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onelinemanytimes · 15 days ago

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HEY Y'ALL as someone dedicated to sharing about Fresh and in general being a big fan of him, take a look at this sicknasty video on the topic of the man(?) himself!!! If NOTHING else, this is a FANTASTIC overview of the history of Fresh that takes a LOT of genuine searching to find- I applaud how thoroughly this was researched and massively appreciate the effort put in!!

Honestly- there's details here that not even I've been able to dig up in my own very passionate research, which is CRAZY to me- I'm thrilled to bits to see it!!

There are a few things I didn't see mentioned in the video though- I realized halfway through typing this part that I absolutely must put this under a read more because, as is true of Every Time I've Talked About Fresh On This Blog, this is far too long to reblog raw. TL;DR I talk about one amendment, and two rps EDIT: LIKE 5+ RPS that didn't get mentioned whatsoever here (still from the BestFresh90sMess official Fresh Blog!)

One is an amendment from CQ about Fresh's ability to possess humans- He can in what was, at least, said most recently by BestFresh90sMess! (Mar. 18th 2017) (This is actually the most recent post on that blog!)

I personally take this to mean that, perhaps, Fresh has grown stronger with time, and could perhaps possess anything he grew magical enough to overtake- BUT that's absolutely just the sort of headcanon I enjoy that can explain inconsistencies in portrayal and character (Which CQ herself says has been reworked more than any character- and I'd believe it given where he is now!)

The second REALLY notable bits of characterization that weren't mentioned at all (that stood out massively to me) were the Shamchat Roleplays, of which there were two! Potentially they just weren't seen as important to his overall lore, but I want to mention them here because- well frankly because I personally just think they're neat :D MANY. There were a variety of Shamchat RPs and none of them got mentioned! This was something CQ had clearly done a few sessions of and saved the best bits from, so let's take a look!

The way Shamchat worked in rp contexts was that you would set your name as the name of the character you planned to use, and would have a typically script style rp on the fly with a random stranger, so while we can 100% confirm Fresh to be CQ in all these interactions, there's typically no way to know who was writing any other character mentioned. I'll link the post to each archived Shamchat here, in the title of the rp archive post, but I'll also give a play by play bit of my own analysis similar to what was done in the video!

These Rps are titled by CQ as "ShamChat Fun with the Fresh Pt 1,"

Posted February 23rd 2016 by CQ's main blog then reblogged two days later to Fresh's blog, this is a collection of multiple short rps that happened on Shamchat! This definitely seems to have been largely for fun as mentioned, but it's nice to see the characterization and also how people would react to Fresh!

We start with a Chara, who Fresh greets and then swiftly says he won't chat with, because they're a "stabbin lil freak child" and he doesn't want that- so he goes into PSA mode and tells Chara they don't need to be hating and also stabbing people, to which Chara says "And what if I kill you about it" and Fresh just says he's eternal about (Which isn't true but go off king)

Fresh then pretty swiftly and abruptly starts talking about his sicknasty existential crisis, return to PSA mode and ask if he needs to touch Chara's face(??) until they stop stabbing, and then clarifying that actually they can stab anyone they want to so long as it isn't him. Chara says "Yup, I'm in hell," Fresh states "WE ALL ARE <3," and then quotes bill cipher at Chara and the interaction ends.

The second interaction is with a Frisk, to whom Fresh introduces himself as the "raddest baddest brah in the multiverse," and then waxes existential immediately to someone he has never met. Very socially graceful of you Fresh! Frisk seems to be a bit concerned and largely confused by Fresh, who is talking about a variety of thoughts he's been having recently with very little filter, before getting uncomfortably close to Frisk and telling them to have a wonderful night and avoid all contact with trees, because they will kill you, apparently.

The third is an interaction with no response with (checks post) "Undertale rp chat(ask for link)," apparently, to which Fresh says "That's a weird name" and they leave

The fourth is between Monster Kid and Fresh, which is also not reciprocated- Fresh says "BROOOOO, YOUR ARMS. you have none. brah" and the MK leaves

The fifth is with "Double Trouble Charas Here," (so perhaps just a Chara?) who starts off the interaction with the classic "Buddy Chum Pal Friend Buddy" copypasta from early undertale glory. Fresh, if I'm assuming right, seems to be quoting a different fan song I'm not familiar with, potentially replacing part of a lyric to use a plastic knife rather than a real one, to which Chara says "Metal works better," and Fresh, offended, leaves

The Sixth and Last is another that went without reciprocation with someone named "Toriel (Asgore?)," to who Fresh shows confusion towards. He also says all this

Safe to say I also want some delicious mashed popstapalsos. Big mood here.

This rp is titled by Rainbowmomo as "The Beginning of One... Terrifying... Friendship....."

And I have some bad news.

This Shamchat log was NOT posted by CQ or Fresh's blog, it was posted by someone else! The roleplayer behind Time Sans, even, which is exciting!! We get to see a Shamchat where we know who both parties are!

Except... we don't. Because it was posted to a blog that is now deactivated under a Read More, we can now only access what's above the read more, which is not much at all. It was reblogged February 24th, 2016 by Fresh's Blog, with the comments of "FRESH NO DON'T MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE PSYCHOPATH from the TIME PARTY," from CQ, and "WHY. WHY ALL OF THAT FLIRTING. HE IS SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE FRESH JESUS," from the one and only Pacifrisk!!

In the little we do see, Fresh says before anything else, he forgives him for all the weird "Being possessed and trying to murder us" stuff, then states he wants a serious conversation, which Time Sans agrees to try and have. Fresh starts with a friendly how have you been, and then follows up by asking what it was like, "almost killing your friends? I bet it hurt." He responds to Time Sans' silence by saying it was a good thing he was there to hurt, because it'd have been just awful if Time Sans had murdered his friends against his will like that!

Time Sans agrees, smirking and eyeing Fresh, and Fresh returns the smile ask he states that "It was FUN though, right?" which could be talking about the overall event, or the murder, both are possible here given his character. He states that Tone is great, and that it's a shame he only got to know him after trying to murder him-

and that's all we see. If anyone has any record of this, or a way to access the information, PLEASE reblog, reply, or anything else with that, because this is probably one of the MOST important shamchats considering who it's with, the confirmed writers involved, and the lacking information we have from Time Party.

This next post is one I would say counts as EXTREMELY important, given CQ herself tagged it with "oh god I consider this canon," something which gives the interaction MASSIVE weight to me in the overall lore of Fresh, and is in fact why I bothered talking about all this Shamchat stuff in the first place! If you don't read any of the other Shamchats, PLEASE at least read "Fresh and Fresh 2.0 Part 1/2?)", they're huge!!

This rp is untitled by CQ, but I will title it "Fresh and Fresh 2.0 (Part 1)" given future logs we see.

This log was posted by Fresh's blog February 26th, 2016. This one is fantastic, because as assumable by the title, it is between "Fresh," played by CQ of course, and "Fresh 2.0," played by an anonymous genious who, in my opinion, can be listed among the long list of other "People who introduced an idea about Fresh so good CQ just made it canon" folks.

The interaction starts with Fresh not even greeting the other version of himself (who I will now refer to as just "2.0" for brevity's sake), instead just saying "YOU." 2.0 Does greet him, as his "obsolete broseph," asking how his existential crisis is going, to which Fresh says 2.0 is uncool for thinking he's better than him, and then starts to fumble and tell 2.0 not to talk about the crisis while he's recovering from it.

2.0 seems to affirm the allegation that he said he was better than Fresh, stating that he's "up tighter than tight with the puppeteers," which severely throws Fresh off his groove, in disbelief at 2.0's statements. 2.0 says Fresh is screwing himself over by being a drag, and that no one likes that, telling a scrambling-to-recover Fresh that they'll cut his string over it.

