Chapter Text
“Long ago, far before time, there was Sauce Boss. Sauce Boss gave the people advice, leading them away from danger.
As Sauce Boss watched its people grow, it began to grow lonely. So, Sauce Boss told its people that in 1300 years they'd all be a true community.
As the date neared the people began to believe it to be a horrid day rather than a joyous one. As Sauce Boss descended it was greeted with screams of terror, but it gave a peace offering in the face of fear.
An Earthly body, not of the divine, offered companionship to the people. Sauce Boss was no longer Sauce Boss, instead, they were Katie B… B what? Oh my gosh…” she squinted, shaking the page with her free hand.
She scratched her chin and rubbed her glasses till the obvious became even more obvious, “no secret message…? My last name really did get torn off…”
Katie groaned, rolling the page up with her free hand. She tried to shove the page inside the pocket of her suit but her hair kept whipping back.
Her glasses almost knocked over from the sheer voraciousness of her hair, despite originally being in a bun it came crawling back to her face like an ant to sugar. The hair just kept sticking to her face and it was getting harder to ignore it.
Really, it wasn't her fault for letting go of the hand rails. Besides, boats should have more safety features anyway so it wasn't her fault that she fell. Mostly, it was her hair and the boat.
The splash itself wasn't so bad, it was quick and painful but allowed some relief. Katie even thought she could just swim back to land until the waves started crashing into her.
They were violent and quick, not as willing to give respite. She slapped at the waves but they just slammed into her fragile, mortal, body.
Suddenly Katie missed being strong, even if it was lonely, it'd have been better than being the ocean's ragdoll.
Well, she saw all her options, there seemed to be no escape. Katie went limp for a moment, thinking of just giving up, but as her arms fully fell into the water she heard the wet slap of paper going down with them.
As soon as the horror settled in she began urgently flapping through the water. Luckily the boat was only… a few lifetimes away. She can do it though! She's Katie Beautiful, Katie Benevolent, Katie Blessed, Katie Brilliant, Katie Believe-in-herself!
The wet prison around her began to part like divine mercy as she neared the massive boat. Or a yacht? She hasn't really been keeping up with recent technologies.
As soon as her arm reached the bottom of the boat something became alarmingly evident. The paper, she can't climb while holding it and she can't even put it in her pocket since it's wet! Dammit, she should've used a stone tablet.
With some hesitance Katie bit into the pristine metal of the water vehicle, no doubt leaving a mark. The water trickled down her arm as she began to climb. The other arm hung limp and the paper completely unrolled, dripping.
She didn't typically keep her hair down, but she wasn't going to stop and fix her hair again.
She's strong, she's Sauce Boss! She stopped titans, gave animal therapy, and fought off ravenous beasts! She's Katie Bawesome, she's THE Sauce Boss. She won't be held back by hair of all things! She can't.
She began nearing the top, the black railings blending in with the night sky. For a moment, she took a break, really looking at the ship.
The boat seemed… Misleading. The boat's sleek white exterior looked like it was designed to take eyes away from the rust creak of railings.
She took a final deep breath and bit into the railing like any other metal, not too bothered by the original intent. Land and shelter seemed more important at the time.
She slammed her hands onto the railings, holding tight before pulling her mouth back. She lifted herself up like nothing and shoved her legs over the railing. Heaving, she almost toppled into the boat.
The clouds parted almost like it listened into her struggles, giving way to the red glow of the moon. Her suit looked almost completely red despite being pink, even her hair and glasses seemed to be bright red from the lighting. She was just glad to be able to see anything at all really.
Katie rapidly straightened herself out, hiding the rips in her suit, and patting her matted hair down, hoping nobody would notice. For the first time in a while she was glad to be alone.
The pool, warm lights, marble rooms just a few feet away… It all felt suffocating enough. Maybe it was because it felt the farthest from sincere as possible, it felt more like a cage than anything. She wasn't sure what brought the feeling but she couldn't afford to turn back.
Then a tug. She blinked rapidly. She was forgetting something… She patted herself down before grumbling. She forgot the story was in her hand. She huffed before storing it within her suit, no hair in her face that time.
Suddenly, she realized she could actually assess her suit. Katie tilted her head at the tattered suit, examining it like it couldn't be true. She even rubbed her eyes, like she was seeing wrong, but it didn't change. Katie scoffed and pulled her golden necklaces forward, hoping it would distract from the growing decomposition of her suit.
Finally feeling just a bit more presentable she sighed comfortably before looking up and immediately jumping back with a yelp. Her sunglasses clattered onto the floor but she was too petrified to pick them up. Even more shockingly, a hand extended out in front of her.
“Sorry didn't mean to startle…” the man paused, slightly retracting his hand with a tremble, “Are you Sauce Boss?”
People didn't typically greet her with kindness or awe… Wait since when did she get used to people doing that?
