??]
( ) [???]
( ) [????]

Qhen has been rendered unconscious for this battle, and as such, has already faded back to reality, where they will be unable to help Alice.

> Speak to the Muse. Defend yourself if nessecary, but do not attack. You must find a way to save Viss.
> Ask it questions, perhaps?

> Attempt to freeze JUST the air around the Muse to the coldest degree possible. If they were to use that incredible heat again, it would rapidly expand the surrounding moisture and make themselves blow up from the resulting explosion. The key is containing it so it does not effect you as much if it does happen.

(small scale shown here)

Then, stop them from getting close by walling off their escape routes with walls of ice, thick as you can make it. That flaming sword will probably cut through easily otherwise. Pull yourself back as fast and far as possible to give yourself space/time.

Fire off a Flash Shell while they begin to attempt to either come for you or break your walls of ice. Avert your eyes if possible. If you can, try to summon those hands from the void that Empty Alice could utilise and restrain her while she is stunned from the Flash.

Then, take a moment to breathe. Empty your mind completely. Stabilise yourself best you can, then channel all of your energy in a single accurate attack while the Muse is restrained and/or stunned- the most devastating projectile possible. Viss is fast, and you're most likely worse off in an endurance battle. You must turn the tides in your favour instantaneously.

>Right, same as last time, I'd imagine. Draw the muse out of the host then book 'em.
>We're going to have to start calling you The Muse Buster, Alice. Oh, we could make you a theme song.
>Hey Viss, I assume from your earlier reaction that your starting to hear us. Looks like you're possessed by a muse, go figure right? Well, Qhen was too, and now they aren't, they're doing pretty alright because of it. You probably realize the severity of your situation past, present, and future. Killing people who got too close the Qhen, goodness me. Here's the deal, if you want to get through this relatively unscathed, read: still alive, you're going to need to resist your muse. It worked for Qhen, it'll work for you too, I think. Don't worry, everyone will get some ice cream when this is over. Promise.

> Perhaps with Empty's assistance you can read or [Scan] others now?

"freeze... talk... draw them out... scan... wall yourself... save viss... avert your eyes... book em... flaming sword... summon the hands from the void.... breathe... defend yourself... do not attack... turn the tides..."

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"Neither Alice nor Myself has the ability to 'scan'. That clearly falls in the realm of our opponent however. . .I read hearts. Not minds."

"hh_hHh--It's so hard to concentrate..."

"But concentrate you must. Focus on the sound of the universe. Open your mind. Empty your heart. Find the path, and do not stray, or we cannot guarantee Viss' safety."

". . ."

"Are you scared, Alice of Vaugen?"

". . . No. I do not have time to be scared, remember? Hold onto that feeling for me, Empty... I'll want it back later."

"Yes, Alice of Vaugen."

Empty Alice floated there- she felt, without using her hands. Watched without her eyes. Every sensation she had was being filtered through this cloak. Through Empty. They were components of something much larger than themselves. Not just Empty Alice- Together, the universe slowly revealed itself to Alice. She was aware of exactly how important she wasn't, but how much potential she had. . . . Was this what Empty felt like, all the time?

. . . The Universe vibrated, it shivered, with the voices that spoke to her, quivering individual molecules nearby to produce the sounds she heard- along with another signal. . . More words- But not for Empty Alice-

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- -- -- --- -- - --- "Hey Viss, I assume from your earlier reaction that your starting to hear us."

" WHAT? BE QUIET. "

"Looks like you're possessed by a muse, go figure right? Well, Qhen was too, and now they aren't, they're doing pretty alright because of it."

" DO NOT SPEAK TO VISS WITH YOUR DIRTY WORDS. "

". . .Empty. . ."

"You probably realize the severity of your situation past, present, and future. Killing people who got too close the Qhen, goodness me."

"Yes, Alice of Vaugen. You are correct."

" SHUT UP. . . DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HER, ABOUT ME, ABOUT -US- "

"Here's the deal, if you want to get through this relatively unscathed, read: still alive, you're going to need to resist your muse. It worked for Qhen, it'll work for you too, I think. Don't worry, everyone will get some ice cream when this is over."

" I'LL FIND YOU AND REMOVE YOUR TONGUE WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS AND MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS- I'LL SQUEEZE THE AIR OUT OF YOUR LUNGS UNTIL YOU ARE FINALLY >SILENT<- "

". . ."

"Promise."

". . .i'm sorry, qhen."

"Go. Let The Universe hear your will manifest, Alice of Vaugen."