Fresh got defensive, saying that he isn't doing anything wrong, and that he's entertaining the multiverse with his rad vibes, to which 2.0 states that he only exists BECAUSE Fresh is fumbling. That he's going to replace Fresh when they get rid of him. Fresh in denial of this tries to brush it off as a joke, but 2.0 offers that he might just be around to get rid of Fresh himself, although he's not into "bullying a bro when he's down," not having any active intent to harm Fresh.

Fresh still tries to deflect, but 2.0 states that he's not joking, prompting Fresh to get more defensive, stating that he's the ORIGINAL Fresh, and that he's irreplaceable, that 2.0 isn't better than him- to which 2.0 calls out the fact that Fresh had been talking about his life being nothing before, and saying that he's right, it's true- "they hold all the cards," and if you don't do what they want, they'll kill you for it.

Fresh nervously states that 2.0 has been chatting with "others" and figuring things out, and 2.0 points out the comments as part of Fresh's downfall- that he's not acting "correct," and that he shouldn't let people cause him so much grief and give him so much emotional baggage. That it's not what "they" like, and that they're suspicious of everything he does now

Fresh slips into his persona again here, asserting that it isn't a problem and won't ever BE a problem, that it was just a minor slip up- 2.0 says they don't trust he'll stay in line, and that with him here Fresh is on thin ice, and Fresh more firmly asserts that it won't be a problem, that knowing they exist won't stop him from being entertaining, they have nothing to worry about, he's doing a great job-

2.0 states that he's a slight upgrade to Fresh, himself. Less susceptible to emotions, he can last longer in a host, that he's all around better than Fresh, and that Fresh isn't doing nearly as good a job as he wants to be. Fresh denies that he's failing, to with 2.0 counters that the reason he's being watched so closely is BECAUSE he's doing a bad job, asking how it feels to be dangling by a thread like this while Fresh struggles to regain a foothold in the conversation.

Fresh points out that 2.0 is being antagonizing and should stop, and 2.0 happily replies that he would never do that, because bullying is unfresh! He's just making sure Fresh stays on the right track! Fresh isn't fooled by his own tricks, clearly, unamusedly stating that yeah, it is unfresh of him, before getting back into his groove and stating that there's no need to worry about him because he's fine! A little bit of a problem for a moment, maybe he's been straying a bit from the path, but he's fine now!

2.0 presses again that "they" don't think so, and "they're" the only ones who matter, because one slip up, and no more "us," a fascinating shift from "you" given now 2.0 is including himself in this threat, that's continued with the fact that there would be no more ANYTHING if it's bad enough.

This gets Fresh to beg!! Fresh asks 2.0 what they want, saying that he'd do anything for them, that he'd find a way, but 2.0 doesn't give an answer, saying that they'd get HIM for telling something like that to Fresh, something he doesn't want either. That if Fresh doesn't start acting how they want, they will get rid of him

Fresh says that 2.0 is right, and says he'll fix the problem, get himself right again. 2.0 says he better start soon, because there's a certain frisk making him slip way too far, and he can't let that happen because it'll be the start of the end. Fresh admits he's right, that trusting people is a great way to end up ended, that he didn't even realize he was doing it, that he'll cut them off.

2.0 says he better, that it's a game a lot of people play, trying to get you on their side. Fresh thanks him, saying 2.0's saved him a lot of trouble, and 2.0 happily reciprocates that if Fresh plays nice, their next encounter won't have to be a bad one! Fresh thanks him again, saying it's them who infects other people, not the other way around, and 2.0 agrees, saying that everyone they meet is against them, and that anyone they befriend is a strike against them, to which Fresh agrees.

Fresh agrees again, stating he's fine, taking a reminder from 2.0 not to be nervous smoothly with an affirmation that 2.0's been good for him here, that he can't believe he was even messing anything up when all he wanted was a good time. 2.0 throws in a line about the both of them, that they're "Cool, collected, Fresh," and that that's all they need to be, to which Fresh agrees, saying they gotta show the whole multiverse that's true.

Fresh then says he has one last thing he wants to say to 2.0 before he goes his own way, that he'd wanted to say earlier but didn't get a good chance to. At 2.0's prompting, Fresh tells him "There are always imitators. But nothing is better, then classic Fresh. Ya dig?"

2.0 gives a single "Heh," in response, and then reminds Fresh that he better not mess up, before leaving.

Honestly if I haven't written a whole post about 2.0 yet you guys should expect to see that soon on this blog because this stuff makes me crazy.

Next log was a Shamchat between Grillby and Fresh, a DELIGHTFUL read, one I recommend looking at directly for sure!

This rp is titled by CQ as "Fun at Grillbys,"

This rp log was posted March 4th, 2016- We start with Fresh entering Grillby's establishment in rough emotional state. Grillby, confused at his appearance, asks if this is sans, to which Fresh replies that he's technically a sans, because his body is a sans, and makes a great bone pun to prove his legitimacy as a sans.

Grillby is, understandably, concerned by this, and overall by Fresh's behavior as the interaction progresses, asking concerned questions about his state that Fresh fumbles massively due to, clearly, not being familiar with the life/history of his host (Assuming Grillby was offering alcohol when offering him a drink (he was being offered ketchup)), and most certainly not acting like the sans of this situation should (To the point of Grillby asking if he is drunk, something Fresh obviously denies)

Fresh also starts this interaction appearing to be in a state of emotional turmoil, stating repeatedly (perhaps insistingly) that he's in a good mood, and totally fine, and completely happy and normal. That he gets excited when he's "freaking out, and nervous, ABOUT HOW EXCITED" he is- Something very much so reflecting his attitude of repressing his feelings and also his existential dread!

Fresh says that sometimes, all you need to be happy is to be forced into it, and takes Grillby up on that offer for Ketchup. Grillby does give it to him, but also seems to have reached a tipping point in his suspicion, and starts asking questions and making prying comments towards Fresh, stating that various behaviors are extremely out of character for Sans (Showing up early, calling Grillby his "Best Bro," and not knowing what happened "last time you stayed past closing" when asked about it)

Here is where we get to see Fresh start to realize he might need to start playing a social game himself! He lies and makes guesses at what Grillby is asking after, dodging the question of what they did (after originally mis-answering WHEN he had stayed past closing, not what they'd done) by giving a very safe, and vague answer of "We were just chattin an talkin and all up having FUN together," which Grillby doesn't take well.

Fresh tries to excuse his lack of knowledge as, instead, a case of forgetting what happened, asking for a refresher that he almost immediately after decides he doesn't want, saying that Grillby was right and he wants to forget about it. Grillby calls his lie out, stating that "you" (Sans at the time, but directed at the now-fresh) had told him he'd liked it, only prompting Fresh to more assertively recommend they drop the subject altogether.

Grillby shifts to being more hostile here, trapping Fresh in the bar and asking where his sans is- which Fresh answers very willingly! Stating that Sans is there with him, and happily declaring himself as a friend, so long as Grillby lets him be one. Making a few statements about the wellbeing of Sans that he quickly reveals himself to be lies, riling Grillby up

Grillby threatens Fresh, and Fresh IMMEDIATELY uses his host as a hostage, stating that whatever Grillby does to stop him will end up hurting the host. Grillby pushes it, saying that while he doesn't want to hurt sans, he's sure Sans doesn't want a parasite inside of him, which Fresh seems thrilled to hear!

After the initial shock of being called out for what he is, he drops all pretenses and gets direct about the situation, that his host is practically screaming in pain, asking teasingly if Grillby wants to hear it only to state that, unfortunately, Grillby can't, only Fresh gets to hear it. But assuring Grillby that he'll leave eventually, and that his host won't die, given it's not "Beneficial" to him, but that he will be rather unwell, likely needing Grillby to take care of him after the fact.