She shook her head and instead attempted to get a good look at his face, trying to fit an expression to the tone. His face looked disjointed from between her hair, yet she recognized him from somewhere. It made her skin crawl.
She didn't know why, but it made her feel sick. She doesn't know anyone who looks so… gruff or had such an… unkept beard–or anyone who spoke perfectly understandable Polish. The way the man carried himself, his voice, his hands… Something about it was so distinct, she couldn't shake the feeling of recognition. Even his voice sounded familiarly bad. Like gravel but in the worst possible way. He… reminded her of something she shouldn't remember.
Oh. Wait, he's waiting for her to say something– “OH yeah. Uh… I'm Sauce Boss but, like, call me Katie here. Wait. Ignore how I look right now, I just got in here with my teeth.”
She tried to seem cool about it, picking her glasses up and crossing her arms. She even tried to lean against the railings but the moment the cold material touched her she jumped back, unfortunately ruining her cool-girl image.
The man attempted a straight face, but it was clear he wanted to laugh at her, or, maybe he was constipated and confused, Katie really couldn't tell.
“Why did you use your teeth? Aren't you a deity?” His tone sounded, oddly enough, to be of genuine concern.
Katie couldn't place it at first but she's sure now. It's definitely a concerned expression too, besides, no constipated person asks that many questions.
“Honestly? I don't remember why I wasn't using my powers, BUT, what I do remember is having to protect my story by any means possible. It is VERY precious to me.”
The man in front of her looked above her head, as if some magical explanation would suddenly appear.
After the lull in the conversation grew too awkward he finally cleared his throat and spoke evenly, “you're not concerned at all?”
Katie tapped her temple and looked up before closing her eyes in the best ‘I'm thinking hard’ expression she could do. She let a minute pass by before abruptly opening her eyes. She then gave a theatrical, loud, gasp. The man clutched his chest as if he just experienced several heart attacks at once.
“NO! I can still protect myself! Look, it's all in my story…”
Katie rummaged through her pocket before handing the man the sopping wet paper with a grin.
He hesitantly opened the paper, carefully uncrumpling it as best he could without it dissolving in his hands.
“I… This is just your origins?” He looked at her quizzically.
Katie simply cocked her head. A slightly judgmental aura seemed to develop.
“Okay and? I don't even know your NAME, so you can't judge my story. I see the judgement in your eyes… I'm on to you…” She huffed.
“No, I don't think that at all. The opposite really, I do quite love your story. It's so beautifully human despite being so far separated." The man gave a soft smile, “I recognized you from the art I saw of you. It was from the medieval era, though, I really did enjoy it a lot.”
Katie squinted her eyes at him but never looked away or blinked. The man only shifted a bit under her unflattering gaze. The only sign of any uncomfortableness was the sweat coating his hands. That was all she needed to see before she stopped scrutinizing him, only for the moment.
“Hmmm…” She hummed, fake thinking for a moment.
The truth was, Katie already forgave him the moment he said he loved her story.
“THANK YOU— “ Katie paused a little too long, “...SIR!”
She attempted to match his smile but her’s seemed 3 times as large. He chuckled before putting his hand up.
He carried a jovial but firm tone, “no need for formalities. You can call me Graf.”
Katie gasped, “English? You can speak English? Was I hallucinating the Polish…?”
“No. I can speak Spanish too,” he coughed, “Hello, I'm Graf.”
She blinked slowly, then blinked again, more rapidly.
“That… That was English?” The confusion in her voice could transcend language.
Graf twirled his beard inquisitively, “why does it translate to English?” He gasped, “Ah, your native language must be English.”
Katie quirked her eyebrow, “and…?”
“Ever since we all woke up here we've been able to understand different languages.” Graf tapped his head, Katie's eyes trailed behind.
“Typically, whatever anyone says auto-translates to their native language. For multilingual people it seems to be whatever language is preferred. We've all just been trying to adjust to the new… Ability.”
Katie re-adjusted her sunglasses, “oui? I can hear French. Does that make me French?”
Graf laughed, “ah no—it's more… There's other people here.”
Katie was really at her breaking point. She almost drowned, had to climb with one arm and her TEETH, her suit is in shambles–and everyone is gonna see her like this. Everyone. They're all gonna see SAUCE BOSS like THIS.
Her bottom lip quivered as tears threatened to fall, “Graf,” a sniffle, “what am I… am I gon… gonna do…?” She swiftly turned away from Graf, facing the once raging sea.
She whispered as low as she could while still being audible, “I… I can't let anyone see me like this…” She rubbed the bridge of her nose from beneath her glasses.
Graf put a hand on her shoulder, letting it hang for a moment. She didn't shove or attempt to move.
“Katie. You shouldn't be upset. When I first saw you I didn't see anything wrong, I'm sure others won't either. They won't see the imperfections you do.” He spoke calmly, not a better than you type of calm, but a comforting calm.
