Chapter Text
Meanwhile in an abandoned, dust-and-time-crystal coated building...
Sayori Currently hyper depressed: I'm sorry everyone, I couldn't save you...
Akko:Umm uhh bad time?
Sayori: Uh, who the heck are you?
Akko:Hi I'm Akko... I don't know where I am and I don't know how I ended up here
"knocking can be heard on the front door."
Sayori opens the door
"it's rb102."
rb102: oh, hey there, long time no see.
Sayori: Oh, hi~
rb102: what'cha have been up to?
Akko:I'm really sorry for just entering still holding onto Peridot and her wand
Sayori: to rb102 Emotional agony. To Akko It's alright, I don't mind you being here
rb102: ...welp, that explains the state of the outside of the cafe.
Akko:ok. May I ask what happened? Maybe we can try to help and reassure you?
rb102: ...do you...
rb102: ...do you want to talk about it, if you want to, of course.
Sayori: Sigh Basically everything in here is trapped in a corrupted limbo on the edge of space-time. I was the only thing able to escape, but my friends are still in there.
rb102: ...god damn.
Akko:Corrupted limbo at the end of space-time. Well uhh I think my friend is also technically out there.
Sayori: Especially stings since I just managed to finish fixing Natsuki, Yuri, and Chiaki, and they were about to wake up-
Akko:Besides the fact I'm technically holding her right now. But that's because she was frozen in time or something. It's all pretty weird
rb102: ...
rb102: wow, i uh, have no words.
Akko:I'm really sorry for all this
rb102: but ill still support you, after all...
Akko:Yeah, it's a pretty cruddy situation all around
rb102: ...you were the one who got me to do that stupid game show idea.
Sayori: I appreciate you two's words-
Akko:Hmm, maybe I can help you? I mean we are in a similar predicament
rb102: oh, hey there wizard girl, i didn't notice you were there.
Akko:Ohh uhh guess I do fade into the background
rb102: how's your friend d-
Akko:Shows frozen peridot
"rb102 slams their mouth shut before they finish that sentence."
Akko:Frowns a little
Akko:I'm sure you didn't mean it but uhh. Pulls peridot down again
rb102: ...yeah, yeah...
Sayori:text (Testing, testing)
rb102: waht?
Akko:whisper-Maybe it's the space-time thing?
rb102: ...you heard that too..?
Akko:Well yeah
Akko:I guess if she can hear it?
Peridot:Didn't hear it
Sayori: I'd appreciate any assistance you could give me, and I'll try my hardest to help you back
rb102: i can help out too, you know?
rb102: im a scientist, damnit!
Akko:No worries. I'm pretty sure we are on a similar boat so any clues can only get us closer to the truth. Hmm so from what I know there are no 'traditional' ways of bringing them back, like by teleporters
Sayori:To rb102 If you got the time to, then sure I guess
Akko:It seems like we'd need to have an excursion into it. But that'll be undeniably tough and will require a lot of manpower that isn't us
rb102: then i can only help out after tomorrow...
rb102: ...i uh, kinda have to host a halloween party/karaoke night tomorrow.
rb102: but right now i mostly free!
Akko:That's good
Akko:Do you know anyone who may be able to let us go through the veil keeping space and time inside space and time?
rb102: anyways, follow me to my shed with no sign, if you will.
Akko:umm ok?
rb102: maybe, we'll have to see.
Akko:ok
Sayori:To Akko Monika could probably be able to do it, but I think she's still in my original game's code somewhere after it was destroyed-
"rb102 walks back into the swamp."
Akko:Hmm that's good. Also remember I'm pretty sure there are many... interesting things out there. Many that'd likely want us dead
Akko:Also lets follow rb102?
Sayori:Sighs I guess we should
Akko:follows rb102
Sayori:Follows rb102 and Akko
"it appears the outside has barely changed."
"one of the few changes is that it is currently the middle of the night."
"...and also some chunks of metal lodged into the ground, for whatever reason."