Grillby, emotions building, asks Fresh why he's doing this, to which Fresh answers that it's because he has to- and because he has to, he WANTS to, he ENJOYS it, and he goes on to taunt Grillby with it, describing the process he's doing to Sans until Grillby tells him to shut up about it.

Fresh continues antagonizing Grillby, saying he doesn't understand the big deal, and why Grillby's so upset even knowing that Sans won't die- but he offers a deal to Grillby, saying that he'd willingly leave now provided he was given another body to shift into. Grillby refuses, and Fresh states that it's fine, he'll just run the host he has now into the ground and return him nearly dead to Grillby!

Grillby states he, reasonably, can't just kidnap someone and then offer them to Fresh, which Fresh concedes is a fairly selfish thing for Fresh to ask for- so offers the alternative of finding someone himself and then giving Sans back, which Grillby accepts.

Fresh ends the interaction by calling out Grillby's bias, the selfishness of caring about someone he knows over someone he doesn't, and then leaves, dropping a "twenty" (currency unknown, likely G) on the nearest table as a tip on his way out.

And that's the whole interaction!! Really a fantastic showcase of his various traits all condensed down into a quick package of exploration via writing- Starting with his emotional turmoil and dread, progressing into his attempts at lying and manipulation, and then ending with his outright sadism and continued manipulation, as well as his overconfidence and views on emotional hypocrisy. Yahoo!

This rp is titled by CQ as "Fresh and Fresh 2.0 (Part 2?),"

Also posted March 4th, 2016, This is a return(?) of 2.0!!! Now, a few things worth making clear about this interaction, and in fact why this is "Part 2?" rather than "Part 2," I mentioned before that there isn't a way to confirm who the other user is in a Shamchat unless they have said it was them, or posted the logs on their own end such as with Time Sans' log. This means that there is no concrete proof that THIS Fresh 2.0 is the same as the first one, and indeed while the log considered part one has a character name of "Fresh 2.0," this log states the character as just "2.0," and to my eyes at least has a somewhat different typing style to the first.

So it's extremely likely that there are two separate writers of Fresh 2.0, neither of which we know, OR that there is one writer who ended up changing their nickname somewhat and having a slightly different writing style- however!! BOTH potential writers demonstrated an awareness of Fresh, of 2.0's existential place writing wise (as Fresh's replacement), and of the events currently going on in Fresh's immediate life (The first referencing Loveball, and the second referencing Time Party). I think that it's ok if they were written by two different people, and whether they were or weren't, Fresh was still written by CQ- and that's the characterization we're looking at most closely!

That said, let's begin! 2.0 heelyz into the room, asking Fresh how he's doing, and how things are going with his "sibling" (likely referring to Error, but it's somewhat vague). Fresh says they both know he has no siblings, asking why 2.0 is bugging him today, to which 2.0 replies that Fresh doesn't have any sibling anymore, right?

Fresh sarcastically states that 2.0 is always so radical, to which 2.0 agrees and asks if Fresh has been feeling well recently, emphasis on the feeling. Fresh says he's radical as always, and 2.0 says he just wanted to check, to make sure no one would get angry with him, referencing the people in control of them both.

Fresh says he's totally fine, he's got a party to go to tomorrow, but awful things keep happening there, 2.0 stating that yeah, from what he's seen Fresh hasn't been great. Fresh says he's got the message, hence why he's great- then tells 2.0 that the kiddos (Pacifrisk and Pillow Frisk) are dead, which means he doesn't have any problems anymore!

2.0 stares at him, then says that Fresh wouldn't have done it himself, would he? to which Fresh uneasily replies that he isn't a killer- usually, anyways. 2.0 gets real close, and tells Fresh that he has to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means killing, prompting Fresh to step away and ask why it matters so much who did it, because in the end they're dead anyways.

2.0 tells Fresh that killing them had been what he was pressuring Fresh to do before, with Fresh stating again that he's not a murderer. 2.0 backs up, conceding that sure, they're dead, but what if error wasn't around to do it? to which fresh says they'd still be alive- but that's not how it went, so why should it matter?

This prompts 2.0 to tell him that this is why he's better than Fresh, Fresh is letting himself fall, which Fresh obviously denies- 2.0 presses it, stating that "they" don't like all his attachments, that it's why 2.0 exists in the first place, which causes an outburst from Fresh, saying that his attachments are done, so it's about time for 2.0 to disappear because HE is the one useless now.

2.0 says it's never going to happen, so long as Fresh still has a chance of straying too far, and then asserting that Fresh WILL end up failing, and that he'll be there to take his place and make everything right. Fresh bluntly states that they're dead, and that he corrupted an entire universe just from attending the last party- he isn't going to stray again.

2.0 asks him if those two were the only problem, saying that he's already started down the wrong path before. Fresh asks 2.0 if he can take away his emotions, saying that he won't stray if he does- and 2.0 refuses to, saying "not yet," that "they're" willing to give Fresh a chance, if he knocks off all the serious stuff for real this time. Also saying that he's willing to help Fresh, if he can in fact cut it out.

Fresh says he wants to be rid of his feelings, he doesn't want them, but they keep coming back anyways, stating that he thought that because 2.0 seemed to know as much as he did, he could help fix things for Fresh. 2.0 says he plans to help, eventually, when he's given the OK to, but also says that it only keeps coming back because Fresh lets it, and it's become his worst enemy that now he's gotta fight.

Fresh says he's doing his best, and that it's awful for him, that he can't stop thinking about what happened. He initially starts asking for advice, but stops himself, saying that he'll figure it out himself, that he'll fight it and make sure "they" enjoy the ride. 2.0 tells him he has to, that it'll fade, that they're nothing anymore and he's gotta leave it be. Telling Fresh that if he keeps on worrying about it, he'll be showing he can't do it- but get over it, and he'll show he can be right back like he's supposed to be.

Fresh agrees, reaffirming what 2.0 said, and stating that "they'll" see how unnecessary 2.0 is in the end. 2.0 reminds Fresh that the only way to avoid his fate is to avoid trusting anyone, and dares Fresh to try and get rid of him, before giving Fresh a gift. The gift is fundip, and he offers it alongside a "No hard feelings," which Fresh accepts with some amount of confusion. 2.0 reminds him a last time to stop straying, and then leaves, the interaction ending.

And THAT is the last of the Shamchat roleplays!!

I don't have more to add here because. Well. Frankly I oughta take it to a new post and not into the poor reblogs of someone else's analysis video owo' BUT I hope this has provided a bit MORE history to people curious!! Again, WATCH THE ABOVE VIDEO ITS SOOO SO SO GOOD GENUINELY and I love it a lot. Absolutely fantastic stuff!!

Hello again tumblr! I have no idea what happened but yall suddenly liked my Ink video so please have a radical Fresh one!

youtube

#fresh sans #freshtale #fresh parasite #fresh #I didn't mention lucida but to be fair #Lucidia hasn't happened yet and so Fresh was technically never seen in it #truefreshinfo #what a treat!!#Thank you so much for this and I hope YOU enjoy reading also!#Although I can't imagine you didn't see these already

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zephyrinx · 7 years ago

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GLOOMVERSE RP (FANFIC??)

(Hey look a picture that’s totally not just to get people’s attention haha wow)

OKAY SO- A BUNCH of people have asked Neon (@neon--nightmare) and I to make this roleplay public for reading! So we finally decided to do it!

THIS IS THE ROLEPLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME WALLIS GLOOM AND FRESH MET FACE TO FACE IN THE GV DISCORD RP. And not.... Face to mouth? Uh. First time they met and interacted in separate bodies. Yep.

CONTEXT:

- Wallis and Fresh have been at this for months, so there's a LOT OF TENSION AND FEAR. Wallis has been possessed twice before, and in that time, got a look into Fresh's own headspace- He's a stubborn asshole, so he pressed at things, and Fresh let slip that he had lost someone very close to him.