The more Katie thought about it, the more Graf sounded right. Granted, it was only a few seconds but she could already feel the empowerment. SHE'S SAUCE BOSS AND SHE'S POWERFUL AND UNHATEABLE AND SHE'S COOL!
Katie's voice sounded far more upbeat, “...you're right. YOU ARE SO RIGHT! Y'know, I don't even remember why I wasn't so scared!” She quickly turned to Graf with a massive smile, “THANK YOU GRAF! I'M SO GLAD WE'RE FRIENDS!”
Before Graf could respond she skipped right past him and into a pool. Right. Rich people's boats have mini seas inside them, for whatever reason.
Her glasses floated to the surface, her hair swishing inside the water. She rapidly began flapping her arms but it seemed to keep her more still than anything.
“GLURF! GBRAF! SHLAVE MBLRB!”
Shadows flitted in and out of her vision, distant voices screaming but it was hard to hear them in the water.
At some point she stopped hearing, stopped flailing her arms. Her eyes closed against her will. Katie thought she'd die like that in front of everyone, even the suit couldn't top that embarrassment.
Slowly, she could hear a wet flapping noise. It turned from flapping to swishing in a matter of seconds, someone was swimming to her!
She smiled lightly as she felt an arm surround her. She might've almost drowned again but at least she found her prince charming!
As she felt the cold of the breeze she suppressed a shiver, keeping her eyes firmly tight. Hopefully, if she's lucky, they'll be about to perform CPR and she could open her eyes perfectly to see their face before their lips touch!
The warm body retreated while placing her on the freezing ground. Katie gulped. Hesitantly, the heat returned, inches from her face. Katie slowly opened her eyes with a slight flutter of her lashes.
The man sat next to her, leaning into her space. He had a slight tan, strong brows, dark wet glasses sat at the edge of his nose. He had short brown hair with almost onyx eyes… HEY WAIT–WHY DID HE LOOK DISGUSTED!?
His mouth was contorted into a grotesque frown and, now that she's getting a closer look at him, his shoulders seemed squared in an almost squeamish stance. Did he not want to rescue her!?
Wait, but he appeared to be wearing a soaked white shirt, even being adorned with a red clip on tie dangling from his neck. It looked like he jumped in without thinking, everything made sense BUT his face?
Katie huffed and crossed her arms before rushing to sit up right.
The disgusted man jumped back, “HEY! YOU COULD'VE HIT ME LADY!?” He sounded far too incredulous for Katie's liking.
Katie scoffed but before she could respond a man made of literal gold put a hand on the other man's shoulder. He seemed larger yet nicer, although his eyes made of some gem made it hard to read his face.
“Juan, you can't just call her lady like that! Don't you recognize her?!” The golden man outstretched his hands in Katie's direction.
The longer Katie looked at him the more she recognized him.
The man was made of solid gold and dressed in even more golden treasures. The most notable thing, however, was his eyes, she noticed them before but they really were hard to look away from. They looked to be gems of some sort. Under the red light of the moon it was hard to really tell, the only real visual clue was the gleam presented throughout his entire body. Then, and this is the really odd part, his head was inside a shark's mouth. The shark carcass looked as if it was long dead yet it stayed composed.
From his regal appearance alone Katie thought he might be a deity as well, outside of her weird deja vu. Maybe the Undying One? She couldn't be sure.
“Why? Should I recognize her?” Juan looked at the other guy like he was the weird one.
The Undying dude looked panicked, rapidly gesticulating in baffled silence before pinching his nose, “oh my— you saved her and you didn't even— how have you been ALIVE this long?”
Juan stood up and glared at him, it looked like he was trying to seem intimidating but the other guy was too tall for it to look really scary.
Juan pushed words out through gritted teeth, “then. Why. Didn't. YOU. Go. Save. Her.” It had the structure of a question but it was clear he was trying to make it sound like a threat.
The golden man looked less scared and more pissed, “I'D SINK. JUAN, I'D SINK AND DIE.”
Juan pushed up his glasses and turned away, arms crossed, “there is a whole BOAT full of people you could've asked but nooooo! It HAS to be Juan! Juan this! Juan that! You look stupid Juan! Shut up Juan! HOW ABOUT YOU— “
“OH NO,” the other man quickly interrupted him, “DO NOT SPIN THIS BACK TO ME. THIS IS WHAT YOU ALWAYS DO! YOU RUIN THINGS FOR EVERYONE! I MEAN JUST LOOK AT SAUCE BOSS!” He pointed to Katie.
Juan immediately paused, staring at her awkwardly. The silence was louder than their arguing. Katie's face must've looked pretty pathetic though since they both ended up looking apologetic.
Katie spoke quietly, less perturbed, “...I am in fact Sauce Boss, yes, but you all can call me Katie.”
