Chapter Text
A cheerful song plays through the rooms of a building tone warped and distorted. One might even call it ‘Circus music’ if it was composed by the devil. Sounding more like desperation of lost souls singing, longing for the joy and innocence they will never have again. Corpses lay scattered around the floor of a casino now hardly even recognizable for anything remotely human, limbs barely clinging to what little remains, faces twisted into expressions of agony and horror. Blood drips down the blade of a scythe accompanied by labored breathing, as a man staggers through a sea of blood and guts, The red and black color scheme now more red than black.
The figure clutches its side as it tries to take another step. However his efforts are in vain as the collapse, gripping the length of the scythe as their blood begins to add to the pooling blood of all the others lying around him. He chuckles to himself, it's ironic no matter what they did they all shared the same fate as each other, dying on the same floor and Sharing the same fate as those they fought against, cursed to stay together even in death.
He laments “perhaps it wasn’t ever worth fighting over.” Drawing his last breath flashing a weak grin at the scythe in his hand before finally succumbing to his wounds. After a long silence a voice rings out amongst the lifeless room.
“what a shame you had potential…”
[ time skip ]
A shriek of surprise is heard through the ruins as a young man tumbles down a set of collapsed stairs.
“Oh God-damn-I MEAN dang it!” The young man crawls out from the collapsed flight of stairs, his white hair now gray with dust and cobwebs.
“This is why I don’t go out exploring!” He whines to himself. Brushing off dust and straightening out his clothes.
Looking around his eyes catch something shining in the rays of sunlight flowing through the cracks in the rooftop, illuminating the room.
“Huh? Shiny thing in the middle of a room full of skeletons totally not a trap...” he chuckles to himself.
Making his way through the wreckage he strides toward the object with hesitance.
“Ok so far so good.”
His curiosity gets the better of his judgment. Not particularly paying attention to where his feet were going he steps closer only the hear an awful crack.
Lifting his shoe to his horror seeing what had been a human skull.
“Great, just great Branzy! You’ve just killed the poor guy again! Oh I’m so going to the void for this…” he grumbles.
Branzy looks over to the shining object now that he is closer getting a better view of it. A scythe. Patterned in red and black triangles spiraling along its blade. Almost like monstrous teeth. Giving the scythe a closer glance he sees a heart with what looks to be a large closed eye in the middle, connecting the blade to the staff.
Walking closer he feels almost as if it was calling to him urging him to take it. Branzy walks closer as if entranced by an unknown force, reaching out to take it before he even realized he was moving. As Branzy crouches down, eyeing the scythe breathing slowly, the air around him settling heavy in his lungs. Clutching the handle of the scythe the skeletal remains clatter to the ground beneath him.
“My it’s been ages since I’ve been found”
A smooth yet unnerving voice speaks in Branzy’s mind. The eye in the center of the heart snaps open. Suddenly it glows, shining blinding rays of light all around. Branzy shrieks dropping the scythe bringing his hands up to shield his face from the flash of light. Branzy shrieks stumbling back staring eye to eye with what he can only describe as the most horrific depiction of a clown he could imagine.
The jester creeps closer closing the distance between them in long strides bringing them face to face or rather face to mask. Towering over Branzy its neck twisting down to examine Branzy closer, bringing a clawed hand up to caress Branzy’s face chuckling as Branzy shrinks, shuddering at the contact.
The figure slowly begins sliding its long spindly hands down Branzy’s face to grip his chin, only to then to abruptly jerk his head upwards to meet its gaze.
“Now then, what might your name be?”
“Uh-it’s rude to not introduce yourself first to your guests”
Branzy slaps a hand to his own mouth Immediately regretting his decision to open his mouth. Honestly who in their right mind would snap back at a horrify stranger you just meet.
He backtracks “uh not that you HAVE to! I-I mean you could But I um” stuttering around with uncertainty as his words get caught in his throat.
The man? Creature? Stalks closer to Branzy taking his arms into its clawed fingers, keeping him from running. Successfully trapping Branzy.
‘Ok this is fine play it cool, make an excuse get out alive.’
“Uh a-So you come round here often?” Damn it Branzy.
‘What about that says Cool?!’ Caught in his own thoughts Branzy is startled when the clown chuckles.
“You’ve got quite the confidence to flirt in the face of danger. I like that in you.”
“Uh thank you? Uh mister uh-what do I call you?”
“Hm you may address me as clown.”
“Uh S-SURE! It’s great to meet you Mr Clown!”
“Just clown will suffice.” Clown interjects. Silencing Branzys stammering leading into a longer than necessary silence. ‘Clown’ seemingly waiting for something. Then it occurs to Branzy. He’s waiting for Branzy to introduce himself.
“Right sorry, I’m Branzy” he barely manages to choke out. Branzy internally berates him self for making such a fool of himself not even five minutes into meeting someone. Failing at a such basic human conversational skills is a humbling experience in its self, only made worse by comparison to Clown’s presence of uncanny perfection despite his unnerving appearance.
Snapping Branzy out of his inner monologue Clown has been staring at him for quite a while now.
“Uh is there something on my face?”
