Chapter Text
Your name is not important, and you woke up.
A good story would perhaps begin with the morning sun- but down here, it was impossible to say if it was day or night. You simply go to sleep and wake up again, whenever that nebulous time may be. There is no sunlight to warm your little face, no stars to fall asleep counting. The unfinished concrete floor may not be as comfortable as a bed, but beds are a rare commodity, so it has to suffice.
Not that you'd notice, anyways. Not that comfort has been a concept you were ever particularly concerned with your entire lived life…. Un-life.
The child stands, and stretches their tightly-bound muscles- they must stretch, or they'll be too stiff from laying around to get far at all before they trip on their own limbs. (Of course, they only know from experience.)
They're an odd child, unlike most of their peers- namely due to the fact that they are dead, and have been for as long as they can remember, really. Their skin is a suffocated blue, almost cartoonishly so- it darkens at the fingers and toes to almost black, like dirty ice on the road. (Not that it would be their first comparison- they haven't seen a road in… really, who knows how long? Time is not linear down here.)
"G'mornin', Blue!"
(Despite the aforementioned lack of time, the kids usually greet each other with "good morning" when they've just woken up.)
"Goin' for a run?"
The others have been calling them Blue for a time now, because they don't have a name otherwise. (Can't remember it, doesn't matter. Wasn't important….) Their eyes– 'eyes', a pair of hastily-scored Xs that apparently function just enough to see out of- roll over to the source of the voice, as does their head.
It's Magdalene, a sweet girl, sitting on a rock right now with a needle grit between her teeth. She's smiling as she pulls the thread through a busted seam on a doll that rather resembles her- with the same golden, curly hair and pink bow. More than likely, Jacob tore it playing with Esau yesterday or the day before. Maggie's good with a needle. She doesn't mind fixing things up for the other kids, and Lord knows they need someone who doesn't. In fact, she gets giddy when a blanket tears- it's something to do, she chimes, with the same unyielding cheer that no amount of screaming wounds inflicted by this place could gouge out of her. Magdalene, a rarely-penetrative ray of sunshine in the Basement hidden so far underground…
Blue nods, still a little stiff in the neck. They give speaking a try, wondering if today might be a good day for it.
"...hadda weir…dream, nuhmm- gunna….walkit off…."
Their voice is hollow and seldom-used, mostly constrained by their swollen tongue. A spider crawls out of their mouth (they let it crawl out), disturbed by the sudden usage of their normally-derelict vocal cords.
Maggie nods, hair bobbing as she does. "I getcha! Be back for breakfast now, yeah? Azzie wants t'try fryin' a hopper!"
It won't be good- more than likely, if Azazel's involved it'll be as edible as coal. Not that Blue would mind, of course– Blue isn't the best judge of what is and isn't good food, because they've eaten coal before and didn't find much wrong with it. (It mostly tasted cold, really, like you'd think a rock would.) Besides, most of their tastebuds have ceased to function by now- food isn't much of a pleasure or a necessity anymore, unless the taste is strong.
But off they wander, having first told someone where they were going, which was sort of an agreed-upon rule between the kids. The Basement is a vast, neverending expanse, constantly shifting and changing- it's easy to get lost, and easier still to get killed. If Blue was proof of anything, though, it was that death was of little consequence within these walls- normally you'd just wake back up at the start, and because it was such an easy meeting point, the kids had set it up as a little camp of sorts, the closest thing to a home any of them had.
Even still, you could disappear for a while if you went on a run, so they liked to let eachother know when and where they were going. (A 'run' didn't exactly mean jogging, either- exploring the depths at length was usually just referred to as 'running the Basement' by its residents.)
The first floor was always the easiest to clear- to spare the details, the Duke of Flies was guarding the trapdoor down, and Blue always has a bomb onhand.
And along the way to the boss, they found the Ankh- one of their favorite items, not only because they were the only one who could use it without consequence, (everyone always complains whenever they get it, so they usually bring it back to Blue– jokes on them, they don't see anything wrong with it!) but because it doubled nicely as something for them to chew on.
