#the shifting quiet

[amazingmsme]

No Harm, No Foul

AN: this got longer that I was expecting tbh, but I just couldn’t help myself! This one was so fun & playful to write, all the voices & the narrator are so silly, I love them so much! This game has such a grip on me, & there’s literally no fluffy fics for all that angst!

This is set during the prisoner arc, but that’s not really relevant, just provides a setting & some context. This is formatted a lil different from my other fics, as it’s written in second person to match the game’s style but to be clear, I still don’t write reader inserts & because of all the voices, I’m adding a color chart to help you know which voice is speaking, even if it’s not specified

Hero- red

Skeptic- blue

Smitten- pink

Contrarian- green

Broken- purple

& the Narrator’s lines are just naturally written in the descriptions. The princess responds normally

Hope this helps! Without further ado, here’s day 20!

You're on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path, is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a princess. You're here to slay her.

Except you didn't slay her. You both tried to escape, you had been so close, but this world refused to let you be together for too long.

You've lost count of how many times you've done this song and dance. Endless, it would seem. And now, thanks to your own poor decisions, you yourself are left in the basement, side by side with the embodiment of evil.

"Embodiment of evil? She hasn't so much as said a word in days," the voice of the Hero interrupted, before the voice of the Skeptic interrupted him.

"I'm pretty sure it's been longer."

They were your only company, seeing as the princess was so intent on ignoring you. You're not quite sure how much more time has passed, but you stroke a patch of moss on a nearby stone that wasn't there before.

"Watch it." It was the first words she'd spoken in what felt like forever. Her voice was deep and raspy from lack of use. She cleared her throat, sitting up as straight and dignified as ever.

"Sorry, I just hadn't noticed that before," you explained, pulling your hand back. She hummed as she noticed the small patch of color in the dull room.

"How nice," she said, scooting closer to pet the soft plant. You adverted your gaze as she got closer, unsure of where her boundaries still stood. You fiddled with the heavy lock around your neck, the thick metal digging into the tender skin.

She noticed your discomfort, staring with a blank expression as you tried to pull it away from your throat. Her eyes trailed from your chains to her own.

"It's not the most comfortable, is it?" she asked, startling you a bit.

"Um, no, it's not. But then again, I don't think they make chains with comfort in mind," you spoke in a deadpan tone. She barked out a sarcastic laugh, but there was enough sincerity there to make your... heart flutter? Are you really making me say this?

"She thinks we're funny! We made our darling precious angel laugh! And what a beautiful sound it was!" the voice of the Smitten rambled on in a lovesick tangent. But he made sure to shut up as soon as the princess opened her mouth.

"I didn't know you were funny," she sounded genuinely surprised, and honestly, so am I. That wasn't even a proper joke.

"Hey, are you saying we're not funny?" the Hero immediately went on the defensive.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

"The princess thinks we're funny," the Skeptic chimed in.

You just happen to share the same morbid sense of humor. She's laughing more at the situation than anything else.

You huff and the voices in your head grow quiet once more. Time drags on; the moss spreads, and cracks slowly crumble away the stone and brick. The princess occasionally breaks the silence with a rare comment or question. Sometimes, if you're lucky, she might even carry on a conversation.

It seemed now was one of those times.

"Y'know, you're molting again, and all these loose feathers really got me thinking. You wouldn't happen to be ticklish would you?"

"What? You don't just ask someone that right out of the blue! No build up, no hints, no nothing!" the Hero began to panic as she continued speaking. Oh, so she wasn't even done yet.

"It would be kinda ironic, wouldn't it?" she continued with a smirk. She cocked her head to look at you expectantly. She cocked a brow when she didn't receive an answer. "Well?"

"Yeah, it would," you agreed, hoping it would be enough to suffice. But you are dealing with a cruel, calculating, and manipulative person, so of course that answer doesn't sate her appetite.

"Aw, a little shy, are we? After all this time?" she asked, her voice just a touch softer.

"Pretty sure anyone gets shy at that question," the Skeptic snapped defensively.

"Okay, you got me. Maybe a little. There, happy now?"

No, no! What are you doing? You just told her your greatest weakness!

"Hey, that is not our greatest weakness!" the Hero argued, sounding genuinely flustered.

Well it is now. Enjoy.

"Relax, he can't just do that," the Skeptic was quick to reassure him.

It took all but a second for this conversation to happen in your head. The princess is now smiling at you, scanning you up and down with a hungry gaze.

"Only a little? You wouldn't mind if  I tested that, would you?" she asked, her tone even, almost uninterested. But you could see the mischief dancing in her eyes. Finally, you're seeing her true, sadistic side shine through.

"Sadistic? Our darling simply wants to play! Haven't you ever heard of flirting before?" the Smitten chimed in. And okay, rude.

But I assure you, she's not flirting, it has to be some kind of power play. As soon as you let your guard down, she will kill you.

"Is... is boredom just a foreign concept to you?" the Hero asked. "If she wanted to kill us, I'm sure she'd have done it by now."

That's just what she wants you to think.

Her chains clanked together softly as she inched closer. You tensed, but hesitated to move away. That would make it too obvious, and her predatory instincts would surely kick in.

"I didn't hear a no," she hummed, shifting so she sat facing you.

"Shit, did we forget to answer her?" the Hero questioned, panic lacing his voice.

"So, where do you think we should start?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. She cocked her brow, a smirk tugging at her lips. It was the first time you'd seen her look even vaguely happy since you were locked down here.