"rb102 walks up to the shed with no sign..."
"...and droops a little whilst looking at it."
Sayori:What is it?
Akko:Enters umm is there an issue?
rb102: wh-wait didn't it have a sign?
Akko:This is my first time here
rb102: the shed i mean.
rb102: yeah, i guessed.
Sayori:I don't know, I didn't visit much, plus I don't know how long I spent in limbo myself-
rb102: oh, ok, anyways.
"rb102 takes off the door."
rb102: let's go in.
Akko:Enters with rb102
rb102: also, if you're wondering why i took the door off, the hinges are broken.
"rb102 enters after akko."
Akko:Did something happen here?
Sayori:bringing up the rear
rb102: wh- no!
rb102: this is how it usually looks.
Akko:ok.
Akko:It's just the hinges are broken
rb102: pal, the door's hinges have always been broken...
rb102: ...i think.
Akko:Oh ok
"the shed, or should i say the lab looks very futuristic, and beat up."
Sayori:And you didn't get new ones because...
"also it's bigger on the inside."
rb102: i was broke at the time, and recently i was busy.
Akko:This reminds me of some doctor guy I met once
rb102: barely visited this place recently.
Akko:ok
Akko:I guess who that doctor guy was. Maybe he could have helped us.
Sayori:Explains a few things i guess
rb102: anyways, anyone see my workbench around here, i have to call someone i didn't expect to call at all.
Akko:So umm... may I ask who you are? Since well this is the first time we're technically meeting?
Akko:I know this is a bit late, but I feel like it's better to clear things up now
Sayori:My name is Sayori. I used to live in a dating simulator until one of my friends went insane and destroyed it.
Akko:I see. That sucks. I'm really sorry for your loss.
Sayori:I'm here thanks to her decisions, and up until recently I had a bright future in this world. Then the weird limbo stuff happened, and I'm back at square negative
Akko:Gosh I promise to help you
Akko:And uhh... I'm Akko. I'm a witch in training. Things were pretty normal till one day I found myself in some weird rift that brought me to this world full of bunnies. I happened to be found by her, peridot. She may seem well, grumpy and evil. And she technically is both of those things but she brought me into her home and tried helping. Then bam, we were sucked into another rift and forced into some weird urban reality. We then found our way to this place called the nexus with many doors. That was when I just suddenly and inexplicably lost her
Sayori:That sounds... not very pleasant
Akko:It really wasn't. Since then I've brushed with death a few times, met an evil cat and burger chain mascot, met some weird people and now here I am. I'm honestly glad things didn't go worse.
rb102: seriously, i forgot where my workbench is.
Sayori:It's literally right behind you
Akko:Though I'm sure none of this is as bad as what you have had to go through so I'm really sorry if it looks like I'm trying to make things about me. I promise we'll find your friends.
Sayori:I hope we will, and I'll be in your debt until time collapses
rb102: really?
"rb102 turns around."
Akko:No worries. Just think of this like a collaborative effort. You don't need to return any favor. Your help here is good enough,
"behind rb102 is a beat up table."
rb102: oh, i wondered where that went.
Sayori:I know I don't need to, I just want to be able to repay you in some manner
Akko:Ok. Thanks.
rb102: anyways, that's not the workbench, i guess ill go look around for it.
Akko:To rb102 What color is it?
rb102: just stay put, i don't want to look everywhere for y'all once i find it.
rb102: ...regular workbench color..?
rb102: anyways im off to look for it.
"rb102 goes somewhere to the right."
Akko:What does a regular work bench look like again?
Sayori:A table with tools and stuff on it? I don't really know either-
"rb102? walks in from the left."
rb102?: heya. guys. i found the workbecnh. follow me.
Sayori:Uh, alright... Follows rb102?
Akko:ok. Follows him. I guess your work place is cyclical, yeah?
rb102?: it sure.
Me:BURSTS THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR STOP YOU IDIOTS!