a-crash-in-time-collection

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 54: Shards of Rose-Tinted Glasses

The fall leaves slowly fell over time, as the snow began to come from the sky. Winter was something that had always been in the back of the toppat's minds as they worked on repairing the station. Some had hoped that with the speed of the work they got on the station some days that it wouldn't be a concern. Of course that was wishful thinking. Winter had only started, so there was only about an inch of snow on the ground now, but they all were keenly aware of how much of an issue it could easily become.

They did have most of the rooms inside the station ready to go, able to keep warmth. But that would drain more power that they could be using on other things. It also meant they had to keep an eye on the solar panels. They weren't made to be exposed to the elements for a very long and constant time. And while they had done well with the rain and storms over the past months, who knows how they would deal with snow. It became a part of most Toppat's routine to swing by the panels and make sure they were still working properly.

It was clear the change in seasons affected some of the toppat's mental states. Seasonal depression for one. But it was hard to blame them. In only a few months more time they would have been here for a year. A whole year away from the world they had spent their whole lives around before. It was just hard to focus. The more lighthearted toppats would do the best for them, trying to help out more and cheer their sadden members up. But it was easy to see things weren't going to be close to normal anytime soon.

At least they had Randy now. As strange and wild it was to still have him back, he seemed to be more quick thinking then you would have expected. He was able to find old parts of his game sets and used them to block out any large broken areas that still had yet to be filled. Keeping some of the cold out and the heat in. He did seem a little sad about it, but it was clear his care for the toppats were above that. Once he learnt how to use his new magic, maybe he could get them something better.

There was one toppat that kept getting attention as from the others. Right Hand Man always seemed to be more upset yet numb at the same time during the winter. It seemed like another case of seasonal depression. But it almost felt like he had been more on edge lately. And he was. Right would never tell them why but he just, couldn't seem to get his mind to rest. He kept having memories on his mind. Memories of a time before the clan. One where the winter was long and seemingly endless.

He was brought out of his thoughts for a moment when he heard something bump into his foot. He glanced down as he put some boxes on a table, seeing Rumbi swirling in place, swirls for eyes. "Didn't ya see me?" He asked as he rolled his eyes, the robot hoping up as he seemed to recover. Right glanced over at Hat Girl as she came over, picking up the vacuum gently. "Ye s'ould be more careful wit' 'im, Hattie. Don't want 'im breakin' again." Right stated as he rolled his eyes, going to grab a part out of the box.

"He just slid a little down a slope." Hat Girl said with a smile as she raced back down the hall. Right paused when he saw Platinum and Van speaking near where she stopped. He knew what they were doing. He turned away, taking a breath. Reginald glanced over from some of the systems they had spent that day repairing, giving him a worried look. Hat Girl must have seen it too. "Papa, are you ok?" She called. He nodded, glancing over at Reginald ever so slightly. "Are you sure? You seem upset."

"We're just having issues with some of the machinery, Hattie!" Reginald called, adjusting the scarf he had on under his necklace for a moment. They weren't outside, he didn't need it for warmth. Right handed Reginald the piece he needed form the box as Hat Girl came back over, quickly. Rumbi followed along like it was some sort of race. Right turned his face away from Hat Girl. "It's fine, you don't need to worry. We can handle it ourselves." Reginald smiled when he saw her. "Why don't you head outside?"

Hat Girl picked up Rumbi. "I can't take Rumbi outside without the snow messing with his systems. Besides, I’ve been meaning-" she was cut off by a faint shake and a loud, almost crash-like sound. Right garbed onto the table and took a breath, before going to the closest window and opening it to take a look. It didn't take him long to spot the faint, magic aura above the subcon forest. "Huh, that's interesting." Hat Girl said as she came over. "I wonder if Snatcher is trying something?"

"W'otever 'e is doin', it better not effect 'ere." Right muttered as he glared at the forest. Reginald went up to him and Hat Girl looked at them both as Right glanced at Reginald. It was like they were talking with just their eyes as Right got up and headed back to the boxes, one hand resting against his head like he had a headache. Reginald gave a worried and disproving look as he walked over. "Sure, I can understand w'y t'e ghost may not like winter, but it's not a reason to set off a bomb in t'e middle of t'e day."

"Oh yea, I forgot Snacther's realtion with anything wintery is shakey." Platinum said as he came over, Van following behind a few steps. Right glanced over and gave the teen a quick glare, before turning away and shaking his head. Hat Girl went up to place a hand on her dad's shoulders but Reginald quietly stopped her, her giving a confused look. Platinum tilted his head as he sat on the table next to the box. "Ok, Pops, you're acting more off than usual. What's going on."

"Nothin'. Just a ‘eadache." He didn't care if the lie was convening. He didn't care for much right now. He just wanted these bad memories to leave him. They kept appearing in the back of his mind and for some reason he couldn't seem to shut them up for once. Platinum crossed his arms as he glanced at him, Right shaking his head as he turned away, walking to one of the walls. "It's not a good day, kids. We're just tryin' to get stuff done. Other t'en t'at, I wanna be left alone."

"Papa, are you sure?" Hat Girl asked, getting a nod from the man. Each movement of his felt stiff. Like he was trying to stay in control. "It seems like more than a headache…"

"Righty, come here a moment." Reginald gestured for Right to come closer to the corner of the room, the cyborg following. Reginald lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "I know you hate that ghost but, why don't you head to Subcon until things clear up? You can check what he was doing if you wish." Right glanced to the side and Reginald looked at his hand. He reached for it for a moment, only to pull back last second. "Only if you want too, of course. I just think it would be quieter there."

"Well, someone 'as to make sure 'e doesn't end up blowin' up our part of t'e woods." Right sighed as he went to go grab a jacket from nearby. He didn't need many layers, his system was program to start warming up if it got too cold. That and he didn't care to garb more in the first place. He began to leave the room, pausing at the exit as he turned to Hat Girl and Platinum. "Ya two be good for yer father, ya 'ear?" He asked, getting quick nods form the two before he sighed, leaving the room. "Good." They heard from him before he started mumbling.

"I know Pops isn't exactly the happiest during winter but, something else feels off." Platinum said as he turned to Reginald, who had started work on the machine again. He saw Reginald adjust the scarf, and pause when he saw faint bits of red and blue. He raced over to him, Reginald shouting a bit from surprise as the other two came over. Platinum gave Reginald a worried look. "Dad, why do you have a bruise on your neck? It doesn't look like it's from your necklace? Did you bump into something?"

Reginald sighed. "It's not his fault. I tried to wake him up during a nightmare about his past, and for a moment he must have thought it was him.." Reginald said quietly as he adjusted the scarf to cover the wound. "He knocked me back before he realized who I was and I hit our stand. I think that's part of why he's so off today." He glanced at them all. "Don't worry. It'll be fine. It doesn't even hurt. I was just wearing this so he would stop blaming himself for it. He spent a good hour apologizing."

Platinum nodded quietly as he glanced at Hat Girl. Now that just left a question. Nightmare of who?

How dare he land even a finger on Reginald in that moment!? He hadn't stopped thinking about it since this morning. It all just happened so fast. His mind may not have awoken yet, but Reginald was the love of his life. He should have recognized him and just left him be. He was lucky Reginald wasn't badly hurt! He’d seen what his cybernetics are capable of! He remembered his main fear when he got them was he was going to hurt someone he loved with them. He should have known it was gonna happen once he let his guard down…

He knew he couldn't think about it forever. It was just one time. And Reginald seemed to understand that. But it didn't stop the guilt weighing on Right's soul as he walked through the forest. At least it was oddly peaceful here, at least right now. Normally he always had to worry about Hattie or someone else getting caught in one of the phantom's soul sucking traps but, here it was just him. And he wasn't sure he minded losing his soul at the very moment. How much of one did he really have?

He paused when he heard muttering nearby, spotting the ghostly phantom near the swamp, book in hand.

He didn't really wanna speak with the ghost, but he knew if the ghost spotted him it would be a conversation he couldn't leave. "Oi, Snatcher!" He called as he walked over. The ghost seemed to jolt a bit in surprise, but quickly tried to hide it by making it look like he was knocking some snow away. There was only a fine layer on the ground of the forest. And there seemed to be less in this part. "W'ot were ya doin' earlier? We felt it from t'e orbital station, could 'ave knocked t'ings over."

"I'm just trying some new spells to help the forest during the winter season. I don't want it to die anymore." Snatcher rolled his eyes as he read a spell, a small lamp with a blue fire appearing in his hands that he tied to a pole. Right could feel the unnatural warmth from a bit away. Like a fireplace but with some eerie aura around it. Snatcher glanced down the path nearby. "The spell was a heat blast. I planned on setting it up in case Vanessa got close to the bridge but, it's a little too much."

"T'at better mean yer not usin' it." Right said, Snatcher giving a nod. Right sighed in relief. "Good, we can't 'ave t’at… 'ave you been ok? Wi'h all t'e snow 'nd ice?"

"It's been annoyingly colder but we're managing." Snatcher chuckled a bit, focusing his attention on a book. Right nodded at the ghost's statement. He could see a bit of pain in those long yellow eyes. Despite how often they seemed to butt heads, a part of Right always felt sorry for the ghost. He was young, killed by someone he thought he could trust the whole world with… "Little Shadow has been having a good time with the snow at least." Snatcher stated. "Can't wait to see what she does when we actually get a decent amount."

"Are ye gonna let it get to t'at point?" Right asked, jestering to the fiery lamp that Snatcher had placed near the swamp. Snatcher paused for a moment as he looked at it, before rolling his eyes with a shrug. Right pulled the sleeves of the jacket he wore up. It was getting almost a little too warm for him. Funny when he thought about it. He glanced at the ghost. "I'm just sayin', I don't understand 'ow the rest of t'e forest handles winter, since one part of it's already locked in permanent winter."

"Well, I try to keep the forest warm, or at least the parts around the little one's village." Snatcher said, floating to the path and jestering for Right to follow. The man nodded as he did, although he kept some distance as he looked around, at all the lanterns and similar warming lights were placed about. He wondered if any of it was for Snatcher as well. "See." Snatcher said once the little town came into few, many lights dotted about and a fireplace lit near the middle.

"Aren't ye worried it's going to attract any of t'ose fire sprirts?" Right asked, tilting his head a bit. Snatcher just gave a shrug, making Right sigh. He knew the numbers were low now but with what happened to Platinum, it should still be a concern. It took a good bit for Platinum to fully bounce back from that day… He paused as he remembered Reginald. "Snatcher, are ya capable of makin' healin' potions?" He asked. "Like for wounds and all t'at kind of stuff? Nothin' deadly."

"I mean, if it's nothing deadly I don't see why you would need a potion." Snatcher rolled his eyes a bit. "Doesn't time heal all wounds?" He asked. Right drifted his vision away. He couldn't tell Snatcher what he did. The ghost would not rest until everyone on the planet knew. He knew the fact it was an accident didn't make it right. He just didn't want to be reminded of it after his worries faded. "Hey. Are your brain systems working? You coming to ask stuff from me? It's not like you, Righty."

"Only Reg calls me t'at." Right stated, giving the ghost a glare. He watched the ghost smile a bit at that. As if he had checked something… Was the ghost capable of reading his thoughts? Could he shut down his systems to make it harder to.. was that something he could have done these past few nights? He saw Snatcher float down beside him with a shrug. "Don't even t'ink of sneakin' up on me." Right warned, his cybernetic eye glowing faintly as he turned to where the ghost was.

"Oh, what's the fun in sneaking if you knew i-" He paused when he saw Right's skin pale suddenly. "Wait, right, are you-"

He sounded like him for a second. Unless Right was going crazy… maybe he was. "Don't do that again." He said, mumbling as he took some steps back. He held his human hand close to him, feeling the ring. It let him relax, even if just by a small amount. He was safe. Reginald would be safe when he got all this out of his system… He grabbed the ghost's hand once he touched his shoulder without warning. Being as gentle as he could. "No." Right said, tossing it back with a huff.

"Right, for real, what's going on with you?" Snatcher asked. Right didn't respond. He might hurt someone if he stuck around for longer. He just began to walk away. Snatcher watched for a moment, before crossing his arms as he raised a brow. Well, blame him for being nice then, he supposed. He glanced at the ground, and paused as he thought. Something about Right's emotions there… they felt familiar. "It doesn't make sense." He said. "Did he and Reginald fight?"

"What do you mean, Papa?" Shadow Kid asked as she came over with some of the dwellers, each tilting their heads with Shadow Kid having a bit of a worried look on hers. He sighed as he bent down and patted her on her shoulder as he tried to think of what to say. A fight between them didn't make sense. Or maybe it did? He never knew what a healthy relationship was like. "Do the toppats need help or something? Is Mr. Right gonna be ok?" She asked, Snatcher sighing as he looked at her.

"Well, I don't know little shadow. He isn't exactly easy to read." He should just leave the man to do whatever he came here to do and leave. He could handle himself if he got hurt. But the type of anger and hint of fear he heard there. It sounded so…eerily familiar to how he felt in the past. Back when the forest had first gotten cursed… He gently turn her around. "Why don't you all keep playing and let us adults do the talking. Or better yet, why don't you think of something for him?"

"To cheer him up?" Shadow asked, Snatcher giving a nod. She hugged him. "You're a genius Papa, I'm gonna get to work!"

She began to lead the Dwellers back to where some minions were, leading them over and beginning to talk excitedly. Snatcher gave a wave before beginning to float off after Right. He glanced at the little bits of snow in the air, and felt his blood chill at the sight. He never could feel the same around snow again…

Right didn't know where he was going in the forest, if he was going anywhere. He just wanted to be left alone. It felt like his legs were getting tired despite the fact they were made of metal. Then again, his mind felt like it had been playing tricks on him for a long while now. Sometimes he could still feel the ache in his side after a fight where things turned bad… He sighed, what was he going to do? He eventually stopped by a collapsed tree and sat on the log, trying to think.

He figured Snatcher was going to find him again eventually. He hated how much he got mad at the ghost. He did nothing wrong, he didn't know… He let out a quiet chuckle. How much did he really hate Snatcher because of the risk he posed to his daughter in the past? And how much was some internal bias he hadn't even picked up upon until recently? Had he been misjudged him this whole time? Likely. He had seen many moments were Snatcher was good, trying to do the right thing…

He let out a shout when he thought he felt something slither by his arm. He turned to the side and saw a vine had fallen. He blushed as he garbed the vine and threw it with a shout, how did it even get there… He sensed a presence near him.