“No, just… caught in thought that’s all”
That’s all Clown rasps mask turned away to look elsewhere, effectively cutting the conversation off before it could even begin. If there was something Clown wasn’t saying it was probably for good reason and Branzy wasn’t about to go a prod into Clowns personal life, risking his safety about something so trivial.
A crash interrupts the two as planks of rooted out wood are split falling to pieces behind them as something lurks in the debris observing them through the cracks in the beams, obscuring their view of what awaits their next move.
They still with bated breath. Branzy shudders with at the feeling of dread sinking into his bones.
“Clown…what is that”
Clown remains silent not answering, to Branzys dismay. Branzy’s heart beat racing as his mind goes a mile a minute trying to think of a plan of action. However his thoughts are cut short as he’s hoisted over Clowns shoulder, and suddenly they’re running through the dilapidated corridors of the casino as the creature bellows the sound reverberating. Branzy could swear he could feel it in his bones as it demolishes the area around it decimating everything in its path.
Branzy sees the glint, thin blade like appendages slash through the wall paper tearing it to shreds, as the monster scrambles to catch up to them. Getting closer and closer, Branzy clutches on to Clown as they crash through a door. The creature slams into the door nearly snatching the hem of Branzys shirt as they barricade the door behind them.
“What…in the Name of THE VOID WAS THAT CLOWN!” Branzy began throwing his hands up as the creature thrashed from behind their makeshift wall. Clown turns to Branzy, confusion evident by the uncertainty in his voice. Clown crouches down getting into Branzy’s personal space, Mask tilting to an angle in a way Branzy believes is to convey confusion. The hollow eyes of Clown’s mask being like portals into the void its self.
“You’ve never seen a corrupted soul, Aren’t you a soul reaper?”
Branzy stares at clown dumbfounded by the man’s question. Taking a shaky breath. Looking to Clown Or rather at the pale skinned grinning mask that is far too close to his liking.
“Are you kidding, NO IM NOT REAPER!”
“Soul Reaper” Clown corrects.
“Yah what ever you say. This is all new to me SO SORRY if I don’t get it right the first time.” Branzy snaps. Clown glares or that’s what Branzy assumes since he can’t see Clowns eyes. It’s only now that Branzy has calmed down the he notices that there hasn’t been any banging on the door for a while now. It’s suspicious that it has stopped. ‘For what reason, did it give up? Or is it waiting for when they let their guard down.’
Branzy has a bad feeling about this. They need to get out of here. It’s likely that it gave up after all it was thrashing about and screaming, it really wasn’t that different from a rabid dog. Turning around Branzy places a hand to the door, leaning over the barricade to Listen for any signs that it may still be there. There’s nothing. There’s a small hole in the door where a handle used to be probably stolen and pawned off. Crouching down he gets closer to look through the hole.
Nothing. The walls are slashed wallpaper strung about the floor. And oh Void the floor was soaked with an inky black substance, staining the carpet and the floor boards with thick black liquid. Just as Branzy was about to tell Clown when he’s snatched by the back of the shirt and pulled backwards into Clown’s chest.
Not even moments later the door is impaled by long blades. Right where Branzy was sitting.
If Clown had been even a second slower Branzy would be dead.
“Shit…that was to close” Clown murmurs, his warm breath brushing against the back of Branzy’s neck making him flush. Before he could process being bear hugged by Clown, his attention is drawn to the blades as they begin dragging back and then forwards, sawing the door apart.
“Ok you’re going to have to trust me, can you do that for me Branzy?”
“I just meet you-SKREEEEEE right yah I trust you.”
A bright flash of light shines throughout the room though this time Branzy isn’t blinded it feels almost like the comforting warmth of sunlight breaking through the clouds. It feels safe.
The doors are finally broken down as the creature enters crawling through the debris, its form finally becoming visible. Far too many legs emerge from a slender body thin and malnourished limbs give way to long rusted blades protruding from their own skin at the end of each limb. Some kind of human spider if they replaced the feet and hands with saw blades.
The creature hisses and scuttles around as the light dims. Amidst the ruins of the room stands Branzy eyes shine an ominous violet his white hair seems glow. As they stand off the sunlight gives way to the moon’s bright light illuminating the room.
The creature charges screeching as remains unbothered. Branzy holds out a hand a scythe slices through the air slashing the spider’s abdomen spilling more of the viscus inky black muck. The abomination howls in pain as guts begin to seep out spilling as it moves to close its wound, only to cause more damage slicing through its skin rapidly bleeding out. It bellows collapsing slipping on its own blood, reaching out clawing its way toward Branzy. Walking towards the creature dragging the scythe behind him.
There’s no doubt in Clown’s mind, Branzy will be able to take care of this creature. Their souls are perfectly in sync with each other’s minds. They understand the objective and are confident in each other to do their part.
‘Branzy trusts Clown to have his back’
‘Clown trusts Branzy to fight for his life’
Branzy hoists the weapon over his head as he stares at the pitiful state it’s been reduced to. Cold violet eyes narrow in on the creature he exhales. Splatter is heard followed by a heavy thud.