Archive of Our Own ^beta

-bzzt-

[There’s heavy breathing.]

GRIAN: [mumbling] I can’t- I- No, wait. Permit office is closed. It’s a Tuesday.

[More heavy breathing.]

GRIAN: W-why…? Stop. No. Stop. I won’t do this.

[A crackling noise.]

GRIAN: STOP! I’M NOT DOING THIS!

[The distortion in the audio grows. A hissing noise follows. It ceases, for a moment.]

GRIAN: I can’t… I can’t go back. I can’t do this again.

[It comes back louder, like TV static.]

GRIAN: ╎ ᓵᔑリ'ℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ᔑꖌᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷᒲ ∴╎ℸ ̣⍑ ᒲᒷ.

GRIAN: ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ|| ᓵᔑリ'ℸ ̣ ⎓𝙹ꖎꖎ𝙹∴. ╎ ∴𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ꖎᒷℸ ̣ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷᒲ.

[A shaky inhale. The sound of a thud, not dissimilar to knees hitting the ground. A ruffle of feathers.]

GRIAN: ╎'ᒲ ᓭ𝙹∷∷||, ᓭᓵᔑ∷.

-bzzt-

CUB: Hey, Scar. Nice of you to show up.

SCAR: [laughing] Whaaat, I’m always on time, Cub, I dunno whaddya mean.

CUB: [amused] You’re late. By two hours.

SCAR: We’re the law, Cub! We make the hours!

CUB: [laughing] Y’know what, sure.

SCAR: So? What's the meeting about?

[Silence.]

SCAR: Cub?

CUB: Grian hasn’t opened the Permit Office this week.

SCAR: So? He skips plenty of days. That place is never open, let me tell you- the amount of times I’ve had to go back and find out its closed again-

CUB: It’s open on Sundays between 2 and 3pm- Scar, you work for the Permit Office, you’re supposed to know this!

SCAR: I do! I just… y’know. Forget. Lots of important things up here in my head, permit office hours, pfff-

CUB: Scar!

SCAR: What! It’s fine, anyways, what's wrong with Grian?

CUB: Well, if you ignore that he hasn’t opened this week-

SCAR: Which he does with a terrifying frequency-

CUB: No one else has seen him all week.

SCAR: Wait, what?

CUB: I went by his base earlier too, it’s empty. Just… a lot of wheat.

SCAR: [with amusement] Yeah, it was a pun. Grian? Grain? Get it?

CUB: Scar, will you take this seriously!

SCAR: I’m sure he’s fine, Cub, he just goes off for a little while sometimes. I can check on him if you really want.

CUB: I dunno if you’ll have any more luck than I did, but you can try.

SCAR: Sure- hey, Cub?

CUB: Yeah?

SCAR: What’s that camera?

CUB: What camera?

SCAR: The one right there. Around that lamppost. Since when do we have cameras in the middle of a shopping centre street?

CUB: Huh. I have no idea. That’s gotta be a violation, right?

SCAR: I mean, why would someone even put that there?

[The sound of footsteps growing close to the camera.]

CUB: This isn’t the regular ones.

SCAR: There’s regular cameras around the server?

CUB: Well- I mean, there’s a lot of different cameras. I’ve never seen these before.

SCAR: You can’t have seen every camera ever, Cub. Surely this is just one of them you’ve never seen before.

CUB: Hm. Maybe.

SCAR: What’re you thinking about?

CUB: Grian. What else?

SCAR: You’re really that worried about him?

CUB: I mean- you know Grian, Scar. A whole week? No pranks, no builds, no expanding fields of wheat. Not even a glimpse of him fishing.

SCAR: Oh, didn’t he give that up? The fishing thing, after he got the book?

CUB: Not the point! Plus, I’ve seen him fish after that. I think he’s going through withdrawals.

SCAR: Of fishing?

CUB: People get addicted to weird things, man.

SCAR: Fine, I’ll go check. Keep your communicator on you, I’ll message you if I find anything.