"Now, you don't have to tell me anything Right. But I know you well enough to tell something's off." Snatcher said as he handed him a cup with what looked to be hot chocolate in it. Right rose a brow and eyed the ghost as he took a test sip. It tasted normal… He rolled his eyes and drank it as Snatcher snickered himself, floating around Right once before sitting down again. Right glared at where the vine went with as he did. "I take it you aren't the biggest fan of snakes?"

"Nope, Vester was too obsessed wit' t'em for me to like t'em anymore." Right mumbled as he glanced to the side. Only to pause when he realized what he just said. He thought about it, before sighing. Snatcher just tilted his head. Didn't try to interrupt. "Believe it or not… I was in a relations'ip before I was wit' Reg. Before I was in the clan." He sighed as he shook his head. "'is name was Vester. I met 'im once at my job at some, gas station or somethin'. I can't remember."

"I take it he wasn't good.." Snatcher stated, and Right nodded. Snatcher glanced to the side as he thought about it. Oh, that was so familiar. "Do I…remind you of him?"

"Only in certain ways. It's mainly t’e way you talk sometimes." Right stated. "And t’at sneakin’ up joke…" Right shook his head. "’e was only a little older t’an me. I was… eighteen at the time? Nineteen maybe? I had started doin' small crimes and ‘e encouraged me. Eventually I almost got my folks hurt because of one of my crimes and I got scared for them… Vester used t’at to convince me to stay with ‘im. Drop my old name. By t’en we ‘ad been seein’ each other occasionally for little dates."

Snatcher frown as he glance at the ground. He had a fist in his hand. "Ugh, I hate it when people are like that. Act like your best friend in the world so you come to them without question, and then the second you-" he realized he was raising his voice. Right glanced over at him. Snatcher could see the smallest hint of tears in his eyes. Memories hurt. "Well, sorry about that." he said as he took the cup away, carefully. "I just tend to get emotional at times. But at least I'm a fun emotional!" he shook his head. "Sorry, uncalled for."

"It's ok. At least ya wear ya intentions on yer sleeve.. I s'ould probably stop talkin' but.. I dunno." He glanced at his hand. If he kept letting his feelings bottle up like this, someone was gonna get badly hurt because of him. He didn't want to think about even hurting Reginald again. And in some strange way, it did feel nice to get this all off his chest. "Even now, lookin' back, it felt so good for the first little bit. It felt like I 'ad met my soulmate. T'at i never would feel alone again…" Right had to hold in a painful laugh. "Foolish."

"I think we're all like that when we're first getting into the love business. I'm guilty of that.." Snatcher stated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear more from Right. Just the sorrow that rang in his voice was enough for Snatcher to remember time with Vanessa. Everything seemed so perfect on the surface. He didn't think twice about her slowly trying to gain more and more control over his life… "It's not your fault you ended up in that situation, you know. You were young."

"Know but.. it's so 'ard not to be angry." Right grumbled. He placed a hand to his side. "Don't remember how quick it all happened. Just one day, it felt like i was in a cage i couldn't get out.. It was snowin', I think."

Snatcher glanced at the snowflakes falling slowly from the sky. There weren't many of them. Just enough where there was always at least once in his vision. He remembered when he was young, staying up late by one of the manor's windows just watching them slowly fall to the ground, begging for a lot of snow on the ground the following day. He used to find them so beautiful.. "Well." Snatcher stated. "At least you're in a much better position now. Even got yourself a real man, I could never do that."

Right nodded as he glanced to the side. "It's so funny…" He glanced at the ground. "Ran away from Vester's cold 'nd uncarin'. Didn't t'ink I could ever feel love again. W'en I first met Reg, I push 'im away. Got mad at 'im but… 'e stuck by me. And we slowly became somethin' true." He glanced at his ring with a small smile, before he blink as a thought crossed his mind. "Ya snuck some trut' potion or somethin' into t'at drink didn't ya?" He asked as he glared up at the ghost.

"Guilty." Snatcher stated, raising his hands. "I wouldn't have if I knew it was this bad, honest!"

"If ya tell a single soul on t'is planet or any other, I'm gonna drag ya to that soul-eatin' swamp and make sure ya drown." Right said as he stood up, Snatcher giving a nod. Right glared at the ground below him. He was upset but somehow it did feel easier to breathe… He groaned as he grabbed the side of his head as a faint ache came from the corner of it. "Now I t'ink I got a 'eadache for real." Sntachter glanced at the book he used to make the quick potion. "Side effect?"

"Again, my bad." Snatcher said as he closed it before floating up, humming in thought. Right rolled his eyes as he sat back down. He didn't want to stick around for longer but he didn't want to do something dumb at the orbital station. He still wasn't sure if he could trust himself after this morning. He was still wondering how Reg trusted him.. Snatcher floated beside him. "Hey, if you can stand the trip, why don't we head to the well. It's drained and it's about the quietest place in the forest."

"Why do I 'ave a feelin' ya won't take no." Right said as he rolled his eyes, getting up. He gestured for the ghost to lead the way forward, and he began to follow. "Know I'm gonna get ya back for the trut' potion."

"Oh I wouldn't expect anything else of that, Right." Snatcher said with a smile as he glanced over at the man. Right looked at the ghost and pause. He could see genuine worry in the ghost's eyes. His tone was quieter as well. Not in a condensing way either. Right blinked as he glanced down at the snow below his feet settling on the ground. What was it like spending centuries with a whole season that was used against you by the one who claimed to love you? "You don't have to come with me."

"I'm already 'eadin' t'is way, no point in stoppin' now." Right stated as he brought his human hand close to his chest. Feeling the ring faintly while also feeling his beating heart. It was going a little quicker then it should. Only by a few beats. It was honestly supringing how he wasn't shaking, it felt like his heart was. It felt like that all day. "Just don't try to feed me to anyin' living in it." He heard Snatcher giggle a little under his breath. "W'ot, I 'ave no idea what happens in this forest."

Right didn't know why he was so surprised by the well. He knew it was big, he had passed by it many times before, even if he only saw it in the distance. Maybe he was expected to get tossed into water by the ghost. But he wasn't. Snatcher had the pipes in it closed off for the winter season. Saying the water tended to cause more issues than it helped during the colder seasons. Appernally once a minion somehow got stuck frozen under the icey layer of some water. How did that even happen?

It was surprisingly calm as well. There didn't seem to be any threats aside from a few of those large spiders, all of which seemed to be asleep closer to the top. The blue crystals of the area felt calming. And it was quiet, quiet enough where it felt easier to think while not being really silent. He wouldn't have even guessed a place like this belonged in subcon if he hadn't been here. Were there other places like this? Did Hat Girl ever show up here before? It seemed like a place she would have had a blast jumping around in…

How were Hattie and the others doing? They should be fine but what if something happened while he was gone… he shook his head. He was being over-paranoid. Again.

"Do ya remember if t'e well was t'is big w'en ya were alive?" Right question as he sat up from one of the wooden platforms he had been laying on. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it still felt nice and calming in a way he couldn't describe. He glanced at where the ghost had been floating while writing out something, seeing him shake his head slightly. "Ya t'ink it would be somethin' easy to remember. Mean, wells t'is big aren't exactly common, at least on our planet."

"I think it may have been larger than most, but I can't remember if it was this big before the forest changed." Snatcher said as he knocked on the wall. "I think me and some friends used to sneak out here when we were young to see what was inside… What were their names again?" Snatcher frowned as Right glanced up at him, watching the ghost give an annoyed and sorrowful sigh. "I can't even remember their faces clearly. Vanessa never liked them. Always complain about how much time I spent with them."

"Vester was similar." Right nodded. "Except I ‘ardly ‘ad anyone to go wit” to begin… always was a loner."

"I can't even remember if I was a loner or not." Snatcher said. "But Vanessa sure made me feel like I was one before once I got picked via that contest, lottery, whatever it was." Right tilted his head and Snatcher blinked. "Oh yea, did I never tell you? It was tradition for the heir to the throne to get their partner from one of the village families. Sounds good on paper until you realize the village person themselves got no say. And it happened when we were like, seven? Younger?? Maybe older? We weren't teens at the least."

Right's eyes widen slightly. "Know t'at sounds like a tradition of t'e times' t'ing but t'at still sounds so messed up." Snatcher nodded a bit, although it was a small nod. Like it had never truly hit him before now. Right glanced down at the well as he thought. How long did Snatcher truly spend everyday with Vanessa? Was she bad when they were young? "Can see w’y yer so crazy at times now… No real offense." Right called up as Snatcher shook his head. "Must be ‘ard to exist for centuries."

"Kinda. The human mind was only designed to handle so much, supposedly." He shook his head. "I wonder what even goes though Vanessa's skull anymore… and if it's rotten."

"Still don't understand 'ow she's even still alive…" Right stated as he glanced to the side. He saw Snatcher nod, gripping the paper he was holding a bit at the reminder. Right knew the feeling. Even after you become so much better, so much stronger than the one who hurt you, the simple reminder that they're still out there is enough to cause nightmares… "Snatcher, I'm sorry." Snatcher paused as he floated down as if confused. "Really. T'ink t'e main reason I 'ated ya was because ya reminded me of someone ya aren't."

"Well, I did put your daughter's life in danger in the past." Snatcher stated. "So you have no real need to apologize." But Right shook his head. Even if what Snatcher said there was true, it clearly wasn't the case anymore. He wasn't even sure the ghost still stole souls at all. He had plenty of chances and yet he never heard for sure that it happened even once. "Look, I'll just, try to be more careful about how I speak and stuff around you. I don't wanna bring back bad memories."

"Ya shouldn't c'ange 'ow ya are just because of an ex." Right mumbled. "S'ouldn't even be still thinkin' of 'im and yet 'ere I am, unable to get 'is smug grin out of my sights-"

"It's always the smiles that stick with you." Snatcher said, floating to the side and sitting on the edge of the platform, a bit away. "Vanessa always had the sweetest smile. I loved to see it.. Or maybe I tricked myself into thinking I did. If she was smiling, it means she wasn't upset at me for trying to have a life outside of her." Snatcher shook his head. "Sorry… Did I drink some of that hot chocolate and didn't even register it?" He wondered aloud. Right almost cracked a smile.

"Vester didn't 'urt me often. At least, physically." Right reached for his side and Snatcher seemed to pale at the mention. Snatcher never got physically hurt by Vanessa, and the thought it could happen to someone like Right brought fear to him. "I-I hurt Reg, Snatcher." Right had to reach up to wipe tears that were starting to form in his human eye. "I was in a nightmare wit' Vester and Reg tried to wake me up. I panicked, I just threw w'otever it was away. And it was 'im."

"I take it Reginald doesn't seem to mind." Right shook his head. "Right, I think he knows it was an accent. This is the only time it happened, right?" The cyborg nodded. "It doesn't make it completely ok but, he knows you mean well."

"It won't stop me from feelin' awful about it. Reginald is the main light of my life… I don't wanna lose 'im." Right glanced to the side. "Not again." Reginald may be a little annoying at times, but he always cared so much for him. He was always there for Right when he started to break down behind the scenes. He always made sure he felt like someone worth loving… He slowly stood up, letting out a sign. "Maybe I s'ould 'ead back to t'e station. T'e clan will be wonderin' where I went."

"Oh, uh, before that I think we gotta stop by the village." Snatcher said as Right glanced over, a tilt to his head. "I may have encouraged Shadow to do something nice for you since she would tell you were more upset than usual." Right let out a sigh. How many people had he made worry today? He hated when he did that to people. He had tried not to think about Hattie and Platinum asking him what was wrong. "Of course you don't have to, I can take whatever it is to you later."

"Well, I'm not about to disappoint 'er." Right groaned slightly as he turned on the rockets under his feet. "W'y do ya get me in t'ese situations."

Snatcher made the paper disappear. "I guess I'm just too good for my own good. Really need to get that fixed."

Right rolled his eyes at the comet as the two began to fly up. Only to pause when one of the spiders awoke, Right shooting it when it went to attack. There was some faint hissing from nearby.

"We should head back the way we came in." Snatcher commented, Right nodding silently in agreement before they turned around and began to head off.

Right didn't realize how cold it had been in the well until he got out. For a moment the air outside felt hot by comparison. It bugged his system for a moment and he had to sit down to let it adjust, all while the ghostly prince did his best not to out right laugh, only letting out a few chuckles. Right rolled his eyes but there was something nice about the ghost just, being himself. Not worrying about who else he may sound like around him. It almost felt comforting in some strange way.

It took them a little bit to get to the village because of this. The first thing that happened when they got close was the smell of fruit hit them. Snatcher and Right both gave each other a confused look before they went closer. The place was a mess. What looked to be batter and jam everywhere. Right shook his head at the sight as Snatcher took a moment to bury his head in his hands, holding in a grone. It was going to take a lot of cleaning. Right spotted a few dwellers and gestured for Snatcher to follow.

They eventually found Shadow Kid on the edge of the area, pacing back and forth with some worry. More of the jam and batter stain her clothing, a spellbook in her hand. She had a small smile on her face however.

"Alrig't, kid, w'ot did ya do?" Right asked as he glanced at her. She glanced over with a smile, Snatcher shaking his head as he gestured to the mess. Shadow kid paused at that, and just backed up to grab something that was near one of the minions, quickly rushing it over to Right. Right pause as he bend down slightly to pick up the plate, looking at the food on it. "Is this, Starwberry s'ortcake?" he asked, getting a nod form the ghost girl. "'ow Did ya make this wit'out an oven?"

"I had to get creative. There weren't any summoning spells but there were a good amount of material alteration spells, along with heat spells, rearrangement spells." Right glance around as she lists the spells off, seeing a lot of books among the mess, as well as a good amount of those large bomb berries. They looked smaller than usual. Maybe they struggled in winter. Or maybe it was another spell. "I couldn't remember if you liked this exactly, but I wanted to try. You seemed upset."

"Well, thank you again for being considerate… but could you at least get started cleaning up the mess?" Snatcher asked. "And maybe let me know ahead of time, what if a fire had started? We have the well down, remember?"

