Chapter 3: Eldritch Beings Start Piling Up
“This is the only time I’ve been happy, isn’t it?” Sayori whimpers, curled up tight, as she comprehends the truth. That all she is, is a video game character.
Erik, for a long while, looks at the dialogue box choices, before sighing, and writing in something different. “You deserve a lot better than what that game would put you through, Sayori.”
“Eh?” Sayori blinks, looking up at the character Erik is playing as.
“You really do deserve a caring friend, that gets what it’s like to have depression. To be always wondering if life is really worth living. And with all this, it’s hard. Especially with your situation as it stands.” Erik admits, as he types.
A wide eyed Monika and Sayori blink.
“I’m not sure where this is. Or how much of this is me, and my former status as a God of machines, and how much this is an odd influence of the eldritch beings I run into every time I jump universes.” Erik admits in the write in box, quietly, thinking.
“A former God…?” Sayori whispers, quietly, then blinks.
“But you, all four of you, deserve better than being stuck in an eldritch fueled visual novel. And with how that manager’s eyes were glitching a pure, pitch black, I think they’re taking advantage to add in a lot more elements, overtly.” Erik admits, typing more in.
Well, shit. Technician 32,510, can you check if we can’t influence their memories on that one?
“I… you’re nice to me. So I’ll trust you. But a God…?” Sayori blinks. Then sudden, horrified realization hits. “Oh. You’re able to influence how the game replies to me, aren’t you?”
We’re locked out of that sort of stuff, sir. Between Monika and this… fellow who’s playing? Nope. I respect you, I’ll work for you happily, but I’m not touching that fight, sir.
“Yup.” Erik writes in, and hits send, watching Sayori go through a whole lot of emotions, before wincing.
“Was… my friend being a rude jerk, part of the storyline for me?” Sayori asks, quietly.
“Sorry to say, but yeah. The main character’s an asshole, typically.” Erik admits with his typing.
For a long moment, Sayori looks down. Then punches the couch cushion she’s on, and stands up. “That’s so horrible! Why leave me with a jerk of a friend?!”
Can’t blame you for not wanting to pick that one, Technician. Do see if we can’t find a way to alter things further, at least?
“Hell if I know. When I find a way to get you girls out, would you like to find the developer and punch him in the face for it?” Erik asks in a write in, somewhat bemusedly.
Two nods from them, before they sigh. “Well, I’m stuck at your place, aren’t I?” Monika asks quietly.
“At least for the night. It’s not like my character has parents, though?” Erik replies, humming.
“Let’s go cook dinner.” Sayori mutters. “We’ve got the food and everything, and even if my friend can’t taste it, we can still make it.”
“I’m pretty sure that if I leave the computer, it’ll vanish on me.” Erik types in, then sighs.
Both jump again, and Erik frowns. “Sorry, sorry. Forgot the microphone was on.” He mutters.
“I can hear you pretty much perfectly when you say that, now.” Monika states. “No more lip reading, it seems?”
“You can see him? Is he cute?” Sayori asks, as they move to the counter, groceries in tow.
“Blue eyed blonde. Rugged. Very, very rugged.” Monika admits. “Wearing a wedding ring, though, so taken.”
“Aww…” Sayori whines a bit. “Why’s all the good, nice ones taken?”
“I don’t know. Why am I starring in a video game dating simulator, and not one of the dateable girls?” Monika asks, frowning.
“Schadenfreude?” Erik types in.
“I’ll take that as an answer, I suppose. So, have you noticed many other places like this, Erik?” Monika mutters, the computer showing it as a tiny font, before increasing back to normal.
“The first one scared me the most.” Erik writes in, humming as he does so. “Ever heard of the video game series, Bloodborne?”
“I’m a video game character, in something like a week’s worth of in game time, tops.” Monika shoots back. “Does it look like I can play anything from inside a fucking video game?”
“Loosely, eldritch lovecraftian horrors, every time you die, you go to something called ‘The Hunter’s Dream’ and all the horrors bleed white blood. And notably, there’s a friendly doll, called the Plain Doll who’s sole existence is to give you advice, in that dream. Which bleeds, again? White blood.” Erik types in, blinking at his noticing the text box increasing in size as he writes more.
A long pause, as both of them look at each other. “Did you meet something from it, then?”
“What looked like that Plain Doll.” Erik types in, and sighs.
“Huh. Creepy.” Sayori admits. “Doll joins and everything?” She inquires, hesitantly.
“Yup.” Erik replies. “Doll joints and everything. She also told me that we’d likely meet again, though it was up to me to find out if she really was that, or just took that shape during our first meeting…”
“Creepy.” Monika states, agreeing with Sayori wholeheartedly.