CUB: So.. are we gonna leave this camera here, then?

SCAR: I mean, what else would we do? Break it? I doubt the owner of it would be very happy.

CUB: I don’t know man, It’s like… Unsettling.

SCAR: It’s fine, Cub. I’ll let you know in just a second.

[There’s the sound of rockets and wind wooshing.]

-bzzt-

CUB: So? Nothing?

SCAR: Nothing. Guess you were right.

CUB: Why do you sound so dubious?

SCAR: I’m not! I’m simply assessing my options! Calculating the risk and probabilities!

CUB: None of that made sense.

SCAR: Let’s go!

[The sound of glass shattering]

SCAR: I know the front door is supposed to not work, but this is so much easier to break than mining through the walls.

CUB: Grian might throw a fit if we find him though.

SCAR: When. He’s fine Cub, I’m sure.

[A distorted noise.]

-bzzt-

CUB: Hey look.

SCAR: Where?

CUB: It’s another camera. Same one as last time.

SCAR: What, you think it’s teleporting?

CUB: I mean, or that there’s more than one camera.

[A pause.]

SCAR: I totally thought about that.

CUB: Uh huh. No Grian here.

SCAR: We haven’t even checked the waiting room!

CUB: There’s a waiting room?

SCAR: In the basement!

CUB: But there’s one right here.

SCAR: No, this one’s out of order, says right here on this sign.

[The sound of knuckles against wood.]

SCAR: But the one downstairs is perfect. Trust me, I have spent… a lot of hours down there.

CUB: This one seems fine, though.

SCAR: Trust me Cub, Grian will definitely throw a fit if he sees you in those chairs.

[A grumbling noise.]

-bzzt-

SCAR: It’s kind of creepy down here, now that I think about it. I don’t remember it being this… beige.

SCAR: Cub? Cub, where’d you go?

SCAR: …

SCAR: [slow inhale] Real nice of you to leave me here… With the creepy security cameras. Do you think these things work?

SCAR: …

SCAR: Cub? Cub?! Where are you? Now isn’t really the time to be playing some of your old pranks now, is it? Haha.

[The breathing becomes more prominent]

SCAR: Cub?

[Silence.]

SCAR: Hi, to whoever is watching. I think Cub might’ve left us for now. I think it's just me and the cameras now.

[nervous laughing. It ceases after a bit as he starts to focus.]

SCAR: Assuming our good ol’ pal Cub just left and will be back soon, I think we can start to get a good look at our surroundings.

[footsteps, and the tapping of a cane]

-bzzt-

SCAR: This place is quite nice! There’s beige walls, beige ceiling, beige floor… There’s two chairs here but that seems to be it. It didn’t change the slightest since I was last here!

SCAR: …

SCAR: The only thing in this place seems to be those chairs back there and the security cameras. If the building keeps going then there’s probably a secret office hidden around here, with a sneaky Grian hoarding something.

-bzzt-

SCAR: …

SCAR: Well hello there, little door! What are you up to? I knew there was something at the end of the room!

SCAR: …This door is pretty rusted! Maybe I need to pull– a little– harder!

SCAR: Wooh! It’s open!

SCAR: …

SCAR: Nice to know that the security camera caught all that. Anyway.

SCAR: Hmm. You would not believe it. The door leads to another room with beige walls, beige ceiling, beige floors. No Grian here.

[The footsteps become more rapid, cane tapping in between the steps.]

SCAR: I don’t trust Grian to hide his secret office anywhere in plain sight, but there’s nothing here at all!

-bzzt-

SCAR: …

SCAR: I’ve been walking to the… left. The left wall, and it seems this room isn’t just narrow. It’s also kind of wide! Wide enough that it’s taking me a good bit to get over to the wall.

SCAR: I’ve made it, my friends! Or. Cub still hasn’t come. There’s nothing here so I might just head back. I’ll get Cub and we can cover more ground that way.

