Chapter Text
You try to slip outside, but Loop stops you, pushing you away from the door.
The argument draws Cast members from other parts of the house.
“You told me getting cold causes you pain!”
“Just let me out!”
“Absolutely not, starstuff! You’re going to freeze!”
“What’s going on?” Petronille interrupts.
Loop jabs a finger at you, spinning to face her. “This idiot is trying to go sleep in the woods.”
There’s an increase of frowns.
“Wouldn’t all their fur keep them warm?” Researcher checked.
Loop scoffs. “That might work if they were capable of producing their own heat~! Trust me, all that fluff is utterly useless.”
“Wait, what?”
Housemaiden hurries over, and Loop twitches as she presses the back of her hand to their forehead. Then she turns around and does it to you, making you flinch back.
“-You’re freezing!” She looks horrified. “You can’t go outside like this! You’ll- you’ll- it’s too cold! It might snow!”
You step away, eyes fixed on the ground. “I’ve done it before.”
“You aren’t doing it again.” Petronillie says firmly. “You’re sleeping in a bed tonight.”
“But I-”
She rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes, we know you’re a monster. Pick a room.”
You quietly stare at her, then turn and pad deeper into the house. Your paws won’t fit in your shoes.
Loop follows after you, shooting a smile over their shoulder. “I’ll make sure starstuff doesn’t escape out a window~!”
-
You wake up to find your wings occupied again. Your mirrors have burrowed into your down like they belong there. They’re… peaceful. There’s no sign of those nightmares Fighter was talking about.
It’s warm.
You give up and go back to sleep, carefully murmuring to yourself for dreamless rest.
-
You wake up to stardust and starlight amused about something.
You raise your head, disoriented, and glance down. They aren’t there. Instead, the warm weight burrowed into your wings has a pillow hat.
…You’re going to blinding perish.
Lifting your head, you turn to stare blankly at the twin stars. Loop presses their hands harder over their mouth, shaking with their muffled laughter.
“Save me.” You hiss.
“No~”
…
You’re pulled into a room with the rest of the Cast. Or, herded, really, as you avoid their hands.
Researcher closes the door, and when you take a longing look at the window, Fighter surreptitiously scoots over to stand in the way.
“Your loops were different than the others’, weren’t they?” Researcher accuses.
You turn your head blankly.
“We remember you- dying.” Housemaiden says, so very sadly.
“You aren’t surprised.” Researcher observes.
You glance away. “...Others can only remember my latest loop, if I reach that point.”
“Is- is that good? Did that help you when you were-?”
You smile without humor. “My loops were different from the twin stars. My loops were not my wish. My wish was to survive with everyone.”
They blink at you.
“Why so different?”
You let out a bitter laugh. “Because my loop contained two months. Around and around, no one knowing me, getting to know everyone, gathering the orbs, beating the King, being sent back to start-”
Your eyes are burning. You’re breathing hard.
“My wish was to survive. I can’t die, I’m not allowed to die, no matter what happens to me I have to make it to the end and be sent back make it stop.”
“Set-”
“Reset and reset and a shambling, moving corpse after one too many strikes. Is it good only one loop can be remembered? That even if I survive with them they remember what I looked like broken? That they know what thing I am even when I play my script perfectly, remember how wary they were even when everything was fine.” Your claws hook into your throat, comforting.
“I- I didn’t mean-”
You grin, fangs on show. “I know you didn’t. I’m a monster, remember? Is it any wonder my wish is rotten through even now? Broken things are kept offstage. Keep me out of the show, let me rest. Play with the replacements, they’re still whole. They think they’re still human, even! You don’t need an old patchwork prop like me.”
There’s suddenly arms around you. You freeze, startled.
Fighter and Housemaiden are wrapped around you, warm and firm and-
“Don’t- squeeze.” You warn with a raspy squeak, feeling yourself go dark as your control fails. “Chest- wish-rotten. Fragile.”
The pressure eases up slightly with apologetic murmurs. You suck in a breath, and resign yourself to stand there.
