#Thanks so much for being here and reading my rambling shite every week

[kylewalker-peters]

I know you're tags about 'are all these men irreplaceable blobs to you' and that post in general is a little tongue in cheek but I genuinely think that's how far far too many football fans actuality see players. I'll spare the anti-capitalism rant but like basically they're treated as commodities by the clubs and fifa etc. and that translates to the fans (and media) as well. just look at the language we use for transfers, it's incredibly dehumanising. If we all picked a 'flop' to unapologetically root for it probably would make fan culture an awful lot better because at least they'd be far more people seeing players as human beings or even just praising them for the shit they do right

lemme do a read more cause i think I'm just rambling to be cathartic and it's a Friday afternoon and i don't wanna do any damn work.

god, the way that football organisations treat players is insane like i'd like to see anyone making decisions about the football calendar and adding more and more matches into a season try and do that themselves let alone pushing a bunch of athletes to do it year in year out. fuck me the fact we have 2 instances of UEFA going "i know the incident that just happened to you (bus bombing/ teammate resuscitated on the pitch) was traumatic but like could you please just get on with playing the silly little football game now anyway? thanks xx"

i think "treat players as humans" is literally the easiest thing in the world to do and the fact there are many fans that fail to clear that bar is just.... holy shit. idk if it's because of the wealth they earn or because their job is essentially "kick about with my mates every week" that makes people feel as though they can go and abuse them on social media or whatever but it's such an insane mindset to have.

i think because so much comes down to player performance our approach to players obviously enters more nuanced and complex territory than just treat people with respect/don't harrass people to the point they have to limit their insta comments (which is what spurs fans did to royal and i wish those people a very get hit over the head with a brick). this comes into like you said the language used for players where you know... they're there to be bought and sold. and obviously no team can afford to carry players or should keep players that aren't good enough that would be bad. i've said multiple times i'd dropkick players to the antarctic 5th division when the team is playing like crap.

but idk if it's just because i could get emotionally attached to a piece of dust but the way some fans approach players is just so distant to me???? sometimes it feels as though the aim is more to just criticise and nitpick rather than support and cheer on (eg royal or ryan). and it's frustrating as hell to have a player go out there that isn't very good, I'm not saying fans have to be super positive and like every player all the time, I don't myself. but even players like hugo who have genuinely earned a shit ton of good will and love from being here for over a decade are seeing none of it. not that we shouldn't say he's past his prime or should be dropped but fans are rewriting his legacy at the club or just slagging him off in ways that are genuinely so mean you'd think he played for arsenal. like there's just no sadness about him coming to the end.

and especially when your team is shite it's more fun to root for an outside player's success. i get that when your team is bad you feel less connected to the team and its players but i think if you then choose to root for someone, literally anyone, in that squad you're going to have a better time. shit I've been saying ryan redemption season since 2019, i had the Sissoko Goal Campaign, my URL is bloody KWP. like as a fan you don't need to be as clinical and cutthroat as the board of a football club you can actually inject some love and passion and emotional connection into your football watching experience

wait no the better example is tripps having his dogshite season and i was obviously critical of his performances and shit but it was always coming from a place of love and shit and i was so upset when he left you wouldn't believe. like you can literally have the best of both worlds i wish people would embrace that

[dewitty1]

Saturday Six (Stuff)

Mood of the day: I would rather not people today. I would rather cat today.(ㅇㅅㅇ❀)

The hot weather we've had is too much already. We went from 70sF (20sC), and rainy in June, to sunny and 90sF+(32C+) now. Ughhhhh. ・゜・(ノД`)

Saw the doc this week and I may be getting help for some of my pain! ＼(^▽^＠)ノ

The kittehs are all getting acquainted and acclimated, after 3 weeks of settling in. (=^-ω-^=)

Not super happy about stuff that's going on with the parental units. I don't like life being up in the air.(⑅ ‘﹃’ )