( BE. SILENT! )

The universe strained and buckled as a wave of pure hate buffeted the room, knocking books off of the tall shelves, shaking the ground, and blowing Empty Alice's cloak around. That scream, that pure and unfiltered desire to kill- For a few moments, the universe became still and silent. For a few moments, Empty Alice would act.

Empty Alice grew a number of arms, clutching orbs of pale grey fog. She brought all those limbs back, and threw them forward, launching a powerful attack- The air straining under the weight of the energy being channeled through it. Sadly, her mastery over these abilities was hardly even a novice's level- But as one of her Masters told her-

One does not learn by not doing.

- Empty Alice harnesses the depths of space. The emptiness. The cold, harsh distance that lay between our hearts. . . We will bridge it with Absolute Ice! -

The air around the Muse EXPLODED into ice, a shell growing around them, constantly cracking, breaking and reforming as their burning hate continue to radiate outwards. . .

( DID YOU THINK THAT YOUR EFFORTS TO COOL MY BURNING HATRED WOULD BE ANYTHING BUT FUTILE? )

- MUSE touched the bonds of the ice. The only bond that mattered was the bond between itself and their treasured one- All other bonds will become shattered before our Atomizing Fire! -

MUSE's blade cleaved through the ice with barely a thought- The ice sublimating under the intense heat of the blade- splitting into gasses and- Igniting. The ice shell was consumed in a explosive fire, chunks of burning ice being thrown in all directions- MUSE charged forward, hissing, and barely had a moment to register the large yellow projectile punching through the cloud of steam and smoke.

- Empty Alice fired off a thought: BECOME BLIND. -

( GGNNGARAAAGGGH! YOU- >NOVICE< DO YOU THINK THIS WILL SLOW ME?! I CAN STILL SENSE YOUR HEART BEATING! IT RINGS IN OUR EARS! THAT HEART WHICH DARED GET CLOSE TO OUR PRECIOUS- DARED TO GET CLOSE TO >US<! DEATH IS TOO GOOD FOR YOU! )

Empty Alice flew backwards, avoiding a burst of flames from the MUSE, limbs burning away as they even touched that hate, hands slapping against the floor and propelling them backwards, until finally they came to rest, and Alice opened her eyes.

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"Give me the rifle."

"Alice of Vaugen, this is unwise."

"Prolonging this fight is unwise, Empty. I need to end it. If they touch us- if they touch you-"

"You are becoming emotional, Alice of Vaugen. Our bond will fail."

"Not until I've fired."

" . . . "

A pair of hands grew out of Alice's chest, out of that hole where that claw first pierced her. She wondered if her heart was still there. She wondered if there ever truly was a heart there. The hands came together in front of her, then parted, a rifle forming between them.

Grey, but metallic. Monochromatic. Alice seized the gun. It was perfect. This gun, formed of their combined wills. It would do the job. It would have to.

Pointing the gun straight up, Alice opened the bolt and opened her mind. Closed her eyes, and closed her heart. She would build armor, if she thought she had the time. As it was. . . She began to breathe rhythmically, each breath inwards pulling in some of the fog that hung around her, each breath outwards exhaling that fog upwards, into the chamber of the rifle.

At the other end of this battlefield, lay Viss. Viss was hurting. Viss clearly loved Qhen, but it did not mean anything. Viss did not love herself. This envy, it was going to keep feeding on her happiness until it finally consumed her. . . Alice didn't understand any of it. She felt odd, around Qhen. But she also felt odd around Viss. Did she love Qhen? Did she love Viss? Does one love a stranger? Does one know a stranger? . . . Did she even know herself? All of these thoughts left her, and entered the gun. Finally, she closed the bolt. The gun hummed, thrummed, and became warm in her hands.

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"You filled the weapon with indecision?"

"I know no other sensation. This is what lies in my heart. Doubt. Fear. If I miss, I could kill Viss. If I hit, I could kill Viss. If I hit, I may still die. If I miss, I WILL die. My will is not indecision, but a desire to have an answer to it. This bullet is my question. Viss will answer it with her own heart."

". . .Sometimes. . ."

"Hm? What was that, Empty?"

". . .Nothing. Focus on aiming. You must pierce the negative feelings that have crystallized in her heart."

"Right. . . Hey, Empty?"

". . ."

"A muse. . . is the rationalization of one's darkest feelings."

"Yes."

"A muse is also. . . the realization of one's true nature."

"Yes."