Juan covered his mouth trying to whisper to the Undying man but he was still incredibly loud, “I can't believe you made me scream at a homeless person…”
“I'M NOT HOMELESS!?” Katie yelled and literally stood up for herself.
“I am so sorry on his behalf! He just always says things without thinking it through.” The golden man outstretched his hand, “I'm Foolish and this is Juan, the butler— “
Juan jabbed a finger into Foolish's chest, “I'M NOT A BUTLER!”
Foolish looked at him innocently, “sorry, did I say butler? I meant to say loser.”
Juan yelled something back but Katie already tuned him out, instead choosing to shake Foolish's hand.
Katie looked at Foolish sympathetically, “I get it.”
He raised an eyebrow, “what do you mean?”
Even Juan stopped yelling to stare at Katie.
“Lovers quarrel… They're hard.” She looked at Foolish solemnly before hugging him.
He stood there, rigid and unreciprocating, “no. That's not— no. We're not— “
“sshhh…” she took a step back and put a finger to Foolish's lips, “it's okay. I won't tell anyone.”
Juan stepped forward, “no, you're really misunderstanding us. I HATE him.”
He patted Foolish's shoulder and he immediately slapped Juan's hand away.
Juan widened his eyes and gestured to Foolish scowling as if to emphasize the point, “SEE!”
“It's okay, Juan. You don't need to prove it to me, I get it.” Katie's lips curved upwards into a soft smile.
Juan gave a relieved sigh, “good— “
“I was like that with my first boyfriend too. Wink wink, nudge nudge.” She gave an exaggerated wink and an ‘OK’ sign with her hands like it was a secret despite speaking very loudly.
“No, no, you're misunderstanding again— “ Juan took a step back from Foolish as the other man sighed.
Katie only winked again and gave a wave before slowly walking backwards. She then remembered about the pool and quickly flipped to face the other direction rather than walk backwards. The moment she heard snickering she sped up faster.
Beyond the swimming pool were rooms built of marble, Katie paused to admire them. They were only a corner away yet they had a completely different style. No peeling paint or rusty bars, rather, it looked to be pure luxury.
All the rooms were side by side, all having silver signs, but one. She grazed golden signage with her finger tips. They felt glossy, not built for her sweaty hands. It was almost like the architecture itself was rejecting her presence.
Her brows furrowed as she absentmindedly stared at the plaque.
‘For Katie’ It read.
She could feel a shiver climb down her back. It gnawed at her throat, then her heart, working its way down. It made her feel sick.
She gripped the bronze knob and hunched over as a wave of nausea washed over her. It was like drowning but someone was forcing her head down. She closed her eyes, her knuckles white. Choking out a gasp, she backed away from the door.
She needed to get away. She needed something to distract her, someone to talk to, someone with answers.
She couldn't even remember why she was climbing the boat, how was she supposed to know literally anything else?
She racked her brain for anything to soothe herself when it hit her. Sauce Boss’ story, her story. Anytime she got nervous in her mortal form, she'd read it. She can remember that much.
She slid down, sitting against the door, straightening her back before rummaging through her suit pocket. Finally a wet piece of paper reached the edge of her finger. She pinched it and pulled it out, it was still sopping wet but a little legible with a squint.
She read as much as she could in her head.
‘Lo g go ar be re time, th re was Sa Sauce Boss people advice, l ding away from danger.
As te the people began to b eve it to be a day rather one. As Sauce Boss d nded it was greeted with but it gave a pea off in the of fear.
Sauce Boss was no longer Sauce Boss, instead, they were ’
Katie took a deep breath, “still legible...” She repeated it again, just to convince herself, “...it's still legible.”
Once silent footsteps felt anything but as they creaked against the shoddy floorboards of the boat.
Katie didn't turn her head to face him, “what're you doing here, Graf?”
Graf stood just one step short of Katie's feet. They laid sprawled out, if Graf ran to Katie he'd have tripped but he didn't comment. He only stared at her, unbothered by what she had said.
His voice was low yet soft, “are you okay?”
Katie gripped the paper, it looked ready to crumple at a moment's notice.
“I woke up on the side of some random boat, I fell into a pool then a guy rescued me only to call me homeless. So, no, I'm not okay. I hate this boat and everyone here hates me too. Except you and Foolish.” Katie pouted, looking at her knees.
Graf's eyebrows pulled down into a curious expression, “it's only been a few minutes, how many people have you met?”
“3, not including myself.” She sighed, 3 people were exhausting enough on their own.
She found it hard to imagine talking to any more people, let alone people who wouldn't mock her.
“Only 3? Then only one person was mean to you?” Katie nodded at Graf's words, “look, there's a whole boat of people who'd be willing to accept you. Only 1 person has been mean so far, but there's even more people who aren't mean. I can even introduce you to new people if you want— “
“YOU'D DO THAT FOR ME?!” Katie enthusiastically interrupted him but he only huffed and smiled.