-Fresh wants Wallis GONE because he won't give up and keeps challenging his fragile worldview. Wallis is stuck between wanting to be free of the parasite's near constant harassment, and wanting to HELP because he can tell how much Fresh is truly suffering. He feels as though a compromise would be getting him to leave, BY helping.

-Wallis and Purple are actually back together in this rp! It took like 4 months of near constant rp, but we got there! At the point in time that this RP took place, Wallis was staying at Purple's house recovering from the second possession. He’s... Pretty badly injured.

-Cake had also stolen his hat about a week or so prior, so he was totally defenseless! Geez, please help him...

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

-None of this is CANON!! This is just a RP between fans!! Fresh and Wallis belong to CQ, we just love them. A lot. Though we try to be as IC as possible, nothing that happened here is actually official canon!!

- This rp treats the events of the ‘loveball/time party’ (a rping event from a year or so ago that can be found in parts on @bestfresh90smess) as canon to Fresh's character! This is for the sake of development, and to help give context to some of the emotional problems he's currently having that have carried on from there! ‘Pacifrisk’ was Fresh's only true friend that he met at the Loveball and slowly grew to care about, but right when he was coming to terms with that (and wanting to protect them even when it had no benefit to him, something he couldn't comprehend) they were killed despite his protests.

-There's a lot more drama and context surrounding this, so some things may not make sense!! We've tried to make it as concise as possible, though!

-THIS RP HAPPENED IN THE GLOOMVERSE ROLEPLAY DISCORD!! It's applicant based only, but if you'd like to send in a form you can do so at @gloomversediscord !! OCs are welcome, too!!

So, yep! Please enjoy, and be nice!! :D

[ROLEPLAY UNDER READ-MORE]

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh crept into the dimly-lit room, closing the door softly behind him. He could barely believe he had gotten in so easily - Purple hadn't been around and the front door didn't even seem to have been locked properly. It seemed almost too easy after all his planning, but hey, he wasn't complaining! Wallis had been practically asking for it anyway, with his 'tough guy' act and with all the problems he'd been causing escalating recently. And now here he was, with Wallis asleep and injured right in front of him!

The parasite leaned over his defenseless body, his grin widening until it looked almost painful. The YOLO letters on his glasses glowed faintly in the dark, as he gave the propellor beanie a flick and nudged Wallis roughly. "Rise 'n shine, Brahllis!! Wouldn't wanna all up sleep in an miss ya best brah, wouldja~?"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis groans quietly, screwing up his face in response to the rude wake up call and pulling the blanket a little tighter around his shoulders. What the fuck, why was Purple trying to wake him up NOW?? He wasn't even hungry, and his pain was just a dull ache, surely the pain meds hadn't worn off yet.... Though, it was a bit weird- His groggy sleep-drunk mind slowly chugged along and processed the situation... Purple usually woke him up gently, and that voice... He replays it in his mind, until the garbled words finally made sense.

Wallis' eyes snap open, entire body immediately going rigid as his breathing stuttered to a complete halt for a second. His mind spun, chest aching just a little more- Oh no, no no no... He didn't look up. He didn't WANT to look up, and acknowledge the truth. This couldn't be happening.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

The parasite smiled down at his terrified enemy over his shades, the cracked soul in his eye barely visible. "Glad ta see me again, homeslice~?" Fresh said in a dissonantly chipper tone, roughly grabbing Wallis's shoulders to prop him up and slip an arm tightly around his shoulders. "Cake slice wasn't lyin, brah, ya really letchaself go since da last time we all up had a friendly-like chat face ta face~!! Or would dat be thought-ta-thought or some junk?? Me ta ya?? Ah well, it ain't important anywho!!" The parasite gave Wallis' shoulder a quick squeeze, flicking a curl of hair on his forehead.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis' breath hitches as he's pulled up, unable to stop himself from hunching over and shuddering as that arm is slipped around him in an almost FRIENDLY manner- He knew better though, and the contact just felt like gasoline to the fire that was starting to flare up in his chest again. He instinctively leans away slightly, completely aware of how vulnerable he was like this. No hat, no wand, in a weakened state and already basically under control thanks to Fresh's grip on him. Was this the first time he'd ever seen the parasite in another form other than his own...? Either way, it was far too soon.

"I... I-" He chokes on his own words when Fresh squeezes his shoulder, flinching away from the hand that came towards his face. He doesn't even notice his own hand come up to lightly touch at his throat, curling into a loose fist there protectively. If he was possessed again... He seriously doubted his ability to escape in this condition. By this point, he was quite visibly shaking, eyes wide and staring down at his own lap, refusing to look at his tormentor still.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh chuckled at Wallis' obvious discomfort, a harsh sound that contrasted sharply with his fake-cheerful manner. His hand moved over to the bandages on Wallis' head and began undoing them none too gently, keeping a firm grip on the magician's shoulders all the while. "Aw, Brahllis, what's da dealio wit' dese~? Seems wicked inconvenient if ya cant see, yeah~?" There wasn't much of a point to this, and Fresh knew that - he just wanted to revel in Wallis' fear and pain a bit longer.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis grits his teeth together, completely frozen at the invasive action- He'd grown so used to the bandage being there, and around the eye was still sore... The eye itself was still almost completely a dark grey colour, and his vision itself was blotchy and dark. The bandage at least gave him an excuse to why he couldn't see. Fresh obviously had no concept of personal space- If he did, then he was doing a damn good job of making Wallis feel vulnerable, defenseless and alone- Wait, how did he get in?? Where was..?

Wallis suddenly tries to jerk away, finally looking up at Fresh with a mixture of horror and anger- The former seemed to overwhelm the latter, though. "Wh-Where's- What the funk did you do with Purple?!! Where's Purple!??"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh tightened his grip even more, digging his fingers into Wallis's arm before giving him a casual flick on the cheek. "Lingo, homeslice!!! Ya really gotta keep a better handle on yaself, yanno~? All up spreadin ya uncool vibes all over dis convo, dawg, dat ain't cool~" The parasite grin slipped a bit before recovering himself and tilting his head at the question. "Ya really gotta learn ta take a chill pill, broski!! Ah hahaha, ya sound maaaad <3"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis gasps, trying to shrink himself down as much as he could to get away from any and all contact Fresh was giving him. Right, of course he'd be able to censor... A chill goes down his spine, and he automatically closes his eyes as the bandage falls completely from his head at the movement- Looks like there was also a pretty nasty looking gash under there just above his eye. It had been healing nicely, but still looked pretty painful to the touch.

"Where. Is. He," He repeats, clenching his fists and trying to inch away from Fresh a bit. "Did you hurt him!?? I swear to GOD I'll KILL YOU if..."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh raised an eyebrow at that, jostling Wallis a bit as he readjusted his grip. He ruffled Wallis' hair with his free hand, digging his fingers into his arm even harder at the same time. "Ahaha, ya really let yaself go, didntcha~? Guess I get what was up wit' dat bandage junk now, yo!!" Fresh let his gaze wander casually around the room, lingering on the door for an extra moment just in case. "Aha, watchin ya work yaself up like dat is totes HI-LA-RI-OUS!! Ya gonna KILL me, Brahllis~? Ya want me dead, huh~? Well, dawg, dats da prob I all up stopped by ta deal wit'!!"

The parasite suddenly whipped his head back around to face Wallis, his grinning face very close to the other's. "Ya been up an causin LOADS o totes unfresh probs lately, haven't ya~?"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis can't help his quiet noise of discomfort, sounding oddly like a low whine, shuddering as Fresh ruffled his hair. Only a few people were allowed to do that- The parasite absolutely not being one of them. He was finding it difficult to breathe, chest tight and thoughts disjointed and panicky- This entire meeting couldn't be at all good, he was at a loss for words, actions even moreso.