". . .Which one are you?"

". . ."

"How long have you been watching over me?"

". . ."

"It's okay. You don't have to answer. I still trust you. Now help me out here. I suspect this weapon is going to kick a bit."

". . .As you wish, Alice of Vaugen."

"One more thing."

". . ."

"My name is Alice, Empty."

". . .Yes, Alice."

Empty summoned a pair of hands. Then another. Then another. The arms grabbed onto the rifle, and helped to steady it. Alice exhaled her feelings. Empty inhaled them, and they became one again. Empty Alice had only one request.

If the universe could still hear her, even now, even past the sound of suffering, and hate, and jealousy, and doubt. . .

Distract the MUSE. Distract Viss. Guide our bullet. We want to aim...

( ) Up!
( ) Down!
( ) Behind!
( ) Straight Ahead!
( ) [?]

>The sheer potency of the raw emotion made into firepower appears unstable. Seemingly too unstable to aim properly. The shot seems to miss. The Muse, thinking it's won, lowers it's defenses and begins to gloat as it prepares for a finishing attack. Only for the shot to ricochet and hit the Muse square in the back. You learn quick, Alice.

>Hey Viss, hopefully we're not just static right now, earlier you seemed ready and willing to make that step. To let Qhen walk freely and find happiness. You were even willing to help them on that path. Playing matchmaker, and all that. Do you still want to? What changed? Is this, right now, what you really want?

>To the MUSE of Passionate Criminals. Hate to be the one to tell you this, but your voice is kind of squeaky and irritating. Like you've been huffing helium. I think you need speech therapy classes.

> Viss, what was all that you were talking to Qhen about earlier? You fought your way out so you both could stand up and be free. You don't own Qhen. No one does. No one owns you either. Say something! Stand up, Viss!

> Is this truly what Viss wants? Or is this you, Muse, pushing Viss aside for your own desires? Like I said to Viss, no one owns her. Especially you. Don't push her down.

> This will be really awkward if Viss can't hear us.. uhh BUZZ BUZZ? Maybe we can just irritate them with buzzing if that's all they hear? A swarm of bees we collective unconscious shall be.

The Universe. Empty Alice could feel it. The Universe was ceaselessly, impossibly large. Even if Empty Alice were to fire this bullet into the voidspace, it would eventually hit a wall. This seemingly infinite space was limited by one thing.

Alice's Comprehension.

Empty's Apprehension.

The Universe. Empty Alice could feel it. The Universe was casually, infuriatingly large. Even if Empty Alice were to run forever, they would never escape. They would never escape these feelings. As long as sentient life exists, there will always be free will. As long as free will exists, there will always be emotions. As long as emotions exist, there will always be strife. Even if Alice was to give into the fear and the doubt- even if Alice was to allow herself to be destroyed. . . Qhen and Viss would continue to suffer. If only there was nothing. . . If nobody could exist, then nobody could suffer. If nothing existed- A sharp pain dug into Alice's chest. She could not help but cry out.

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"ALICE!"

Empty Alice pulled the rifle down to their side. The motion was quick, instantaneous- but to Alice and Empty, the motion continued to go on in increasingly slow motion. Inside, Alice gripped her chest. The pain dug in deeper, and suddenly she was aware of the cloak tightening it's grip on her.

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"I. . . I can't do this, Empty. . . It's so hard to think. . . It's so hard to concentrate. . . I can feel my thoughts twisting. . . I can feel my desires growing dark. . . I don't want to do this, Empty. . ."

"Alice, you mustn't listen. You mustn't feel. Give me your feelings."

"No. . . Then I'm just- Making you suffer for me. I don't want to do this anymore. I can't. I can't. . . Haaaa- Haa- Hhh. . ."

"Alice. Listen to my voice. Focus on my words. No matter what the darkness in your heart wants, you are already here. You already exist in this moment. You cannot take back what you have already done."

"Then what do I do?! If I fire this gun, Viss DIES! I've seen it! The bullet will ricochet and strike her in the back, she can't survive that! I don't want to make anyone suffer!"

"Then what DO you do, Alice?"

"Don't ask me what I already asked you! I want answers!"

"What would YOU do, Alice?"

" * "

". . . Breathe, Alice. We are running out of time. You cannot stretch time in the voidspace forever, and we are rapidly approaching the moment. You must do something. If you do not want to die, then do not die. If you do not want to kill Viss, then don't. It is as simple as that."

". . .empty. . ."