Graf twirled his beard, “Yes.”
Graf even scoffed a bit as Katie jumped Graf into a hug. It was startling but he smiled anyway, he even felt a bit cold when Katie backed away.
“So bestie, where are they?” Katie's smile stretched out to her ears.
Graf pointed behind Katie, “we're in the west area right now. Nobody really stays here because they don't trust the pool. Over behind you— ” Katie turned around, “is the sunbathing-barbecue area, where basically everyone else is.”
Katie gave a small, “ohhh!” Before walking off, Graf ran behind her, trying to keep up with her.
As Katie walked past the nauseating rooms, her foot crashed onto unusually warm cement. She guessed that it was new heating technology, but it still made her stop and think. Graf finally skittered up to her, panting.
“Do… Don't— hrug— run off like that—” he heaved, putting his hands on his knees.
Katie watched him, tilting her head until he finally began to breathe normally. Graf reached out his hand, Katie waited a moment, looking around before pointing to herself. Graf nodded and she took his hand.
He slowly weaved around other people Katie didn't recognize, taking her with him. Red and white blobs floated past her vision. Her eyes stuck to everything, ruffles, ribbons, hoods, wings and tails all around her.
It made her outfit feel awfully plain against everyone else's, even if it weren't damaged it would've looked plain compared to everyone else. She used her free hand to take off her sunglasses, looking at their reflection with a grimace. She bit her lip. The glasses were then stored in her suit pocket, just barely fitting.
A voice boomed and her head snapped down to the voice, “JESUS— OH MY— GRAF!?” The man hung onto the metal behind him like he'd fall without it, “WHY AREN'T YOU IN THE POOL?!”
Katie giggled a little, “yeah, I had the exact same reaction! He walks REALLY quietly.”
Graf tried to keep a straight face but it was hard for him not to at least crack a smile, “I was gonna introduce you to Katie, I didn't mean to startle you.”
“You. You scared me so bad, oh my— oh my gosh, I actually, just— give me a minute.”
Graf's friend, Katie thinks, clutched his heart. When Katie thought about it, the boat was a very spooky place honestly.
Eventually the man regained his composure and let go of his shirt, and the railing with it. He reached a hand out to her instead. The man was short in stature, wearing a beanie and a blue sweater with black pants, but the most eye-catching thing was still his wings. She really couldn't look away from them.
Katie cautiously shook his hand, looking to Graf for confirmation that he wouldn't be mean to her. Graf only chuckled like it was an actual response, Katie huffed but the other man promptly let go the moment she did so.
“I'm Quackity, nice to meet you. You're a friend of Graf?”
Quackity's wings twitched behind him and Katie couldn't help but glance at them, unsure if it was rude or not.
She coughed before briskly responding, “uh, DUH, Graf is like, my bestest friend ever! OH! And, it's nice to meet you too, Quackity, I'm Sauce Boss AKA Katie B! Your, uh, wings are cool.”
Quackity snorted, “thanks Katie.”
An awkward silence developed. She kinda assumed Graf would say something but he only politely stood by.
“Okay, so, name 3 fun facts about me OR, 3 compliments about me. Both isss preferred but you can also just do one, if you want.” Katie grinned, rubbing her hands, “I'm ready whenever you are!”
Quackity watched her silently before giving a funky grin back, “uhhh, you're smart, funny, and your suit is pretty.”
Katie nodded with an occasional hum of approval, “okay. Do you know me?”
“What?” Quackity almost stammered at the question, “should I?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Does ‘Sauce’ ring a bell?” Kate had an even voice that kept a certain edge to it.
Quackity looked at Graf but he only shrugged, “...like, wings?”
“Excuse me?” Katie looked at him with a scowl.
“Y'know, like the food? You seriously haven't had wings?” Quackity looked at her like she was an alien.
Katie rubbed her forehead, “I have a headacheuhhhh… seriously, how does everyone advance this fast?”
Quackity looked at her even more perplexed, “what do you mean?”
“Okay, I was gonna make you guess but something about this boat is making me weird. But, I am, and stay calm, a deity.” Katie looked at Quackity with an expectant expression, awaiting awe and shock.
“Ohhh, like Foolish!” Quackity bobbed his head up and down like he suddenly understood everything.
“WHA— you know FOOLISH, but not ME!?” Katie's stern sinister voice broke apart, zipping between an outrageous yell and static.
Quackity widened his eyes at her voice as Graf covered his mouth and backed away, pretending not to know them.
“Look. It's-just-he's-more-recognizable!” He spit the words out feverishly, “you know? Like, when I see Foolish I see Totem of Undying, but when I see you I see a pretty, kind, and elegant young lady!” Quackity slowed to a more relaxed tone.
“Flattery can only get you so far, Quackity. I bid you adieu.” Katie sulked away rather fast.