When they eventually release you, Researcher swoops in, poking you right in the middle of your torso experimentally. You watch her face go through disgusted shock as her finger fails to meet the resistance of an actual ribcage and sinks in, poking fabric into your body.
Her gaze darts up to meet your inhuman eyes, horrified.
“You should not have allowed that hug at all.”
You shrug your wings. “Am I allowed to leave now?”
“One! Last thing.” Fighter holds up his hands, and regards you sadly. “...Set, you know we’ll remember you as you, right? The loops are over. You don’t… have to push us away to protect yourself.”
You stare at him. Then your eyes start to burn and blur, and- oh, you’re crying now, okay.
“Oh- oh, Set-”
“Don’t. Squeeze them again and you might break something-”
“Your friends were trapped in a horror story but the monster was friendly.” Housemaiden whispers, hands clasped. “They hurt you, didn’t they?”
“I deserved it.” You can’t even see anymore, everything’s wet and wobbly.
“No, oh no, you didn’t-”
“You weren’t there. They hated me for good reason. You would hate me.”
“What reason?” Researcher demands. “Being unintentionally maimed?”
“...” Your forewings fold out of your hair, hook onto your hat, and pull it down to cover your face.
“Gems alive. No wonder you’ve been feral and flighty with us specifically. It was probably a survival trait.”
“I am so sorry I hit you when you were big.” Housemaiden apologizes, teary. “We thought you were a Sadness.”
Researcher pauses. “I, also, apologize. For using Craft Break on you. By the state of your… everything, it was likely incredibly painful.”
“I’m sorry we squeezed you!” Fighter adds. “Um- is there. A way you’d like being touched? Since… getting hugs can hurt you…”
You wipe at your face with your paws. “...I… I wouldn’t mind my wings getting touched… I guess…”
“And that’s your back?” He checks.
“Back and sides. Not my spine. Spine is fragile too.”
“Crab, did we almost break you?”
You turn your head away morosely. “...Only a little? I’d heal in a few days…”
There’s a gentle touch, making you twitch, and then your wing is being stroked through your cloak. Another hand does the same to your other wing.
“...This feels a little weird. It looks like we’re petting your arms.”
You snort, soggy. “I don’t have arms. But thanks, glad that illusion’s holding up at least.”
…
“So am I ever getting the full story?” Petronille asks your mirrors.
They glance at each other reluctantly.
“If you don’t want to do it, I can.” You offer from across the room, seemingly apathetic. “I know you don’t like to.”
“I don’t know-”
“I don’t know what the big secret is, and I can’t understand it when Bonnie tries to tell me!” She fumes. “You’re keeping something from me, something big, and- how can I trust you with Bonnie if you won’t tell me what happened? Was it dangerous for them?”
“No, no, we’d never let the Kid get hurt!” Loop protests, eyes wide.
Stardust curled into himself, shaking.
Ignoring them both, you walk up to Petronille. “Any of the three of us would sooner receive the strike ourselves than allow any harm to come to your sibling.” You inform her blankly. “Stardust lost his eye to save them from a Sadness.”
“I- he did?” The indignance drained.
“The Kid hates the fact.” You tilt your head. “It was a scare for everyone. And a loss of depth perception.”
“We’ll tell you.” Stardust had recovered, but still looked sick.
“I can do it.”
“Can you do it properly?” Loop challenged.
You turn to face them. “I’ll do you one better. Chronological order between the three of us.”
Their expression faltered. “...You don’t know mine.”
“Who do you think made sure that blinding torch was lit?” You ask blankly. “Do you really think a torch can wait for two months in a frozen building without turning to ashes?”
What little darkness they had drains from their face and hair, glowing slightly.
“It’s not my fault you never left the top. I wasn’t allowed to meet you.”
“...Stars above, you were my sponsor, weren’t you?” They wheeze, as if the air had been knocked out of them.
You incline your head. “Loop, you depressed blinder. I’m almost happy you gave up, you were too stubborn for your own good.” Just like you.
“We should call everyone.” Stardust murmurs. “I’m not sure we… I’m not sure we told it that thoroughly.”
“I’ve already been cornered about my loop today. May as well make sure it never happens again.” You turn and pad over to the living room.