Wait, he met HER…? I hate to say it, but Lord Nyarlathotep, is there any way we could use this?
“So, food and then we work things out?” Erik types in, thinking.
“Anything else about her?” Monika asks, curiously.
“I was nearly dead at the time, and she was trying to get me to push myself into some sort of… higher state to counter it. One I think she planned on manipulating me in.” Erik types, humming thoughtfully as he does so.
Oh? One of My Siblings has met him, hmm? She should have MENTIONED that to Me. Or Our siblings, at least. Irritating that She has yet to do so.
Sayori and Monika quietly blink at each other, then face Erik’s character again.
“Curious.” Monika finally admits.
“It was like she was nudging me to it, because she thought I had no other choice and would be desperate.” Erik admits vocally.
That… doesn’t sound like any of your kin that I know, my lord. Perhaps he actually encountered what he’s discussing?
“Huh.” is echoed in sync by Monika and Sayori, as they study Erik’s character quietly.
“So. Recipe, then food.” Erik states.
Only one way for Me to find out, then.
A nod from Monika and Sayori, before they both move to the kitchen and start hogging it. Sprites showing them cooking, more and more realistic as he watches.
“So. Can you tell us much about where you’re from?” Monika finally asks, curiosity overwhelming her.
“Pretty much, I was taken in by the Fenris Wolf at a young age, or an avatar thereof, at least, as a hunting partner in modern day America. Wanting me to find a way to free himself, though he definitely wasn’t admitting he’d already been freed due to temporal fuckery and a time loop. Eventually, we went looking with me as a Bounty Hunter, circa 1990. First place, Gotham City, where he ‘died’, and I met my wife.” Erik hums as he types.
By the way, Lord Nyarlathotep? Why are you placing more emphasis on the royal ‘we’? I’m just curious, but I’ve heard it more, and you’ve been almost announcing yourself like that with every sentence, now.
Monika slows down her cooking, studying the text, before nodding. Sayori, on the other hand, goes wide eyed. “Oooh, interesting! Sounds neat!”
“A more despicable hive of scum and villainy, you won’t find out of Star Wars.” Erik adds in, chuckling a bit. “Far too many divine kids of Gods congregating there for my taste, and somewhere under the city was a fucking chunk of something linked to Fenris’ chains.”
“Huh.” Sayori hums as she cooks.
Monika frowns playfully. “Star Wars, huh? I’ve never hea-”
Sayori’s ladle smacks Monika’s side, playfully. “Don’t tease him! We read that in the clubroom, remember?!”
“Fine, fine. I know what Star Wars is. Good comparison to Mos Eisley, though!” Monika admits with a smile.
More of My siblings and companions are watching. I need to give them the respect they deserve. In a one on one fight, I am superior, but if My siblings and relatives gang up on me all at once again? To paraphrase your technician, NOPE.
Now, where could this Cousin We apparently have, BE…?
“I’m pretty proud of that, especially since I built something similar to a lightsaber. Damn thing runs low on power after every use, though.” Erik’s character admits.
“How low is low?” Sayori quietly asks.
Monika, on the other hand, is quietly squealing like a tweenage girl in the background, eyes wide with glee…
“Ten reliable hits or cuts, then the batteries are dead.” Erik admits.
Twin winces is his reply, as two visual novel ladies facepalm, almost in sync.
“Okay, no wonder you’re not putting that into production.” Monika admits. “That sort of low battery life means it’s great for cutting things up, and then you’re out of juice? Ouch.”
“Considering I designed and built it as a God, and I’m not one anymore? Makes things worse, in a lot of ways.” Erik admits.
A slow nod from Monika, before Sayori smiles. “And done with all the peeling and chopping. Let’s put it on high heat, to cook in the pot!”
Erik chuckles.
Well. Isn’tthis interesting? Nyarlathotep, was it? Here to sample a visit of my home in the Hunter’s Dream?
“Glad you two can hear me, at least a bit.” Erik admits, aloud. “This place is… creepy.” He eventually admits, quietly.
“I can only really see you.” Monika admits. “The others, yes. The game, yes. But mostly you.”
Erik nods, humming. “Something’s definitely getting more…” He trails off, thoughtfully.
“Stable?” Monika muses.
“Real?” Sayori asks, quietly.
Erik rubs his chin, then nods. “Real, but in ways we can’t understand.” Erik admits, thoughtfully. “I can’t tell if it’s me, or the game being powered by eldritch bullshit, either.”
No. I thought I’d invite you to visit, and see our guest. He-
“Hmm.” Monika muses. “I’m not sure. I can sort of see the game’s coding, but it’s odd. Like things are being added far faster than before. And the manager of that store felt, how to describe it? Purple, for the coding?”