As the last of the flies begin to clear the room, something unusual happens. The trap door springs open as usual, yes– but on the wall across from it, a pale door suddenly manifests itself as well. The Basement is prone to surprises- there is no such thing as routine within its confines. If things begin to settle, something comes about to turn them on their head- this here, it seemed, was just another byproduct of its predictable unpredictability.
The doorway beckoned a key to open it, with a call to the void greater than the widest, bleakest pit one could imagine standing on the edge of.
Blue blinks, once, observing the doorway blankly. They did have a key onhand….
An alternate path?
…..
Sure, you'll take it.
All it took was the turn of a key to completely redirect the course of their life.
Like so many times before, they leapt- and like so many times before, they fell, the length of the chasm down to the ground. Generally, the landing isn't supposed to hurt. (Then again, not many things have hurt them for a while now, so what do they know about pain, really?)
Well, this time it did, a little. Ow. And now they know one thing about pain, or remember it anyways- they don't like it very much at all.
Their head must've popped off in the landing- glancing around, they note that their body is no longer attached. They lay there for a bit, completely still- perhaps to spite their body for feeling pain where it normally didn't (and this, of course, made perfect sense to them).
While they lay there in angry defiance of their nervous system, staring at the pipework in the ceiling, something slowly begins to eclipse their view.
It's, ah… they're not really sure. Green, for one, and it… might be a face? But it's sort of, err… lacking the necessary features to make it one. A mouth with teeth (exposed- little to speak of but bloody tears in the way of lips) is there, sure- but in place of eyes or a nose? Nothing but a vertical divvit and a horizontal divvit, intersecting in the shape of a crosshair.
…Well, maybe Blue can't exactly speak on what does and doesn't qualify for a face, considering their own strange eye situation– but at least the cartoonish Xs they happen to see out of are still in the traditional spots for eyes. In any case, they feel like this thing is staring at them, if it's even capable of seeing (it almost sounded like it was sniffing?)-- and being stared at for long periods of time is always a good excuse to give someone a proper spook.
Their body jolts beside them and sits up on its own- just enough to make the green thing scramble backwards in alarm, much to their delight. They fumble for a bit, grab onto their head and reattach it to their shoulders with little effort, now finally able to get a proper look at what was eyeing them up so intently.
And… this… raises even more questions than it does answer them. The thing (which was startled so bad it actually fell!) is green all over, with a grey, tattered shirt, pants and shoes- yet, no arms to speak of, and no arm holes in the shirt, either. A pair of floating hands equipped with claws, the same sickly green as its patchy skin sit flat on either side of it, like they're somehow supporting it from its position on the ground despite a complete and utter lack of attachment to the rest of its body. A short, reptilian tail, green again, protrudes from its bottom.
The Basement's conjured some weird stuff before, but a green beanbag person with floating hands would certainly be a first. They recognize that level of blotchiness on their skin, too- they're rotting, aren't they? Takes one dead to know the dead, you suppose.
The whole exchange has been deathly silent so far, little pun intended. Blue was never one to talk first- they have no qualms with waiting for someone else to start a conversation, and they have even less with staring in utter silence until this occurs.
The green beanbag fellow slowly sits up, their movements jerky and uncertain- and indeed, those hands do seem to function in tandem with the rest of the body. They groan, a hoarse, hollow noise, and again extend themselves closer to stare at Blue again- aha, so they were sniffing! They're barely taller than Blue- they've got a head or two on the corpse kiddo at most.
Blue is ambivalent on this whole, strange greeting, if that's even what it is. The most important part of this interaction they've deduced so far is that this monster- if it is a monster- hasn't attacked yet, which is typically a GREAT sign, as most unfamiliar things in the Basement will try to rip you limb from limb on sight. Having nothing better to do, they lean forward in copycat mimicry of the green creature's movement and sniff back. Two can play at that game! They have no idea what this is achieving, but it reminds them of their cat.