"Well, t'e place 'as its own s'ort of c'arm t'is way, don't ya t'ink Snatcher?" Right asked, tilting his head with a smirk. Snatcher rolled his eyes as Shadow Kid went over to at least start cleaning. She didn't look too upset, like she was expecting it. Right paused as he glanced in the direction of the truly icey part of subcon, a thought going though his mind. "Are ya and Shadow goin' to be ok?" Right asked as he glanced up at the ghost once Shadow Kid was out of earshot.

"Oh, if Vanessa was stronger during the winter she would have broken past that wall long ago." Snatcher stated with a smile. Yet, Right could tell Snatcher was worried, at least a little. Now that he thought about it, the ghost always seemed a little worried. Even if what he was worried about changed. He was worrying about the Moonjumper until Randy showed up after all. "I am planning on placing some trap spells around the area, just in case. That's why I did that heatwave spell."

"It is S’adow's first proper winter, s'e might get worried." Right warned as he took a quick bite out of the cake. "It tastes normal."

"Well, she was more scared of Vanessa herself then what she could do.. I don't entirely blame her for it either." Snatcher sighed as he snapped his fingers, summoning a bucket of water near Shadow and glancing at the minions. "Please help your princess, I know you did before." He said, the minions quickly getting to work. He then turned to right with a small smile. "And of course it taste normal. Do you think Shadow Kid would poison someone? She's not that type of kid. I mean, she could on accident."

"'alf My body is metal 'nd I am capable of drinkin' gasoline if I wish. Don't worry about poison." Right stated as he rolled his eyes and took another bite, then paused as an idea came to his mind. "Me 'nd Reginald were lookin' for parts to repair one of t'e systems, and we realized we 'ave a spear security system setup t'at we wouldn't need even after t'e repairs." The ghost tilted his head as he looked over at Right. "I'm sure ya could enc'ant it to 'andle t'e snow."

"Right, you don't have to do that." Snatcher shook his head. "I'm not very good with the tech stuff, and I much rather use things in my own element."

"Can understand t'at." Right said with a nod. "But I t'ink it'll be at least a little 'elpful." Snatcher glanced to the side slightly in thought. He already had a few alarm spells he was planning on testing but what if none of them work properly? But what if having a physical security system made it harder to keep track? He couldn't be sure. Right gave a small shrug. "We're not gonna force ya to do anyt'in'. I'm just sayin' it might be 'elpful. Might put yer mind at ease."

"Well… If I did consider it, it would be more for Shadow's peace of mind than my own." Snatcher said as he placed a hand on his chest. Right gave a small nod and a hint of a smile, before going to finish the food so he could just leave the plate here. Snatcher took the chance to help a little bit with the cleaning, using some levitation spells from afar so he didn't have to get close to the mess himself. "I swear I still have prince blood in me sometimes with how I act to random things."

"Just 'ow ya were raised." Right stated as he began to head in the direction of the station. He paused and turned for a moment to wait to see if Snatcher would join. The ghostly prince glanced at the kids before sighing and heading in the cyborg's direction. "'ey Shadow. Me 'nd yer Pa are headin' to the station, 'e'll be back soon!"

"Ok, bye Papa! The place will be spotless when you get back!" Shadow called, Snatcher giving a wave before he began to follow Right. Right could sense Snatcher's worry. He always sensed it whenever Snatcher would be going away from his daughter in the past. But there was an added bit of worry in there as well. Right glanced down at the ground, snow fading where one of those magic lamps were placed. Would it have stuck around if the lamps weren't magic, Right wondered.

"I won't need a book or something to know how to operate those systems, right?" Snatcher asked, to which the cyborg gave a small shrug. He didn’t know, but he had faith in the ghost. If there was one thing he knew the ghost was good at, it was repeatedly banging his head against something until it worked. That's how they had Macbeth back after all.. That was so long ago, huh? "Alright, thank you for not giving me an answer." The ghost rolled his eyes. "And stop just referring to me as the ghost."

"Don't try readin' my t'oug'ts." Right responded as he glanced over at Snatcher and the spellbook he had, taking it from him. "Let yer magic rest a moment, you might pass out."

"Oh no, a ghost passing out, tragic." Snatcher started with an eye roll.

Right rolled his eyes with a chuckle. The tone of ’tragic’ there did bring back a memory in the back of his mind. Of a fight between him and Vester after the man got back from some robbery. That was one of the first few times he got physical… Right shook his head. He was better than that man now. He never had to see or hear from him again. If only he could just forget…

It was evening by the time the forest of subcon faded into the forest clearing. Right was a little surprised. Had he left in the afternoon? Or had the time just passed by so quickly he didn't realize? He wasn't sure he wanted an answer to either question. He was just glad there weren't many toppats outside the station when they got to it. He didn't know why they would be, it started to freeze quickly in the evenings. He knew he couldn't rely on the jacket forever. He almost envied Snatcher magic of fire.

He did see Reginald waiting by the entrance to the station, Hattie and Platinum nearby. Right could just faintly see a hint of Van as well… He was an idiot. He had been so against the idea of his kids dating because he was scared their first relationship would end up like his, or worse. But Van barely looked like they could throw a punch. And even if things turned south fast, there was no way they would've been able to hide it from him. Nor fight him off when he realized.

Not that it would ever come to that, Right resumed himself. Van was a good kid. And if he never let the kids date, they'd be lonely forever. That wasn't something he wanted to put on them.

"Pops!" Platinum called when he spotted the two, beginning to rush over. Right frowned a bit once he heard Platinum's tone of voice. He sounded worried, concerned. Maybe even a hit of anger. He glanced at Reginald who gestured to his scarf and the cyborg nodded. Hat Girl came over as well, tilting her head with concern in her eyes. Platinum glanced over the cyborg as if looking for any sign of hurt. "Dad's not telling us who you had a nightmare about. Was it Henry? How long have you been havin' these?"

Right shook his head. "For a while. 'Nd I rat'er not get into all t'e details, so listen well an’ never bring t'is up around anyone else, understand?" He asked them. His words were harsh but his tone was gentle. The teens gave a confused nod as Right sighed. "Was wit' someone else before I met yer fat'er, someone w'o didn't treat me well. Someone w'o 'urt me." Both kids eyes seemed to widen in genuine surprised. "Winter was the worst wit' 'im, and t'at's why… It still doesn't excuse w'ot 'appen wit' me an’ Reg."

"Righty, you know it's fine." Reginald said as he walked over to them, making sure his voice was quiet. "Sure, it'd be bad if it happened a lot but, that's the first time you ever hurt me."

"And it will be the last." Right sighed as he walked over to Reginald. He raced for his hand and gently took it, Reginald letting him lean in a bit, Right glancing up at him slightly. Wherever Right was like this, he hated being touched, even by Reginald. Even when he wasn't hitting him, Vester made contact feel like he was going to get hurt. Reginald was the opposite. He held the man's hand close to his heart. "I'm so ‘appy, Reg, don't you ever forget t’at." Reginald smiled at him.

Hat Girl hugged Right for a moment, Right glancing over at her. "I'm sorry you went through that Papa." Hat Girl apologized, Right gently patting her back before pushing her away. He felt a lot better now. In some strange way. That didn't mean he was feeling good but he was already far past what happened in the past… He shouldn't let it bring him down… "Oh, and Snatcher?" Hat Girl asked, turning to the ghost who had been watching silently. "What are you doing here so late? Not that I'm complaining of course! It's just, odd. Especially since you came home with Papa."

"Long story short, Vanessa is annoying and I don't want her getting out so Right said I could have a spare alarm or something." Snatcher stated as he crossed his arms. The ghost glanced at Right with a bit of curse at the statement, and Right just gave a small shrug. The ghost wasn't lying. Maybe they just didn't think they would ever get along. Not that Right blamed them. "So can we go ahead and grab it? I promised Shadow Kid I'd be back quickly. Well, techally you did."

"S'ould be in our room. Is it ok Reg?" Right asked as he glanced at his husband. Reginald gave a slightly confused nod as Right back away, letting go of his hand and began to head into the station, Reginald and Snatcher following. Right glanced to the side ever so slightly and spotted Van, reading a book. Most likely as a distraction. He paused and glanced at Reginald and Snatcher. "Ya two go a'ead for a second." He said, both going ahead while he turn to Van. "Van can we talk?"

Van let out a gulp as they glanced at him. "Yes, of course." They said, standing up and placing their book to their side. Huh, they got better about that stutter. Did Platinum help them with that? "What do you need?"

Right looked down at them with a sigh. "I'm not sure 'ow much ya over'eard from t'e conversation but, let's say t'ere was a reason I didn't want anyone datin' my kids." Van tilt their head to the side. "My first relationship wasn't t'e best and I didn't want to risk t'em gettin' 'urt or 'eartbroken.. But I know you won't do t'at to Platinum."

Van seemed to blink in surprise, a hint of a blush forming on their face. "O-Of course not, Right Hand Man. I'm not that type of person."

"Just make sure Platinum doesn't do anythin' dumb on 'is dates with ya, alright?" Van gave a nod. "Good… Don't make me regret t'is, Mixer."

"Right, stop scaring the kid!" Reginald called, you could hear the eye roll in his voice. "And come over or I'm going to make you."

Right rolled his eyes at the comment as he headed over. He glanced from the corner of his eye and saw Platinum walk up to Van, asking something and seeming to sigh in relief. Like a weight had been off his chest. He gave a quiet chuckle as he walked up to Reginald, taking his hand and leaning close.

Snatcher glanced at them both with a small genuine smile. He was so happy for Right.

He didn't know how much he truly moved on.

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #henry stickmin oc #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #ahit snatcher #right hand man #shadow kid #topbot #tw domestic abuse #reginald copperbottom #copperright

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Happy Third Year Everyone!

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #ahit mustache girl #sven svensson #henry stickmin au #ahit au #ahit conductor grandchildren #ahit oc #ahit dj grooves #ahit conductor #randy radman #vines #Youtube

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Do you plan on visiting badge while he's here, ivy?

#a hat in time #anonymous #ask #ahit oc #ahit badge seller #sage’s art

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 53: Drawn To Badges

It was all so strange for Ivy. The forest hadn't gotten much louder itself. Especially around her swamp. It all felt normal at first glance yet somehow she knew it wasn't. Somehow she felt like it had a wave of commotion going on. All about some event she didn't fully understand. One that had already happened and there was nothing they could do about it so why were there still hints of stress in the air? She hadn't spoken to Snatcher or Shadow directly, but she could sense it from them.

From her understanding, it seemed there was a revival of some guy. They were referring to him as 'Moonjumper' at first, but now he seemed to be called Randy. There was a Moonjumper before him, but it wasn't the same. She was curious and wanted to ask, but at the same time, part of her wanted this all to be over. Even if she didn't speak to Snatcher and the other ghost much, she preferred how things were before. With them all being a lot more lighthearted. In their way. No stress about some blue guy around them.

She was floating just under the surface of her swamp, letting the current take her whichever way it wanted. If swamps had currents. She heard rivers did but swamps seemed more still. Maybe it was the souls of the water? She didn't know, she was still trying to understand how they were anything besides faces… Even they seemed more surprised and on edge, it seemed. The aura of the water felt different. She hadn't even noticed until now. It felt so strange. She didn't like it.

She crossed her arms and glanced to the side with a huff, moving some of the hair from her eyes. She felt a little bad for being annoyed, but she couldn't help it. She missed the simple nature of Subcon before. Now anytime she heard a voice from anyone while swimming closer to land, it seemed to be about the prophecy and all that. Why was this Moonjumper or Randy or whatever so important anyway? The stories? There were lots of those, what made his so different to seemingly everyone?

She paused as she glanced up, noticing she was near the land now. She went to begin to swim away but paused when she thought she heard something, voices. She recognized one as Snatcher's. She would be able to pick his voice from a crowd easily. It was the second voice she was unsure of. It didn't sound like Shadows, and it felt too… odd to belong to one of the toppats. She decided to see for herself, poking her head out of the soul-water just enough to get a look at them.

"I'm honestly surprised I didn't stumble upon you sooner." was the first thing she heard from Snatcher as she locked onto him, eyes giving a glare and his arms crossed. She followed his eyes to the person he was speaking to and paused. He was strange, with a red and purple outfit covering most of his body, leaning on some cane, and seemed to be moving funny. "You were the one who mentioned the Moonjumper's second coming first, I figured you would have been here day one, Badge."

"Work had me very busy, I'm afraid." The figure known as Badge said, a small tired chuckle in his voice. She paused. Why did she have a weird feeling she had heard that voice somewhere before. "Beside, it would have been rude to burst in here on day one, when he was likely confused."

"Well, he was confused already. Vanessa was the one who revived him." Snatcher said, rolling his eyes at the mention of the women. Ivy didn't know much about Vanessa. All she knew from Shadow was 'she was a mean, scary lady that hurt her dad when alive'. Even with her annoyance for this whole Moonjumper topic, she couldn't help but feel a little bad for the man upon hearing that. "Luckily, he managed to get out on his own. I brought him back to the toppats of course."

"No competition for the forest is better, I suppose." Badge said with a chuckle, to which Snatcher gave a small glare too. Competition? She didn't understand what that meant. Why would they think this guy would have wanted control over the forest? Wouldn't Snatcher have been able too- She paused when the masked man glanced to the side, spotting her and locking eyes with her. "Oh, it's you." He said, her backing away with a hiss as Snatcher glanced over. "Don't be afraid, I won't bite."

"Wait, you already knew about Ivy?" Snatcher asked, getting a nod from the mask man. Snatcher's face went blank for a second, before gaining a hint of anger. "You could have at least told me. There used to be fire spirits in the swamp."

"I mean, it's clear I’m a special case of living creatures with those things." Ivy rolled her eyes, holding where she had gotten hurt under the water from view. After a moment she decided to climb out of the water to get a better look at the mysterious man herself. The man let out a small grunt as he bent down to one knee to be eye level with her, his body twitching a bit more as if in a hint of pain. "What are you? You look broken." She asked as she reached for his sleeve.