"Yes. I do trust you. Your purpose is my purpose, Alice. Pursue it with all your might, and I will be there to help you."

". . . Haaaah. . . Thank you, Empty. I will do exactly that."

"Good. We can reabsorb the energy from the shot and-"

Empty's voice turned into hissing static as Alice hauled on the weapon with all her might, pointing it behind herself... and fired.

The resulting explosion threw Alice up into the air, Empty drifting away from her, their combined energies finally spent on that final effort. Empty was trying to talk to her, but she could not focus on that. She was already focusing on something else. She could hear the universe buzzing away around her, hurtling messages at the MUSE- who she now knew in her heart was known as ENVIOUS. She continued to focus. Now-

The cloud of fog and smoke from the ice explosion was still expanding, and ENVIOUS came PUNCHING through it-

( YOUR VOICES CANNOT HELP YOU- THEY TRY TO STING ME LIKE BEES, BUT ONLY BUZZ AROUND ME LIKE FLIES. PREPARE TO DIE! )

"No."

The butt of the rifle connected with ENVIOUS' mask with a heavy CRACK- She swung again and smashed their fist, knocking the blue flame blade away, spiraling down to the floor before it exploded into a puff of smoke. The momentum that ENVIOUS had carried them directly into Alice, and she caught them, and pushed with all her might, rolling the two of them over so as they came back down to the floor, she would land on top. The moment she felt the shock, she lifted the rifle butt- constructed with a portion of her remaining energy out of void-material, and began the flail at the mask. All of that, and there was only a tiny little crack in it. But she would get through. She would break through and talk directly to Viss.

Then ENVIOUS let out a scream, and Alice burned.

Alice's screams echoed through the chamber, and inside ENVIOUS, Viss twitched.

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"Hey Viss, hopefully we're not just static right now, earlier you seemed ready and willing to make that step. To let Qhen walk freely and find happiness. You were even willing to help them on that path. Playing matchmaker and all that. Do you still want to? What changed? Is this, right now, what you really want?"

i don't know leave me alone just let me live with my mistakes

Alice refused to die. She relied on her power to keep her alive, but she was still the one refusing to die. She continued to burn. ENVIOUS was screaming at her, clawing at her. . .

And she continued to hammer it in the face, the rifle snapped in half by a previous attack. . .

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"Viss, what was all that you were talking to Qhen about earlier? You fought your way out so you both could stand up and be free. You don't own Qhen. No one does. No one owns you either. Say something! Stand up, Viss!"

maybe i lied maybe i cant stand to let anyone else love qhen if i cant

Empty could only watch. They knew that Alice had done this, on purpose, to keep it from attempting to intervene- but even if she hadn't. . . They wouldn't. Even while Alice cried and begged and fought herself down to the nails- She now clawed at the mask, trying to work her fingers into the cracks. Alice did not need Empty's power. That was the answer she needed to find.

A muse was the rationalization of one's darkest feelings. A muse was something that one piled blame on, to take responsibility for their own actions. It wasn't me, it was the muse. It led me astray and I sinned as a result, but it won't happen again. . .

A muse was also the realization of one's true nature. Qhen's nature was to desire freedom. Viss' nature was currently being smothered by the darkness of her rationale. And Alice's nature. . .

Alice's nature was to care for anyone but herself, it seemed.

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"Is this truly what Viss wants? Or is this you, Muse, pushing Viss aside for your own desires? Like I said to Viss, no one owns her. Especially you. Don't push her down."

what do you know you're just some annoying voice that i cant tune out i said to just leave me alone it doesn't matter anymore- what is that sound i just want to sleep leave me alone

ENVIOUS was not even fighting back anymore. It just watched Alice. Not like it mattered. Alice was sure this was just a silent taunt. No matter how hard she worked, no matter how much blood she spilt- her knuckles were bloody and her hands were numb with pain from punching the thick porcelain mask- no matter how much she endured the pain from the searing heat cooking her down to her core, no matter how much she cried out for Viss to hear her. . .

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"This will be really awkward if Viss can't hear us.. uhh BUZZ BUZZ? Maybe we can just irritate them with buzzing if that's all they hear? A swarm of bees we collective unconscious shall b-"

"SHUT UP! I HEAR YOU! I HEAR YOU ALL!"

ENVIOUS had a moment to register a look of surprise on that porcelain mask with it's shifting, painted surface- Just a moment before Viss' fist passed through it from the inside. Alice stumbled, fell, really, and collapsed to the ground.