The green thing seems a little taken aback, but not unwelcoming of the returned gesture. They groan again, louder this time, casting a look over their shoulder and gesturing a hand back at Blue- it seems they weren't alone, as two more similar looking things had been standing to the side and observing with uncertainty. One that's a little taller and paler responds with a gurgle that sounds like someone choking on water, ambling forward- their cohort follows.
Now Blue has three weird, faceless, rotting green creatures sniffing at them like cats. This is alright. They examine the ankh around their neck, sit down on the ground, and begin wordlessly gnawing on it while they let the monsters do their thing. The one they first encountered points at their arms and mumbles something- the other two seem to sort of agree, and make vague gestures to their faces. Blue doesn't really pay attention to what's going on- they wonder if anyone else is going to take the alternate path today. They bet Lazarus would enjoy documenting these weird new monsters. What would they call them? Greenbeans? Floaty-hands? Crossfaces? Mmmmm…..
More groaning has ensued since they sat down- some kind of monster language they probably don't speak. None of it really involves them, until, quite suddenly, they feel themselves being lifted up under the arms- they don't really protest this, going entirely limp (save for the chewing) and allowing it to happen. It's a gentle touch, for what it's worth- doesn't feel like it has any intention of harm behind it, so they're probably not in danger. Oh, well! If they're wrong, and they die in the next few seconds, it's not the end of the world– they'll wake right back up at camp, and by then breakfast'll probably be ready and maybe they can go on a run proper with the others once they're all fed and done.
The monster starts to walk, a slow, shuffly gait. To where, they wonder? Its nest? Has Blue suddenly become food for little green floaty-handed monster babies? Or do they have even more friends they want to show Blue off to? Well, now they're sort of curious to see where this all goes! They've died many ways, but one they can't recall is being eaten alive by monster babies. Is it painful, they wonder?
What do they know about pain, anyhow?
As they're carried through the area, Blue notes that they seem to be in some kind of sewer- Dross, the area should be called, if they're remembering that correctly. They've heard their friends talk about it before, but never ventured it on their own until today- supposedly, it's a sickly green place, flooded with sewage that reeked all throughout, and all that was checking out. They remember, with a tinge of annoyance, Cain jokingly elbowing them and claiming they'd love it- though for whatever reasoning they can't recall.
Well… disappointingly, when the monster stops, there doesn't seem to be any kind of nest. Quite a few candles here and there, they're beginning to notice, though. It's a funny thing to notice, and a little offputting- the only places they can remember with this many candles is that cold blue dream they have sometimes, or the deep dark demon-filled depths. Both of those areas carry a heavy connotation of worship, something they're not particularly fond of- examining their past should leave little question as to why, but… this is a sewer, isn't it? They thought these places were for waste-collection or, uh… something. Certainly not worship. What could possibly be so holy about these festering depths?
They're… almost intrigued, despite their apprehension, on principle alone.
The monster did stop for a reason, though- their second guess for where they were off to seemed right on the money. They were being shown off to friends!! Woohoo!! Is this how their bugs feel when they show them off to Forgotten and Lost?
Just ahead, two more monsters were standing close to eachother and exchanging words in hushed whispers- and Blue thought maybe this time it was in a language they actually did speak, though they couldn't be certain from this distance. (They have an auditory processing disorder.)
Were they a different species? These ones actually appear to have faces- or maybe they were just masks… or beaks, of some odd kind. At least they had eyes- bright green ones that never blinked, but it was enough that Blue could tell where to look. One wore a suspiciously pristine white hoodie, the other a grey jacket with buckles Blue had never seen before- neither had hair that they could tell, but that was more common a sight to Blue than having hair.
The monster holding them makes a noise, and their attention redirects. "Mmmhh- did you find something, sister?" One inquires, their attention now on Blue.
"Something edible?"
"Looks more like a washed-up toy… is it soft?"
"What an interesting face! Looks fleshy, though, does it not?"
They're definitely speaking person language now, not monster- although they do it with a strange accent, hissing certain syllables. It reminds Blue of snakes. The pair rush to the monster's side, poking and prodding at Blue and going on and on about what they might possibly be. Blue was enjoying the attention, for the most part- however, the sudden influx of voices begins to grow more and more overwhelming the longer it wears on. They sound like adult voices, too, something they especially weren't used to- adults always spoke too much about things that didn't matter and made no sense, and that always bothered Blue.
