Chapter Text
Chapter one
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While you may think traveling to your favorite game would be amazing, getting to meet the characters you love most, living with them! It all sounds like a delight! That's until your favorite game is an apocalyptic world with entities that eat humans, and you have to be the one that might kill people by turning them away, doesn't sound so nice anymore, now does it?
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Being in “no, I am not a human” sucks…it's probably one of the worst universes to be reincarnated into, there is about no silver lining. While yes the game was fun, playing it doesn't take into account the overwhelming guilt you feel when you turn down someone that could have actually been a human, and they die because of it. The guilt you feel when you have to put down a Visitor, they look human, act human, and they don't even know they aren’t human.
Sighing you begrudgingly dragged yourself out of the bed from the game, tearing your eyes away from the ceiling. Your thoughts were filled with you trying to come to terms with the fact you're stuck in an apocalyptic, and dangerous world that you could brutally and painfully die in at any second. Finding out you were stuck in a game first thing in the morning was less than ideal, but finding out you were stuck in “no, I am not a human” was even worse.
A old fashioned tv that looked to be from the 90s continued to blair the news. A familiar man with big glasses that enlarged his eyes, and was wearing a dark blue polo shirt, talked about the recent weather warnings and how the sun was suspiciously hot. Now that would be normal if it wasn't for the fact it was the EXACT script from the game. Something about third degree burns if you went outside.
A sudden and loud knocking came from the front door jolting your spiral, you hobbled through the partially familiar house running at the door so as to not make the person wait. With your hand right at the door knob you remembered your circumstances, and peeked through the peep hole.
To your luck and happiness it was just the neighbor from the game, this was even more evidence you were isekai’d and knowing yourself you were the least likely person to survive…
Swinging the door open a bit to cheerfully, you greeted the older man with a beer belly and the classic receding hairline dad haircut.
“Hey neighbor. Long time no see. How's life?” the neighbor spoke with a deeper voice than you expected
“Just amazing! You know I am so happy to see you-” you were rudely cut off, it seemed they were on a time cut with the script…
“So let me level with you. I came over for a reason, I've been really worried about you. Something bad seems to be headed our way…”
…damn okay way to ruin a mood…
“Er…you don't say?” goodness gracious i need to work on my acting… your eye twitched while thinking of your vile and depressingly bad acting skills that would only work on a toddler..
“...”
“...”
“Yes, I just got off the phone with my cousin, she told me that the news is saying something weird is going on with the sun. and that there are people coming up from underground. They are calling them Visitors for some reason…” looking at the complex expression on the man's face you felt a pang of pity thinking of what happens to him in the future…
“Whats…whats happening with the sun?” taking a minute to remind yourself of the game's script. You tried to stay as close to the plot as possible as to not screw everything up, and have an even higher chance of dying.
“Either it’s gonna explode or something’s gonna explode on it… Not totally sure. All I know is something’s wrong with it…I’m sure you noticed this summer’s been the hottest one ever, right?”
“I guess I have…?” you awkwardly replied as if you were actually here for the summer…I mean..this isnt even your world
“I think we need to prepare ourselves for the worst.”
“…”
“My cousin told me that being home alone is dangerous. So I came over to make sure you don’t end up hurt — or worse. “
“Hows your family doing? Are you sure you all are going to be okay..?” while you weren't entirely sure of the correct script line to say, you were worried for his family.
Hopefully I could try and convince them all to stay with me so I could keep them safe…
“Don't worry about my family. A good friend of mine is staying with us right now. He's looking after them while I'm here.”
“Great. Let's continue this conversation in the morning, then. I'll see you in the kitchen when you wake up.”
“See you in the morning.”
Before you could even reply he walked in, while this did annoy you, at least you would know he wouldn't kill or hurt you in any way according to the game…
“Okay….come on in, I guess” mumbling out you shut the door and locked it, walking to “your” bedroom
“Breaking news!
At 6:28AM today, there was a powerful emission of energy from the sun. This burst of energy was far larger than scientists had predicted. As a result, temperatures outside have reached critical levels. The government has since declared a state of emergency. We ask that viewers refrain from going outside during the day. Up next: something lighter!”
