Chapter Text
It's as if the world you knew is gone.
You were used to your daily routine; you get up, work behind a counter at Mac Iris, continue writing your book hoping that it sells well enough to get you out of this hell... Not that anyone would want to read a fantasy story made by a nobody, what were you thinking? You were a common citizen working a minimum wage job, and chances are that you would be luckier if you survived one more year. But none of it mattered at this point. The world had shifted itself, as if it required only mere thought to change the very fabric of logic. As you took gaze upon the crowd among the void surrounding the dark blue grass that everyone stood on, just below the ship that seemed like a technological demonstration of another world, only three words could enter your mind.
"What the fuck?"
It left your head just as you only started to process it. The crowd was composed of about every species you could think of that were known to exist. Demons, Robloxians, Noobians... What purpose could this all serve? Could it be that you overworked yourself to death, and this is the afterlife? You quickly dismissed that upon noticing that you were on your day off, so it would be awkward if that was the case. You decide to walk upon the crowd, blending into it, as if you were always part of it. In front of you is a horned black creature with emerald, glowing eyes, as well as a neon sphere on the center of its torso. It doesn't speak, instead opting to simply stare at you, and honestly, you're not sure if you should be annoyed or scared. This creature looks like it could easily kill you if it wanted to, and considering the situation, your blood would just be a red puddle amidst the crowd.
"Would you please tell me what the hell is going on?" You finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence between the two of you. Even amidst the muffled conversations between others, you could hear the creature's voice very clearly, featuring an alien, echoing quality to it.
"Meep."
...It then dawned upon you that you were trying to have a conversation with a Meeboid. Those creatures aren't very smart, only being able to communicate with Meeps and Moops. Or hey, maybe if you were a Meeboid, you could be able to understand them and find out that they're simply communicating using the language that they are native to. Could it be smarter than you? Could it understand you better than others do? You don't have time to ponder these questions, as the Meeboid simply turned its back to you. It seems that the creature was just as confused on the situation as you are.
Before you can try reaching out to someone else, the massive spaceship above everyone had finally moved. It's gigantic door opened to reveal a smooth staircase that led to the ground. From the door stood a silhouette of a woman with black, long wavy hair.
"Hello!" The woman said, waving at the massive crowd that exchanged confused glances. "I know you're all probably wondering what's happening, and I don't have a way to say this that isn't extremely blunt, but... The world kind of got remade."
"What do you mean, remade?!" One voice shouted out from the crowd. You couldn't tell who it was, as it was immediately drowned by the sounds of worried questions directed towards the woman that had just arrived.
"Well... The brick, it... shattered!" She stuttered a little, as anyone would do. There is no easy way to tell everyone that the thing holding everything together broke down into nothing. "But we're going to help you all! Me and my master!"
As she finished her sentence, a massive creature emerged, towering over even the spaceship. It's serpent body led up to multiple red dots that you could only make out as the titan's eyes.
"I know he looks scary, but he's nice. We're going to help each and every single one of you, we promise!" The nervous tone in her voice had disappeared once the massive creature made it's appearance clear. It doesn't look like she's afraid of it, but rather confident that it will help everyone. The voices among the crowd intensify, some saying that they don't trust this at all, that it's a scheme for aliens to take over the universe, while others are just angered by the fact that their everyday lives will be entirely remodeled. You try covering your ears, but it doesn't do much against the sound of about every single word you could think of being uttered at once.
The crowd starts moving at a chaotic pace, and you can't help but feel claustrophobic in the middle of it all. You quickly make out of the tumult, separating yourself from the angry mob, noticing that some others have also opted to do the same. You're not a stranger to angry revolts, since you did pay a visit to Javion back when it was in the middle of a political and economic crisis. You of course wouldn't forget that given that you lost a fuckton of money by gambling on Biggs casino... You're starting to think that being forced to work as a cashier is a self-fulfilled prophecy.
The sound of angry chatter is overwhelming, and you wonder how the ones in the middle of the mob feel given that being far away from it is still giving you an headache. You begin to walk away further, hoping to quiet out the noise a little. Others seem to already have beaten you to it, with some holding conversations with those that they already know, while another group seems to be composed of people who have never met each other. And you? You're just walking forward, you don't even know where you're headed to, your feet seem to be moving before your brain thinks.
You finally decide to stop and check your surroundings. Seems that you walked pretty far from everyone else... not a lot of people are here, and those that are already have formed social groups... But an exception stands out among the crowd. A small, impish man sits alone. His back is turned to you, and you can't make out his details, as his long, messy grey hair covers his face. Although, noticing his ragged shirt, bandaged arms, and a bunch of notes containing mysterious symbols attached to him, your detective instincts deduce that he doesn't seem to take much care of himself. But you're not one to judge, considering that you also don't do that well.
"Hi." You approach the man, your great social skills tempting you to only mutter out a simple greeting, as the only other conversations you hold are with customers behind the counter at Mac Iris. The imp turns to you, and you can see his face clearly now. His skin is not common, taking on a grey tone. His eyes are covered by the set of red-tinted goggles that he wears. His horns stand out to you; while most imps have horns pointing upwards, the ones before you point downwards.
"Hi." the man returned the greeting, his voice having a hint of something, you're not sure if it's curiosity, or annoyance.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I..." Before you can apologize, he interrupts you.
"No, it's fine. You can sit here."
Taking the offer, you sit alongside him, both of your gazes taking sight of the black sky that seems like a void. You're not sure what to do or say; after all, you never got this far talking to someone else, as this is the point where you would say "Have a nice day" to a customer. You try to think of ways to break the silence, but your mind returns to you blank.
"Big commotion they got over there." You say, awkwardness overtaking your tone as you attempt small talk. The imp continues staring at the sky, before turning to the angry crowd and then back to you.
"I wouldn't worry about it. Once they realize that they have nowhere else to go, they'll shut up." He went back to look at the sky. At this point, it seems like you're really unable to hold a normal conversation with anyone, but considering that you're in the middle of nowhere, attempting to make a connection wouldn't hurt.
"So, what's your name?" You blurted out.
"Dmitri" The imp seemed surprised that someone would have this much interest in holding an actual conversation given the situation, but he would be happy to actually have a moment of peace for once. "And yours?"
"Anon" You didn't hesitate to respond. Your eyes darted to the bandages surrounding his arms. "You look hurt... What happened?"
"Long story. I'm looking for someone in this place, but I figured I should rest before continuing my search."
"Who?"
"Someone very important to me. Someone who saved me."
"I see... I don't have anyone like that, I'm just someone in the middle of the world..."
"The things I would do to be like that." Dmitri's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.
"Trust me, it's not as peaceful as you think." You chuckled a little. Dmitri's mouth rose slightly, as if he was chuckling along. After a moment of silence, he stood up.
"I'll continue my search. Be seeing you around, Anon."
"Good luck finding whoever it is." You also got up, albeit at a faster, less concentrated pace.
Dmitri started walking forward, parting ways with you. As he walked, he turned to you one last time, his face monotone, you're not sure what to make of it. He then faced forwards again as the march continued, the silhouette of a horned creature faded into the misty darkness. You turn around, and see that the commotion among the crowd mostly died out, with people taking turns to enter the titanic spaceship, the giant creature that the woman had referred to as her master watching over it all. You figure that you should also step in, and thus, you start walking towards the spaceship, seeing other people near you also realize the situation and moving towards it as well. You don't know what the hell you're about to witness inside that place, but you're ready to face it.