They grumble out loud the best they can, in hopes of getting their attention- when that doesn't work, the next finger that comes their way receives a hearty bite, plain and simple. And that certainly sent a message.
"....It bit me. Did you… see that?"
"It has flat teeth."
"........"
"........"
"....Do you suppose, perhaps, we're being a little unfair to it?"
"Elaborate."
"Well, it looks different- nothing we're accustomed to, certainly, however– we haven't even given it a chance to see if it can speak. We should try that much, shouldn't we?"
"....Fair point."
Both of the speakers now set their glassy green eyes upon Blue, expectantly. "Well…?"
Blue thinks for a moment, scrunching their face.
"mm……….buh."
Was all they can really think to say. Well, they could speak, but what did the two want them to say? 'Buh' was all they were getting until they could be a little more specific.
The pair exchange a look- even the monster holding them seems to shift a little in what Blue thinks might be surprise.
"....Troubling."
"Troubling, indeed."
Again, they direct their attention back from eachother to Blue, but their demeanors have totally shifted- softened a bit, it seems.
"...Little one, do you happen to have a name?"
No, not really. They shake their head. They don't really feel little compared to these guys, but that's just what adults tend to call you. (Just why are they so short, anyways, if they sound so grown-up?)
"....Do you think it's a child?"
"It's a very odd child at that. The arms…?"
"Well… if it's a child, where could it have possibly come from, do you suppose?"
There's a little more discussion- Blue's already tuning out to watch a fly drift past. Again, despite the lack of eyes, they get the distinct impression that the green monster holding them is staring down at them, its breath warm on the top of their head. They figure nobody really must have arms down here, and that's why it's staring so much… they wish it would put them down so they can catch that fly.
Suddenly, one of the strangers claps their hands lightly, startling Blue and the monster. "It's decided, then– we'll take you to Master and see what he'd like to have done about it." The one in white proclaims. Master? Do these monsters function like ants, or perhaps bees? Oohh, will their queen be big and grotesque, with a huge, distended abdomen, like a termite? Blue can only imagine, and their thoughts run wild with excitement at the idea.
"He'll be very intrigued to see you, no doubt… come along, then, sister. He ought to be in his quarters around this time…"
Blue is only half-listening, because now they're wondering if these creatures have mandibles under their bandanas, and they're currently trying to crane their neck to see if that's the case. A race of underground mutant sewer bug people… it would explain the floating hands! Maybe. Probably. Mutant sewer bug people can look like anything, really, can't they?
Yet more walking ensues, and Blue has probably concocted at least 38 different possibilities for what the precise species they're dealing with here is. Their main concern is that no one seems to have any antennae, or wings, or abdomens, or…. Any insect features at all, but a corpse can dream, can't they?
Finally, there's a break, and the party stops at what seems to be a tapestry of torn tarp creating a divider between this room and the next. Blue wiggles a little, trying to see past it, very eager to witness any of their theories at all come to light.
The one in white is the first to break the silence, making a gesture at the party behind them– "A–hem. His Buoyancy, are you decent? We found something… rather intriguing, and we'd like to hear your say-so on what exactly to do with it."
There's a bit of rustling on the other side- a kind of squawking, and the very distinct sound of someone tripping over eight different things and falling flat on their face. Blue notes ambiently that all three of the party member seem extremely accustomed to this. Finally, finally- a head peeps out from behind the makeshift curtain, and it's… not really a cool mutant queen bug at all, as far as Blue can tell. More green eyes, but at least this one has a curiously pointy grey face? Maybe it could be a weevil of some manner. Maybe it's a proboscis.
"Why, yes, of course! Come on in then and spill, don't keep me waiting- now I'm interested!! Is it something exciting?? I hope it's something exciting. Not a thing has happened around here for two weeks, I think– can you believe that?? Two weeks too many!! I– think- Of course it's been two weeks!! I'm always right!! Anyways, yes– please come in."
