Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What the fuck.” You stare at your hands. Why are they smooth looking? And WHY do you only have three fingers?

Looks like I’m in a metaphorical manifestation of a casino. There’s a gold piggybank spilling gold coins in the distance, if that’s any hint.

But back to where your feet are, “Lost?” A bouncer crossed their arms.

“Uh…” You tried to meet their eyes, but they’re hidden by judgmental shades.

More than lost.

“Hey! Watch it! I was here first!” A girl shoved you. Any closer, and you would’ve tripped and slid down the gold railing… into the cloudy abyss.

“Knock it off!” The bouncer hisses.

You look up to see a large red sign that reads The BOOM BOX

Where and what the fuck is going on.

Is this a fever dream?

“Come in.” The other bouncer steps aside.

Fever dream.

The floor inside is a sparkly red with gold trimming, or whatever the stuff between is.

No one acknowledges you. They’re naturally all drawn to the two singers on the (ironic) star stage. You need a mirror. Maybe there’s a bathroom mirror or something.

Actually, their singing isn’t that bad at all.

What if you danced? Could be fun…

No, you gotta go home. Where is home?

“Hi, where am I?” You shimmied towards someone who was dancing less enthusiastically.

“What?” They ask loudly.

“Where am I? Who are they?” You squint and raise your voice louder.

The stranger gasps with their cartoon hands to their mouth. Looking astonished at you.

You deadpan and shrug your shoulders.

“She doesn’t know Velvet and Veneer!” They get their friend’s attention.

“What?!” The other one calls.

Another fan chimes in with a brisk hand on your shoulder, “They’re overnight superstars, Velvet and Veneer! After two months, they’ll get the Lifer Award!” They sound giddy.

“They have a performance this weekend at the Rage Dome.” A slightly calmer fan explained from behind you.

“What-“

“Geez, do you have memory issues?” The first person(?) you spoke to muttered, before they all went back to bopping and grooving.

Yowch, okay. Maybe you WILL go to the bathroom.

Double yowch- bright purple light flashes your poor eyes.

You let go of the breath you knew you were holding.

Funny, you can’t hear any stomping or singing outside the bathroom.

Also, damn, these toilets are sparkling clean.

You’re gripping the sink. You lessen the tension while slowly coming to terms to your TEMPORARY appearance.

It’s just a long sleeved onesie, in your favorite color. Your hair looks like your real(?) hair, but simplified into rubber looking shapes.

You lift the animal-eared hood up, just until you process what your hair has become.

“AH!” Your hands?! Feet?! So cartoony?! Even your mouth is different colored. Is that… lipstick? You try rubbing it off, but it stays, “Huh.”

Clack, clack, clack goes red heels into the bathroom. The venue couldn’t give the superstars their own private bathroom? How cheap.

“Oh!” a voice startles you from sitting in the sink. In a rush to stick your leg out, you do a comical spin in the air after slipping on some paper towels.

Squeezed in your fists, are more scrunched up paper towels. No luck getting the lipstick off. You sigh.

You look up at the figure and freeze.

Is that Velvet?

Chapter Text

A disheartening huff leaves your lips.

You really shouldn't let some random's rude comment get to you.

But the new body, new hair, new lipstick stuck on your face- New environment!? You must still have human in you if you're this reluctant to change.

Now you embarrassed yourself in front of a celebrity, in a public bathroom. You'd skedaddle, but where? Your arms shake a little as you stare back into the mirror.

The stupid lipstick.

Why does it feel like your onesie is sticking to your skin?! You can't take it off. You have to peel it off. Where's a normal sweater, or hoodie - literally anything but this plastic-esque material?

"What's up with you?" It's odd not hearing her singing. She sounds a lot less...energized? The heels get louder and stop in front of you.

You're huddled in an angry ball.

"Hm?" she questions while you clench your crumpled paper towels. She idly looks around, then pats your head twice.

Your eyebrows are pinned down. Despite your grief and hot tears, you could only imagine how much of a cartoony-upset face you're making. That alone sort of cheers you up. Lightens the headache.