Though, Fresh seemed insistent that murder wasn't his strategy- Not his usual one, anyway- And surely he would have heard if Purple was in danger... Wallis both hoped and dreaded that Purple may still be in the house.

He flinches back as much as he could when Fresh turns to grin at him, eyes widening and skin becoming paler as the realisation dawned on him. Fresh wasn't here to possess him, or to harass him- He was keeping true to his word.

Fresh was here to KILL him.

Acting on pure impulse, Wallis lets out a cry, suddenly reaching out to shove at Fresh's chest in an attempt to push the other away from him, ignoring the pain that shot through his injured hand, breathing hard and fast.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Caught off-guard by the sudden escape attempt, Fresh loosened his grip on Wallis's shoulders and was pushed backwards a bit, his shades falling askew to reveal the host's eyes. The look of terror in the functional right eye was obvious - almost like they were trying to plead with Wallis for help. The parasite gave a quiet hiss, dropping his facade for a moment to glare at Wallis with a look of pure hatred. His grin returned almost as fast, however - contrasting even more sharply with the pain in the host's eyes.

Fresh swung his legs over the side of the bed, carefully folding up his shades and slipping them into his fanny pack. "Aha, is dis da part where ya all up try ta kill me or whatev ya said ya were gonna do, broham~? Trust me, brotato chip, I'd LOVE ya see ya try~ <3" You could practically hear the heart at the end of the sentence.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis stares straight back at that one eye, finding himself unable to look away. That poor host... He wanted to help, he so badly wanted to help- He was meant to be the INVINCIBLE Wallis Gloom, the most powerful man in the country...

And here he was, reduced to a terrified mess in a small house in Prisma. He was meant to be able to HELP, to fix everything- but he couldn't. There was no way he could help the host, especially not right now. He actually wished Fresh had kept the shades on... Then at least he could pretend the other wasn't using an innocent person for his own gain.

His gaze quickly drifts toward the door. There was no way he was going to just lay there and let Fresh hurt- Or kill- him. Slowly, he began trying to slip his legs out of the blankets, readying himself to make a run for it. "I-I'm not.... Not going to kill you..."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh widened his eyes slightly, staying perfectly still and watching him struggle. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife - especially because the parasite was eyeing him in the way a predator watches its weakened prey. "Whaddaya think ya gonna try ta do, Wally~? Ya ain't lookin so hot, ya dig? But I toldja, homie, it'd gimme a good laugh ta all up watch ya try!!"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis keeps his gaze trained on the parasite, hunched over slightly in a defensive position, clearly in no mood to just give in. He was reminded of the way a cat toys with a mouse before catching it- Cruel, all part of their little game... He spares a fleeting glance toward the doorway, before suddenly attempting to scramble off the bed and toward the doorway, clumsy thanks to his unfit state and more recent injuries. It was worth a try- If he was going to go down, then he was going to go down fighting.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Quick as a flash, Fresh lunged out to grab Wallis's arm, giving it a painful twist. "Ya ain't gettin away dat easy, Brahllis!!" he taunted, staring the other dead in the face with an expression of obvious enjoyment. Fresh watched for a moment more before releasing his arm and giving him a rough shove to the floor, staring down at the injured magician. "Ya still think ya all dat an a bag o chips, Wally?? Been waitin fo' dis fo' a LONG time, yo, ya ain't gonna mess it up dis time!!"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis cries out in pain at the sharp movement, being forced backward in order to not put too much pressure on his arm, taking in a few shaky gulps of air before being pushed to the ground. He lays there for a moment, head spinning from the sudden movements and pain, before once again trying to push himself up- Stubborn man. Maybe running wouldn't work...

He turns to glare at Fresh over his shoulder, feeling his heart sink as he looks up into that one terrified eye again. "You f-funking RADHOLE- What the heck are you gonna do, then!??"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh crouched down so he was roughly at Wallis's level, his hair flopping over his shoulder. "Dats da tricky part, brah!! All up way easier befo' cuz i could just make somethin sharp-like ta get it ova wit' easy as pie - but i don't think i can make some junk like dat here!! Ya got any suggestions, brotien shake?? Ain't - ain't got much experience tryin ta off peeps befo', heh." It was slight, but the parasite's voice caught on the last word and he seemed to lose some of his feigned enthusiasm.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis pauses, horror flickering more vibrantly on his face for a moment at those words. Was Fresh really asking Wallis to.... Choose his own death?!!

That was fucking sick.... He inches away again, hunching his shoulders up to protect his neck some more. Though, the question may be one of genuine uncertainty... It sounded like he'd nearly killed someone before, and at the very least, was still hesitant. Maybe he was just being wishful, but... Wait, that was it.

"Would they really want you to do this?" he mutters, eyes darkening, untrimmed fringe falling in front of them slightly. "Would they be proud of you for funking MURDERING someone??"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh froze, his expression flickering from genuine shock to fear, anger, and finally a blank mask that betrayed nothing. "What. Did you just say." He twitched for a second, his host fighting back, then appeared to regain his composure. "Care ta run dat by me again, broski?"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis juts his head up higher, emboldened by the uncertain reaction. Best case scenario, Fresh decides to leave him alone- Second best, it distracts the parasite long enough for Wallis to make an escape... Worst case, he didn't want to think about. He huffs, pushing himself up more. "How would they feel, if they knew you were torturing someone who tried to HELP you?!"

NEON--NIGHTMARE: Fresh shuddered, an unnatural, jerky movement. An odd, muted whirlwind of memories and feelings he had tried to suppress was whirling around inside his head as he stared down at Wallis, his expression completely blank and emotionless. "Ya don't know whatcha talkin bout, so ya better shut ya yap if ya know what's good fo' ya." He couldn't do this, not here not NOW this was all wrong wrong WRONG-

ZEPHYRINX:

Yes, yes yes- He could do it, he could make Fresh lose control and then he could fucking escape!! With renewed confidence he manages to get his knees beneath him again, panting a little harder. "They'd be funking DISAPPOINTED in you, Fresh!! They're probably watching right now, ashamed, because you're hurting an INNOCENT MAN-"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh got to his feet in one fluid moment and kicked him, HARD. He didn't let up either, punctuating the kicks with a repeated sentence hissed through gritted teeth - "Shut up. Dis is ova an done an ya ain't allowed ya ain't got no RIGHT shut UP-"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis absolutely wasn't expecting that, unable to react in time as the kick sends him rolling with a pained yelp, any progress he'd made in standing up lost. He manages to try and curl up into a ball to protect his head- Fuck, there was no going back now. "I-IT'S NOT- YOU KNOW IT'S NOT- THEY'RE NEVER GONNA STOP JUDGING YOU-- FUNK- YOU CAN JUST STOP--"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh's voice rose to a yelling pitch as he continued his assault in a futile attempt to get Wallis to STOP. "Shut up SHUT UP STOP TALKIN-" The usually emotionless parasite sounded almost desperate, in a way.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis suddenly tries to grab at Fresh's foot in a desperate attempt to stop him, or at least ease the harsh attack. He was already bruised and sore around his sides thanks to Cake's assault a few days prior- This was just adding ten times more pain. "PURPLE-" He chokes out, voice weak and half cut off thanks to another kick... At least Fresh seemed to be losing composure.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Caught off-guard once again, Fresh stumbled, grabbing into the bed in time to regain his balance. He was panting heavily, watching Wallis with a look in his eye of nothing less than absolute hatred. Oh, he was mad - not just mad, FURIOUS. How was it that even in a weakened, near-helpless state with the parasite holding almost every possible advantage over him, Wallis still managed to turn the odds back in his favor?? The magician should have just given in by now. Just thrown in the towel and accepted his death, or even tried to beg for his life - but instead he had managed to get Fresh to lose his composure again, and the parasite didn't even really understand why.