"I'm a Badge Seller, young one. I travel across the land, selling my little trinkets." He explained, his free hand jestering to the area around. She glanced around confused, then turned back to him with a tilted head. Did he not understand what she meant? She was clearly meaning what creature he was. He didn't seem dead but he didn't seem fully alive either. "I just happened to be passing by when I ran into my old friend Snatcher here, and started a conversation."

"More like you trigger one of my test traps." Snatcher said, brierley eyeing a red glowing mushroom nearby before turning back to her. "Are you ok? The Moon changing stuff hasn't affected your swamp, has it?"

"You mean the moon changing colors? I just thought it was one of those eclipse things." Ivy said as she glanced at the slightly pinker sky. She didn't even see the big deal with it, didn't the moon change colors outside of subcon all the time. She heard about blue moons, yellow moons, blood moons. She heard Badge chuckle a little at her statement as she turned back to them. "But no, nothing has happened. The water feels a little different but, it's nothing bad. Still fun to swim through."

"Well, that's nice to hear." Badge stated as he got back up, one of his arms rubbing his back slightly. Ivy tilted her head. The arms reminded her a bit of Snatcher, so was he dead? Badge turned up to Snatcher, clearing his throat to get his attention. "I currently don't have any work that needs to be done, and won't for quite awhile. So I will be staying here until that changes." He said as he began to walk away. "I promise, I won't be any issue for you or the ghost."

"Hey, I didn't even give you a hint of permission!" Snatcher shouted. Badge simply waved a dismissive hand as he left.

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't just take his soul? I mean, isn't that what ghostly noodleman like you are for?" She asked, giving a small smirk as Snatcher rolled his eyes at her statement. She closed her eyes as she chuckled, and when she opened them Badge had already vanished into the forest. She shrugged when she saw that and then turned to Snatcher. "Hey, can you ask Shadow if she would like to play since I'm already here?" She asked, tilted her head with a smile.

"Sorry swamp kid. Shadow's with the toppats and I don't feel like going over and garbing her." Snatcher said, floating over to the red mushroom and clearing up what looked like jam beside it. "Beside, I have to get ready. Winter is coming soon and I like to minimize any risk of Vanessa catching me off guard. She already got past that wall once, even if it was by lucky timing for her. I don't want to risk facing her here in her element." He mumbled that last sentence with a hint of fear.

"Oh ok. Maybe the dwellers would like to play?" She asked as she began to walk off. She didn't know why. She was just really interested in seeing the forest now. Or maybe, finding someone in the forest.

Ivy found herself bored. She didn't understand why she felt so drawn to the idea of looking for the mask man. He seemed nice but, so were most of the other people she had met. What made him so special? How he looked? How he acted? She just felt so… drawn to him. Like he was some old friend she never even met. Maybe it was the fact he had apparently seen her before Snatcher ever did, yet didn't tell the spirit about her? Maybe it was because Snatcher hadn't just stolen the man's soul.

Regardless, it kept her going even as she got bored going through the forest. It just felt so samey after a bit. Sure her swamp was the same but in the swamp she felt more alive. More active. She felt like she was a part of it. It gave her energy. So the fact she was away and she was bored made her so annoyed. Her footsteps got a little heavier. She had her arms crossed as she walked. Her annoyance would only be broken by a brief encounter with a bush cat, it racing past her.

It made her chuckle, she loved seeing those little things. She then paused when her chuckle faded. She heard humming. She peaked past one of the bushes nearby, and there was Badge! Resting on a tree stump facing away.

"There you are." She whispered as she stayed in place for a moment. She listened to the toon he was humming. It felt so familiar… why did all of him seem so familiar? She hadn't met or seen him a day in her life… right? She grabbed her head for a moment. Maybe she never met him but… maybe someone else who had that, wasn't Snatcher? Why did it feel harder to- her train of thought was cut off as a bushcat race past her, causing her to fall from her spot. "Dang it!"

Badge glanced over, his mask tilting on his face before his head there. "Oh, hello. Didn't expect to run into you again so soon." He stated as he turned over, Ivy getting up and rolling her eyes a bit. The man chuckled as he glanced at his bag. Ivy then noticed the music box that was in his hand. She hadn't even noticed the music when she was listening. "Do you like it?" He asked. "It's a song that told the story that has now come true. About the second Moonjumper."

"ehh, it sounds nice I guess." Ivy said as she came over, brushing the dirt off her shirt as she looked up at him, then at the musical box. "I just don't understand all the Moonjumper stuff. Why is it such a big deal?"

"Well, as humble as Moonjumper tried to be, he was the closest thing many had seen to a god." Badge said, glancing away as he placed the music box to the side. Ivy blinked in confusion. What was a god? She didn't understand what that meant. Did it mean someone very powerful? If so, wouldn't Moonjumper have been a god? It just didn't make sense to her. "It is said he was sent from the Horizon itself to watch over the world. He could do things no one else ever could."

"But, you have lots of people with magic nowadays." Ivy stated. "Even I have some apparently! I opened some hidden area once! So why is this Moonjumper still seen as someone so special?" She asked as she paced back and forth for a moment trying to think. The Badge Seller gave a knowing chuckle as he placed the music box back into his bag. Ivy glanced over, he seemed more quiet. "I don't mean to sound rude about it. It's just, things have felt different since this second guy came along."

"You prefer things how they were?" He questioned, getting a nod. "Well, that is understable. The forest is peaceful."

"I mean, I guess. I haven't really explored the forest until a few months ago when I first met Snatcher and Shadow Kid… you know Shadow right?" She asked as she turned to him, getting a nod from the figure. She nodded back as she sat on a rock nearby, letting out a sigh as she swung her legs for a moment, letting the bottom of her feet rest. Then she turned to him. "Why are you so insistent on staying here?" She asked as she tilted her head. "It doesn't seem safe enough for you."

"Let's just say I had family in subcon once, and in the lands around. This place is close to me." He spoke. The way he did was…weird however. Like he was picking his words carefully. He said it at a normal talking speed she barely noticed. She wanted to ask about it, but she decided not to be too pushy. She was already bothering him. Though he didn't seem to be annoyed. "I don't plan to be a bother. I would just like to rest. It's been quite a time since I last had properly."

"Geez, that sounds like a nightmare." Ivy said, turning over to face him more directly, resting her hands in her lap. "But can't you stay with the toppats? That Moonjumper guy is with them, I guess."

"Well, the toppats had been making great progress with their rocket. I don't suspect they will be here by spring." Badge stated. Ivy paused when she heard that. Huh. She knew the toppats were trying to go somewhere but never thought about when or, if they would ever actually leave… She brought her arms closer to herself. They seemed fun. She would miss them. "Oh, there's no need to worry for them." Badge said. "But that's part of the reason. Also, there's ruins in Subcon I could make a place out of."

"Isn't that just stealing from the dead?" Ivy asked, tilting her head. Badge paused and blink, as if the thought of that hadn't crossed his mind, at least fully. Ivy gave a giggle at that, what little she could see of his expression was funny. He shook his head as he reached up and adjusted his hood with Ivy humming a bit as she thought about it. She then shrugged. "I don't think they would be that mad. They had their chance to actively claim them for a long time now."

"I suppose you are right about that." Badge said as he got up, glancing around with a hum. He tapped his finger against his mask. "Although I do seem to have lost my memory of where some lay."

"I can help you look." Ivy said. She didn't fully know why she did. She was less bored now, sure, but she still wasn't sure what was up with this guy that made her so curious about him. The man shook his head with what felt like a smile, but she still stood up and went over to the bag he had, trying to lift it up to help him get it back on. He took the bag as she wiped her brow, but she still looked at him. "I don't have anything else to do. Who knows, maybe we can annoy Snatcher."

"I'm not sure that is the best idea, young one." Badge said as he adjusted the bag on his back before glancing around again. It felt like he was looking for a hint of something she couldn't see. It felt so strange, so odd. Like he knew the place better than he let on. It made her a little worried, but she had this weird feeling he could be trusted. Eventually he sighed. "Well, I don't think I can stop you from tagging along if you so chose to. But there's no need, Ivy."

"Well, that's going to make me do it more, so there." She said as she glanced up, sticking her tongue out a tiny bit. "I bet I can find a place faster than you can walk ten minutes!"

The air was quiet for a moment, Badge raising his hand up to his mask and chuckling. Ivy thought for a second she could see the grin on the hidden face when the mask shifted.

"I don't think that's how time works, dear." Badge responded.

Ivy gave a shrug. "I'm not the time wielder here… now come on!" She said, garbing his free hand when it was lowered and beginning to try and pull him forward. Key word being try. "You're so slow!" she said, Badge nodding as they began to head further into the forest.

It was a little awkward at first for the two. Going through the forest with not much else going on. Both would have occasional conversations about certain things. How many tricks Ivy could do in the swamp. The different places Badge had seen throughout his travels. It was all so interesting. Yet it was hard to keep one going for long. Ivy had barely been outside of Subcon and Badge didn't seem to warp his head around the tricks Ivy would describe. They both did their best.

Ivy seemed to notice Badge always seemed to have his eyes on her more than the path ahead. Perhaps a bit of worry? She found it a little creepy but the man gave such an aura of trust around him… What if it was a trick? She didn't know how that would even be possible but hey, from what she knew weirder things have happened. And a trick for what? She was just a kid. A kid who lived in a swamp no one else could safely pass that hadn't aged since she could remember. Normal stuff.

Eventually the two decided to sit down for a quick rest. Badge had hit his foot on a small rock he didn't see and was letting out faint hisses of pain.

"Why must such a simple act result in a great amount of pain." Badge mumbled as he had the hurt foot rest on his knee. Ivy gave a shrug, maybe there were more pain sectors in the foot than other parts of the body? She didn't understand human anatomy. She glanced to the side while adjusting her hair, and paused when she thought she saw an icy blue and got up. "Ivy?" Badge asked when he saw her heading past some of the bushes. "Where are you going? I don't think it's best for you to leave my sight."

"I thought I saw something!" She called before she kept heading forward. If it was ice, she needed to let Snatcher know that Vanessa had somehow gotten out of the place. If it wasn't, then she was curious about what it was. She pushed away some of the bushes, and paused at the sight. An hourglass that looked like it was made of blue crystals, with parts shattered and hanging in mid air. "Woah…" She was sure her eyes were sparkling. "Hey, Mister Badge. You need to see this!"

"I'm coming!" Badge said, before stumbling beside her and pausing. "Oh…" He said. Like he had been here before.

"I guess 'oh' is a decent reaction, but just look at all this!" She said as she raced over. "It looks like something out of a fantasy book. LIke, a really fantasy book!" She said as she began to climb up one of the stone walls nearby. Badge nodded as he walked around, and glanced at the gem structure, sitting down in front of it. Ivy glanced over and tilted her head. "Hey, are you ok Badge?" She asked as she sat down on top of the wall. "You seemed more surprised in a weird way."

"Oh. I just… remember how we briefly talked about the Moonjumper earlier?" He asked her, getting a small nod in return. Ivy glanced at the structure. Sure it was blue but it didn't seem to have any moons or stars, or at least any she could see. She saw Badge pick up one of the gem pieces and hold it in his hand. Rubbing one finger against it like he was trying to observe every tiny detail. "This was his home. Where he lived. And where he would be killed. That's why it's broken like this…" He glanced up at the glowing structure. "Even so, the magic never quite faded.."

"Huh, why would he want to live in an hourglass? Doesn't seem to comfy." Ivy said as she glanced back at the structure. She heard Badge chuckle a small bit as she stood up. She noticed a gear floating in place and jumped over to it, smiling as she stood proud on it. Badge hadn't noticed, and she decided to see how far she could get before he did. "I mean, at least in my home I have room to move around." She started with a smile as she jumped to the closest floating object.

"Well, it wasn't an hourglass until not long before his death. He changed it so the people would have a better idea of.." He trailed off as she jumped to another part, standing up in a hurry. "Ivy, come down!" he called, to which she stuck her tongue out and kept jumping about. Badge panicked as he went over to where she was as fast as he could, catching a breath. "Ivy, child, I know you have some restraint. But it will still hurt if you land wrong when you come down."

"Relax." Ivy said, jumping off her current platform, aiming to land on the ground below. However, Badge got over just in time to catch her. She crossed her arms. "Can't you be more fun?"

"Forgive me for being at least a little concern." Badge said, rolling his eyes as he placed her down with a sigh. "Don't scare me like that, please." He said, making Ivy tilt her head. Was he that worried for someone he met personally just today? Was it because she was a kid? Hat Girl did way more when she was a kid. And she was perfectly fine! She watched him glance at the structure. "Wonder if I can clear out the inside, make enough room for a good shelter, like Snacther's tree."

"Well, I don't think the new Moonjumper is going to be using it anyway." Ivy said, Badge giving a small nod as he went into the bottom of the hour glass. He looked around like there was less space than he expected even though he had just seen it. It just made her feel more odd. Why was he acting like he was here before when he clearly hadn't been before. "It's still so strange, don't you think… You think the original Moonjumper had a family? Outside of the kingdom."

"Perhaps." Badge said as he moved some stuff out carefully. "He was actually found and raised for a small time by the kingdom's florists at the time. According to some stories, at least."

"Huh, I think Snatcher knew those florist people when he was alive." Ivy said as Badge tilted his head. "Oh, wait, time passage, right." She said, earning a quiet chuckle from the figure as he kept clearing the space, eventually placing his bag outside a bit so he had a little more room to work. That made Ivy hummed, and glanced over at Badge, giving a wave when he looked over at her. "Hey, can I mess with a few of your Badges? I promise I'll be careful" She smiled.

"…Alright, but please be careful. Just don't touch one black and green one!" He said, raising his hand up a bit. Ivy tilted her head at that. He must really care about that one. She thought that was the loudest she heard him. Even if his voice was still gentle and calm for the most part. Still, she raced over to the bag to take a look.

"Oh, what does this one do?" Ivy asked as she picked up a badge with many dots on it. She pinned it to her shirt, and nothing seemed to happen at first. She gave a small grumble as she went to take it off, but when she cupped her hands together when going for it, a small orb appeared in her hand, growing once she pulled it away. She gasped as she dropped it, its white turning to stripes of green once it made contact with the ground. "This is so cool!" She said as she picked it back up.