That was… so many words at once. Blue could only blink in surprise as the other three, again, seemed completely accustomed to it- the face ducked back in at some point between all that rambling, and Blue thought they saw a tail flip past the tarp, too. The party proceeds inside- it seems like… some sort of bedroom, maybe.
There's a pile of assorted soft things to the left wall- clothes, blankets, towels, a few stuffed animals, pillows, mattresses…. Not really in a particular order, but it reminds Blue distinctly of a bird's nest. A salvaged wardrobe and stool to the left- the mirror is covered with leftover tarp. Lots of assorted garbage here and there… are those bones? That looks like a pile of bones, and Blue kind of wants to take one or two. Or several. Eve would love them. Apollyon would probably scream. They slowly begin to wiggle out of the green monster's grasp in an effort to snag a bone or two for their friends.
"Right, dears, you said you had something to– WHAT in the WORLD have you got THERE?" Their wiggling attempts have been rather unsuccessful thus far. For someone who has no arms, the green creature is surprisingly strong and capable of holding them in place. They're a few seconds away from resorting to biting again when they realize they're being spoken about, and pointed to.
"This little one is… precisely the matter of the issue, sire," the one in grey finally speaks. Blue huffs aloud in acknowledgement, though they'd really rather be pilfering bones right now. May as well get a decent look at this supposed 'master' while you can- you know, largely just to see if he's a giant termite person or not.
He... is not, by the way.
He's just the same as the other two- wearing a deep brown jacket instead of grey or white, though, and minus the fancy buckles on the grey one. It does have a very soft looking fur trim, though, darker than the base color of the jacket, which seems like it'd be extremely fun for Blue to plant their face in. It's also entirely too big for him, and drags the floor a bit like a cape where he walks- Blue swears there's some kind of tail hiding under the excess, but they can't be certain. Gloves obscure his hands, but claws seem to poke through the tips anyhow (they must be sharp!). His shirt is a desaturated Jesus Juice purple, and he's wearing a tie a similar, if brighter color. Don't those usually go with suits? Blue can't seem to recall ever seeing someone just… wear a tie. For funsies.
Dad wore a tie once.
They wiggle a little more. If he's not a bug (the mutant sewer bug people outcome is really starting to look bleak), maybe he's a bird? His face is… definitely beak shaped. There aren't many birds in the Basement, aside from Eve's. More talk snaps them out of their analysis of this strange birdman. He talks in such a funny, singsongy voice- he sounds like another adult, but he doesn't sound insufferably serious like Blue's used to hearing at all. Quite the opposite!
"'Little one?'" The birdman echoes back, with a sudden lilt of excitement, "It's a child?"
"We're… fairly certain, yes, oddities aside– which raises many questions… wouldn't you think, sir?"
Blue can't be seeing things– that's a tail on that man, and it's wagging like a dog's, isn't it? It keeps thumping the ground, up and down, over and over. Funny!
"Of course it does, certainly– but put them down, would you?? They're probably sick to death of being held!!" And without further question, Blue's feet finally touched the ground for the first time in a good 30 minutes. They, not expecting this turn of events, land on their stomach instead, face-first.
"Goodness, they've forgotten how to stand!!"
There was a kind of amused sound from one of the monsters, and the other piped up- "I'm… fairly certain children can't forget that so quickly, sire."
Whatever was occuring, Blue liked this bit that seemed to be developing- they felt a hand reach down to take theirs and help them up, but they remained firmly planted on the ground.
This prompted a bit of actual concern out of the monsters, which they thought was plain silly.
".......Can they..….?"
A soft, wheezy giggle emanates from the corpse child, muffled by the ground.
Perhaps the bird shaped one could sense the incumbent bit the same way Blue could- despite being unable to see him, they could hear him kick up the drama in his voice several-fold.
"Oh, now just look what you've done to this poor child! Now they'll have to relearn how to stand, what a cruel, cruel world you'd bring them into!! Have you no shame??"