But even as she gained distance she still heard a small voice behind her, “did she just say ‘I bid you goodbye?’ Or was that something else?”
She wasn't even a someone, just a ‘something’.
She grumbled but marched forward as Graf continued to converse with Quackity, probably to apologize for her behavior.
Katie watched her feet, the way one moved in front of the other. The repetitive notion was actually quite relaxing. Walking was nice, until other feet waltzed past hers, ruining her peripheral.
Normally she wouldn't care, maybe even try to make friends, but everyone was just trying to upset her today and it was working. Katie groaned as another person stood directly in her way.
She tried to side-step them but they called out to her, “are you Sauce Boss?”
She lit up and lifted her head up to the sound, “YESSSSS?” She beamed as her eyes met the other person's.
They looked like royalty, covered head to toe in purple and gold. One eye even glowed a mysterious purple, it made them look rather mysterious. Not only that, but their massive golden shoulder pads, golden jewelry, and even golden buttons outshined all 2 of Katie's golden necklaces. She was actually a little shocked they knew her but she didn't know them. She thought they might be a deity unknown to her.
“Ah, I wasn't made aware that you'd be attending as well. I'm soon-to-be supreme leader Ash.” He reached a hand out to her, Katie wistfully shook his gloved hand.
She really wished she chose a cooler outfit, and that she could change to a not destroyed outfit. She felt so pitiful shaking his hand in rags.
Ash pulled his hand back and stared at his hand for a moment before pulling out a handkerchief from his pants pockets, wiping his hands clean.
Katie arched a brow, “really? You're wearing black gloves.”
Ash refused to address his gloves, “you look bacteria ridden. I need to keep myself safe.”
She gawked at him but before she could say anything she saw Graf from the corner of her eye.
“You are so lucky Graf already had to apologize for me, EVEN THOUGH I WAS RIGHT,” she yelled just loud enough for Graf to hear, “once I get to wherever this boat is headed you'll be first on my wrath list.”
Ash laughed boisterously, it was the type of laugh only the upper class acquired through generations of wealth, “you don't even know where this boat is headed and you think you can beat me!?”
He laughed again like the thought itself was absurd, it only grated on Katie's nerves even more.
“Okay, so let me get this straight; you, an almost forgotten relic of the past in a fragile mortal vessel, not even a strong one like Foolish, a weak one, think you can just enforce wrath upon anyone? You can't even figure out basic information that the guides themselves told us.”
Katie groaned, “Well I wasn't there, I was too busy DROWNING! So, there.” She looked incredibly smug but Ash only looked at her with pity.
“That really isn't the flex you think it is.” Ash wiped an imaginary tear on his face, “I really do feel bad for you, must be hard being forgotten. I really can't relate but I hear it's quite a poor experience.”
He smirked, “suffering from success is so hard, I can't even relate to weak randoms anymore… Oh how the truly mighty only grow mightier…”
“Well, I'm also mighty. I'm only weak right now cause’ I chose to be, you're weak because you have to be. Or something like that.” Katie sneered.
“Katie, we should go.” Both Ash and Katie shrieked at Graf's voice.
Ash's eyes widened at the sight, “...how long have you been here?”
Graf didn't respond, just latched firmly onto Katie's wrist and dragged her away. Swathes of people parted around them.
Katie decided to take a risk and glanced back at Ash to give him the middle finger. She immediately turned back the moment she saw his hand lift up.
With their path clear they made it fairly quickly to the gross rooms again and Graf let go of her wrist, squatting down at her feet.
“It was a bad idea letting you talk to everyone else. I'm sorry.” Graf looked up at her with an ocean of apologies stored in his eyes.
“No, it's okay Graf. I needed that, I did.” Katie reached a hand out to him and Graf slowly took it.
He stood up fully, peering quizzically at her smirk, “you sure?”
“Yeah! I just needed to be reminded of the world we live in!” Graf nodded as Katie spoke, “the cold, desolate and unwelcoming world we live in!” Graf shook his head as Katie spoke.
“Wait, no. That's not true, Katie.” Graf placed a hand onto Katie's shoulder, she smiled sadly and shook it off.
“I'm gonna go to my room. Thank you, Graf, for being nice to me. I promise I'll pay you back.”
Katie carefully took her sunglasses out her pocket and placed them over her eyes. She hoped Graf wouldn't notice the way her voice trembled or how her eyes grew red with a slight puff.
Graf didn't reach out to her when she opened the door to her room. Nor when she closed the door behind her, not looking back.
She convinced herself she shouldn't be upset since it wasn't that shocking. When hasn't she received mockery from everyone? Katie asked herself the question yet received no answer.
She tried to think again, her home, her followers, her role.
“I'm from Kentucky.” She whispered it to herself, like she was trying to convince herself it was true.