"Oh, yes." Badge said as he glanced over. "Those orbs pick up the first type of element they make contact with after creation." Ivy hummed and tossed the orb to a nearby tree. The orb bounced against the bark, a small patch of moss with glowing mushrooms forming where it was hit. Ivy gasped and began to bounce it among more trees. It didn't last long, the orb shattering into mist after it made contact with its forth tree. "They never last for long." He explained, watching Ivy make another.

"Wonder what happens if I.." She made an orb and tossed it to the hourglass, the orb taking on a magical glow before falling down with a crash.

Badge looked at where the ground had now been indented down. "Well, guess I know how to make crystal balls."

Ivy lost track of time as she played with the badges, all having different effects. One made her glow a ghostly pink, almost like Shadow Kid's glow. One gave the illusion of her having sharp teeth and claws. One gave her enough strength to be able to lift some of the rocks about. One seemed to cause little whispers that narrate all she did. That last one creeped her out a bit, her having toss it. She would have left it to never be found, but it didn't belong to her. So when went to get it back.

She paused as she came back to the hourglass once she had found where the badge had landed. A lot of the debris had been cleared about, and a peak inside showed it was decently clear inside as well. Badge looked like he had started arranging the floating bits to act as a staircase. Well, as best as he could get them. They were out of reach and his badges could only do so much to help him with those. It seemed he had gotten tired, as he found a spot and sat down, taking some breaths.

Ivy went to place the Badge back in his bag, and glanced over slightly. The man's mask was so strange to her. She didn't understand why he had it. It moved all over, yet still his face was hidden.

"You must have gone through a lot to get all these badges." Ivy said as she sat on the ground near him. Badge glanced down at her, simply giving a shrug. That didn't give her much information. She didn't need it but maybe it would get her more answers about him. About how he was. What he was… maybe if she could just get a good look at his face. She stood up and glanced at him. "Do you remember all the places you went to? Can you tell me a bit about them?" She asked.

"Huh, well, there's many over my long time." Badge said, humming as he glanced to the side. His mind seeming to drift as he thought about it. Ivy climbed to get next to him, then quietly reached for the mask. She waited for a second, seeing if he would notice. He didn't seem to, so she garbed and tried to pull away. She only saw a glimpse of what looked like cracked skin before Badge acted. It all happened in less than a second and he glared. "Ivy!" He said, a tone of anger in his voice.

"I-I was just curious." She said, crossing her arms, but a hint of fear in her voice. "It kept moving yet I couldn't see your face.."

Badge seemed to pause for a moment, before sighing. "I'm… sorry." He said, gently patting her on the head. "For my tone. It's just… my face always brought me painful memories. I never liked seeing it, nor ever liked the idea of it being seen." He said as he adjusted the purple hood around his head, his body seeming to glitch out a bit more for a moment. "I know it's just thoughts, nothing to worry about. I could show it now but… I don't know.." He sighed. "It just feels hard too, if that makes sense."

"Not at all." Ivy stated, tilting her head. The man gave a small chuckle before he rested his hands in his lap. Ivy didn't know what he meant by painful memories. He seemed like he always had this simple life. She didn't see how that could bring him painful memories, she had none… Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit bad as she sat beside him again. "I'm sorry." Ivy stated. "I just got curious but, I guess it would be like if someone pulled my hair tightly."

"Not exactly, but you have an understanding." He stated as he glanced at her. "I accept the apology. Like you said, you were just curious. Children tend to be."

"Well, I been a kid as long as I can remember." Ivy started with a small shrug, feeling a bit better. The tone had just surprised her coming from the man. He was so gentle. She thought he wouldn't be capable of true anger. Maybe she was naive in thinking that. She didn't know. She felt mostly the same most days. Except for lately, with all the Moonjumper talk… "I still don't know why the Moonjumper stuff bugs everyone so much. Bugs me so much." She said. "Like, can't I just let people feel how they feel and not be brother."

"We are social creatures. We tend to act based on the emotions of those around us. Our mood is affected by theirs." Badge stated, Ivy giving a hum. She then gave a small nod. Yea, she guessed she could see that. Although she hadn't been 'social' most of her life, so who knew how true that was for her. Badge brought his hand to his mask, touching the chin of it. "I have to ask, how do you like it in your swamp?" He questioned. "Is it nice? Is it lonely? Was it before the ghost."

"Ehh, I guess it was lonely, but I never minded." Ivy stated with a shrug. "I was fine on my own for so long… why do you care anyway? You sound so genuinely worried."

"I just tend to be. You look a little young to be left on your own. At least the Moonjumper was in his teens when he was first found.." Badge mumbled the last sentence quietly, making her tilt her head. Found in his teens, but didn't he say earlier he was raised by the florists? Did he mean from there? It didn't sound like he thought it was another story. And what did the age of Moonjumper when he was found have to do with her? "But you proven yourself capable, it seems."

"I mean, I'm not exactly a normal human child." She stated. Sometimes she wondered if she was even human. She had the appearance of one. But she could last longer without basic needs compared to them. She also had this weird feeling she wasn't made of the same stuff humans were. She could bleed and all that but… She shook her head. "I nearly started a circus for myself in my head." She stated calmly.

"Oh dear, that wouldn't have been good now would it." Badge started with a sigh, before glancing at the hourglass. "I should be getting back to work but, I'll be honest. This isn't exactly fun to do."

"Why don't we do something a little bit more fun than that!" Ivy stated, getting up and beginning to go back and forth, humming in thought. Badge watched with a small chuckle, resting his cane against him and tapping the top of it. Ivy glanced around the area. It could take forever to find someone in this part of the woods… that gave her a smirk before she clapped her hands, switching the smirk for a more innocent smile. "How about hide and seek!" She said, turning around to him.

"I don't know, I'm not exactly a good hider." Badge stated as his arm glitched to the side, bending in a way that felt more inhumane than usual. Ivy pointed to herself and softened her smile, bouncing on her toes a bit. Badge glanced around, seeming to gain a worried aura around him. He stood up after a moment and glanced down at her, and she nodded a bit. "Well, as long as you don't go too far, or get in harm's way," he added. "I suppose we can play a quick game. Shall I start?"

"Yes, good luck!" She said as she began to race off, only to pause as she got near some bushes. "And no peeking!" She called before she dashed as far as her legs could carry her. Maybe she could find a tree and use that to climb up really high.

The Badge Seller chuckled as he covered his eyes, racing away from where she ran in case his body pulled them away too soon.

"I'm not counting aloud, it will be too easy for you." He called, not caring much if she heard or not. Maybe it would be fun to relax, even if just for another moment. He never got to do that much, at least truly. Even in his memories of before…

Ivy wasn't as good at climbing as she thought. Maybe it was just her long sleeves and hair getting caught on the smaller branches and parts of the bark. She still did manage to get up to a good-sized branch and hide in the reddish-pinkish leaves, having to hold in her giggles in case Badge passed from below. She waited for a moment, then two, expecting to see him past with absolutely no clue. But he didn't. Surely, he would have started hunting by now? Then again, he was slow.

Eventually, it started getting a bit boring. Not too much to make her want to quit, but she thought about making her spot more obvious,fgr90000 so Badge at least had a better chance. She wasn't even sure if he would be able to see her from down there thanks to the leaved platform… why were there just leaf platforms anyway? A strange side effect of the curse that had fallen onto this land? It felt like it was a decision to have someone jump between the trees without a care in the world…

Oh well, at least it gave her a decent view of the strange towers in the far distance. She laid on her side and watched the fire dance distantly from the fire one. She still felt a little fight by the dancing flames but these ones felt more peaceful compared to the spirits.

"There you are." The faint calming voice was almost a jumpscare with how sudden it was. She sat up surprised and that was when she noticed that her hair must have gone over the leafy platform while she didn't notice. That must have been what gave her away. Dang it! Well, at least she could try and find a more fun spot. She went to the edge and glanced down at Badge. "Wait, don't jump-" She jumped off the platform, and he had to back up in order to catch her. "Down."

"Oh come on, did you want me to go down the boring way?" Ivy said as Badge placed her down, reaching over and pulling out a leaf that got caught in her hair. The joy she felt faded a bit when she thought she heard something nearby. She glanced around, before pausing as she saw a red and blue glow nearby. She began to head over until the figures came into view. "Dwellers." She whispered to Badge, pointing them out. "But why are they this far away without Snatcher or someone else?"

"Maybe they wanted to revisit…" Badge pointed to the ruins near where the souls were. One of the Dwellers held what looked to be pieces of an old toy in their tail. "Poor things look close to crying…"

"They went through a lot, huh…" Ivy said as she watched the other dweller rest in what looked to be the ruined remains of a basket, reaching for its mask to adjust it. She tried not to think about what happened to the ghost ever since she started learning. Most, if not all of them were kids, taken far before what should have been their time. It was tragic. "I wish I could help them but, I can't." She whispered. "I probably hurt them just by being seen. I'm alive and they aren't."

"That may be true to an extent. But that doesn't mean they hate you for it. They're probably happy for you…" Badge glanced at the Dwellers, before slowly walking over. The ghostly children noticed and each dashed behind the ruined walls, each taking a small peak out. Like they knew they shouldn't be afraid but couldn't help it. Badge just stayed there. "It's alright, dear children." He whispered. "I mean you no harm, you do not need to hide. No one can hurt you here."

"Yea… he's right," Ivy said, before pausing as she began to head over. "Hey, I got an idea, little guy. Wanna hear?"

"Oh, now I'm curious." Badge said as he took a step back, letting Ivy walk up to the ruins with a gentle smile. The Dwellers glance at each other, as if a bit unsure.

"Why don't we play a little game of tag? I bet you guys are very quick." She said with a smile. She tried to sound gentle, but she didn't know how well she was doing it. The blue one stayed put, but the red one came out of the space. It made a quick little dash forward. Ivy smiled and ran along the ruins wall, before turning to the dweller. "Can you beat that?" She asked, to which it dashed to where she was as fast as it could. She clapped her hands. "That was so cool!"

"Huh. not the first thing that came to my mind." Badge stated, deciding to take some steps back to clear more of the space. Ivy tapped the dweller's mask before racing off, the dweller dashing after to try and get her back. She let out some giggles, and the dweller began to raise its head as if in joy. The blue one began to creep from their hiding spot. "Looks like you need to make space for another player, Ivy." He whispered when she went past, Ivy pausing to look at the blue sweller.

"Hey!" She said, waving, before the red dweller bumped into her hand. "Oh, you got me! But that means it's my turn now! RUN!" She roared.

"You better listen!" Badge called, chuckling as he watched the dwellers scatter. The blue one seemed to still be a good bit shaky, but the red one looked like they were having the time of their afterlife. It brought some joy to Ivy's soul. She couldn't explain it but it made her feel more.. alive. She always felt that way when she was around the ghost to an extent, but cheering up those more upset… she couldn't place it. "Red, look out!" Badge called when Ivy almost got them.

That allowed the red one to dash around a corner, making her trip and fall. "Badge!" She said as she glared over. Still, she couldn't help but laugh as she did and got up. The blue one came over to check if she was ok, and she was able to tag their mask before running off with a bit of laughter. She quickly lost track as they all kept getting tagged and tagged, it was just a lot of fun. "Man, why don't I do this more often." She asked. "You wouldn't think I would have this much fun with ghost that were just sad."

"Well, maybe it's just in your nature?" Badge suggested as Ivy slowed to catch her breath. She glanced over with a tilt of her head, the dwellers focusing on chasing each other for the time. It almost seemed like they were laughing. "After all that happens to this forest, perhaps you were brought to try and bring a little joy back."

"Ehh, that sounds a little odd. Maybe I just exist because I do?" Ivy asked, tilting her head. Badge gave a nod, like he agreed. Ivy gave a smile to him. Sure, he was a little weird and she still didn't understand why she felt so drawn to him. But he seemed nice. And seemed to have some weird understanding of her. She could always try to figure things out at a later date, he was staying in the forest after all. "Now, I wonder if I can make a proper race track for the dwellers."

"I wish you luck in that." Badge started with a chuckle. He saw Ivy roll her eyes as she went to start picking up rocks to use to border the tracks. The dwellers began to pick up small sticks and leaves to help loosen it all as well. However, they didn't get very far before a yawn came from Ivy. She shook her head, but another came. Badge let out a chuckle of amusement. "Well, I should probably get you back to your swamp." He said as he walked over. "You need a nap."

"Noo, I can go very long without sleeping!" Ivy said, sticking her tongue out and shaking her head. She slept, like, a few days ago! She was more than fine. "I'm gonna race my heart out, and there's nothing you or my body can do to stop me!

It didn't take that long until her movements slowed, and Badge had to catch her from falling a lot of time. She huffed and mumbled, but it did nothing to stop him from walking away with her.

By the time Badge had walked to the main part of the forest with Ivy, she had fallen asleep. He had no chance of crossing the soul filled swamp himself, but he knew she would be safe in it. He gently bent down and lowered her into the water, a smile forming faintly on her face as he did so. The water drifted with her for a moment, taking her slightly from the shore. He let out a sigh as he watched, glancing to the side. He had a smile on. She was so innocent. So precious.

He stayed there for a moment. His legs hurt a bit from carrying her a good distance. It was funny, he could carry his bag just fine but the second he had to carry a child it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Of course, his arms were much weaker than his back. He was still surprised they functioned at all sometimes. It felt like they would break at any moment, sometimes it looked like that as well. But of course, they still stayed strong. Just like his existence.

He didn't need to turn around to know Snatcher had appeared behind him. He could feel the familiar ghostly aura from the last prince of subcon. He didn't face him, just looked down at the ground. Letting the phantom speak first.

"She's asleep? Good, I'm not sure I would want her to hear this." Snatcher sighed, resting a hand to his face before looking down at the Badge Seller. "I know you're one of the four pieces of the original Moonjumper." He said. "I already met Legends. I know for a fact Hat Girl has met one of the two others." Badge didn't respond, just taking a breath. "Why didn't you tell anyone sooner? Why not just tell us what was going to happen so it was less of a worry. Macbeth had a whole crisis over his fate for nothing!"

"I don't remember all the details." Badge said, holding an arm close to himself. Snatcher paused. He sounded sad. More sad than he thought he ever heard from the man. Which, wasn't much in the first place. But it was still something that surprised the ghost. Badge slowly turned to face the phantom, although he kept his gaze to the ground. He took a breath before speaking. "Have you ever wondered what it's like? To have memories of a life you knew you never lived, yet you feel so close to…"

"Badge… let me see your face." Snatcher said as he shrunk down, trying to seem more friendly for once. "You use that mask to help overcome your emotions, don't you?"