Think I'mma get rid of junk from my old house finally, and have a good junk sale next month, maybe. We shall see. (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

[katara0524]

Impromptu Ramblings about the NEO:TWEWY Demo

In case y'all weren't aware, I've been a pretty big fan of TWEWY for a couple years now, and with the sequel coming out next month, the excitement I feel for this game is greater than ever :) I played the Demo for the first time yesterday, and following a couple views of some livestreams of others playing it, I felt like sharing my (very ramble-y) thoughts prior to the release of the full game. This post WILL contain spoilers for both TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY, so if you want to avoid those from now on, please block the tags: #twewy spoilers, #ntwewy spoilers, #neo twewy spoilers, #ntwewy, and #neo twewy ^_^ Oh, and if you wanna keep up with any other posts I make about my experience with this game, please refer to the tag "kat plays neo twewy" :)

-First things first: I have not watched the Final Trailer and I don't plan on doing so to avoid spoilers, especially after the pre-release era of KH3 where a lot of the later trailers spoiled a lot of the endgame content. That being said, I've seen some minor screenshots from the final trailer including what many believe to be characters from the original TWEWY, namely Shiki and Joshua. That is all I know about the Final Trailer and I would very much like to remain as blind as possible going into NEO :)

-The very first cutscene was quite ominous in the sense that this game is likely going to be about "changing fate" (a recently common theme in Squeenix games, which I do appreciate), perhaps leading off from the end of A New Day in the OG and trying to stop an Inversion of Shibuya. Also worth noting that A New Day had similar aspects in which the main character experienced "future visions" of tragic events, although in A New Day these events were not able to be changed, while in NEO it seems like one of the main "powers" our protagonist has is specifically to rewrite these events and avoid a "bad ending." Very interesting indeed!

-I really like the revamped comic book style dialogue scenes, it's much more fluid and modern, which is an excellent direction for the series to take!

-I would love to have an actual PokemonGO knockoff of Final Fantasy creatures, please Squeenix that would be incredibleeeeee

-Also the LINE stickers??? Are so cute???

-I would just like to point out that Fret is an absolute treasure throughout this entire demo, he's hilarious and I will protect him with my life

-UHHHH don't like that Fret picked up some Reaper Pins just out of nowhere.....or the fact that they're apparently popular all over Shibuya.............did y'all not learn anything from the OG game or what lmao

-Okay so when I first got the "curry or ramen" scene and heard NPCs talking about the new curry place replacing the old ramen place I became IMMENSELY distressed that Ramen Don was totally cut from the game because....well, Ramen Don is a King okay?? But I'm glad to learn that no, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, he's still in business and he's the one opening the curry restaurant lolol. PHEW, crisis averted!

-.....I don't like the sudden appearance of a Wall Reaper and being able to read NPC thoughts. Wtf happened when they left the ramen place??? Are they playing the Game alive somehow?

-Okay so I have my own theories about this "Swallow" character and what they're up to but considering this is only the Demo and I still Have No Idea What's Happening, I'm just gonna say that I think Swallow intentionally led Rindo and Fret to the Crossing so they could join the Game. I mean, add in the fact that Swallow still communicates with Rindo during the Game and you've got yourself a suspicious character right there lol

-"Hey they're shooting off fireworks!" Fret honey that's not fireworks oof (see also: "*laughs* I'm in danger")

-WOOOOOO way to traumatize Rindo right off the bat like that LMAOO

-The visuals for the intro are VERY GOOD, the song is pretty decent until it gets all "screamo" (which I absolutely cannot stand sorry lol)

-Shoka is every Customer Service employee ever and I respect that

-Susukichi went from being "meh" to "WOW THIS GUY IS FUN" in the span of 10 seconds and I also respect that (he is also built like an Absolute Unit which is hilarious)

-The Wall Reapers (and just Reapers in general) seem.....way nicer and more helpful this time around?? Like in the OG the Wall Reapers were SO RUDE gfhjgjdfkhn and yeah I'm sure we'll get some like that but the juxtaposition of the first Wall Reaper in the OG compared to the first one in NEO is insane.