Sayori blinks thoughtfully, then hums a cheery tune as she stirs the food in the pot. “Maybe the purple represents the stuff powering this stuff?” She muses aloud, thinking.
Oh, my. What a fascinating setting. And with that former Godling, as well! I’ve missed seeing him, since he failed to accept my offer back then! Thank you for the invitation to meet with him once more!
“Makes sense.” Monika admits, stirring her own pot and humming. “Let’s finish making the food, eat, and stay the night here. Okay?”
Erik eyeballs the “Yes” and “No” answers to her query, then clicks on yes, bemusedly.
Before that, could I get an answer as to WHAT, exactly, you ARE? You make my brain HURT to look at.
Moments later, there’s a new art scene showing them happily eating stew together.
For a long moment, the game pauses, before Sayori and Monika both peek around the screen to stare at it.
Why, I am but a doll, meant to help Hunters. Of course, neither you nor heare, so I may be more free to deal with you both as I please, being unconfined to the Hunter’s Dream as I normally am.
Erik silently stares, as well.
“Pretty sure the art didn’t have my mechanical left arm showing, or anything about me, for that matter, before this shit…” Erik finally states out loud.
…Hmm. I can’t tell if you’re actually that Doll, or just posing as her…
“What’s with your sclera kinda black in the picture?” Monika asks, quietly.
“Illusion my wife put on them to make them white again doesn’t show on the artwork?” Erik muses.
Does it really matter? I am but a Doll to help Hunters. Yet I’ve helped him as well. A conundrum, I suppose. You’ll have to see how things go, won’t you?
“Huh.” Sayori murmurs. “At least it’s a cute memory!”
Erik silently pulls his left arm up, then takes a picture using the built in camera.
Monika quietly blinks. “You have a camera built into your arm? Neat!”
“It showed up eventually, after all the shit it ate out of me when I first… stopped being a proper God.” Erik admits. “Useful sometimes. Mostly just creepy.”
The CGI eventually fades, but Erik pauses, at a smell hitting his nose. Slowly, he turns.
To his right, on the counter, are three bowls of stew, one still full.
“Erik? What are you looking at?” Monika asks, using in-game text.
So. You can see how We’ve got him. He’s influencing the local reality warper, and We’re hoping she’ll become real enough for Our plans to come to fruition. Any questions?
Finally, Erik turns to look at the computer again.
“There’s a bowl of the food on the counter in this house, food that we made, and two empty ones. Could you put your bowls in the sink, please, when you’re done?” Erik types in, then clicks.
How do you want me to influence things? I am but a doll, as you know.
Monika and Sayori stare at each other quizzically, then both move off screen.
Two clangs in the kitchen later, Erik turns to look at the single bowl on the table.
Hm? Any way that gets him more interested in influencing the reality warper to exist.
“We’re back. Anything?” Monika writes.
Erik turns to look back at the computer, then sighs. “Looks like food we make in the game is made in this house, too.”
You’re giving me carte-blanche permission to do whatever I feel isnecessary? What kindness to show, to a mere doll such as I.
“What.” Monika states, blinking.
As a reply, Erik turns the monitor to face the table and the steaming hot bowl on it.
“!!!!!!” Monika somehow expresses, her words outright failing her, but her expression of shock somehow coming across as exclamation marks anyways.
“That’s a bad thing, right?” Sayori interjects, quietly thinking.
Now, let’s see what you can do, hmm?
Erik adjusts the monitor back mostly to him, then hums. “Looks tasty, but it’s not like I can get up and get it. What with your warning about this place, and people disappearing the moment they leave the computer.”
Monika nods quietly, then her character sprite starts glitching.
“Monika? What’s wrong? You look pale, suddenly!” Sayori asks, quietly.
Silently, Monika raises her hand to point in Erik’s general direction.
Erik pauses, at hearing footsteps behind him.
Hands move, reaching for Raika.
Not there.
His laser rifle, on his back?
Not there, either.
Trio of mirrors in a deck of cards, right inside his inner pocket for his jacket?
Nope.
The bowl sounds like it’s moving behind him, as he gets ready, left fist clenched. The only weapon he possibly has, a two inch chunk of Scythe buried in him, getting ready to move to the fist of his mechanical left arm.
“My. If you’d become a Hunter, it would have been adorable, what you would have eventually become.” The smile of the Plain Doll greets him, as she walks forwards, the bowl of stew in hand. “Greetings, good former Godling. How have you been, in the waking world?”
Slowly, Erik side-eyes the game, with Monika shuddering while watching the events from inside, as well as she can. Then back at the Plain Doll before him, before facepalming.
“Why the hell are you of all beings, in this eldritch bullshit, too?” Erik mutters aloud.