Also being pat on the head helps somehow.

"Lipstick." your voice cracks, drying your tears with your saved up paper towels.

"Lipstick? What about it?" How does she look so perfect?

You take an embarrassingly loud sniff, and clear your throat; "It won't come off." Thank stars you're done crying. If you still were, you would've run out; no matter the possible consequences. You hold your face with crisscrossed legs.

You might as well be upfront and crazy since you have nothing necessarily to lose here.

"I'm not from here either. Like from this world. This isn't my body - I look completely different - but not entirely different, more like... anatomically different-?" You glance meaningfully at your hands for the billionth time. "I had 10 fingers!" you cover your face with an exasperated, sad laugh.

You hold your knees close, which is really easy due to this body's flexibility.

"Um...okay!" Velvet offers her hand, only an idiot would refuse. She yanks you up, off the ground with ease. "We're going to my dressing room."

You sort of remind her of herself when she was a kid. (She also had to live through her awkward makeup phases.)

When she had angry outbursts... and wanted to cry because of the world.

Ironic, seeing that she and her brother perform for it now.

"Why?" you're already letting her guide you to the door, trying not to trip over your own new feet. You toss your paper towels out on the way.

"I don't carry makeup remover on me." She sassed, and it didn't feel mean.

Velvet's fans immediately spot her exiting the bathroom. They shout how much they love her and Veneer, and she reciprocates with a cheery persona. She goes to wave as you trail her, forgetting that she's already holding your hand.

The crowd shouts random nonsense at that. Actual nonsense.

You naturally raise your brows.

Velvet's face appears impassive, like how it looked in the bathroom.

Down the hallway is a bodyguard.

"She's with me," she marched around them before they could respond, your hand still in tow.

You step into the room after Velvet. Admiring how the door automatically closes behind you.

"Wow. I didn't know we did backstage passes." You flinch at the random voice. Velvet lets go to stride towards her vanity desk.

"We don't." Velvet's eyes remain unamused. "She had a uh oh. Here. Sit." She pushes a solid gold chair. You're holding your own hands like a nervous kid about to give a presentation.

"Micellar water." She gives you a dampened cotton pad as you're sat. You're too shaken to look anywhere but your slightly less stupid reflection.

Finally, the lipstick is gone.

"She said she's from another world." Velvet whispers while leaning on Veneer's golden chair. "That that isn't her body."

"Oh, so she's crazy." Veneer deadpans with his snug, white bathrobe; he crosses his leg over the other.

"She was pretty sad in the bathroom."

"You picked her up from the bathroom?" he whisper-shouts as if you're some stray she found.

"Yes." Velvet speaks at normal volume, catching your attention.

You build up enough courage to turn sideways to look at them.

Huh, they really look like twins. You take a small breath. "Thank you," you looked at Velvet specifically with a calmer state of mind. You shove the fact that you cried in front of her, on the floor, over lipstick, away. Time to hop off, and figure out where that cloudy abyss outside leads to, you guess.

You toss the cotton pad in the trash under the vanity. You grin with your eyes for a split second.

"Hey," Velvet speaks up, sort of demanding. You stand there like an NPC in the open doorway. She finger-guns at you, "We better see you dancing later." They must have another duet soon?

You glance at the door, feeling something tickle your heart. They don't even know my name. "Yeah." You hardly doubt they'd remember your face, but the sentiment is nice. You walk out of there with a new pep in your step.

The automatic door shuts behind, revealing a long hallway with so many more doors.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

It's totally fine.

You remember there wasn't a door when you entered. Just a bodyguard.

You'll follow the hallway in... "Eeny meeny miny moe..." This direction!

Deep breaths, you head the right way. Or is it the right way? Who knows. No matter what, you're gonna live, and time will keep passing.

Unless time doesn't apply here.

But that fan mentioned some performance 'next weekend', so maybe it does work here.

You yawn and the sound of chatter steadily grows as you near the entry into this long ass hall with a bunch of rooms.