Continuing to persevere even when it seemed like all was lost... it almost reminded Fresh of - NO. He wasn't going to let himself go back down that path after it was all done and over with - or SHOULD have been, anyway. Why, why, WHY couldn't he escape this?? Why couldn't he understand... any of this?? Everything had been turned around, and Fresh just wanted it all to be done with already.

He continued to stare daggers at Wallis, but his posture had sagged and he seemed to have lost some of his will to fight.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis groans, struggling to push himself back, dazed and in pain from the beating his sides had just taken. He stares up at the other, eyes half lidded and vision blurry, one arm wrapped around his stomach, the other propping him up as much as it could. He maintains eye contact, watching, waiting... He could call out for help again, or he could try to slowly stand and walk to the door.... He could continue pressing, or remain silent until Fresh made the first move. So many options, and he had no idea which was the right one, or if there wven WAS a right one. Gnawing at the inside of his lip, he tried his best to catch his breath again, each intake of air just causing more pain-- Fuck, what else was the parasite capable of doing?!!

"...Just. Just leave me alone..." Wallis mutters in an attempt at false calmness, a hint of fear still evident in his voice. Maybe he could resolve things peacefully...

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh had begun staring at Wallis as if he was seeing someone else in his place, but he tore his gaze away once Wallis finished his plea. The unexpected burst of anger and terror that had been so strong earlier had vanished, leaving him... empty. Good. He knew how to deal with this, although a strong sense of exhaustion was had him in its hold as well. This had been going on for FAR too long, especially when he thought he had put it all behind him for a FRESH start - and in front of him was the source of all his problems, beaten and weak, pleading with him to just leave.

It would be EASY to... remove him from the picture right now, even if he didn't have much experience - so why was it that he couldn't bring himself to move?? This was his CHANCE to bring everything back to normal, putting an end to all the awful memories and feelings that had been following him everywhere once and for all - but the parasite didn't move. Fresh didn't reply but he slumped over a bit more, still watching Wallis with his host's pain evident in his 'normal' eye. Why did everything have to be so difficult?? He couldn't even begin to understand why.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis leans back against the bookshelf slightly, another wave of dizziness hitting him, blinking back the blurriness. He didn't trust this- Didn't trust it at ALL- he couldn't let his guard down and risk Fresh suddenly attacking him again. He was so close now, so close to finally maybe getting Fresh off his trail... Even just the thought made him want to try. It would be better to end it once and for all, than run away... Not that he really could run now. He slowly breathes out, frame shaking as he stared back at his tormentor. "I... I don't... Want this... Please..."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh was silent for a moment longer before erupting into joyless laughter, his shoulders shaking from the force of his outburst. He leaned over to rest his head in his arms, muffled giggles still emanating from his covered mouth. After a minute or so of this, the parasite raised his head and turned to look at the other, still chuckling. "Ah hahahaha, an' ya think I do??? Rule numba one, yo, whatcha want DON'T MEAN NOTHIN if it all up gets in da way o' otha peeps wit' more power den ya. Ya think I ain't all up sick o' dis neither?? I just want things ta go back ta da way dey SHOULD be, broski!! All up back ta things dat make sense, back ta da way things all up WERE befo' everythin' went wrong!! Thought I put all dis behind me, fo' da sake o' mah own life - an' den YA showed up, always findin ways ta get in da way an' make everythin worse! How'dya do it, yo?? An' now - everythin's fallin' apart an' everythin's wrong, an' - Ah hahahaha-" The parasite just smiled at his enemy, his empty laughter cutting off -

"I don't wanna die. I ain't READY yet. An' ya like mah third strike, homie - if I don't all up prove mah worth an' just letcha go - den its game ova, an' i just up an' get replaced. Course I'm gonna fail in da end - eitha a peep I all up angered kills me off, or I all up funk somethin else up an' kick da bucket - but I ain't ready ta die yet. Not like dis. So I can't - I can't give up, ya get me?? I gotta - I don't - I just want dis ta STOP."

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis flinches back at the sudden laughter, brows knitting together in confusion. He reaches back to grab a hold of one of the lower bookcase shelves, using it to slowly try and hoist himself up, dreading the way the pain from his ribs shot through him and took his breath away. He shakily wipes some of the hair from in front of his eyes, sweating a bit from exertion and lingering effects of the arsenic. He listens in silence, Fresh's words occasionally sounding distant before returning to clarity. He understood, though. He knew what the parasite was getting at.

It was... Unfair. Even now Wallis could feel a twinge of guilt and sympathy, knowing that the other knew nothing else BUT a lack of emotion. He was hurting, whether he knew it or not- Mourning over someone he wasn't meant to mourn. Life wasn't fucking fair, sometimes... And Wallis had always been there to help. Seaweed, Assistant, Purple... He freezes when the laughter stops, the unnatural smile sending chills down his spine.

Fresh was far more dangerous than any of his family.

"It... It doesn't work like that Fresh, it doesn't HAVE to be like that," He croaks out, swallowing to try and ease his parched throat. "What you want may not mean anything to someone more powerful- But it matters to others! And nobody is better than anyone else, we're all- We're all equal. I don't mean to make your life hard, I really fucking don't, I'm just... Trying to survive. Yeah, maybe I overreacted when we first met, I'll admit that. It's hard to drop an act when you've lived it for years. And I'm- I'm sorry, okay??! And anyway, you aren't happy how you are- You NEED to make a change!!" He pauses to take a few deep breaths, managing to stand hunched over, leaning heavily against the bookcase with shaking legs. "That's no way to live, and- Fuck, just let me help you, I can try to help if you'll just give me a chance!!"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh gave a derisive snort at the first part, but froze immediately once Wallis stood up. "...Back off, yo. Ya wanna get all up tough an' cocky now, brah?? Ya - Ya want me ta change ta be like YA cuz I ain't happy??? I've NEVER been happy, yo, dat don't mean nothin!! Ya still up an' foolin' yaself dat I NEED help - da only thing dat would HELP is ya bein GONE FO' GOOD. An' den everythin' can - can go back ta da way it SHOULD be, befo' everythin went WRONG an' befo' da kid..." His voice trailed off and his smile slipped again for a moment, before he forced the grin back on his face and strode over to Wallis.

The parasite looked him dead in the eyes, the soul in his left eye noticeably more cracked than when he had first walked in. "What kinda change d'ya suggest, Brahllis~? All up changin' from bein' alive ta bein' DEAD??"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis presses himself back against the bookcase, legs nearly slipping from under him in his haste, unable to look away from the damaged soul in the poor host's eye. His own facial features softened for a moment, as he processed what Fresh had just implied-

"...They were a kid?" He murmurs, shock and horror lacing his tone. He'd never considered... Never REALISED that the person Fresh had lost may have been young. May have been very young... Kids weren't meant to die. "Fresh.... The world isn't that bad, I'm sorry you had to go through such awful things, but- You're only young. You haven't seen much, and you've still got time to... To change yourself, I know you can change, you just need to try looking your fear head on...." His gaze shifts between the cracked soul of eye and the horrified pupil of the other, wondering just how much pain the host was in right now. Fresh looked like he was struggling... He wished he could speak out and apologise to the host, but it wasn't the right time. Not now. He couldn't save them yet...

Without thinking, he automatically shifts forward slightly, reaching out to put his hand on Fresh's arm for 'comfort' like he would with anyone else. "I can help..."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh actually growled, forcefully grabbing the hand Wallis had put on his arm and shoving it aside. "Just GIVE IT UP ALREADY, AIGHT??" he hissed, anger like he hadn't felt for a LONG time gripping him. "Stop talkin' like dem!! Stop it stop it ya ain't FUNNY dis ain't funny no more CUT IT OUT-" The parasite's whole body shuddered, overwhelmed by the unexpected burst of fury churning inside him.