“My followers loved me, relied on me, for comfort, for advice. They wanted my love and I gave it. Where did I go wrong?” She said it louder, like it'd make a difference.
Nobody was listening, so, “why do I bother?” She stated it, barely even felt like a question.
“Why… Why… Do I bother?” She clawed at her head, as if tearing the idea out her skull.
“Hey…” Her eyes fluttered closed.
“Do I even know you?” She asked the question yet she couldn't answer.
She slowly crumpled to the floor, laying on her stomach atop the gaudy marble floor. She drew circles with her finger, opening her eyes for a moment. Eventually drawing circles grew dreary and keeping her eyes open only grew tiring.
She closed her eyes again, letting the exhaustion and nausea hit her fully.
Behind the dark of her eyes she could feel images forming.
A dream. When was the last time she dreamed? She decided she knew the answer to that question, can't dream if you don't sleep.
It didn't matter what she remembered anyway though because she ended up in a random green field outside of any of her memories. Yellow flowers sprouted, and the clouds moved above her, blissfully unaware of her turmoil. It did not feel familiar, unlike everyone else.
“Hello, Katie. You don't know me yet, but you will.” The voice sounded unnatural, robotic even.
Katie stood on the grassy field. Unmoving, simply staring ahead. She moved her hands, blinking slowly as they closed to a fist and released in front of her face, over and over again. Finally, she looked back at the other creature.
“How do you know me, Mr. Bear?” Katie felt disgusting just looking at the creature.
Its white fur and large smile felt deceptive, even its pink nose looked to be plastic. Its whole body creaked as it reached a hand out.
“Sauce Boss, I can help you.” The creature's mouth didn't move, even when it made noise.
“Who are you?” She backed away from it, her fists clenched at her sides.
It only inched closer. The flowers billowed out in the wind, reaching high above their heads, like smog. The field looked serene, the sun raised at just the right height. A shadow was cast onto everything. The clouds were illuminated just a bit too bright.
“You'll find out.” Its mouth stayed still.
“Do I have to?” The creature stayed still at her question, “I want to vomit.”
The creature reached its hand out again, “I can help you, Sauce Boss.”
Katie cupped her mouth, wide eyed, staring down.
“What did you do to me?” She only moved her eyes, her voice came out muffled.
“I can help you, Sauce Boss.” It didn't drop its hand.
“Will you save me?” She closed her eyes shut.
“I can help you, Sauce Boss.” Its eyes bore straight through her.
She gagged, she had to throw up. The flowers spun around her. She dropped to the floor, the clouds stayed floating by. The sun was still too bright.
“What… what did you do to me?” She clutched her stomach.
It walked up to her again. It stood still as she grasped at her throat. It crouched down to her, face to face.
“I can help you.” It reached its hand out again.
“No.” She looked into its eyes, a manic look painted over her face.
The bear's smile felt like it was mocking her. The clouds grew and the flowers stilled. It grabbed her hand.
“Let go of me.” She tried to move her hand but it didn't let go.
“You will let me help you.” It tightened its grip on her.
Katie used her free hand to grab its neck. The fur parted from her fingers like ants, she tightened, it's face didn't falter.
The bear talked like it was trying to comfort but it only felt eerie, “why did you know those people? Why were you on the side of the boat? Why are you used to people treating you so? I know the answer, Sauce Boss. I can help you, Sauce Boss.”
“...do you mean it?” Katie loosened her grip.
“Yes.” It dropped its shoulders just a bit.
“If you let go, I'll tell you my answer.” She didn't let go of its throat
The bear watched her carefully, taking in her actions like individual messages. It waited a long time, longer than Katie thought necessary.
“Why can't you say it now?” It tightened its grip on her hand.
She hissed at the pressure but continued on, “I need to know if I can trust you.”
She refused to show any other signs of pain. The pressure slowly lifted from her hand.
“You can trust me.”
It attempted to back away but she pulled it back by the neck. The bear clawed at her hands, but she didn't fall back. Its feet slowly lifted from the grass as a flower flew by. Their face remained unchanged despite Katie's glower.
“Fuck you. You hurt my hand and didn't even apologize!” She said the words with such vitriol she wasn't even sure where she learned it.
The bear went limp, “you have agreed to help me.”
She looked at him, baffled, “uh, no? What?”
It didn't respond, even as it dropped to the grassy clearing, even when a dark fog enveloped Katie. She couldn't yell, or move, as the fog took over, and the bear looked at her in silence. A smile plastered onto its face.
Her eyes closed shut without her permission and when she opened them again all she saw was a stone ceiling. She was laid down inside some stone prison. A golden head popped out of her peripheral vision.
“You are… Sauce Boss! Right?” The golden man smiled down at Katie.
Normally, she would've screamed but she honestly felt too tired to.
“Is this still a dream? Ugh, it was more of a nightmare honestly…”
She closed her eyes again and ran her fingers through her hair.
