Someone Got Into The Nip!

So you’re saying you came here...from another world?

Testing... 2! Wow

Testing!

[ID start: Two splotches of darkness on a white sheet-- one bearing starts, the other bearing a silhouette of a person. Besides each is text. The text for the stars reads: "For what Loneliness is greater than when surrounded by others?"

The text besides the silhouette reads: "For what Loneliness is greater than when you are truly alone?" /End ID]

"For what Loneliness is greater than that caused by your own hand?"

Trick or treat! Happy halloween!

Happy Halloween to you! Please enjoy this blue lace agate!

        Eons ago, there was a Great Nothing. Empty, suffocating, ever-hungry Nothing. It was alone in its non-existence, and slowly, the Nothing realized that there was Something—a feeling. The Nothing was Lonely.

        And so, it wept.

        In its weeping, it Created. Slowly, one by one, the Nothing created stars—twinkling, glittering, warm little stars. The stars comforted the Nothing, humming it to deep, comforting sleep.

        Well, the stars shimmered, we have been given a gift of existence.

        Should we, perhaps, the stars wondered, give a gift back?

        And so, the stars got to work.

---

        This was the story of creation, and it was one the child had heard many, many times before. “I don’t see what this has to do with anything.” They huffed, impatient, and the man rested a hand on their head. “It has many things to do with everything.” He started, but before he could continue, the child gave him a quizzical look. “But right now?”

        The man smiled, and hoisted his weapon. “Especially right now.”

        When the Great Nothing awoke, it was to the sight of many more Somethings than it had made. The stars had given their gift—the gift of life—and remolded it, creating more Somethings to keep the Nothing company.

        Upon seeing this, the Nothing once again wept—but found a different Something to be the cause.

        Joy.

---

        The stars were not the only ones to whom the act of Creating was passed on to, however. Even so, the ability became watered down, with each Creation having less of the ability than that who Created it. Eventually, it was lost to every Creation, save for a select few, blessed by the Nothing itself.

        The man was not one of those few. The child was, however. To an extent, anyway—the powers it contained were limited and corrupted, but not by its own hand.

---

        In its Joy, the Great Nothing embraced a star—and, in its careless Joy, the Great Nothing snuffed it out. The rest of the stars shrunk away, understanding something new—for this Great Nothing, Creation came easily…

        …and Destruction came even easier, even if it did not mean to do so.

---

        Not everything was grateful for the gift given to them—some resented the Great Nothing for attempting to end its loneliness. The man was one—the child was not, although it pretended to be, for the sake of survival.

        There were not many of the same kind as the man and the child, and the Creations left were dying, slowly.

---

        Try as it might, the Great Nothing found that no matter what it did, its Creations still shrunk away from its touch in fear. Soon, the Nothing found that there was a worse kind of Loneliness than being truly Alone. Each attempt to make amends ended poorly, earning the Nothing nothing but Fear in return.

        It began to resent the things it had Created.

---

        The Great Nothing, itself, is collapsing in despair, the man had said before. We can end its pain.

        The child did not believe the Great Nothing would want such a thing, but had no choice in the matter—it learned that long ago.

        You must assist me in this, or the Great Nothing will not bless you as it blesses me, the man had said. I cannot move on without you.

        The child did not believe it wanted such a thing.

---

        And so, the Great Nothing, in its newfound Fury, Created once more—but these Creations were twisted, gifted the ability to Destroy, rather than Create.

        Some feel that it is a good thing that the stars put a stop to its Madness, even if it meant that they must do what drove the Great Nothing to Madness to begin with.

---

        The man and the child had started out on this journey together.

        They did not make it to the end together.

---

        And so, the Great Nothing was locked away by the stars, forced to sleep once more, consciousness contained in a small cube, and cast aside.

        And so, the Great, sleeping Nothing fell for an eternity.

---

        The child kneeled before a wall, darker than the darkness itself, and wept.

        “I am sorry.” It said. “I am sorry.”

        And so, the child plunged its weapon into the heart of the darkness.

---

        When the Great Nothing awoke, it was to yet another new sensation—Pain. Is this, it wondered, what the star felt when it was Destroyed?

        There was another Something here—a very small Something. It was weeping apologies, and the Great Nothing felt sorry. It, too, was blessed—it, too, was cursed—it, too, was given too heavy a burden to bear. It, too, had the ability to Destroy. It, too, was deeply Lonely in ways the Nothing understood.

---

        It is alright.

        The words echoed in the child’s mind, and the cold, forgiving, Great Nothing embraced the child. I, too, am sorry.

        And so, the Great Nothing died.

        And so, all the Great Nothing’s creations died with it.

        Well.

        Almost all of them.

---

        It was cold. Suffocatingly cold. What had happened? The child remembered finding the cube—so big it was more like a wall. The child remembered doing what the man said it must.

        And then?

        And then… nothing. The child was floating in darkness.

        The child was alone, it realized, and a Loneliness greater than what it had felt with the man began to rise.

        And so it wept.

        And in its weeping, it Created.

Don't use tape, kids. It will just disappoint you.

[ID Start: A person sits in an office chair at a desk and seems to be staring at a space above the laptop in front of them. There is an arrow pointing to them that reads "Forced 2 create (did it to themselves)". They are crying. /End ID]

Help.

@pastelpixels suggests: > Inspect the rocks and see what, if anything, lies beyond

------

The sand crunches under my feet as I move forward, step by step, over to the rocks up ahead. Three of them sit mostly upright in the sand, in various states of disrepair, and I pause.

That is... an awfully familiar sight, unfortunately-- the positioning, the design, all scream "not a rock". My ear twitches nervously, and I take a step back, uncertain.

My mask breaks me out of my thoughts before they can delve any further.

"NOT A ROCK, DUMBASS," says the notification that pops up, helpful as ever. A startled laugh escapes me, and I wave the popup away. "No," I agree, "I suppose it isn't just a rock."

Fear subsided, I crouch by the tombstone, brushing sand off of the worn smooth surface. Despite the cracks, the stone looks rather undamaged, as if it's never seen a proper storm-- or, more accurately, as if it got stuck in time somewhere down the line.

My fingers linger on the stone for a moment, dread beginning to bubble in the pit of my stomach again, before I grab it by the scruff and throw it into the ocean.

No.

We are not going through this now, I decide. There's no reason to assume this planet is empty-- though the first sight being tombstones is a little unnerving. I refuse to believe there is no life here other than hostiles, not again.

And if it is...? A little voice inside me whispers, and I scowl.

If it is, it simply isn't anymore. I am here, and I refuse to believe it.

I stand, turning sharply, and walk to the stairs, the cool stone and familiar sound of my staff against something solid clearing my head as I scale them.

I stop at the top of the stairs, taking a moment to get my bearings. The large rock (boulder? Mountain? Listen, I'm not an expert on rock terminology here) that looms before me has, luckily, a cave at its base, well lit enough that I could safely assume that there was an opening on the other side somewhere.

There is also, towards the wall near the entrance, a small bundle of candles.

------

Suggestions:

> Inspect the candles

> Go back to the tombs Page 3 < Prev // Next > // Tag for scrolling through!

[ID Start: A three panel comic. The first panel shows a phone in front of a computer keyboard. The phone has a drawing app open, with a little notification window open on top. The notification says "Artist you follow liked your work!"

The second panel shows a simplistic drawing of a person sitting at a computer, staring at their phone in their hand.

The third panel is the same, but the person's eyebrows are furrowed. The background has "huh" written in all caps behind them. /End ID]

Happens every time.

Pulled Benny yesterday