"Ya keep doin dis but ya AIN'T dem an' why wouldja I toldja I was on ta ya ya ain't breakin' me here I ain't lettin' ya make me lose control WHAT ARE YA TRYIN TA DO TA ME-" Fresh let the words spill out in a big jumbled mess before his voice gave out and he just stood there, breathing heavily. He looked... broken, desperate, looking down at the other. "...Kill 'em wit' kindness, right, Wally??"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis flinches back and holds his arm to his chest, shrinking back against the bookcase slightly. How the fuck hadn't Purple heard everything that was happening?!! He glances toward the door again, blinking to try and clear some of the darkness in his damaged eye, before quickly returning his gaze to Fresh. He winces at the parasite's tone, closing his eyes and hunching his shoulders up when those words rose in volume, awaiting some kind of attack- Wallis hesitantly opened them again, meeting Fresh's gaze.

"...I'm not... Trying to be them. I'm not, I promise- I don't know why you think kindness is exclusive to them- Why you think that nobody apart from one person in the entire world would want to help you... But it's not true. There are people that can understand, and help-- I'm just... Just trying to help," His voice wavers. "...Just because you hurt me doesn't mean I can't show you mercy."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh's eyes widened and he took a jerky step back, looking as if he had seen a ghost. "Ya - ya say ya wanna -" He stumbled backwards and sat down hard on the bed, not taking his eyes off the injured magician once. "...Why??"

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis doesn't move, though, the door looked pretty tempting... But he was finally getting through, and Fresh's stare seemed to keep him locked in place. He sees at a loss for words for a few moments, shaking his head slightly and hugging himself with one arm, the other used to steady himself against the bookcase. "l...I don't know," He mutters, quiet. "I guess it was just how I was raised... To give people a chance. To see everyone equally. To.... Help. I grew up with people who were treated like shit their whole lives just because they were different- Nobody deserves that."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh didn't react immediately to that, before he started chucking hoarsely. "Ah hahaha... ha... Dis... hurts. Why does it hurt??" He put his head in his hands, rubbed his eyes, and looked back up at Wallis. "I... don't get it. Dunno if I even CAN, ahaha - Ya sound so much like 'em, and I - CAN'T think bout 'em no more else everythin all up starts crumblin' again - I ain't allowed. I ain't allowed I ain't ready ta die ain't dyin here can't THINK-" The parasite's voice broke, and he stared at Wallis in silence with hollow eyes and an empty grin.

ZEPHYRINX:

"...I can't die either," He mutters back, leaning more heavily against the furniture behind him. He was feeling so lightheaded, body screaming at him to lay down and rest. "I have.... I have family.... I have a brother... My mom... My best friends, and my boyfriend.... You... You can't just take me away from them," He stares back, trying to ignore how unnerving that look was. "...You can't."

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

The parasite shakily got to his feet and walked back over to the other in mechanical, unnatural movements, his heelies audibly dragging across the floor. "...What does dat matter, yo? Peeps all up get ova it, ahaha, don't dey?? Is dat s'pposed ta... heh. Ya can all up get replaced an' nobody'll miss ya or tell da difference, yanno?" Fresh ground to a halt a few paces away from Wallis, still looking at him with an empty gaze.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis' breath hitches as Fresh takes his sweet time approaching him, once again sparing a glance at the door, his chance at freedom. The damn parasite was so unpredictable... At least now he was actually acting like he was MEANT to. Empty, mechanical, without the bombastic flair that he usually acted out. This... This was what was underneath all of that, right? This was what wanted him dead... The lingo combined with that dull look was jarring, and probably more than a habit if anything... It just didn't match up.

Wallis swallows hard, blinking back at Fresh. "...Is that how you feel?" He asks, slow and deliberate. "Like nobody would care if you disappeared?"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

"Yo, I can't FEEL nothin-" Fresh said in a mechanical, flat monotone, before pausing after realizing that wasn't exactly true anymore. "All I've all up eva felt is all up fear an' anger, heh. Da rest o' dat junk - I just play out by watchin ya peeps, ya get me? An' from what I seen - dunno why ya peeps're so proud o' havin' 'em. Think ya'd all be jumpin at da chance ta be rid o' 'em, an' some o' ya do, but da othas-" He shuddered again, still staring the other dead in the face with an empty expression. He still hadn't answered the question at hand, instead letting the silence stretch across the space between them for a minute more.

"Look, brah, ya ain't gonna be rid o' me dat easy. Even if ya break me like ya want, da peeps on da higher-up'll just make anotha, better me, one dat's - dat's better at da job an' listens ta orders. Could be comin' any day now, fo' all I know - I seen 'em, heh. Know dey runnin' round already, even if dey haven't all up stopped by fo' a reminder in a while - so yo, I don't think I'll all up end up disappearin' ta be replaced - I KNOW it, ya get me? All I can do is try ta stay alive long as possible, but odds are I don't got much time-" The parasite went quiet once more, looking as if he was struggling to speak.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis falls silent, studying, thinking. Fresh never said no.

He resists the urge to cough, another wave of dizziness hitting him harder than before causing him to hunch over just slightly, hissing under his breath. He didn't understand exactly what Fresh meant- Honestly, nothing about the parasite seemed to ever make sense- But his words definitely weren't comforting.

"L-Look, I'm not gonna pretend that I know what you're talking about- I don't, I have no idea, and I don't know... How to help... But I can fucking try, okay?! How do you know if you don't at least try!? You can't keep running from your emotions, it'll only hurt more in the long run--" He reaches out again to try and touch the other's arm. "You need to just... Let yourself FEEL and stop jumping to conclusions, Fresh-!!"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh took a stumbling step away from Wallis, looking like a cornered animal. "No no no stop YA TRYIN TA GET ME KILLED SHUT UP-" the parasite hissed in a voice thick with panic, so different from his empty monotone just a moment ago. Yet again, Wallis had ruined EVERYTHING for him, and now he felt like the walls were closing in on him. He might have tried to attack again if he could bring himself to go any nearer, but at that moment all he knew was that he couldn't bear to keep hearing THIS, couldn't keep listening to the words so similar to what THEY had said back when they were still alive, couldn't handle the thought that it might be the TRUTH - he couldn't die couldn't take any more strikes couldn't mess up again they wouldn't be happy with this and it would be EASY to just off his enemy now but he couldn't do it why couldn't he move everything was falling apart - Fresh shook his head hard to try and clear away the awful racing thoughts, his eyes flicking back to the door.

The parasite opened his mouth again, but nothing came out - so he just stood there, tremors racking his stolen body. It would be a miracle if he lasted a week after this.

ZEPHYRINX:

"Fresh, for fuck's sake," Wallis takes a tiny shuffling step towards him, swaying slightly. "I'm not trying to get you killed, I WOULDN'T try to get anyone killed, I'm not- I'm not a fucking psychopath like CAKE made me out to be!! She's not okay, Fresh!! She needs HELP," Wallis sucks in a deep breath to steady himself. "She doesn't even fucking KNOW ME--"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh took another step back, reaching towards his fanny pack with an unsteady hand. "Ya can't fool me, yo, dats how ya ALL are!! Dat's how dis all is - dog-eat-dog's da sayin, ain't it?? Ya gotta all up manipulate peeps an' use 'em fo' ya own benefit ta SURVIVE - tell 'em what dey wanna hear or all up exploitin' weaknesses an' bailin afta ya done wit' em!! Dat's how e - almost everybody is, ah haha, an' ya ain't no exception. Da exceptions all up DIE cuz dey too trustin' - can't take da heat an' dey BURN. Dat's how ALL dese places are, aight?? An' dats whatcha doin- all up usin mah... mistakes against me." Fresh's voice caught on the word mistake, and he shuddered before forcing an artificial grin back on his face.