-The puzzles are quite a bit more entertaining this time around even if it's generally the same "fetch quest" formula lol

-"Rindo's Group" way to go Fret HFKJDGHSDFKJ mans really left the default name in there lmao

-OKAYOKAYOKAY so to those who aren't aware I am a MASSIVE SIMP for Sho Minamimoto, he's my absolute favorite and I think about him daily. HIS INTRODUCTION IS. INCREDIBLE. I LOVE IT SM.

-GOD hearing him actually SPEAK FULL SENTENCES is just SO SURREAL I love this sm

-Also the remix of his theme???? NEO TRANSFORMATION????? IT'S SO GOOD????????? It's like gone from a Boss Theme to a more triumphant sounding theme and I am HERE for it (every version of Transformation is just INCREDIBLE and getting a new one is even better)

-I Love Him, Your Honor

-Also idk how exactly but it's kinda weird seeing Sho in the OG vs NEO, cuz while he's mostly the same Insane Math-Obsessed Catboy, he's.....calmed down quite a bit?? Like OG made a whole point of how poorly he cooperates with others (not to mention just being completely unhinged and trying to kill everyone), whereas here in NEO he's......actually kinda working with others??? HELLO???? Sir what happened to you and Neku during those 3 years I would love to know all about it

-I guarantee you Sho is still probably scheming shite and will likely pull some total insane BS later down the road, and I am very much looking forward to that. Also, is he looking for a certain Pin or something??? Cuz he keeps talking about different Pins and even mentions "this is just another Psych Pin" like he's actively looking for a Pin to do something with. Maybe it also has to do with the "latent powers of Players" thing he mentioned as well??? What is this dude UP TO oml (also is he in contact with Neku at all?? they're both technically fugitives at this point right?? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER A NEW DAY I AM BEGGING YOU)

-I seems like Sho ALSO has an idea of what's going on in this specific game (even if he won't admit it straightforward). Per his quote "The game's 142,857. Factor it out," he's essentially saying, "This game is a neverending cyle, figure out how to get out of it" (or at least that's what I got from his "cyclic number" nonsense lolol)

-I do like how Sho mostly stays out of sight until he's needed for a battle or assisting with a mission, that's kind of on par with his whole "uncooperative" quirk from the OG, plus he might literally have to stay out of sight of other Reapers and Players considering he's likely breaking the rules of the Game (not surprising considering him and Neku broke practically every rule in the book during OG)

-The nicknames for Sho- I can't- They're so FUNNYYYY GFHJSDFKJ

-He goes from being called "Pi-Face" and "Tabooty" in OG to "Mr. Minami" and "M-Teezy" in NEO LMAOO

-(Wowee I just realized I've been mostly talking about Sho oopsies sorry y'all, this is what I meant by thinking about him almost daily he is THAT much of a fav of mine ghfkjsd)

-Okay RIP Fret and Rindo for not getting literally ANY explanation as to how the Game works OOF, that is kinda cringe that whoever gets the Pin earns points, not whoever erases the Noise (which like I understand but also URRRGGHHH I WANNA SEE THE SQUAD SUCCEED)

-"I should be going home now it's getting late" Oh you sweet summer child-

-Also love the mention of parents in this game???? KH you could learn a thing or two from TWEWY (poor Rindo's mom fhgjkdh)

-KUBO IS HILARIOUS I SUPPORT HIM AND HIS GROSS FACE (also thank you Final Trailer thumbnail for spoiling my suspicions about him very cool smh)

-Kaie is a LAD I also support him, go King type those funky texts I believe in you

-FRET PLS STOP SCANNING FHGJKSDHKJFGHFKJ he's like me when I scan in OG during Weeks 2 and 3 and see Taboo Noise coming after me ghfjdshfj