"U-um..." you stuttered, struggling to think of a suitable answer.

"She can't expect us to choose! That's not fair!" the Hero complained.

"She's just trying to be considerate of our preferences," the Smitten justified.

"What? We don't have preferences! Not... not about this at least..."

"Dealers choice?" you answered lamely, the voices in your head offering no help in your decision. You froze when you heard her chuckle beside you, your feathers ruffled.

"Why do you look so tense? Relax, will you?" she prodded your side, hoping to get a reaction. You flinched away at the touch, the corners of your beaked mouth twitching upward in a short lived grin. "Aw, is that a smile?" she teased, poking the same spot, wiggling her finger a little and earning a stifled snicker.

Are you really just gonna let this happen? You're not gonna put up any kind of fight, whatsoever?

"I'm pretty sure she'll make us regret it if we even try to fight back. At least right now, she seems... playful."

"Maybe we should fight back and see what happens. Let her really go to town on lover boy, see how much he likes her then," the Contrarian spoke up for the first time in quite a while.

"I'd still love every second of it! Whatever makes our princess happy," the Smitten was unwavering in his adoration as always.

"No! Have you forgotten we all have to endure what she dishes out? I'd rather not piss her off," the Hero reasonably pointed out.

You were pulled from your thoughts when you felt long nails scratch under your chin, burying beneath the downy feathers. You let out a squawk of surprise, immediately scrunching your shoulders. Giggles bubble up your throat and you clamp a hand over your mouth, desperate to contain the embarrassing sounds.

"Excuse you, our laugh is rugged and handsome!" the Smitten proudly proclaimed.

"I can't reach your feet, mind helping me out?" she asked so nonchalantly it gave you whiplash. You instinctively curled your talons, tucking your legs closer to your chest.

"W-what did she just say?"

"Pft, yeah, like we're just gonna put our feet in her lap," the Skeptic scoffed.

"That's a great idea! She can barely reach us in those chains," the Smitten noticed, deciding to rectify this mistake by turning to face her, stretching your legs out.

"No, I just said we weren't gonna do that!"

"I don't know, maybe we should. She's gonna tickle us anyways," the Broken noted.

"Thanks," the princess smirked as she grabbed your ankle, scooting even closer. She picked up one of your feathers off the stone floor, twirling it for you to see. Your leg jerked back reflexively at the sight. She chuckled as she traced up and down your foot, paying close attention to your reactions. She grabbed your talons and pulled them back, stretching out your feet as she sawed the feather between your toes.

You leaned against the wall, burying your face in your hands with a loud squawk of laughter. You tried to kick and squirm away, but she held onto your ankle, keeping you sufficiently trapped as soft giggles poured out of you. Your talons curled and twitched with each fluttery stroke, much to her amusement. She grabbed your other foot, wasting no time before giving it the same treatment.

"Wow, you're more ticklish than I thought. Now tell me, is it worse knowing that I'm using your own feathers?" she asked curiously, deciding to attack both feet simultaneously. You shrieked and arched your back, nodding instead of giving a verbal answer. You already had too much going on inside your head to reply.

"What? She can't be serious! Of course it makes it worse! She knows that!" the Hero protested, sounding flustered beyond belief and on the verge of giggles himself.

"She can't possibly know that, she's just trying to get a rise out of us," the Skeptic argued.

"Well it's working," the Hero whined.

"Hm, I wonder where else you're ticklish," she mused aloud, scanning your body up and down. She reached out, giving both knees an experimental squeeze.

Chains rattle as you jerk away with a loud laugh, surprising even you. Her shock quickly morphed to sadistic glee.

"Uh oh, looks like I found a bad spot," she taunted, dragging you back by the ankles. You sat there, completely frozen as she crawled towards you until it was too late and she latched onto your knees.

If you ask me, I'd say everywhere's a bad spot.

"That was uncalled for!"

"No one asked you!"

"Is it a crime to be sensitive?”

You wished they would all just shut up.

Between the chain on the wall and the princess in front of you, there was nowhere for you to go, and nothing for you to do except cackle and writhe on the ground.

But if you were being honest, it- wasn't the worst way to spend your time? You can't be serious! Please tell me you're joking.

"Well... at least now something's actually happening," the Hero sheepishly admitted.

"True. An eternity of silence is more torturous than whatever she can dish out," the Skeptic agreed.

"I can't even remember the last time we laughed. It's... kinda nice, if I'm being honest."

Okay, you know what? Fine. You win. You let her tickle you for however long she wants, which just so happens to feel like an eternity. She manages to find your most ticklish spots with ease, and even a few you weren't aware of. All the while, you continue to flail around uselessly and make the most humiliating noises you've ever heard. She loves to mock those sounds, pointing out the way you ruffle your feathers when flustered, or how you try to hide your face instead of fend her off.

Maybe she knows you like this? Probably, I mean, you're making it pretty obvious, aren't you?

"Okay, we get it!"

So I hope you enjoy this demise of your own making, because it won't be stopping anytime soon it would seem.

But like I said. You probably like that.

And she knows it.

[fossilized-honey]

In a cabin in the woods rn. Straight up “slaying it”. And by “it”, haha, well. Let’s just say. The printcess.

[muffindoesstuff]

Is this song not them?

[febo-asoma]

yuri break

[prinzseide]

repost of finished doodle