The man's brows furrowed as he looked side to side before turning back to Katie, “I don't think so? Like… Do you mean it's your dream vacation?”
Katie looked at him with a blank face for just a beat too long. Normally, she'd be in shock at his appearance, but after that dream she'd just assume he's a deity and leave it at that.
He scratched the back of his head and she began laughing. It was uncalled for and unbearably loud. She clutched her stomach before rolling on the ground.
She abruptly stood up with a bounce, a slight lilt to her walk as she took a few steps closer to the man made of gold. He took a few steps back.
“Vacation?” She laughed, covering her eyes before wheezing and letting go, “VACATION!”
He watched Katie nervously, “uhhh, are you okay? You seem kinda, like, unwell.”
Katie looked into him, like she was perceiving something unintelligible through him, “I just had a bad dream! Actually, it's a little odd how you AND this white guy I met knew me but I, uh, don't know either of you guys. Ya know? It's just got me feeling—” she made vague gestures to her heart.
The man stood there, staring at her before sighing, “yeah, uh, I get it, I guess.”
He awkwardly nodded. “Well, it was nice meeting you in person, Sauce Boss.”
He held his hand out.
She cautiously shook his hand, “please, call me Katie, golden man.”
The man smiled, it was hard to tell whether it was genuine or not but Katie hoped it was genuine.
“Okay Katie Golden Man!”
Katie's eyes widened before she let go of his hand, “oh no— I'M just Katie, I was referring to YOU as golden man.”
The man gasped, “OHH! Right, okay, I'm a Totem of Undying, but call me Foolish.”
Katie beamed, “I'm so glad I'm not the only deity here! Unless you're not…?”
Foolish quickly affirmed her, “no, no, you're right!”
Katie gave a relieved sigh, “PHEW! Okay, good! Well, I'll see you around Foolish!”
He waved at her before turning around and setting off in a random direction. Katie took the opportunity to take a closer look at her surroundings, it was less a stone prison, more multiple stony archways.
There were 4 openings, beyond them were vast lands filled with grass and flowers, just like the field in her dream. Through one of them she could see the faint outline of Foolish growing smaller, it looked like he was heading North.
The dream, this random golden dude, the white bear thing, this vacation, it was all overwhelming her. The moment he stopped seeing Foolish she bit her nails. Her breathing began to stagger. She tried to pat herself down.
That bear, it was just a nightmare, it couldn't hurt her, not really anyway. She searched her suit's interior. She shouldn't worry. She searched her pant pockets.
“Where's my story?” She groaned, pacing around the stone area.
“How'd I even get here?” She whispered it to herself like it'd help her figure it out.
Her eyes widened just a fraction as it hit her. That white thing, the fog, mysteriously getting to this vacation area, it all happened at the same time. What if they were all connected? Did that white bear thing take her story and then force her onto this island? What was its goal? To weaken her?
She observed around the area, trying to see if there were answers on the walls. It was mostly empty, just shiny white floors and grimy stone walls. There were a few bits of moss on the walls too, only in small parts except for one section.
She let go of her hands before nearing the corner filled with moss. It filled a part of the two walls, she started with the one closest to her. Nothing, she tried to not let it weigh her down.
She turned to the other wall and hesitantly put her hand to it. Something in her intuition was screaming at her. She shut her eyes, hard, before swiping her hand across the moss as rapidly as possible. Silence, Katie slowly opened her eyes to a squint before the visual finally hit her and she let her eyes fully open.
It was a board filled with people's names and faces.
The more she looked the more she noticed. She saw herself, labeled as ‘Sauce Boss’ but not Katie. It showed a small picture of herself beside her name. She would've found it a little cute if it weren't for the fact she didn't remember taking the picture or letting anyone take a picture of her.
She gulped before letting her eyes roll down the board, she couldn't just admire herself all day long.
She saw Foolish's face beside his name. Oddly enough, Foolish wasn't named ‘Totem of Undying’ for some reason, just Foolish.
Then, at the very bottom of the list was… a white bear.
It had a pink nose and an unwavering smile. Beside it read ‘Cucurucho’.
She read the name aloud to herself, “Cuncurocho.” She huffed, “so I can confront him and get my story back after all. Not that I doubted myself, obviously.”
She grinned at the board with a certain smugness that would probably look insane to an outsider.
“Okay, okay, I'm on to you Cocuruuchoh… I'm on to you…”
She crossed her arms before backing away from the board.
“I'll find you, and I WILL get my story back, and I WILL get away from this ‘VACATION’ DAMMIT!” She turned around and sat down at the foot of the board, “after I take a nap. Please don't visit me, Coohucorucho.”
She let her eyes fall shut, shifting her position a bit. As she got more comfortable she drifted further into sleep. The pitter patter of feet went unnoticed as her snores filled the premise.