-Also Rindo can you stay off your phone for TWO SECONDS ik you're trying to figure things out but Fret is a jelly boi and I don't want him to be upset with you my guy

-Sho being an actual sorta mentor to the kiddos?? Who are you sir this is so unlike you ghfgskj what happened to the guy who tried shooting children in the face 8 times over LMAO (granted he's probably just using them but it's still nice to see him actually cooperating and sharing knowledge with the kiddos aaaaa)

-EYO EIJI OJI THE TIKTOK INFLUENCER IS BACK LMAO

-hgjkfshgkjf "we aren't glorifying capitalism on my watch" THATS SO FUNNY TO ME GFHJFSDGHJKS (also an all-orange ensemble is disgusting you deserve jail for one thousand years fkn Cheddar Goldfish Cheezit ass woman)

-WICKED TWISTERS NAME DROP EYOOO we love to see it

-gfhsgjf Poor Rindo embarassing himself for the sake of the Game that's incredible

-R e t u r n t o M O N K E. That is all.

-Dialogue during boss battles is HELLA cool i love that

-HHHHH THE KANON SCENE MADE ME A N G E R Y FRET STOP SIMPING MY GUY says the girl with a Literal Simp Encyclopedia and simps for pixels on a screen daily

-Can't wait to see the other Reapers :eyes emoji:

-CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NAGI MY BELOVED YEAHHHH WOOOOOO AAAAND that's about it for the demo lolol, I absolutely CANNOT wait for next month, this game is gonna be INCREDIBLE holy hell Prepare for more simping, more screaming, and more vibing from Yours Truly :) I fully intend on sharing more general thoughts like this on both Tumblr and Twitter so it's not just reblog-retweet-reblog-retweet with the occasional comment fhgskjd

If you wanna witness my insanity up close and personal I have a Square Enix Discord server called Sea Side Dreamers! You can look it up on Disboard, or you can add me on Discord @Katara0524#9244 for a direct link :) We have topics about Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, NieR, and ofc TWEWY (as well as other topics!), so if you want some good ol' chaos and chitchat, you're more than welcome to join!

[glitchyfrills]

Please, Take It ~Part 8~

((Part 1, Part2, Part 3🌹, Part 4🖌, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Bonus: CuttyRen’s Dawn of The Rose))

(((GlitchNote: First, a TW is self loathing bothers you please skip or read with caution. Second, Thank you so much for your patience and kindness. It really does mean a lot to me and I appreciate it so much during this difficult time. Writing has seriously been helpful this past week and I’m grateful for the encouragement. Enjoy! 🌹🖌)))

Opening his eyes he didn’t see what he expected. He expected nothing but darkness. Instead he was blinded by the brightness of the room he seemed to be in. It was a room he was unfamiliar with but somehow it felt familiar. It was definitely not a room that could be found at the studio. There was no ink to be found. There was nothing in this room. Just him.

“Really? You think it’s just you in here?”

The Voice startled him. Normally that voice could only be heard in the confined space of his mind. But The Voice was definitely not in his mind but in the strange room he was in.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Shawn called out trying to sound demanding and not at all frightened.

He looked around the room to see if anyone was around. The only thing he saw was a black puddle that had not been there a moment ago. Cautiously he approached it and it began to bubble and rise, taking the form of a person.

Frightening him he fell back as the figure slowly formed. He watched as the figure stood at what seemed to be his height and build. Once fully formed the ink fell away and revealed the person that was formed by it. Shawn felt like he wanted to scream and run but his body wasn’t getting the message. He remained motionless on the floor as he watched someone with his face walk seductively towards him.

He scooted away from whatever it was that was coming towards him. Somehow he bumped into what could only be explained as a wall but didn’t look like it. The entire room was white. No edges could be made out.

‘Where am I?’ He questioned in his head as he scrambled onto his feet to stand. Running his hands over the white space around him. It felt like a wall but at the same time it wasn’t; solid but with give if forced upon.