You see ballerinas dancing gracefully, crossing the stage in strong but delicate leaps. Despite the elegance, the dance evokes anxious thoughts. Why did it have to be me…why did I have to get isekai’d into this hell of a world. Your eyes started to sting as a helpless feeling pooled in your chest, flopping down onto your side, you sadly imagined the real world ... .the safe world…your world…
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“Damn… So it’s all true, after all…Well then, everything I said makes sense. Don’t go outside during the day. And you have to remember to let other people in.”
“Let people in?” you mumbled out still conscious of keeping to the script looking at the older man who smelled of beer…
“I get that…”
“I know you might not be crazy about having company over. But you have to let them in.”
“My cousin doesn't know for sure why we can't just bunker down by ourselves...But she mentioned that if anyone comes and asks if you're alone, say no and tell them someone's in the house with you.” the older man spoke his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and worry
“Ugh…I hate talking with people…” grumbling at the sheer amount of social interaction that the future holds for you. You rolled your eyes as if the mere thought of talking to people lowered your social battery.
The neighbor looked at you with pity as he tried to comfort you.
“I know. It won’t be easy for you, but you have no choice. It might be the only thing that keeps you alive. And who knows, they might even bring something useful or share some interesting information.” The man clearly was trying his best, he honestly seems like a nice dude…
“And don’t forget to test them for signs of being a Visitor. You won’t have much energy during the day with this heat. So choose who you want to test carefully. You’ll have to take a real close look. It’s strenuous, draining work.”
“But don’t worry about chatting with people. That WON’T take up any energy, so talk as much as you like. And be sure to look out your windows. TV’s great and all, but there’s no better source of info than your own two eyes.”
listening to the man talk you thought about your current situation…depending on the npcs-...er-people…that come by, I will have to figure out whether or not they are Visitors..except I might actually die..again
“Mhm…well…what can we do now?” humming in response you tried to forget your previous thought
“I’m afraid all we can do now is try to survive. And hope this nightmare ends soon.”
“...”
“I’m sure the government will help us somehow. Maybe they’ll lead everyone to shelter or something like that. If they do, stick together with me and my family.”
“Alright, that’s it from me.”
“...”
“Oh, right, I almost forgot. I’m heading back home tomorrow night. Write down my number, they just set up the line over there. (245232). We’ll keep in touch on the phone.”
“Okay, now that’s really it. Crack a beer and get some sleep.”
God I forgot you had to drink to get energy…I remember when I was a little kid I thought I was going to never touch alcohol…
“By the way, I brought you a case of beer. My brother-in-law works at a brewery. Knock one back before you hit the sack.It’ll make you really sleepy. If you ever feel like you’ve had enough conversation for one day, drink a beer and relax." The man smirks and pumps his hand up in the air with a case of beer, dropping the case on the table he sits down on the dining room chair.
“Oh! Thanks, that's very generous of you! Why don’t you and your family stay with me? I need some company and you did say we should all stick together right?” putting on your best smile as you tried to convince the neighbor to stay and bring his family over so they would be safe
The neighbor paused his movements before then turning to you and shaking his head “dont worry about me and my family, it would be a hassle to move all my stuff here. Wouldn't want to crowd you” a painful ache hits your heart as you look at the now very real man walking into his own demise…
“A-ah…okay… call me if you need anything?" you mumbled out looking into the fridge, it's always good to take inventory..!
Walking out of the kitchen dejected you went to explore the house for a bit, even if you knew the layout from the game. The house being real was weird, at least you got to explore the parts you didn't get to see in the game because of the camera angles.
Sighing you quickly got bored of searching and snooping around, you went over to the bed to relax, and hopefully pass out…or pass away…either or works for the situation you're in..dying peacefully was much better than getting torn apart by a Visitor.
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Hi!
Is my daddy here? Can you get him for me?
I was okay before, but I’m really scared now. There are lots of strange people out here tonight…
Blinking slowly from being woken up from knocking you stared down at the little girl at the front door.
“Er…yeah…sure come in, he’s inside-” cutting yourself off you remembered you had to follow the script.. I mean…surely this wont affect the plot that much…just this once…yeah.
You creaked the door open further and let the little girl in without much question, you guided her to the kitchen. Looking down at the small child you pondered if they really did have a set script.