Viss clawed, and pulled, and ripped her way out of ENVIOUS, the sound of ripping fabric filling the air, until she was standing on it's tattered corpse of a cloak. She held her head in both hands, squeezing tightly for a moment, before letting go, and slapping herself on the sides of the face a few times.

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"HhHSsssssssSS... You wanted me, Alice? Here I am."

". . .Viss."

". . .Could Viss just go back to being Viss, after this?"

"Does Viss enjoy- Ow... Lying to herself?"

". . .Stupid Alice, you could have just killed me and saved us all the trouble. . ."

"Who, ME? Kill you? And save you the trouble of letting your conflicted emotions eat away at you?"

"You know what-"

"Yeah. I do. You thought you could just bottle in all that pain and suffering and act like it didn't matter. You thought that you lacked value because you could not get the recognition you wanted from the person you wanted it from."

"Alice. . ."

Alice slowly pulled herself up. She was basically out of energy. Exhausted. Spent. Her burns had healed- or rather, were never there. Fighting a MUSE, fighting inside the voidspace, was an interesting sensation. She looked at her hands, and noticed that the bleeding had already stopped. She looked back to Viss.

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"I'm not going to take Qhen away from you."

". . ."

"And I'm not going to take you away from Qhen. The two of you belong together. You're friends, aren't you?"

"Alice. . . You know, I hate you so much. From your kind face, to your gentle eyes... to your... hm. "

". . . Um. Did you- want to try that again?"

"Like that! You're helpful, and kind... You're taking so much punishment, and every day you've spent with us has just been one fight after another it feels like, but you just KEEP ON DOING IT! Why?!"

"Right now?"

"Yeah."

"Because... when I Empty- When I was Empty Alice. I saw... everything. For a split second. . ."

". . .And?"

Alice sat back down again. Viss walked over and sat down next to her. They both stared at the blue cloak on the floor. It was clearly not destroyed, but continued to lay still.

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"Do you believe in a god?"

". . . I believe that if there is such a thing as a divine being, either there is too few of them, that they fight over who is in charge of what, or so many of them that it is like a great bloated divine bureaucracy. Either way, they likely get nothing done, as those who truly believe in the divine would like to think they do."

"Do you want to know what's out there? Past the sky?"

"Let me guess. Nothing?"

". . .No. . . There's- Imagine the world we live in is a speck of sand. Now drop that dot of sand into a cup of sand, then pour that cup of sand into a massive bowl of water, and stir it until the sand is everywhere."

"Mmm. That's a rather... interesting analogy. What are you getting at?"

"There's- So much out there. So much we'll never see. We- individually, do not matter, to the universe. We are less than sand. We are less than the air we breathe."

". . ."

"But, none of that matters. NONE of it matters. Nothing matters, except here, and now. Qhen wants the future, but we have to live in the present, in order to get there. You look to the past, but the past is already gone. You cannot undo what has already been done. The only thing we can do is... exist. And right now, You and Qhen existing is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."

". . . OKAY. That's enough of THAT."

"Viss...Please..."

Viss stood up. She reached down and picked up the blue cloak. She folded it neatly and laid it on the floor. Turning, she stared Alice in the eyes. She looked so tired.

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"I will not be satisfied until I defeat you. This isn't for my envy. This isn't because I love Qhen unconditionally. It's because I hate you. Even now, while my heart is still, it tells me to hit you. So. . . We're going to settle this like children, and we're going to let the universe decide who is better."

". . .Okay. I don't get it, but okay. How?"

"Rock Paper Scissors."

". . .Okay. Still don't get it."

"We count to three, we throw. Loser gets hit. That's all it is."

"And this will make you happy?"

"I don't have a clue. But it's the only idea I can think of that doesn't end with you inevitably killing me. I can't possibly win against you right now- my emotions have ruined my ability to fight."

". . .Fine. We do this, then we go and you apologize to Qhen for all of this."

"Hmph. We'll see. Let's do this!"

Alice got up. The two of them faced each other. They put one arm behind their back, and brought their other hand up in a fist.

One.

Two.

THREE-

Alice Throws:
( ) Rock
( ) Paper
( ) Scissors

Viss Throws:
( ) Rock
( ) Paper
( ) Scissors
( ) The Match, using her reflexive sight to tell which symbol Alice is going to throw ahead of time.

(EDIT NOTE: YEAH I WROTE QHEN INSTEAD OF VISS AT THE END THERE IT'S 8 AM AND I HAVEN'T SLEPT YET. ; A;)