“I’m surprised at you, Shawn.”

With his back pressed firmly against whatever was behind him he forced himself to look at the being in front of him. His mind raced trying to comprehend what he was seeing before him.

It was him. But also not him. It was like he was looking at his reflection in a mirror but the reflection frightened him to his core.

The being slinked him was way closer to Shawn; a welcomed grin on his face as he saw the fear in Shawn’s eyes. Shawn managed to extend his arm out to stop the being from coming closer.

Looking at his extended arm then back to meet his eyes, being chuckled, “You really think that is going to hold me off?”

Shawn looked at his arm and began to lower it but reconsidered. Glaring at the being before him and shouted, “Who are ya and where are we?! Where’s Jack?!” He tried to look past the being to see around them but all he saw was white.

“Ha! Really? You are concerned about him?” Stepping closer as the expression on their face changed from sinister to amused.

“Of course I am! I went down to the basement to save him!”

“A lot of good that did you.” They scoffed.

Shawn was getting angry. “What do ya mean?! Where the fuck am I?! Stop playing with me and answer my questions!”

The amused look fell and the seductive once again graced their face. Slowly they made their way closer. As they got closer Shawn could truly see what they looked like. It was frightening how similar they both looked. The same body structure and build. Even their features were exact. The only exception was that this being had confidence radiating off of them that could be seen just by looking into their eyes. It reminded him of how Dark carried himself. But looking into Dark’s eyes he had found kindness. Looking into this beings eyes terrified him to his core.

Their hand reached out to Shawn’s extended one, lightly fluttering their figertips over his and up his arm sending a tingling sensation over him. Shawn wanted to push them away but his body was frozen. No matter how much his brain screamed at his muscles to move they wouldn’t. He soon felt the light touch on his cheek coaxing him to look at them face to face.

Reluctantly turning he saw the one major physical difference between them. From one of the beings eyes black ink dripped.

Horrified Shawn gasped, “What are you?”

The two locked eyes for a moment. Shawn’s heart sank when the being’s smile slowly and wickedly spread across their face. He had never seen a smile so sinister. Carefully they leaned close to Shawn’s ear and shivers went down his spine as he felt the beings cold icy breath on his ear.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Giddily they backed away and mockingly bowed to Shawn. Dramatically they removed a slim paintbrush from behind their ear and struck a pose as if they were about to paint something.

“You’ve been acknowledging me as “The Voice” but I am much much more than that. I am everything you wish you could be.” Placing the paintbrush to the corner of their mouth he looked Shawn up and down in a bit of disappointment. “And believe me you could be so much more than you are.”

Shawn forcibly pushed himself off the wall. Keeping a good amount of distance between him and The Voice he walked towards them cautiously.

“What is that shite supposed to mean?” His patience was nonexistent at this point. Shawn had demanded answers and he was going to get them. Before The Voice could respond Shawn interjected. “And don’t talk in riddles. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”

A twitch of pain stuck his heart and a frown fell upon his face for a moment. Dark. What had happened to Dark? Was he okay?

“You mean that hunk of a mythical beast back at the basement?” The voice fanned himself with the flat cap he had removed from his head. “He’s fine. In more ways than one.” He winked at Shawn as he placed the cap back on.

Jealousy began to rise and make him face red, “He’s mine! Stay away from him!”

The Voice rolled their eyes, “Technically he’s ours. You and I are one and the same, lad.”

“What?” Shawn was in disbelief.

“You are seriously not getting this,” they sighed. “You and I are two halves of a whole being. This half,” gesturing to themselves, “was dormant until that fateful day in the studio. You remember, the day Joey Drew demanded every department “donate” and object and place them on pedestals.”