“How did you come here in one piece? Did you not encounter anyone?” you sprung up a question while she walked over, the little girl looked up her eyes scanning your face as she tilted her head to think
“I don’t know, everything feels like it's the opposite day now.”
“People stay at home and sleep during the day, then go out and do stuff at night. I’m still scared of the dark, but maybe there’s nothing to be afraid of...Or is there?“ the little girl tucked her arms behind her back. She muttered out the last part, her eyes seeming to glide to every dark corner of the house.
“Look… don't worry, you're safe here. I- used to be scared of the dark too. Whenever I got scared I would run to the nearest light.” quickly turning you grabbed a nearby emergency flash light, smiling you handed it to her and gently pat her head as you called her dad over.
“Whenever you get scared, turn on the flashlight and shine it into the dark to scare off your fears, okay?”
“Okay!” the girl cheerfully smiled and began to play with the flashlight flickering it on and off at the wall.
You watched as the little girl ran over and jumped to hug her dad, in response he smiled and hugged her back. Holding her hand they walked out of the door saying goodbye making sure to wish you a good night.
A pang of quilt hits you as you watch the people leave to go to their house. You knew that he was going to die…yet, you just let them leave…
Furrowing your eyebrow you take a deep breath feeling like a horrible person, you crash back down onto the bed waiting for more knocks to come. Looking around the room you felt a sense of Saudade, longing for your old house…you groaned in annoyance at the feeling of homesickness…
“...why me…why was I the one who got isekai’d…I miss home…I miss my family…I miss-everything…” yearning for your old life you rolled out of bed at the sound of yet another knock..
Looking through the peep hole you were greeted with possibly the world record holder of the world's tallest man, he was so tall you could barely see his face ... .based on the game…he shouldn't be a Visitor though..
“Can I come in?”
“I was taking shelter at a bar down the road, but… They kicked me out. Just like that. Why? Hmph. I guess not everyone there found my personality particularly…palatable.”
“But I don’t mean anyone any harm, don’t worry. I just…Life is shitty sometimes, you know? So what do you say, my good friend? Can I come in? “ the tall man asked after explaining his…origin story?
“You…wouldn’t cause trouble would you?” you spoke through the door with a Disconcerted voice.
“What do you consider trouble? Murder and violence disgust me to my core. But I won't suffer the trespasses of others either. I like good food and drinks. I enjoy a chat when I'm in the mood. Does that sound like "trouble" to you?”
“Hm…fine, but what makes you think it will be any different here?”
“What else would I do otherwise? Just stand outside and wait for the sun to take my skin?”
“No, I think I'd prefer to avoid that.”
“As long as I'm alive, I'll look for someone to talk to. If that isn't here, maybe I'll get lucky somewhere else. And if I have an ounce of luck left in this life, it might just be someone who's not a complete asshole.” Listening to the man talking about his hope to get better, even despite the fact he sounded a bit pessimistic, you felt that it was reasonable.
“You know what? Come in, dude.” Cautiously you opened the door, slightly terrified of a person jumping out and attacking you. While your will to live had indeed diminished, you didn’t exactly want to die painfully. As soon as you closed the door and fully let the lanky man in, a lady walked up and knocked…it felt like working at a hotel check in…
“H-Hello! Sorry to bother you so late... It was just so hot out today, and the TV said we shouldn't go out in the sun, so…Could you maybe... Um, find some space for me?” a girl with a sharp bowl cut walked up, the most notable thing being her shoulders that were placed at uneven heights. She looked nervously around her surroundings and was reasonably worried. Stuttering out she bit her lips and fidgeted with her hands in an attempt to calm herself down.
“How’d you end up here?”
“It's not like I wanted to come out here. The asphalt may be melting into goo under our feet, but it could be worse. It's just...well, you're gonna laugh, heh. Visitors came to my house. Heh... Can you believe it?! They chased me out of my own home! So, now I'm just trying to find a place to hide from the sun.”
Looking through the peep hole at the lopsided lady, you remembered the fact that she was a Visitor…an uneasy feeling pooled in your stomach, a feeling of guilt and dread washed over you. On one hand turning her away would keep the other man safe and future people, but at the same time. She didn't even know she was a Visitor…she would probably be so scared all alone…
You hated this guilty feeling, you hated how you couldn't stand up for yourself, and you hated how you always went in favor of the other party…hardening your gaze you took a deep breath and got ready to turn her away.