"I-I- ah- truly, sir, I wouldn't have guessed–"
"Go now, begone with ye! Won't you leave this poor soul any rest?? While they learn how to stand again??"
"........"
There was a lapse of silence only intermittent by Blue's giggling.
"...Y-Yes, sir, right away, sir…."
….
Blue hadn't stopped laughing. They could hear footsteps shuffling out nervously, and once they rolled back over, they saw the room was empty- mostly empty. The bird monster was still there, staring down at them expectantly with a hand held out.
"There you are… Have you remembered how to stand, now, love?" He inquired.
Grinning the best their face would allow for, they shake their head, curling their knees up to their chest and opting to sit up instead. He smiles- it's hard to tell, but there is some kind of smile engraved on his beak- and turns away, sweeping with his tail as he does. "Take your time, then. Hah. They don't know the first thing about children– oh, no one here does. You're an odd little miracle, then, to have survived the wastes, hmm?"
Wastes? What wastes? Maybe this is more of the Bit. Blue shrugs and nods along, kicking their feet idly.
"We'll figure it out, I'm sure. For now, we'll focus on getting you settled- assuming you have nowhere else to go, that is?"
Well… you do. You have Camp, back at the start- you'll have to end the run eventually… but you're having fun, for now! Why should you have to spoil the fun?
Blue shakes their head, not quite thinking about the weight of their answer.
The bird monster clicks his tongue, hands behind his back- he sidles up to Blue's side, curling a semicircle around them with his tail while he gazes down at them.
"Right. Poor, poor thing… and your name… what about a name, love?"
Another shake of the head- that much was true.
"Mmm… another thing we can worry about in due time, then. You're a nice shade of blue, you know– like a Stellar's jay, have you seen one of those? Mmm- perhaps I'll call you Stellar, if you don't mind it!"
Their face scrunches a bit, in mild disapproval.
"Hmmh... We have all the time in the world to figure it out. I'm sure something will strike your fancy eventually, won't it?"
They fumble a bit in remembering which hand signals mean what- then pull a thumbs-up.
The birdmonster gives a sideways flick of his tail, tilting his beak up with a grin he couldn't possibly hope to suppress. "Wonderful, dear, wonderful! In any case- welcome to the family! We'll take great big care of you– of that much I swear. You'll never have to worry about contending with the outside again- so long as you're with us, you have guaranteed food, water and shelter, as much as we can possibly provide!! Don't you fret over a thing, love-" At this he gave a pause to pat them on the head, adding extra care to his next words, "-you've got someone looking out for you, now."
Family. When was the last time you had anything close to being able to call family? You– don't know if you want to dig that deep to answer that.
But, family… it's such a pretty word. Guaranteed protection… does this bird monster really like you this much already?
His voice is honey-sweet- there's a very earnest promise in the way he tells you you've got someone looking out for you. His hand plants itself on your head and scrubs a little- it's a kind of touch you haven't received in so long…
You're not really sure how to respond- a little softly, you muster up the courage to mumble something back.
"mm… thankyu…"
He just smiles again, warm as ever down at Blue. "Please, sweetheart, it's the least anyone in their right minds could do. Can I get you anything in the meantime? Food? Water? When was the last time you've eaten– I know food isn't easy to come by out there…"
While he's rambling, Blue stands, wandering their way over to what they're dead certain now is, in fact, some kind of nest- they promptly flop face-first into the side of it and slump over. They need to sleep on all this, and that's about the softest bed they've ever seen in their entire un-life.
"–Ah-! Fair enough, love- fair enough! Get as much rest as you need, then, alright? That's your bed, now- unless you'd like me to make you your own, which can surely be arranged…"
Blue is already beginning to fade out of consciousness- soft, so soft…. The last thing they note is a pair of hands gently moving them the rest of the way onto the bed, and stroking them on the head as they do. They're fairly certain they catch a 'goodnight, little dove' before they're out like a light, down for the count for who knows how long.
The idea of a family plays over in their dreams- they still don't fully register the change that's occured, but above all else, they feel protected. And what more could someone like them possibly hope to ask for?