Wait a minute. There's got to be a back door or something! If you go out there, what if they harass you? For going backstage? Velvet said they don't sell backstage passes-

Nope!

You see the back of the same bodyguard but take a large cartoonish step forward, continuing further along the hallway without notice.

Phew.

There's a dark purple, normal-looking door.

It's a push door, not a pull door.

...you find out 2 minutes later-

"Um, hello?" A voice from below makes herself(?) known.

"AH!" You flinch and attempt balancing on the door handle. The door swings open, depositing you outside, "Oof-"

"Oh my goodness! Are- are you okay?" The mass of crinkled construction paper with glasses asks. She jumps up with her purple arms pushing the door after you.

You're sat on the steps that lead up to the door, turning your head to look at her. Making sure she doesn't chase you or do something scary.

It's very neutral, temperature wise, with the slightest breeze out here. If you look up, you can see the faintest stars in the night. Did it just become nighttime? There's a whole lot of random festive words floating, and glowing everywhere, especially by the buildings.

"What? Yeah." You hold your hands in your lap. "No." You spring up from the steps, and nod, "I will be."

"Do you need anything?" she asks while adjusting her green tinted glasses.

"..." you hold your chin, and slowly look at her, "Paper and pen?"

"This is amazing! Do you mind if I- Can I keep it?" Crimp, you found out her name, brightens. Her face (her eyes and mouth) look like stop motion, fixed in a smile.

You nod, not knowing what else to say besides 'yeah.' The page rips cleanly, and you give it to her.

"I don't know anybody who can draw," she bashfully admits. "Thank you, Y/N." she holds the small portrait in her also three-fingered hands.

Someone knows your name.

"I, um, should get back to work before-"

"CRIMP!" The door pushes open, and Crimp flinches instead of you. "What are you doing?" Velvet gestures at Crimp.

Velvet notices you.

"And you." Velvet addresses. She stands more upright and points back inside, looking at Crimp with a slightly calmer tone, "We're starting in ten." her brows are furrowed.

Velvet wears sparkly eyeshadow that glistens in the light, her eyes are blue with a white triangle cut in them like an old cartoon? On her wrist, holding the door open, is fitted purple jewelry, with a matching necklace and earrings.

Damn, that's enough eye contact for today.

Just used it all up.

Everyone here seems to care about it so much.

Crimp shuffles in. Past Veneer, who stood off to the side, and a pouting Velvet.

"Are you going to see the show?" Velvet stops pouting with a cocked head.

"What's that?" Veneer peers around his sister. Wondering what you're holding so close to you.

You glance down.

"It's just a notepad she gave me?" You tug your hood up more. "Yeah?" No other plans except with this pen and paper.

"Then," Velvet rapidly gestures, even side-eyeing the exit.

"What if they harass me for earlier?"

"Earlier?" Veneer raises a brow at Velvet.

"..." Velvet's expression progressively morphs into another pout, "So I held her hand while getting her out of the bathroom! Who cares?"

"Your fans do," you search for pockets on your onesie. There is no space for - oh wow. Cartoon logic. Now your hands are free.

"They'll get over it. Now or never." Velvet invites with her hand out again. There was no need to do that. She flicks her hand at you, beckoning you to take it.

No hesitation.

A gust of air kisses you as the back door closes. You shadow Veneer since Velvet kept you at their incredibly rushed speed-walking level. No way you're gonna complain about your hand being held again. You really don't mind it.

They stop at a door you went past.

"This is us! The crowd is to the left." You know where the bodyguard is.

Velvet pats your head with a pleased expression and leaves the scene through the automatic door.

"Bathroom...girl?" Veneer was halfway through the door, "Might as well know your name." He actually looks interested.

He's like two minutes from getting on stage, and he's asking your name?

Quick!

You tell him.

"Okay, well," Veneer stumbles metaphorically.

"VENEER!"

"Bye..?" he stressed out the last part. That was silly.

The door automatically shuts.

You blink.

"Sweet dreams, are made of this," Velvet sang and Veneer danced, "Who am I, to disagree?"