SCAR: …

-bzzt-

[Scar doesn’t speak for a while. He’s walking quite fast, but after a while his panting tells him to take it a bit easier.]

SCAR: [Huffing] I am going to take a little break here. I’d love the chairs but I haven’t even made it back to that door! Which is nice.

SCAR: But I find it kind of strange that I can’t see it anymore.

SCAR: I’ll take a break right here next to this pillar.

SCAR: I find these beige walls, beige ceiling, beige floors kind of nice. They’re calming, maybe a bit… maybe could do with a bit more pizazz! If I see Grian again, I’ll offer to redo this space for him.

SCAR: When I see Grian again.

SCAR: I could do some cool things here, add a nice zoo. A wonderful array of mobs. Of course, I won’t tell him it was just a little extension of what I’ve got going on back at mine, and maybe I’ll ask for a very humble starting price of a stack of diamonds… but otherwise free of charge.

SCAR: I mean, if he was able to afford all this… beige, then he must be super rich now!

SCAR: Or maybe he farmed it himself.

SCAR: I think I’ll get going again, but I can’t seem to find where I’m going. As far as I can see it’s all just beige, with pillars here and there.

SCAR: Like the pillar I’m resting next to right now.

SCAR: OH!

[The mic peaks, slightly buzzing from the yell.]

SCAR: Oh, I… Haha, I got scared by the camera. I didn’t notice it above my head.

SCAR: Hello there, camera!

SCAR: I have an amazing idea.

SCAR: These cameras are sprinkled about. They might lead me somewhere if I follow them. Off we go!

-bzzt-

SCAR: …

SCAR: I’m lost.

[A deep breath.]

SCAR: I’ve been walking for a long time now, and this place is looking less nice than when I first entered. It’s definitely… super boring.

SCAR: The walls are plain, there’s nothing anywhere. I don’t know what anyone would do with so much space! It’s like I’ve walked across my base several times over! Hundreds even!

[He sighs. It sounds a bit more frustrated than he would’ve liked it to sound.]

SCAR: I don’t like how this place makes it feel like the distance I have walked was nothing more than a step. Nothing has changed!

SCAR: I’ve been here for hours now!

SCAR: What do I even do?

SCAR: GRIAN! GRIAAAN!

SCAR: If this is some joke I’m demanding a discount on every single thing you sell!

SCAR: A-And, I’m demanding a refund too!

SCAR: That box in the front of the permit office is going to be flooded with complaints! I’ll make at least a hundred copies!

SCAR: …

[Everything resumes to the deafening silence, only to be interrupted by Scar’s footfalls and soft breathing.]

-bzzt-

SCAR: I’m walking again, but this time I’m leaving things behind me. A trail of whatever I got in my pockets.

SCAR: I can’t possibly get more lost.

SCAR: Oh– Oh what? Aw man. My stuff. It despawned. That was really silly of me.

SCAR: I’m going to instead place some… blocks on the floor… Okay. I got a stack of planks. This will work.

[He begins walking again.]

[thud of Scar’s footfalls.]

[In between, taps of his cane.]

[far and few between, the thpp of blocks being placed]

-bzzt-

SCAR: I think this is going well.

SCAR: …

SCAR: Oh. Aw man.

[Scar sighs deeply.]

SCAR: I’m really confused.

SCAR: All of the blocks I have placed down are gone. I’m more than halfway through the stack and it’s all gone.

SCAR: I think I’m done. Let’s see if I can get a message through to Cub.

SCAR: Is anyone online?

SCAR: …

SCAR: Huh.

SCAR: I’m checking my communicator and… It’s not saying anyone is online. Which is really strange. I would think there would be at least someone online.

SCAR: Cub was just there with me. It can’t have been that long, right? He would still be online, right now.

SCAR: The time feels so strange around here. It feels like minutes and days at the same time. I think my watch just stopped ticking.

[A pause.]

SCAR: Hey cameras, would we happen to be off world, right now if it’s a different tab list?

