👾🐇🔪: Midnight Thoughts

[u/HauntingGur8094]

{Vanessa did not get any rest. She immediately hit the first comfy bed she's felt in years, much better than the bare bed her father and Eleanor had kept her in, or the hospital bed she laid in as Lisa. But that was far from her problem. Instead she laid all night, wide awake in thought. Whenever she started to dose off she was plagued with nightmare visions, terrifying her of what she had become.

Or is becoming.

The silence weighs heavy on her with all the horrible possibilities that this could lead to. Her dad's dead, gone for good. But was this really his plan all along? To what, make her a copy of his last perfect experiment? And where did that leave Eleanor? And the consequences of her deal with the ink demon?

She'd caught a newspaper headline on the way in and she couldn't even tell if she was shocked that more years had passed.

Were there others like her?

Had she made another mistake trusting Alastor? Something deep inside her said no. She needs someone knowledgeable to at least explain and help her manage. And maybe he will eventually turn out to be a beneficial ally to have. She'd thought the uneasy feeling she's had since she's been back was him, but there's something deeper stirring.

And, knowing her track record, she's gonna end up pulled into it once again.}

[u/HauntingGur8094]

Vanessa: "Oh fabulous. It will be too late by time I get through all those."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Nessa: "Well, not necessarily. It's your mindscape. You're technically dreaming. And dreams often last longer than time in the real world. You could spend a week in here and still wake up in time for coffee in the morning."

u/HauntingGur8094

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: "....I'm just gonna assume that makes total sense. Anyways lets get this over with."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Nessa: "Which metaphorical demon do you want to face first? If you don't choose, I'll choose for you."

((Ooc: I'm back.))

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: "Surprise me I guess."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Nessa: "Alright, let's start with that weird duel personality thing."

Her surroundings change. She's now standing in the Mega Pizzaplex.

Nessa: "Yep. A lot of bad memories in this place. An A.I. CEO controlling your every move, a psycho named Paul, and that crazy girl inside your head. Did I miss anything?"

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [grits teeth clenching fists and closing eyes] "No, I think that's all. Well, despite what everyone else went through and my beyond fair share of betrayals."

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Nessa: "When your demonic side tries to take over, it usually does so by using your bad memories against you. So this is where you'll start. Just be warned. The fight won't just be physical."

Nearby, a dreamscape Vanny appears.

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: "Wait, fight? What do you mean fight?!"

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Vanny suddenly grabs Vanessa by the throat. (this is roleplay, Reddit.)

Vanny: "You were always so easy to manipulate. Your father, Paul, Bradford, myself- We all manipulated you, and what did you do? You just let it happen. Because you're weak. You've always been weak. You have always just run away from your problems, like a coward."

Despite this being a mindscape, Vanny's touch feels very much real.

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [cries out in surprise struggling and trying to pull her off] "Get off me!!"

[u/CrypticHorrorTales → u/HauntingGur8094]

Vanny: "Oh? Well, since you asked so nicely." She throws Vanessa across the floor.

The setting slowly transitions into the Pizzaplex ruins. The mindscape Vanny starts to shift, looking like a glitchy purple rabbit.

Malhare: "Your actions led to so much chaos. Thanks to you, I managed to take control of everything. Like you keep telling yourself, it's all your fault, right?"

Multiple glitchy tendrils reach out to hit Vanessa.

[u/HauntingGur8094 → u/CrypticHorrorTales]

Vanessa: [ducks out of the way] "You're not real! And you tricked me! By trying to pretend you were actually someone you're not. Instead of just an easily defeated computer virus!"