Shawn did remember. He had personally volunteered to be the one to work on the Heavenly Toys donation. Which was an odd thing for him to do since he had done his best up until that point to just blend in. He had spent the better part of a week working on that Bendy doll. Making sure every detail was perfect. It was that particular doll that had given him the idea to attempt a different face for the dolls. That hadn’t gone over well. But what did that Bendy doll have to do with The Voice? The question echoed in his head as he tried to connect the dots.

He recalled the urgency in Joey’s voice as he made it clear that these donations must be made promptly. Also how the room's energy felt that morning where they would be displayed. Placing the toy on its pedestal had been strange. Feeling everyone’s eyes on him as he sat the Bendy doll down, adjusting it just so so it wouldn’t fall over. The need to make it as presentable as he could for some reason was strong.

Leaving what was the break room that morning he felt as if someone, or something, had followed him. Which was impossible since he was the only employee of The Heavenly Toys Department to go to the donation presentation. Could that feeling have been The Voice awakening?

“Ding ding ding!” TheVoice clapped their hands in mocking applause. “Took you long enough.” They rolled their eyes as they took hold of his shoulder and turned him around, allowing themselves to place their head over Shawn’s shoulder. “What a marvelous day! The Inky god Joey wanted to please must have found you favorable to grant you someone such as myself to surface.”

“What Inky god?” What were they talking about, “I told ya not to talk in riddles.”

“No riddles. Just a fact. Don’t you remember Sammy’s rambling?” With the hand in front of Shawn he mimicked someone talking.

Shawn thought back, Sammy both frightened and intrigued him. He was always extra cautious around him; trying his best not to get caught staring. Sammy was always well dressed and walked like he owned every square foot he walked on. Shawn enjoyed watching him walk. He both admired and envied Sammy’s confidence. Miles had caught him once looking at Sammy while he was at the bandstand directing the musicians so Jack could listen to it and add lyrics. He had been leaning over the railing and lost his train of thought watching Sammy sway to the music. It was Miles tapping him on the shoulder that spooked him back to the moment. He had rushed and fumbled over his words coming up with a reason why he was there. He knew Miles didn’t believe him but trusted that if anyone else had seen him and asked Miles would give them the reason he had come up with.

Miles.

Were they okay? Again his heart ached at the thought of Miles trapped in the studio by some horrible ink monster. Or worse one of the monsters.

“The way your mind races!” The Voice cried out in frustration throwing their arms in the air causing them to push away from Shawn almost causing him to fall forward. “Don’t knock the ink monster thing. At least they ain’t dead.”

“Ain’t dead?” He repeated. “What do ya mean?”

“Not deceased. They are technically still alive,” The voice shrugged their shoulders as they explained in an uninterested tome. “The Ink possesses the body and takes over. The Ink needs the body alive to function.”

Shawn was horrified by the words leaving The Voice’s mouth. Possession? What had Joey gotten them all into?! He could feel the heat of the anger he was feeling rush through him. Rushing towards the voice he grabbed their shirt and pushed them into what felt like a wall.

“What the hell happened to Miles?!” The grip on their shirt got tighter as he pulled them away from the wall then forcibly back to it again. “They shouldn’t be harmed for Joey’s recklessness! No one should!” His mind flooded with the names and faces of every employee he knew and even some he didn’t.

With a devilish grin on their face, acting as if Shawn wasn’t shouting into their face and forcing their back into the wall repeatedly and forcefully, they coldly said, “You care too much for others that don’t give a damn about you.”

“Shut up.”

“You were nothing but a joke to them.”

“I said shut up.”

“Just a drunk artist that couldn’t make it in the real art world.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Shawn pulled The Voice by their shirt and threw them to the ground. The rush of adrenaline rage had him gasping for air as he watched The Voice hit the ground hard. The Voice lay there motionless but then the sound of laughter was heard; quiet at first then it got louder and louder until it became a fit of hysterical laughter. Holding their sides as if the laughter was causing them physical pain as they sat up on the floor. Casually as if nothing had happened they rose from the floor.