"Friendship - ah hahaha, don't make me laugh!! Peeps like ya an' Cake Slice all up keep sayin how ya can putcha trust in peeps an' dey do da same fo' ya - dats da real JOKE, ahaha!! Cake Slice was SO EASY ta get ta, ya know dat?? Just tell 'em what dey wanna hear, an' dey come runnin'-" The parasite started chuckling hoarsely again, even though everything about his manner just seemed... unnatural and forced, as if he was desperately trying to keep up his facade of having control.

ZEPHYRINX:

"It's not, but I don't know how to convince you otherwise," Wallis mutters. "And it's hard to trust, I fucking know it is, because I struggle with it too- You're not... ALONE in this, but you can't keep running away from it all, because it WILL catch up eventually!! We BOTH know that!! And I understand the fear of being replaced- Do you have any fucking idea how easy it would be for another star to replace me!?! To come along with weirder magic, or a nicer face, and just throw me under the fucking bus?!! I need to be PERFECT or my career will DIE- Or someone BETTER THAN ME will TAKE MY PLACE!!"

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

The parasite definitely wasn't expecting that and didn't quite know how to respond, watching the other warily. "It - course dis'll catch up ta me in da long run, heh - made too many peeps totes mad ta escape 'em foreva!! But dat don't got nothin ta do wit dis now, ya dig?? Dat don't... An' dere ain't no peeps ta gotta hide from here dat can off me 'sides Redical, an' she ain't all up lookin all da time no more, yeah?? I dunno whatcha point is, ahaha~" He looked like he was making a noticeable attempt to pull himself together, putting up a broken approximation of his usual act.

ZEPHYRINX:

"Fresh, please," Wallis whispers, sinking down a bit more with a hitch in his breathing. "....Leave me alone. Leave my family alone, leave my friends alone... Y-You. You'd fucking... KNOW what it's like to lose someone you love. You wouldn't want someone else to go through that... Would you!?? The pain, the agony, the.... You understand, right?? Just.... Just leave," He almost pleads, still trying to keep a strong tone to his voice... It was now or never. He sucks in a deeper breath, suddenly trying to push forward and past Fresh, aiming for neither the door nor the bed.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh just... allowed Wallis to push past, all the will to fight leaving him as he sank back down to the floor and rubbed his eyes with his palms. He knew what they would want was to fight back and get the job done, show none of this affected him, show it was all in the past like he said. Everything would go back to the way it SHOULD be if he could just follow orders and do what he was SUPPOSED to, what he KNEW they would want him to do... but the parasite couldn't muster the energy to move, caught up in all the memories of past events he wished he could forget. This... wasn't supposed to happen. Not again.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis... Wasn't expecting the ease with which he could push past, pausing mid-stride and standing almost back to back with the parasite... Before glancing back, that familiar swell of pity filling his chest, causing him to fall to his knees too, grateful for the rest. He watches Fresh through one eye, head throbbing from the exposed cut and an oncoming migraine,not really sure what to do or say... He just reaches out from behind, to put his hand on Fresh's shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

Seaweed always said he was too kind for his own good.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh didn't react at all to the supportive motion at first, or even seem to notice - but he relaxed slightly after a moment, an almost subconscious response to the touch. The parasite seemed... drained, as if he couldn't move if he tried. Logically, Fresh knew he needed to pull himself together and fast. The less weaknesses he showed in front of his enemy, the better - and he could barely deal with the faint resistance his host was still putting up. It seemed almost cruel - whenever he thought he was past all this... garbage, it would always come back and hit him when he least expected it. Fresh made an indistinct sound in his throat, curling in on himself a bit more. He needed to get ahold of himself before it was too late.

ZEPHYRINX:

Finding little to no resistance, he squeezes slightly, shuffling a bit closer and slumping forward just a touch as another wave of dizziness smacked into him from behind... he really did not feel well. "...Sorry."

He wanted this to be over. Yes, he was doing this half selfishly- But seeing the other in pain really was making Wallis want to help... It was just in his nature and upbringing to give chances to the less fortunate, and Fresh seemed pretty damn unfortunate. His entire existence was just... sad. But he wanted it over with fast- He was so tired...

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Upon hearing the other's weak voice, Fresh snapped back to reality and the situation he was in, jolting and looking around wildly. He was... Wallis was right next to him, treating him like a friend??? This wasn't RIGHT, what was the magician playing at?? Was he really just sitting there and letting Wallis take advantage of him like that?? What... What was he doing?? This didn't make sense this was WRONG - they weren't going to be happy with him if he didn't find a way to fix this RIGHT NOW. The parasite spun around and lashed out at Wallis in the span of a second, hitting him hard on the head.

ZEPHYRINX:

Wallis only realised a split second too late what the parasite was doing, only able to wince and try to jerk back in the tiny time frame he was given. He was unsuccessful, letting out a small noise of shocked pain as the attack connected, sending him reeling- He slumps backwards, head also knocking into the ground with a painful thud, vision swimming for a second as he struggled to stay conscious. There wasn't much he could to to fight it, though, especially when he was already so injured... It didn't take long at all for him to black out.

NEON--NIGHTMARE:

Fresh slowly got to his feet and looked down at his unconscious opponent, lost in thought. They... They would want him to kill Wallis now, wouldn't they?? Prove once and for all that he was above this and wouldn't get dragged back down, while simultaneously making sure the stubborn magician would never cause any problems again. That was what they would want, but... watching Wallis lay on the ground, most likely out cold - the parasite found he couldn't bring himself to do the deed. He really wasn't a killer, despite how he tended to act to the contrary - it made for good intimidation, after all. Besides, Wallis was probably done with anyways, right?? He would give up after this, realizing he would only get himself hurt, and Fresh could find another plan without dealing with his interference! ...Right?? That was the logical thing to do, after all.

Saving your own skin instead of doing... whatever Wallis had been doing. Of course, Wallis wasn't a threat to him anymore. No need to off him if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Even with all the complications, this was a SUCCESS! He showed he won over his STUPID memories in order to get the job done, and he could just say he had been trying to get close to Wallis so he could strike!!

Never mind that if they truly had been watching - which they probably were - they would have seen all the opportunities he had let by beforehand before finally putting an end to it. Fresh took another step away from the mostly unmoving body, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "Yo, uh..." the parasite croaked out before stopping to clear his threat and try again.

"Yo, ya were all up watchin dis, yeah?? Uh, heh - Did I all up prove mahself now, brahs?? Didn't let none o dat emotional garbage junk hold me back in da end, yanno? All up got dis in da BAG like always!! Just wanted ta... mess wit' Wally a bit, ya know?? Let 'im think he got ta me an' all dat befo' takin' 'im out - dats all, dawgs, ain't no biggie!! See, yo?? I ain't - I ain't strayin, yo!! All up stayin on da straight an' narrow as always, no need ta all up send anotha - anotha reminder or nothin, I all up got dis mahself!! Ya... Ya hearin dis, brahs?? I totes GOT dis an' I ain't lettin nothin hold me down no more!! Da Fresh is BACK AGAIN, yo, an' I ain't..." His voice trailed off again, and he rested his head in his palms for a moment before sparing another nervous glance at the ceiling.

"...Ya listenin', right? Ya know ya don't gotta... Ya probs ain't happy, I get dat. Dats - all up aight, yo!! Cuz I can all up PROVE I got dis when I take ova dis place, ya dig?? Wally ain't gonna cause no more probs - I promise ya dat, ah haha!!" Fresh managed to choke out a faint laugh before remembering where he was once more. The parasite began pulling his shades back out to slip them back on, only sparing a quick glance at his defeated foe before spinning around and striding out of the house (making an effort to be more quiet than he usually was, no point in making it this far and getting caught now).

The parasite gently closed the still-unlocked door behind him before spinning around and walking off into the night, his blanket fanning out behind him.

#gloomverse #fresh #lucidia #roleplay #writing #wallis gloom #neon--nightmare #....i'm very shy abt my roleplaying but this is in Demand(tm) so #please be nice!!

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