[Nothing responds. Obviously. They’re cameras.]

SCAR: Right. Yeah. Should’ve expected that one.

SCAR: My signal is also abysmal. I’m a little disappointed, honestly.

SCAR: Is there even a point to this? What if Grian isn’t even here? What if I am wasting my time? This could all be a prank!

SCAR: That’s it, I’m out.

[His footsteps are heavy as he hurries].

-bzzt-

SCAR: I’m grabbing my pick and I’m swinging until I break out.

SCAR: I’m getting out of this place!

[There’s a huff as Scar raises his pickaxe above his head, aimed at the wall he finally found. He swings it– but pauses.]

SCAR: No. I can’t. I haven’t even found my friend.

SCAR: I just need to look around a little longer. As soon as I find either the end or Grian I am getting out of here.

SCAR: I… I can’t just leave him here after all.

SCAR: This place is horrible.

SCAR: I can’t leave my friend here.

-bzzt-

SCAR: I’m walking again.

SCAR: There’s lots of these cameras. I think there might even be around a hundred.

SCAR: I’m following them but I’m still lost. But whoever left them here must have turned around at some point, or reached some end and left.

SCAR: Haha, why am I saying that as if it wasn’t Grian who did this? He clearly made this place. It has Grian written… all… over it…

SCAR: Or maybe not. I’m not too sure.

-bzzt-

SCAR: Good ol’ G of the Permit Office.

SCAR: Those Permits were… a task. Possibly traumatic! Haha.

SCAR: I guess I could finally use the help of the Permit Office. I wonder if they have maps.

[There’s a wistful note to Scar’s voice. He laughs out of exhaustion, wondering when the maze will end. If it will ever end.]

[The footsteps stop.]

SCAR: What’s that?

[There’s a noise. Finally. It breaks the silence though it’s so far off in the distance.]

SCAR: Well. That sounds like the Permit Office’s hold music.

SCAR: I can’t believe I’m saying it but I’m saying it.

SCAR: I miss the hold music.

SCAR: At least when it’s on, I know Grian is messing around with his paperwork, perhaps taking a nap, or something out of spite.

SCAR: …

SCAR: Wait, am I actually hearing the hold music?

SCAR: …

[Scar’s footsteps are speeding up.]

-bzzt-

SCAR: Grian?! Grian! Are you there! Where are you, G!

SCAR: The music’s far off. Maybe he’s lost somewhere and is playing the music for me to find him!

SCAR: Grian!

SCAR: I can’t tell where the music is coming from exactly. My best guess is this-a-way.

SCAR: No. It’s getting more quiet.

SCAR: Please don’t leave. I’m going to find you, G!

-bzzt-

SCAR: Here! It’s getting a bit louder I think.

[Scar breathes heavily. He isn’t sure if it’s because of the speed he’s going at or the fear of the music disappearing and being lost again. Maybe he’s scared of losing his last chance at finding Grian.]

[The hold music skips a beat, and is just the slightest bit off.]

SCAR: That’s horrible. The music disc must be broken or something.

SCAR: But I’m getting closer.

-bzzt-

SCAR: GRIAN!

SCAR: The only thing telling me if I’m getting closer is the music. Everything around here looks exactly the same.

SCAR: No, wait.

SCAR: I can see the walls on either side of me.

SCAR: Somewhere in the beige. I think the place is narrowing down. Or has been. I must be getting to some sort of end!

SCAR: Grian! I’m coming! Wait for me!

-bzzt-

SCAR: [Huffing] I can’t waste any more time!

SCAR: Oh– Oh? Why’s there whistling?

SCAR: That’s not creepy at all!

SCAR: …

SCAR: What’s that?

SCAR: Is there something up ahead?

SCAR: That’s such a strange sight. Something other than beige. I can’t tell what it is exactly.

SCAR: There’s lots of cameras here too.

SCAR: …

SCAR: What… is that?

SCAR: Wait. Wait.