The Plain Doll just smiles, puts the stew beside Erik, then hums as she moves to get a chair for herself.
For a long while, Erik just stares. Then slowly looks to his left at the screen again.
“So, you remember the doll lady I mentioned from Bloodborne? She just showed up in this place, and handed me the stew.” Erik writes, before clicking.
“That’s… that’s bad, right?” Sayori writes.
“Quite possibly.” Erik types out the reply.
“I’m not evil, you know?” The Plain Doll retorts, a small smile on her face as she puts a chair down near Erik. “I care for all Hunters within the Dream I dwell in, equally!”
Erik pauses, slowly looking up at the Plain Doll next to him, before putting his face in his palms.
“Fuck. Just… fuck.” Erik murmurs aloud. “Then why are you here?”
“Oh, the friendly eldritch being watching over you invited me here, and asked me to influence things.” The Plain Doll, or her lookalike muses aloud.
Erik pulls his head up out of his hands, to stare at the Plain Doll, silently.
“Nyarlathotep wants the little ‘Reality Warper’ as she’s called by him to exist, and hopes to reproduce your innate influence on this video game world? Just as much, in other game settings they have similarly set up.” The Plain Doll admits.
Did she just admit to it outright? Interesting. I would have thought she’d try to ensure he’d succeed, not…
Erik twitches.
For a long moment, Erik looks at the computer, then at the Plain Doll. “And why, exactly, are you telling me this?”
“To stir the pot, little former Godling. Your ignorance is rather boring. As is your refusal to force your ascension, and become something other than a Greater Titan, you know?” The Plain Doll retorts, the same smile on her face as normal.
Erik looks at his fists, then at her.
“Oh, if you want to use me as a target of violence, feel free.” She replies. “Here, I have a respawn mechanic.”
“...” Erik stares, then sighs with an explosive breath from his mouth.
“Of course, if those protective Hunters that enjoy my company so very much, all happen to take umbrage with your violence towards myself and start to target you in later situations where you’re between universes? You’ll forgive me if I care just as much for the retribution. Of course, I’ll always be here in case you decide you wish to try and become a Hunter…” The Plain Doll continues, smiling just the same.
“Tch. At least could you stay out of Monika’s sight, so you don’t drive her nuts?” Erik asks, quietly.
“Hmm. Very well then, good former Godling. I’ll also give you a warning when they’re going to start messing with things. It’ll happen sooner or later, to get results out of you.” The Plain Doll admits, smiling, but moving her chair as she does.
“Did you make the stew, then?” Erik asks.
“More… ensured it would be safer ingredients than what they’d planned for you to eat, if you tried it.” Is the reply from the doll beside him.
Erik rubs his forehead, slowly. Mind obviously going to her definition of safe. Especially with all the shit he’d seen in Bloodborne.
Then he looks at the screen, and at Monika watching him.
“Get your asses to bed, you two.” He finally writes in. “I’ll take the couch, in game.”
Two nods, then the imagery disappears.
“What are you hoping for, with this?” Erik asks, quietly. “What are you hoping to get out of this?”
“Hmm? More time with you, I suppose.” The eldritch being beside him in the shape of a doll admits, with a small smile on her face. “More time to spend with the first real interesting being I’ve met in ages, perhaps? That isn’t just another Hunter? You, of all people, aren’t boring, at least. Yet. I’m oh so very curious as to what you’ll become, in the end…”
Erik turns to look at her, as she smiles back at him.
Author’s Notes:
The return of what may or may not be the Plain Doll from Bloodborne. Which is exactly why I sat on working on this future stuff for so long.
Because writing this lady is hard, while keeping it ambiguous as to if she’s a Great One from Bloodborne or simply something taking the same shape as the Doll from Bloodborne…
Yeesh.
Sorry for taking so long to get on this, by the way. Went camping with my buddy, and had a car accident I was in. We both walked out of it, rented a car, and continued going on the camping trip, but it was a scary, scary ride, when we had some big truck with no license plate on the back veer into our lane, and left my friend jerking towards the metal and concrete barrier over a 30 or more foot drop.
Great camping trip, went down to Long Beach, Washington for two nights. Cold in the cabin, but better than a tent like my friend thought would work out. (Read: No. No it wouldn’t have. Not with the weather being THAT cold.)
Still, got to see the Pacific Ocean in a view that made you think you could see forever. Blue skies all above us.
Great views of the stars, too. Haven’t seen the stars that vividly since I was in the Boy Scouts.
Pity we were both sore and aching from having to unpack all the camping gear, then packing it in the rental car, and I was worse off by having to wait for him to get back with one for two hours in the cold.
Back’s still killing me a bit after that one.
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Originally Posted by Arbitrarity