Shawn was desperately trying to find a way out. But all he saw was white.

“Where do you think you're gonna go?”

He didn’t turn to look back at the voice. Shawn was determined to get out of this prison and find his way back to Dark and hopefully fix whatever mess was happening at the studio.

“There’s nowhere to hide inside a bad dream.”

Shawn felt something hold him in place. ‘Not this again.’ The force holding him felt familiar but not entirely. Unlike with Dark’s hold he couldn’t seem to break free. He pushed and struggled but still remained planted where he stood.

Shawn heard The Voice chuckle menacingly. Then the force holding him pulled him back towards The Voice. He felt like he was about to stumble back into the floor but was caught by The Voice.

Handling him and with a calm but taunting voice they said, “Don’t worry I’m not gonna to hurt you.” A wicked smile crossed their face as they continued, “I’m gonna kill you.”

Forcing Shawn to stand upright they wrapped their arms around him to hug him from behind. Shawn managed to put his hands on the arms holding onto to him and attempted to force them away. He failed. No matter how much strength he put into it it seemed effortless. The Voice behind him laughed at his attempts of escape.

“Calm down, I’m not actually going to kill you. I need you alive.” The Voice finally released him. “Without you we’d end up like Jack.”

“What do you mean, ‘end up like, Jack’?” The words came out before getting a chance to stop them. He really didn’t want to have a conversation with the voice but he needed information.

The Voice rolled their eyes as he nonchalantly waved to Shawn and walked away, “It’s not important.”

“Tell me what ya meant by that!” Grabbing their shoulder he forced The Voice to face him. When they did he was met with a scheming grin.

Locking eyes with Shawn they gave in and answered him, “Because of me you are different. Special. Without me you’d be just another monster by now. A mere puppet for the ink to play and wreak havoc with.”

Shawn was still trying to make sense of the new world he seemed to find himself in. A world where the ink he and the other employees used to draw, paint, and animate cartoon characters with is somehow processing people. Turning them into ink filled monsters.

“The ink isn’t the thing to blame.”

His focus returned to The Voice.

“Joey struck the deal for success. He couldn’t keep he’s end of the deal and so…,” the Voice shrugged their shoulders as if Shawn was supposed to know what they were going to say.

“And because Joey messes up the rest of us have to pay?!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” The Voice slowly shook their head. “Should have listened closer to Sammy.”

“What?” Shawn was confused. “Did Sammy know what was happening?”

He didn’t want to believe that Sammy was capable of keeping important information like this from others. Sammy was intimidating but he wasn’t heartless; at least Shawn wanted to believe that.

“You could say that. He felt a new beginning was coming. The Creator was on their way to set everyone free,” The Voice couldn’t help but laugh as they did their best to impersonate the music director.

Shawn vaguely remembered those phrases being mumbled by Sammy. Whenever someone had annoyed him or done something he didn’t like he would mutter something and storm away. Pieces of a puzzle he didn’t even know about were being put together.

“Who is the creator?” Shawn asked.

The laughter from The Voice died down as they turned to face Shawn. A chill went down his spine. Should he have asked; did he really want to know about this creator that brought hell to the studio? He was about to take back his question when The Voice raised a hand to stop him.

“The Creator was summoned that day in the break room. The offerings pleased The Creator but…,” there was a long pause. The Voice turned away from Shawn, looking off into the white abyss that was the space they were in.

“But what?!” Shawn asked in hopes The Voice would continue. Instead The Voice’s shoulders began to shake as laughter grew louder.

“The Creator wasn’t pleased with how your employer took advantage of his generosity!” The Voice was in Shawn’s face quickly. It was as if they had projected themselves. One moment they were feet away from him the next he could feel spit on his face as The Voice violently spoke.

Doing his best not to seem fearful he asked, “You know The Creator?”