The Badge Seller sighed. "You won't leave me alone until I show it, won't you?" He asked, the ghost giving a nod. Badge reached for his mask. He took it off before, why did it feel heavier this time… Snatcher eyed the being once the mask came off. He looked like Moonjumper but… drained and broken. His skin was cracked, his right eye dull and his left one having a green glow. "Moonjumper's body was made from a good amount of magic…" He chuckled sadly. "That magic had to go somewhere."

"I guess the main reason you wore that is to block suspicions throughout the years. You've been around for what, thousands at this point?" Snatcher questioned. Badge frowned as he glanced down. He didn't know. He lost track so long ago. It helped him not to hurt… Snatcher floated over, sighing as he put a hand on his shoulder, Badge glancing up at him. "I don't know what it's like, but I doubt it's very healthy." Snatcher tilted his head. "Although, it seemed you're more broken than the others."

"Hydratic is carefree. Autiomaa barely remembers anything about Moonjumper compared to the rest." Badge explained. "I have no idea how it was so easy for Legends to accept his fate."

"Yea. If I were him, I would be in agony." Snatcher said. "Like, I guess at the very least he can speak. Being stone without that might as well be a punishment worse than death." He stated. Part of him wanted to chuckle at the idea of watching someone fall under that fate but, even in his head it still seemed so messed up. Snatcher focused his attention back onto Badge. "I'm guessing you have most of his memories?" Badge nodded, glancing to the side. "Then why not just, call yourself Moonjumper? It would probably hurt you less."

"I tried that before, many times." Badge said as he glanced up at him, before looking at his hand. "But I'm not the son of the Horizon. I'm just part of what remains of him. No matter how close any of us are in one way or another, we'll never be him." Badge had to wipe a tear from his eyes, Snatcher gestured for him to put back on the mask. "I may remember things in clear detail, but there's so much that was important to Moonjumper that I don't. His time with his partner-"

"Eh, you're probably better without those memories," Snatcher said but sighed. "But I guess I can see what you mean."

"Anamund was everything to him. He would have spent his life with them if he had a chance."

The two fell quiet for a moment. Badge glanced back to the sleeping child, who had now drifted quite a bit away from the two. He slowly got up, a yawn leaving his mouth.

"Just… one more question before you go get some sleep," Snatcher stated, Badge glancing over. "Why was she affected by the fire spirits?"

Badge seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then let out a small sigh. Before he whispered. Quietly, as if he was afraid someone might overhear.

"She's the original's sister."

#a hat in time #ahit snatcher #ahit badge seller #ahit oc #a hat in time fanfic #moonjumper

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

So... how long you two think your gonna be able to hide your dating from Right? Why is he so worried anyway? I understand being a protective Dad but he of all people should know how it feels to be with someone.

#the henry stickmin collection #anonymous #ask #henry stickmin oc #topbot #toppat clan

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 52: Hidden Thoughts

Platinum had been trying to talk with Van more. He felt he got sidetracked from the meetups they started to have after what happened with his sister. And while he knew Van saw no issue with that, it still made Platinum feel guilty. Like he could have squeezed out more time to hang out with Van while also tending to Hattie's needs. He was a robot, he had nothing but energy to physically give. Yet he felt so tired at the time… None of that mattered now. Platinum needed to make up for it all.

He… felt he might be ready. He had been dancing around the idea ever since his crush on them was pointed out. He saw Burt and Fredrick 's relationship form despite what seemed like impossible odds considering how Burt was, and they both seemed so happy. Then looking at his own Dads, they just felt whole in a way Platinum didn't know how to process. He wanted that feeling with Van, if Van wanted it as well. But thinking about it was never going to get him anywhere. He had to speak, tell them.

It just felt more… hectic to try lately. Randy had been wonderful to have back but he caused a bit of commotion. One of the clan's previous leaders being reincarnated as a deity? It was hard to find any place quiet to think with all the discussions going around. It was starting to give him a headache, or at least the closest thing a robot like him could have to one. Subcon was next door but there you always had to keep your eye out. Even if Snatcher was friendly to them, not everything in the forest was. Platinum hadn't stepped foot in since the fire spirit incident.

Luckily, he eventually got an idea. He got a day Van was free and convinced his Dads to let them and Hattie got to Mafia Town for the day. Made an argument that a change in scenery would be nice for them and it had been a long time since they last visited. Platinum could tell Reginald didn't buy that excuse, but he agreed on the condition they were careful. So everything had fallen into place. Even if he had to drag his sister into it. Looked a lot less strange if they went with her after all.

They got to the island early in the morning, he had the whole day to get things done. He didn't just want to start talking out of the gate with Van, that felt rude. He had a rough plan for how the day would go in his mind. Get food at Cooking Cat's, look around, see if there was anything that interested Van, get Hattie to leave the two of them alone, then he would talk to Van. Simple. He didn't think of what could go wrong as he tied the boat's rope to a pole to keep it in place.

"Hey, do you guys smell something?" Van asked as they got out of the boat, Platinum pausing and tilting his head while Hat Girl nodded. He couldn't smell himself, just had to rely on details around to try and pick up what he would be. Yet he didn't see anything of note as they glanced around. He did hear the faint sound of clunky music and multiple mafia speaking… it seemed. "It smells like food but, I can't place what? Fish, maybe?" They asked, tilting their head.

"Well, fish do seem to be the Mafia's favorite food." Hat Girl said as she walked down the dock. "It has to be their cooking because a good amount smells burnt." Platinum shuttered at that, he didn't know why. Something about 'burnt fish' just sounded disguising on paper even though he had no clue what it would be like. He didn't fully get why people ate fish in the first place. "It's either a big one or a lot of them." Hat Girl stated while Van nodded. "Wonder what's going on."

"It's called 'Mafia Boss decided to make my life worse for a day'." Mu's voice called, them looked over to see her sitting on a box, adjusting a red cloth mask that seemed to be hand-stitched up to her face. "Sometimes they'll catch too many fish for their HQ and other areas to store because they can't plan out anything, and they have these little 'food fairs' just to get rid of them quickly." She shook her head. "The burnt stuff is far from the worst of it."

"I rather not see, thank you." Platinum said with a small chuckle as he raced over after making sure the rope was scurred. Mu rolled her eyes as she walked over to the group, not really saying anything. He could work with this. Have her tag along and maybe have her distract Hat Girl so she didn't but in when it was time. He smiled as he began to head up the stairs. "The Mafia's food can be whatever it wants, we'll just grab some stuff at Cooking Cat! She would never let her food get near that quality."

"Good luck getting in, every non-mafia person is in there right now, and even some of the mafia." Mu said as she rolled her eyes. Platinum paused, quickly trying to calculate a new plan in his mind. He felt so bad for not letting either of them grab something to eat before leaving, he was so sure they could get a meal to last the whole day there. That probably meant they couldn't go as much wandering and exploring. "At least most of the rotten food and people are in the place with the fountain, so it's somewhat easy to avoid most of them."

"I'm guessing you haven't been as lucky?" Hat Girl asked, Mu sighing and nodding as she adjusted her mask again. Platinum began to head back down, still trying to arrange the plan in his head. He should have known the one time he tried to be responsible and form a plan, it wouldn't go well. He glanced to the side awkwardly as he tried to think of what he would do on a normal day. "Well, I'm sure we can at least find something to do. I mean, we had fun running around when we were kids, Mu."

"I thought you hated each other back then?" Van asked, only to take a small step back when Mu gave them a faint glare. Hat Girl gave a shrug as Mu went up the stairs, glancing back and forth as if doing some sort of check. She looked tired, Platinum frowning. She did remember how to take a break, right? The day had only started a few hours ago and she looked like she could hop in bed. "I doubt we can go towards the observatory considering what we all did last time.." Van chuckled.

"Hey, it was a work of art." Platinum shrugged, before an idea came to his mind. He turned to Mu. "Hey, Macbeth told us you got access to the geyser area. Any chance we-"

"Mu, we know the basics of not getting in danger." Hat Girl stated, although she had to push back some laughter as she said that. Mu didn't respond, just lowered her hand and began to lead them down a path that should get them to one of the needed doors. Platinum raced up beside Van and offered them a smile. Van didn't notice, simply looking ahead, but their eyes showed excitement with caution. Perfect. "Besides, what's the worst thing we could do inside a cavern? Can something fall on us."

"Why does he tell you these things." Mu sighed as she pulled out the key. It still had some of the power tied to it that allowed her to properly access things. Van tilted their head and walked closer to get a better look at it, and Hat Girl's eyes lit up in curiosity. Platinum just gave Mu a small smirk as she rolled her eyes, jestering for the group to follow her. "I mean, you came all this way alone, might as well make it worth it." She turned and pointed at them.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"There's a beast buried under where we'll be standing." Mu stated. "So, that's something to worry about if you ask me."

"W-Well, can it get out?" Van questioned as they took a step back, Mu shaking her head. It didn't seem like it could to her knowledge. Platinum was about to suggest a chance in the plans again when Van smiled. "I.. think we'll be fine, then." They glanced back at Platinum with a smile, to which Platinum quickly placed one on himself. That was odd, Van didn't like getting placed in danger. "I mean, you can't hear about a creature and not get curious, right Platinum?" They asked.

"Well, yea. I am interested now." Platinum said, "I mean, more interested. Obviously I'm interested since I was the one to suggest it." Platinum chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. The girls shot him brief, odd looks. Van just smiled and went to catch up with them, Mu gestured for them to be quiet as some Mafia could be heard. "Wait, hold up!" He called, getting a quick shush from Mu as she rolled her eyes. Platinum rolled his as well, it wasn't like they'd been noticed.

It didn't take them too long to get to the door. Although, like the last time Mu tried to get in, they had to play the waiting game. A Mafia member was stood outside the door like always. It almost made her question if Mafia Boss was aware of the beast under the island and wanted to keep people from getting near it. She doubted it was for good reasons if it was the case. She just wanted to get in and get out, even if the cave would block the increasing amount of awful smells.

The group whispered to each other as they waited, hoping for the Mafia to move so they could get in and look around. Or after a certain point, at least stretch their legs. Platinum made it seem like he was annoyed, but he found himself fine with this arrangement. Gave him more time to try and think of how to ask Van to… gosh, he was feeling lightheaded just thinking about it. He had to try and keep his cheeks hidden in case he was blushing. He was still annoyed he had that as a feature now.

Eventually, another Mafia came by and called the one at the door over to grab something to eat real quick. That gave them enough time to rush over to the entrance once both were out of sight, the key once again opening the doors for them to quickly get inside, Mu slamming the doors behind them.

"Huh… I'd thought there would be more.. It's pretty in being simple, though." Hat Girl said as she walked around, Platinum bringing out his phone and turning the flashlight on so they could get a better look around. It didn't take him long to notice the crystal-crack in the ground, and bend down to get a look inside. He froze once his light landed on the slumbering beast, his body completely locking up, like a reboot was needed. "Plat?" Hat Girl glanced into the crack. "oh… Nevermind."

"Let me see." Van whispered as they looked into the crack as well, almost stumbling back at the creature. They blinked a few times, before leaning back in for another look. Platinum blinked as his systems started to work, glancing at Van with surprise. He could see some fear in their eyes but it seemed their curiosity was outweighing it. He didn't get to see them like this too often. "Huh, doesn't look like any creature natural… I wonder if it was someone cursed, like in the myths on our world."

"I'd doubt it, if it was someone I doubt it would go on a rampage attacking the town." Mu sighed as she took off her mask. "At least it's asleep, it's worse when it's awake."

"Let them state their theories, they could be right." Platinum said, Mu just shrugged as she sat down, keeping an eye on the doors. He watched Hat Girl take out her phone and turned on the flashlight, shining it at the wall. There seemed to be a lot of symbols carved into them, each having just the faintest glow. Platinum paused as he glance back at the crack. "I wonder if those symbols are tied to the spell that's keeping this thing locked down here. It's amazing they haven't stop working."

"Well, we don't know how magic works. Maybe this type just, doesn't on its own." Van said as they got up, dusting their pants off as Platinum nodded. It was actually funny how little they really knew considering how much they'd been exposed to magic this past year. You think they would have picked up on a thing or two. Platinum walked up to Hat Girl and Van glanced at the symbols from afar. "Hmmm.. doesn't look like anything I would recognize. It does give off this aura of protection… At least it makes me feel safer.."

"It's crazy to think all this has been just out of view. Does anyone besides us know about this?" Hat Girl asked. Mu just shrugged, she couldn't be too sure anymore. Maybe Cooking Cat was aware? She remember them talking to her that day but with all they found and learnt, the exact timeline of how the day went was blurry in her head. And she didn't know how many people Macbeth might've told… "It's probably good if they don't. I can see the Mafia making it a competition to try and wake up the monster."

"Put all that Moonjumper's work to waste… Speaking of which, you guys did notice the Moon change right?" Mu asked, her voice gaining a small hint of fear in it. The three nodded and she seemed surprised that they seemed so casual about it. She took a breath as she glanced up, looking at a carving of a moon in the ceiling before turning back to Hat Girl. "Do you think that second coming is here?" Mu asked. "We haven't seen or heard anything but everyone seemed to ha-"

"Yea, he's one of our past leaders brought back to life." Hat Girl said. "What are the odds?"

"I don't think it's even possible to try and find those." Van said, shaking their head. Mu was wide eyed in surprise when she heard the statement but eventually sighed. A look of 'I should have known' on her face that made Platinum chuckled. Van hummed as they glanced back down at the crystal-crack. The crystals were emanating a faint, pink glow. They pointed it out to the others. "It's so odd. It feels like a lot was trying to point us to the second's identity for a while now."

"I mean, pink is a color associated with Randy and like, at least a billion other people, assuming there's a lot more planets with life and the color pink." Platinum said, shrugging. "But it is fun to think it was enough to tell." he added with a chuckle, before pausing as the faint snoring beneath them stopped. He gestured for them all to get near the wall as the ground below them shook slightly. "We should be a bit more quiet." Platinum whispered, beforeing whining. "Even if its less fun."