"I traveled the world, and the seven seas. Everybody's looking for something." Oh! So that's Veneer's singing voice.

How are they both so good?? That song sounds familiar.

"Don't look, but I think that's the girl that came out of the bathroom with Velvet." you hear a hushed whisper. SOMEHOW in this loud room.

Are the dressing rooms part of the club?

Still haven't figured out the answer to how you're here.

The audience stomps along with the beat.

Starting to get too loud. And too colorful and bright. You're not in the right place to enjoy it.

Your tummy starts to hurt. Your eyelids get heavy.

Suddenly you need a place to sit.

Like a little angel, or maybe your intuition, you spot a back door near the shiny grand stage. You'll have to get close to the lights and loud bass, but it's either stress alone, or stress with an audience out in the front.

"S'cuse me, pardon me, excuse me," you repeat with tired eyes that made people dance out of your way.

"Traveled the world...and the seven seas...yeah!" Velvet's delightful riff cuts off as you push the door. That's right, pushed.

It's muffled now.

Why so tired? Let's take deep breaths. Are you alright?

"What's happening..."

Where... am I? It's too dark to see anything. Am I dead? It's fuzzy, like you're in a TV screen. There's a distant wind, you can hear but can't feel. In fact... do you even have a body here?

You look down but there's nothing there. Down and up doesn't exist either. Huh, figures.

All you have are thoughts.

All you can do, is be.

Not too compelled to go anywhere just yet. Another question arises; what is this place?

It's very peaceful. Nothing's scary, minus your mind trying to make sense of it all.

You focus intensely on cereal, but nothing manifests in front of you. Not a dream.

Do you have a choice on where you'll wake up next? Or is it all random?

You can take deep breaths here, despite the lack of body... maybe you're still connected to one?

What even happened?

"Is she sleeping?" Veneer tilts his head.

"'Is she sleeping'? IS SHE - Look at her!" Velvet crosses her arms. "How are we going to look? A fan brought backstage, the next, she's passed out outside?"

"Where do we put her? What do we do?" he gestures with both hands, his voice raising a bit.

Velvet looks away for a second, "We could sneak her around the back-"

"Isn't that more suspicious?"

"Don't interrupt me." Velvet's brows get pointy. "I don't think Crimp could do it," she eye-rolls it off and stares, figuring out the best way to carry you.

"Do you...need help?" Veneer stood with his arms akimbo, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he kept an eye on the door they came from.

"No. I can carry someone," she bends, and spins upright, with you in her arms like a princess. "We can keep her on the couch until she wakes up."

They progress to where you and Crimp were sitting out in the night.

Are you in a limbo?

Or maybe a pocket dimension?

Might as well introduce yourself as "The World Hopper."

Eh, no, needs a better title.

"Our voices sound like garbage!" Velvet growled as they made their way through the hallway. "We are dying out there! Ugh! What we need is more troll."

What about your old life? The people, the places, the food you experienced?

Can you switch between them?

"Vel, what's going on with her now? She's-" Veneer's blue eyes light up. His voice drops to a rushed whisper, "Why is Y/N going sparkly like the troll?"

"What? Oh." Velvet processes.

She left you on the couch for ONE MINUTE-

All the what-ifs though.

Like how would the metaphorical story end there?

Would your story be cool?

The dark void switches in an instant, as if you woke up straight from a dream.

You feel your weight and your senses return. It feels pretty great to experience!

Focus on where your feet are. Your eyes open easily in the dim light. The walls are a deep purple/blue.

There's a silly patterned pillow under your head. Awe.

How long have I been out?

"Oh, really? You don't wanna? Okay," Is that Velvet? Talking to a perfume bottle...? "That's fine. We'll just kiss our careers goodbye and focus our efforts on charity."

"Heh-heh, good one." Veneer finger-guns at her. She lifts the bottle up.

"What...the fuck..." you rise from the dead, perfect timing as usual.

"Help!" The purple diamond-shaped perfume bottle pleads?