“I live because of The Creator.” The Voice was shaking now. Shawn lifted his hand to grip the hands of The Voice and forced them to let go of his suspenders. Once free he took a step back and watched as The Voice composed themselves; adjusting their flat cap, retucking the black button up, and adjusting their white suspenders. Observing them Shawn could see that The Voice was a negative version of himself. Where he wore white The Voice wore black and vise versa. The only thing that mirrored them was the hat and slacks they both wore and what they lacked was a tie.

“It’s because unlike you I’m free.”

The Voice speaking startled Shawn. Having someone read his mind was something he couldn’t get used to. “What?”

“First, I’m not reading your mind. I can hear your thoughts because we share a mind. Second, I’m free.” They locked eyes with Shawn. Try as he might he couldn’t break the striking gaze. It was as if The Voice’s eyes physically held him in it. “I don’t let others dictate me and what I do. Unlike you I’m not tied down. Yes I have held back but it’s because you weren’t ready for me.” They reach out to gently touch Shawn’s ink stained cheek with their fingertips but he forced himself back. The feeling of something tugging him back to where he once stood was felt but he struggled to keep himself away from The Voice.

A sinister smile crossed The Voice’s face, “But I see that a certain visitor has changed all that.”

Dark.

His face flashed in Shawn’s mind. He had changed since he came into his life. He most definitely felt different. A sadness was felt as he thought of never seeing the mysterious dark eyed man from the painting.

The Voice letting out a frustrated sigh brought Shawn’s attention back to them. “You seriously think we are stuck here don’t you?”

Shawn shrugged his shoulders, “I see no exits from this place. It’s just a white endless room”

Rolling their eyes The Voice snapped his fingers and suddenly from a dark cloud that left drops of dark ink on the white floor appeared the rose that Shawn had left behind on his office desk.

His eyes grew wide as The Voice gently touched the petals of the rose causing the familiar intoxicating perfume to fill the room.

“H-how did ya do that?” Shawn stammered.

“I have my ways.”

“What are ya?” He knew he had asked this question before but he had yet to get an answer.

The Voice just laughed and snapped the rose away, “I’m your ticket back. You just have to do one thing…”

His heart ached at the disappearance of the rose.

Shawn didn’t know getting back to the studio was an option. He remained quiet; hoping The Voice would continue.

“But before I tell you what you have to do you must agree to it.”

Shawn was about to argue that that was an unfair turn but The Voice raised the rose and waved it to stop his words.

“That’s just how this is going to work. I would say that I’m sorry but…,” they shrugged their shoulders, “I’m not.”

Shawn debated with himself; was whatever The Voice wanted from him worth getting back to the studio? His heart skipping answered the question for him. He wanted to get back to Dark. He needed to get back to him and hopefully help anyone else left in the studio.

Reluctantly he agreed, his jaw and fists clenched.

“Perfect.” He offered his hand to Shawn for him to take.

“Tell me what you want from me.” Shawn’s voice was cold and emotionless.

“Let me out.”

Shawn wanted to be confused but he wasn’t. He knew exactly what The Voice meant by that. “I don’t want to end up like Jack.”

“You won’t. I promise.” Their hand still extended waiting for Shawn to take it. “You and I are so much stronger.”

He was about to take The Voice’s but recoiled. “Answer me one thing…”

The Voice raised an eyebrow, curiosity on his face.

“What do ya call yourself?”

The Voice let out a chuckle and quickly stepped closer to Shawn and took his hand. Then they touched their forehead to his and whispered, “You’ll soon find out.”

Without warning the white room vanished and darkness surrounded them. The only sound Shawn heard was The Voice’s echoing sinister laughter.

(((GlitchNote: Again thank you for reading and for your patience, kindness, and encouragement. It truly means everything to me. I hope this part was worth the wait. The next part might take longer to come out, I don’t know. I got the call a little while ago that I should probably go say goodbye to my dad. So positive thoughts and vibes my way are appreciated. I’m Sending you light and good vibes as well. Thank you again.✨)))