"You're unbelievable at times." Mu whispered as she got out her timepiece, getting some small giggles.

"We like him unbelievable." Hat Girl whispered, gently jabbing into his elbow. Platinum rolled his eyes as he gave a chuckle, looking at Van who was glancing at the crack. He caught them holding onto the sleeves of their outfit, fidgeting with it. Before he could ask them, there was a small rumble. Platinum glanced around confused for a moment since there was no movement, before seeing Hat Girl place a hand against her stomach. "We should have at least grabbed snacks before we left, even if we had plans for breakfast."

"Sorry about that. I don't know what came over me." Platinum whispered, Hat Girl raising a brow at his statement. He sighed as he tried to think. He wasn't about to feed them whatever the mafia had to eat, that seemed like it would be the same as giving them poison based on how Mu described. He doubted he could find a random box of food just out in the middle of nowhere. "By now Cooking Cat's had to have some space, right?" Platinum asked. "Or at least we’d be able to get in at all."

"Well, I have met Cooking Cat behind her restaurant a few times in the past." Mu said. "For personal reasons of course. We might be able to get something there, but we aren't stealing. I don't care if you're criminals."

"I mean, we haven't really stolen anything since we got here…" Van whispered as Hat Girl nodded. Mu seemed to pause before sighing and pulling her mask back on, glancing to the side. Platinum began to head to the exit of the cavern-like area, taking a peek outside the door. The Mafia still wasn't back, so he opened the door and they all got out, quickly heading to a wall before anyone would spot them. "Man, I need to get better at running." Van sighed as they leaned against Platinum for a moment.

"Hey, you're faster than others." Platinum said, patting them on the shoulders for a momment. He caught Hat Girl giving them both a knowing smile from the corner of his eye but didn't acknowledge it. That was why he wanted to get her out of the way. He didn't need her forcing herself into the scene as a third wheel. Although, now that he thought about it, would she even do that? He backed away from Van and glanced around. "So which way to Cooking Cat's again? The faster we get there, the better."

"Follow me." Mu said, leading them once again. "Just don't blame me when we can't get anything."

Mustache Girl wasn't kidding when she said everyone who wasn't in the Mafia was at Cooking Cat's. If it wasn't for living in a large clan, Platinum was sure he never would have seen so many people in a decent size space like that in his life. Luckily, they happened to catch Cooking Cat while she was out back of her shop for a quick break, and were able to grab some of the roast beef she had made.

"I shouldn't even be surprised by her cooking at this point, it just seems to be natural talent." Hat Girl said as they sat a bit away to eat. Platinum had went around the corner to try and think things out, occasionally glancing around to make sure they were still ok. He felt so dumb, why couldn't he just wing things like he normally did. It would have gone over a lot better if he had done that. He sighed as he had his hat resting on a pole nearby, ruffling his hair as he tried thinking.

"Um, are you ok Platinum?" Van asked when they went around the corner and spotted him. Platinum quickly turned over and gave a thumbs up, a smile on his face. Van was quiet, they didn't know what to say. They had noticed something seemed off with Platinum that day but didn't want to draw attention to it. Platinum wondered if Van had figured it out, but chose to keep up the act anyway. "You don't have to feel bad, we should have gotten something to eat before you got up. It wouldn't have been that hard."

"I know but, I gotta remember humans get their energy differently than robots." Platinum said as he leaned against the wall, glancing up to the sky with a shrug. "You think I would've put two and two together by now." That earned a chuckle from Van, making him smile. Maybe things could still go well…

"You two! From clan of Hatted men!" A voice suddenly called, Platinum groaning a bit as he recognized the voice. He turned to see the Mafia Boss with one of his Mafia goons. He got between them and Van, before they could even think of trying anything, as the jar came closer to them both, starring them both with daggers. Platinum just gave a small smirk in return. "We demand to know location of red hooded girl. She broke into our HQ and destroyed stuff, and needs to pay!"

"Let me guess, sometime recently? Because she was with us pretty much all day." Platinum said, raising a brow. "So unless you're blind as a rock, it couldn't have been her." The Mafia Boss flew right at him but he just took his hand and grabbed him, pushing him back without any real force. Van rose their hands as they took some steps away as Platinum went to grab his hat. "Besides, you think we would bail her out? You put her through enough as it is, just stop for once."

"She does not have a place here, she does not see that!" Mafia Boss stated, causing Platinum to pause. He felt anger rise in his system but he couldn't let it get to him. He just placed his hat back on his head and glanced into the water nearby. Van walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, and he took it, taking a breath. He was about to leave, when suddenly he was grabbed and pinned against the wall by the Mafia Goon. "Tell me what I ask!" The Mafia Boss said.

"Platinum!" Van said, and Platinum waved for Van to back away as he pushed the Mafia Goon back. He tried his best to only use the necessary amount of force, he knew the Goon was only doing this to follow his boss's orders. He was about to run off, but he couldn't react in time when a barrel was thrown at him. His system must be acting slow. He mumbled as he got up, catching a can flying across his vision. "Just leave us alone!" Van shouted, "We d-didn't even do anything!"

"Van, just go, you're gonna get hurt." Platinum said as he managed to grab the Mafia's fist when it entered his vision. "I'm made of steel, I can take this-"

He got kicked to the side. He got up and got ready to throw a punch back, but paused. He felt the warmth before his sight processed the purple that came into view, Van pulling him back. "Leave my brother alone!" Hat Girl called as she jumped between the two, throwing another potion from her witch hat. The Mafia Boss gave her a glare, but seemed to have a hint of fear in his eyes. That was the only reason Platinum could think of for why he left with barely more than a mumbled there.

"You should've just left when they showed up." Platinum heard Mu say from in front of him, her appearing in his vision a second later. He sighed as he turned off his eyes so he could get his sight processing systems working again. Some of the wires must be getting close to needing replacing. When he turned them back on, he saw Mu had taken a few steps back and seemed spooked. "Don't do that without a warning, you look like you came from some horror movie for a second there." She stated.

"I'm sorry." Platinum sighed as he glanced at Van. "Are you ok? They didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked.

"No, but did they hurt you? You made be made of metal but, we all know how easily machines can break." Van said as they walked up to him. "Remember the laptop I had back when I first joined the clan?" Mu tilted her head at the statement but Platinum nodded. The right half had looked like it was almost torn completely in half, it was a miracle it even still worked. "You gotta try being more careful for us. I know you have been lately but, well." They glanced to the side.

"I mean, if I'm correct the bench should be empty, maybe outside of a mafia goon or two." Hat Girl said. "Maybe we can head there? We can't swim but we can at least have some sort of fun." She smiled as she looked at Mu, who just seemed to glance at her in confusion. Van hummed a bit before giving a small nod. Platinum glanced to the side, he didn't know if that was a good idea. "Come on Plat, you would normally be the first to agree." She said as she came up to him. "It'll be fun!"

"Yea…" he sighed as he looked at the ocean. "Maybe it's best we just head back to the clan. We're not going to run into any annoying Mafia Bosses there." He said as he sat down, rubbing his eyes to clear off a smudge. Besides, it’d be nice to get them away from the smells of the Mafia's cooking if it was as bad as everyone was describing. He wasn't an expert

on that. "If that's ok with you two." he said as he glanced over at Hat Girl and Van, who glanced at each other. He began to head to the boat. "I'll go ahead and get it untied." He said.

"Yea… Yea, it can be." Platinum said, giving a smile as he glanced at her. If Van wanted to, then it worked. He still might be able to make this whole thing work. He just had to… maybe he should stop trying to plan things out. That only seemed to be doing him more harm than good, and he wasn't sure how much he liked that. It was fun to have some challenges in a day, but all this… "Can I race you?" he asked, putting up a smirk on his face as he looked at his sister.

"Oh, it's on!" She said, before racing ahead. "Catch me if you can!" She called as he began to chase after, leaving Mu to facepalm and shake her head.

"Those two are gonna be the end of each other." She mumbled as she began to follow.

Van gave a shrug. At least it didn't seem like the worst way to go out.

They just, wished Platinum would tell them all what was wrong. They didn't think they saw him like this before. It worried them, a lot…

Luckily, Hat Girl was right about no one being at the beach, at least for now. Gave them some time to truly relax and have a break, which is why they came there in the first place. Or at least for Van and Hat Girl. Platinum wasn't even sure he could try asking out Van after everything that happened. They weren't the worst events to have happened, but it just felt so.. bad for him. Maybe like a bad omen of things that could happen to Van if he stuck around them. He didn't want Van to get hurt.

He was active and trying to be his usual self for the first bit that they were there. But he backed away eventually, laying on the ground under an umbrella. The excuse he gave being to make sure his systems cooled down. It wasn't too sunny or hot, so it wasn't the best excuse. But they didn't bug him about it. Just let him sit and try to think, him picking up a few shells from the sand so it looked like he was at least trying to have fun, even when he was cooling down.

Maybe he should just not say anything. Not just today, but ever. Let Van find someone who wouldn't get a target put on their back. Platinum did seem to be a magnet for attracting trouble.

"It's amazing how much can be hidden from view sometimes.." Van said as they sat beside him. Their voice surprised Platinum but he smiled as he glanced at them. He didn't even realize he had dug up as many as he did from the sand. He just wanted to keep up his act. Van picked up one, in a clam-like shape you thought of when you thought of a seashell. "It's still a little weird how cartoony it feels like things here can be." Van turned to Platinum. "Is that just me, or…"

"Well, cartoons are supposed to mimic reality." Platinum shrugged slightly. Van gave a hum as they placed the shell back down. Neither spoke for a moment. Platinum glanced at Hat Girl and Mu, playing with a ball they had found nearby. Well, Hat Girl was at least. Mu more looked like she was going through the motions. Maybe something was bothering her as well? Then again, it felt impossible to find a moment something wasn't bothering the girl. "I mean, what else are they suppose to mimic."

"What are you two talkin about-" Mu started, only to shout when the ball hit her in her shoulder. "Hattie, you can hold it for five seconds, can't you?!"

"I already let go by the time you turned to speak with them, Mu." Hat Girl said as she caught the ball as it came back to her. "Still, sorry." She said, offering a smile while Platinum chuckled in the background. Mu rolled her eyes as she sat in a lawn chair that was nearby her, sighing as she took her hood off, wiping her brow. She still gave Hat Girl daggers as she did. "Come on, you know I mean it." Hat Girl claimed as she came over, tossing the ball up and down slightly in the air.

"How can I be so sure?" Mu said. "You're kinda an actor if you forgotten." She added as she crossed her arms. Hat Girl rolled her eyes and went ahead and dropped the ball on Mu, carefully. The blonde looked at it and at Hat Girl. "I'm not going to toss it back." She stated as she looked to the side. Hat Girl sat down on the ground near her. She glanced back at her. "Why are you like this sometimes? You almost feel like a lost puppy when we hang out, either having me follow you or you following me." Mu said as she dusted some sand off one of her sleeves.

"Well, maybe you look like you need someone to cheer you up just for a little." Hat Girl said, letting out a small sigh. Platinum gave a small frown as he thought of that comment the Mafia Boss had made to him. About Mu not belonging here. Did she deal with that a lot? This place was hers in the first place. Mu didn't say anything, just sat up in her chair. "It's ok to be upset about things after all. But maybe you should start taking breaks more often. Like, really, more often

"Who said-" Mu started, but stopped when a Seagull suddenly flew down. Mu backed up from the surprise and hopped out of the chair as it rammed itself into the ball, knockin it a bit away. "What on earth is going on with that thing?" She asked, Hat Girl just giving a shrug before turning her attention to see the seagull keep hitting the ball, knocking it further away. Surprisingly quickly too. "Is it, trying to steal the ball? Why would it even think of trying to do that?"

"We should probably stop it before it gets too far away" Hat Girl said, Mu nodding and began to head after it. Hat Girl gave a small chuckle as she raced to follow. "Get back here!" She called, getting a laugh and eye roll out of Platinum as he watched. Van let out a small chuckle as well as they watched, Platinum standing up from his spot and heading over to the lawnchair. Might as well use it if they weren't going to. He didn't even realize it was there earlier.

"Those two have a lot of fun. Or at least, Hattie does." Platinum said as he laid down, Van nodding as they walked over. The sun was slowly beginning its set in the distance. Platinum paused, was he going crazy or did that much time pass already? There were still a good amount of hours left in the day but they thought it was noon at the latest. He tried not to let it get to him, or at least show that it did. "Huh. You do gotta wonder things about how we see stuff… why did I say it like that?"

"Are you referring to the clouds?" Van asked confused as they glanced up. Platinum shrugged because he didn't know. He just got worried Van would notice and came up with a random sentence on the fly… Why was he so bad at all of this? He wasn't trying to be and it didn't feel good. He just wanted too… he wasn't fully sure anymore. He glanced at the ground and rested both of his hands in his lap. "I mean, the human eye is really good at seeing similarities in things. Even when they're not similar."

"Guess robot eyes don't do as good of a job." Platinum chuckled as he stood up from the chair, glancing up at the sky. There were only a few clouds, none had shapes that read as anything other than 'could' however. He found himself walking a bit away. Maybe he could try and think, clear his head a bit better somewhere else. Van grabbed his hand and he looked at them. "Huh?" he said as he glanced down at their hands. Holding theirs felt so… nice. It made him feel alive in a new way.

"You gotta be honest with me Platinum, I'm worried." Van said. "You've been off all day, I don't like it. I just want the chaotic robot I know back."

"I don't know what you're talking about Van. I'm just…having a slightly off day?" Platinum said, letting go of their hand and putting on a smile. Van just blinked, shaking their head as they glanced at him. He tried to walk away but they grabbed the edge of his jacket to keep him in place. He sighed as he glanced back at them, gently pulling it out of their grasp. "Look, I don't know what else to tell you Van. I just, don't worry. I don't like it when you worry about things like this."

"I can't help it if its someone I consider close." Van said as they glanced at the ground, garbing the edge of their sleeves again. Platinum glanced at where the girls were, seeing they were out of sight. This might be his chance but… he didn't know if he should take it still. Maybe it was better for them to just be friends and not try to force it into anything more. "Please, Platy. I can tell you're off. The others did too but they just haven't said anything. You can trust us."