“Im sorry but-”
“Doesn't all of this scare you? I-It terrifies me. Tell me it will all be over soon…please?”
Hearing her scared pleas, you sighed…I mean…you CAN still get good endings with her right..? Relenting, you opened the door and watched as the girl ran in and thanked you profusely, mumbling about living longer as she made her way to the storage closet.
Another knock graced your ears, sighing at the repetitiveness and exhaustion you felt when you looked through the peep hole…I wish I could play the freak circus… the game didn't even finish before I died…I bet if Pierrot was here he would protect me…pondering on that thought for a minute you dragged your gaze to the next person.
Oh! Is it the teenage girl? From the full game, the teenage girl comes along. You had enjoyed her character, she slightly reminded you of your old friend when she was a kid…
“Hey. Uh...hello, I guess, if that's better. Is this, like, your place? I mean...your house?”
“Yeah! Its…mine..kinda” it still felt weird calling it your home, so you stuttered over the question, the worst she would think is that you stole it…
“Sure...Soooooo... Can I come in then? Or you just gonna leave me out here? I couldn't find a basement or any other decent hiding spot, so here I am.”
“Where are your parents?”
“Hell if I know. Home, probably. Where else would they be?
Or maybe they're Visitors now. Would kinda suit them. Ha. My mom loves sunbathing, too. So, yeah...that's another fun possibility. Whatever. I'm here, aren't I? And I could use a roof over my head. You're really gonna leave a kid out here? Under the burning sun? With Visitors around?”
“Come on in sweetie” maybe you were being softer on her because she reminded you of your old friend, but she just…it was as if they were the same person..
“No way! Whoooa...You even got carpet? Sweet. But the... Whatever.” Smiling at her reaction, you watched her wander around for a bit and explore the house. Quickly you snapped your head to the door, a much louder knocking coming from it.
“Hi...You open or not?“ a lady with a long thick neck holding a cute flat faced cat.
Oh god she's even harder to look at in real life…but....but the cat…I want the cat…you indecisively thought on whether to turn her away, or to kick her to the curb.
“Im…open, what do you want?”
“Crate of beer. Drawer. Ham leg. Don't know. Give whatever....You open? Yes? No? They tell me come here, so I came.”
“...” holy shit talking to this lady feels like trying to read ancient egyptian text
“How uhm…did you find this house?” you awkwardly spoke out at the…thing trying to ignore the questionable grammar of it.
“See city? Lived there. Saw your house. Walk over here. Not hot here.”
“Did..someone send you here?”
“Don't think so. Why matter?...Heh.”
“...”
“Yeah sure come in…” you mumbled in distaste
“Poor dancer freeze in cold... So sad...Do not torture kitty. Kitty hates cold.”
.watching the crooked crazy lady,walking in was well…it almost felt like a seal of your fate and a slap in the face of how truly people pleasing you were…how am I going to get rid of her… while in the game you had to shoot the Visitors…maybe you could…somehow get rid of her someway else?
Sighing phlegmatically you slumped over and wondered over to the bedroom, with a painful groan you flopped down on your bed turning on the tv see what was on the news…dispite playing the game so many times, I still have yet to memorize all of the script and game… thinking on the fact, with all your past interests you would study every miniscule detail and character name and be able to recount them off the top of your head…seems you hadn’t got to that stage yet..
Flipping on the news channel, the old tv was still hard to get used to…
“Good afternoon. Here's the news. The sun's activity rises steadily as crime levels also reach a new high. According to recent data, the number of murders over the last few nights has surpassed average figures.
Experts suspect this is related to society's ever-growing anxiety surrounding the Visitors. And now, over to-”
“Just a moment…”
“…”
“Our studio has just received an urgent transmission regarding contact with a phenomenon we are calling the "Visitors". Eyewitness accounts describe them as creatures that can imitate the appearance and behavior of h
Humans.”
“Avoid contact at all costs. In one case, a Visitor was able to be identified with one telltale sign...
Perfect white teeth.”
The exhaustion hits you all at once, your eyes slowly drooped close, the warm embrace of sleep covering you in a peaceful numbness. Hopefully you will get to dream this time…
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