[There is the sound of thundering footsteps echoing in the empty space.]

SCAR: What is that?

[Scar’s voice is reduced to a whisper.]

SCAR: Is it a person? With wings?

SCAR: Where are they going? I’m… going to follow them.

SCAR: Woah. I swear I didn’t take my eyes off them, but now they’re… gone…

SCAR: These cameras must have caught it. All they do is watch things.

-bzzt-

SCAR: …Grian?

SCAR: Is that you, G?

[The permit office record skips again.]

SCAR: This looks like the entrance. I didn’t walk up any stairs, did I? Haha.

SCAR: There’s no front door behind me. Or beside me. Or the other side of me.

SCAR: G, this isn’t funny.

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.(Welcome to the Permit Office.)

SCAR: [Nervous laughter] What? Is that enchanting table?

SCAR: …Grian?

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.

SCAR: I don’t speak enchanting, G. Try English?

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.

SCAR: Are you just repeating the same thing? It sounds like the same thing.

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.

SCAR: I don’t know what you’re saying.

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.

SCAR: So, you think the cameras mean something?

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.

SCAR: Me too.

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓⎓╎ᓵᒷ.

SCAR: Wonderful conversation we got going here. They could write books about this.

GRIAN: ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲ╎ℸ-

[The camera shifts to watch Scar.]

[Coughing.]

SCAR: Grian?

GRIAN: Scar. Sc-ᔑ∷. Scar.

SCAR: G, oh my goodness. Are you okay?

GRIAN: Scar? You’re not supposed to be here. Scar-

SCAR: Grian relax. It’s fine. We’ll get out!

-bzzt-

[Grian turns to look at the camera.]

GRIAN: You’re not supposed to be here.

SCAR: The cameras?

GRIAN: No. You. You’re not supposed to be here, Scar.

SCAR: I came to find you, silly!

GRIAN: They’re-

[The camera shifts to watch Grian.]

GRIAN: ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ||’∷ᒷ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑╎リ⊣.

GRIAN: ∴ᒷ ᓵᔑリ’ℸ ̣ ᒷᓭᓵᔑ!¡ᒷ ∴⍑ᒷリ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ||’∷ᒷ — [coughs] –they’re watching.

GRIAN: The cameras are keeping us here.

-bzzt-

SCAR: What, the cameras? Nah, they’re just little guys! They’ve been keeping me company, y’know.

[The cameras shift to watch Scar, who’s waving at them.]

GRIAN: No- no, it’s-

[Shuffling noises]

SCAR: WOAH! Is that a metal bat? Why do you have a metal bat under your desk?

GRIAN: Emergencies.

SCAR: At the Permit Office?

GRIAN: You never know what could happen.

SCAR: So… what are you gonna do with that? Is there another one? Can I have it?

-bzzt-

GRIAN: There! Hit it!

[the sound of shattering glass]

-bzzt-

[Scar now also has a bat.]

SCAR: Over there!

[More smashing glass]

-bzzt-

GRAIN: Here-

-bzzt-

GRIAN: To your left!

-bzzt-

SCAR: G, there’s hundreds.

-bzzt-

GRIAN: It’s kind of therapeutic, though, isn’t it?

-bzzt-

SCAR:...

-bzzt-

SCAR: A little! [He’s laughing.]

-bzzt-

GRAIN: C’mon. We’re almost there.

-bzzt-

SCAR: It’s been hours.

-bzzt-

GRAIN: Time literally doesn’t exist, Scar. We don’t know how long it’s been.

-bzzt-

SCAR: Oh! Well that sounds fun!

-bzzt-

-bzzt-

-bzzt-

GRAIN: SCAR! IT'S THERE!

SCAR: The exit?!

GRAIN: KEEP GOING!

-bzzt-

SCAR: Grian-

-bzzt-

SCAR: It’s-

-bzzt-

SCAR: So close-

-bzzt-

-bzzt-

-bzzt-

-bzzt-

[-Cameras Offline-.]