"I…" Platinum brought his hat down as he felt his blush feature active again. Focus. He could at least offer Van the truth of why they were there. "You're gonna be upset when you hear it Van. I'm sorry." He admitted with a sigh.

Van paused as they tilited their head, walking over and bringing the Hat back up to look at him in his eyes. They offered him a smile.

He took a breath before speaking. "I… been needing to tell you something for a while now. I just.. didn't think of how the day might go. Now I'm not sure if its a good idea." Platinum sighed as he turned fully back to Van, glancing at them. They seemed confused but nodded, waiting for him to keep going. He sighed as he tried to think of how to say it. "I wanted to tell you at the station but, it's too hard to find privacy and too much talking going around. Subcon wasn't much better of a place…

"So you had us go here… Guess you only had Hat Girl come along was so the whole situation looked more 'normal?'" They asked, Platinum nodding a bit in shame. It sounded a lot worse when it was said aloud compared to being said in his head. He brought his hands to his pockets and grabbed at the inside. He just didn't know what to do. He tapped his foot against the ground. "That still doesn't explain things, Platinum. What have you been wanting to tell me? I'm here now, it's just us."

"I… like you." Platinum spoke, glancing at them. "Like, really like you. Everything about you."

Van just, blinked for a moment. "Ok, I don't see how-" They blinked and paused, as what Platinum meant clinked into their brain. A blush covered their face as Platinum glanced to the side. On one hand it did feel good to finally get that off his chest. On the other… was this how these types of things went? Van tilted their head as Platinum turned back to them. "I-I'm flattered but… why me? You're the son of the chief, you can have anyone in the clan you want? Why someone like me?"

"I can't explain! Sure I found other people our age attractive as well-" Van covered their mouth when Platinum said that, making him stutter. "B-But there's something else that's always drawn me to you. You're so, sweet and nice, despite everything that life throws at you." Van didn't come from the best conditions before joining the clan, Platinum had heard. "And you're so smart! L-Like earlier with the myths. I don't think I’ve ever been so interested in that kind of stuff until you told me. And You just.. make me feel happy."

"Y-You sure you got the right guy?" Van asked, but there was a smile forming on their face. Platinum smiled at that, maybe this wasn't going as awfully as he thought. Van adjusted the sleeves on their outfit, and Platinum caught them pinching themself. He paused when he saw that and raised a brow, glancing at them. They froze for a moment, before speaking. "I-I had to be sure." They said, glancing to the side. "I’ve felt the same way for a while… I-I just never tried anything because of-"

"Pops? Yea, he's a nightmare with this kind of thing." Platinum said with a grone. That was another reason he wanted to avoid doing this at the station. The cyborg just seemed so overprotective of them when it came to the idea of even trying to date. He just didn't understand why he couldn't just let them… And then he paused when Van's words fully sent in his head. "Wait, you, aren't just saying that to make me feel better, right?" They shook their heads. "You feel the same-"

"Yea… I'm just wondering why you felt you needed to do all this." Van asked. "It doesn't suit you to have a plan."

The topbot didn't answer right away. He was still trying to figure that out himself. "I… don't know. Maybe my system thought if I just spring it on at a random moment it would go poorly. But I couldn't do anything too obviously fancy, that's not my style." Van nodded as Platinum paced in place. "So that resulted in today… I'm still sorry. I should have just, asked you in a normal way instead of trying to play out this perfect scene in my head." He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No, Platinum, I get that. You want everything to go as perfectly as they can and it just, doesn't happen." Van said as they looked up at the sky. "It's just a human thing to do. We're all the heroes in our own stories. We only have so long to get to be that. So we want everything to go as perfect as possible while it can." Van said as they pushed back some of their hair. "But I like you being more spontaneous. You don't normally get bugged when things don't go perfectly. You just, keep going… That's one of the things I really like about you, Platy."

"Thanks…" Platinum sighed. "I know we probably can't do anything too crazy yet since, ya know. Pops." he rolled his eyes a bit. "But maybe we can start sneaking off for more, special kinda hangouts?" He asked, Van chuckling as they nodded. "Ok, great! i just, uh, need to figure out a date in my schedule." He said as he stopped his small spacing, turning to them. "I mean, I don't have much of one so it shouldn't be that hard, right?" He asked, Van just giving a shrug. "Any time next week works for you."

"I mean, I don't really have anything planned for Tuesday so. Maybe I can grab some books and food and meet you near where the clan fishes?" Van asked, as Platinum nodded. It was still a little too close to the station for Platinum's taste but they couldn't sneak out this far everytime.

"Yea… I'd like that." Platinum said. "I'm really curious about those myths you mentioned earlier."

"And we're back." Hat Girl called as she came over, tossing the ball to Platinum as he quickly turned to catch it. "Did we miss anything?"

"No… Hey, I think their food feast or whatever should be going on still." Platinum said as he gained a smirk, glancing at the ball. "Wanna see if we can knock Mafia Boss down a few?"

Mu facepalmed at the suggestion, pinicing the space near her eyes slightly. "That's the worst thing we can possibly do but, I can't lie. I wanna see that so badly."

"I-I can go get the boat ready." Van offered. "We should be heading back soon if we wanna go before Sunset."

"Well. We all know who has the best aim out of us three." Hat Girl said, having switched out her hat for her Sprint Bow when no one was looking, racing up and taking the ball from Platinum's hands and giving a wink. "Race you." She said before dashing off.

"Hey, no fair!" Platinum called as he began to race after. "You're required to give us a ten second head start!" He said, quickly glancing back to wink at Van before going full speed.

Mu sighed as she went up the steps to follow, but paused as she glanced back at Van. "Finally asked you out?" The teen paused but nodded. "About time." She said before running to catch up.

Van paused as they took off their hat, taking a breath. So, they and the toppat leader's son? Heir to the Right Hand position, wanting to try dating them? They pinched themself again, but the pain kicked in. This isn't a dream, this was real… If things worked out, like how they wanted them too… Would they end up together? Would that… make them the heir to the position currently filled by Sven?

No, no, don't overthink. There's no way to know it would even work out. They were so different and yet, oddly, at the same time..

They both worked together so well.

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #henry stickmin oc #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #topbot #ahit mustache girl #ahit mafia #ahit maifa boss

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Randy is prob gonna freak out at the internet, I know it.

(Yea, but he got used to it quick.)

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #anonymous #ask #randy radman #moonjumper #henry stickmin au #ahit au

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 51: Reunion

Why wasn't this a nightmare? The cold wall, the smell of the beer below him, the faint pain from the shackles on his wrists. Randy was hoping it was a nightmare, despite how real it all felt at first. But he fell asleep and woken up too many times for him to be dreaming. He just didn't understand how it was even possible. Any of this. He still wanted his answers for how one moment he was on the airship, and the next he was here. Chained, with no way out, not even human anymore...

He didn't want to make discoveries about his new form, but he had to if he was going to be stuck in it. It seemed like he didn't need food and water as often, and he found himself able to stay up later if he chose to. He felt stronger during the night, not that it was useful for breaking out of here when he couldn't get the shackles off... He could float now as well. It took him forever to realize that he had been since he could move his hands freely. Was that why he no longer had legs?

He didn't know. The only one he could ask questions to was the strange woman. She was the only person he had seen or heard from since he woke up here. The one who claimed he was her Prince, and got furious whenever he dared to be honest with her. The only reason he played along was because he was scared for his life. And that maybe, one day, he'd be allowed to be free from his chains. And then use that as a chance to get away. Even if he couldn't find the clan, he needed, and wanted out of here.

However, she seemed keen on keeping him chained here. He was only removed from the wall once in his time here so far when she took him around the manor to try and spark memories he never had. He was horrified when he saw the frozen people and creatures, even more so when she just brushed it off when he pointed it out. It was like she never saw them as people. He would have run then, but she had her grip on his chains the whole time. And even if she didn't, he was still trying to learn how to move and keep his balance while floating.

He'd lost track of the days by now. He tried to keep track at first but stopped after two or three. Because what would it matter? He wanted to get out, he tried anything he could when the woman, Vanessa, wasn't around. But nothing worked. And he didn't see how keeping track of time would help. It would only discourage him if he knew how long he had been in here with no progress towards freedom. He was Randy Radman. He had to stay positive in any little way he could. Give himself hope.

"Hmmm, I should check on how the Amara flowers are doing. Some pests were messing with them earlier." Vanessa spoke as she finally leaned away from him, Randy letting out a breath he had been holding. He never liked how close she got to him, scared she would freeze him, or worse, at any wrong move he made. It also gave him a rough time for how long he'd be allowed to breathe in peace. "I'll be back soon, my Prince." She spoke in a hauntingly cheerful way as she walked up the stairs.

"Oh, no need to hurry, dear!" He called in the most cheerful tone he could manage, forcing a smile onto his face in case she looked back. Only to drop it and let out a shout of frustration when he was sure she wasn't in earshot. Why did he have to be here? He was going to go crazy if he stayed here any longer! "If only I could just snap myself away!"

He snapped his fingers in frustration, and to create a new sound in the familiar environment. He didn't expect anything of note to happen, so he found himself backing away when a red light entered his view. He glanced at his hands. Magic. Red, string-like beams of magic came from just under his fingertips. He brought up his other hand and thought about them, getting the same result, a faint warmth coming from the spot the strings came from. They almost felt like a part of him. He felt his heartbeat speed up a bit, a bit of fear filling him. He knew of magic, but he never had it himself.

"Had I had this since I woke up here?" He whispered as he watched the strings float up and down aimlessly. Were there other things he could do? How much? Was he stronger than Vanessa, could he force her to let him go? But then again, she had experience with hers for much, much longer. Even if he was stronger, she could probably overpower him. Keep him from getting free, getting too... "The Key." He turned to see the key on the barrel across the room. "Can I, reach it now? Will this work."

He had to try, going as far as his shackles would let him and holding his arms out.

"Come on, weird magic stuff. I know I just learned you exist but you gotta help me out." He whispered, watching as the strings slowly floated around, getting close to the key. He focused on the key with his vision, some instinct taking over and having him guide the strings to the key. They were shaky, but he eventually got a few to wrap around the key and lift it. "Yes!" He shouted, before covering his mouth and turning to the stairs. He didn't know if Vanessa heard that. He had to hurry.

He brought the key back over to him as fast as he felt comfortably able to. The key kept trying to fall out, it seemed. And he didn't want to risk dropping it, he didn't know how the magic would react with the beer that covered the ground. Once the key was safely in his hands, he had the strings disappear, and he began to use it on his shackle. The pressure faded the second it was detached from his arm, and he let out a breath. He didn't realize how good that would have felt.

"My Prince?" He froze when he heard her voice. It was an echo of it, so she was still a bit away. But the fact he could hear it at all was worrying. He made quick work on the other shackle. "Is something wrong? I thought I heard something?"

"N-Nothing dear! Just, saw a spider!" He called as he rubbed his sore wrist for a moment, before bolting to the cellar exit. Or, tried to. He still wasn't used to floating and barely stopped himself from crashing into the wall with his arms. It felt so weird, but he could worry about that later. He needed to get out now. He began to float up the cellar exit, using the stairs to help keep his balance as he did. "I'll be perfectly fine once I'm away from you," he spoke, glaring down the stairs.

Once he got to the top, he brought the key to the lock that was placed there, silently hoping there wasn't one on the outside. He was right, as the doors burst open the second the lock was removed. He crawled out, shivering at the snow all around, but he was free! He glanced around, seeing a wall of ice all around, until he glanced behind the wall behind him. He spotted a single path out, and he raced to it. He didn't care if he crashed into something and got hurt now, he had to get as far away as possible. And nothing was going to stop him this time.

"Don't look back." He told himself as he raced forward, barely managing to stop himself when he was about to crash into some ice. Or at least he softened the impact at the last second. He whined but shook his head and glanced to the side, pausing at the hole in the ice. It just looked a little bigger than Vanessa. Did that mean she would know where to look for him... "No, don't let that worry you!" He said, taking another breath before he went through the hole. He ran through another soon after.

He froze when he found himself at a purple wall of magic. There wasn't any hole he could get through here. He could float above it, in theory. But he didn't know if he would even be able to. He felt a little sick just getting up from the cellar, and he had the walls and steps to help him there. He might pass out if he tried to get over it that way. He glanced around for any other way, but he couldn't find any. He tried holding his hand out, hoping some sort of instinct would take over again.

"Please!" He said, the wall getting hit by a ball of magic that came from his hand, turning transparent and green. He rushed through, it returning to normal behind him. He took a breath as he glanced behind him. "She can't get past that. Can she?"

She couldn't. It was impossible... He found himself chuckling as he fell to the ground in relief.

The snow froze him on impact, and even as he shivered and rubbed his arms for warmth, he couldn't help but smile and even laugh a little. It felt a little crazy, but it felt so good to be out of there. He could see the stars again, the moon... that felt more like a painted picture. He shook that thought from his mind. Don't worry about the small details like that. Just be happy for a while. Happy he wouldn't have to worry about that woman ever again. Happy he could finally be himself again!

Even if it was.. without the Toppats, a frown formed on his face. He had to force himself to stop thinking about them while in the cellar, every time he mentioned them he was met with rage and sometimes hits. Never too strong, but he knew they would've gotten worse with time... He glanced around. There was a broken bridge nearby. Leading away from this wintery land and into what looked like a haunted forest from some kid's cartoon. Well, he didn't seem to be on his planet or realm anymore.

But maybe there was a way to get back to them. A portal? He had to at least try. He was their leader! They needed him! Java wasn't old enough to lead alone yet!

"Java!" He shouted, sitting up as the name crossed his mind. Oh god, the kid! He was only Seventeen. They just talked about him being made Randy's right hand a few days ago! Randy could have been in the cellar for weeks, maybe months! How was Java doing?! Was he handling the stress well? Was Lynna helping him? He floated up, sticking out his arms to help with his balance. "Oh, I need to get back! I'll worry about how to tell them about this when I get to them!" He spoke.

Of course, he was still clueless about how this happened. Would they even believe him? He had to hope they did. He should be able to prove his identity if need be... but he could worry about it once he found a way back home. He floated over the bridge, closing his eyes as he floated over the crack. He didn't fall. He didn't know why he thought he would. His brain must still be processing the fact he could float now. Would help him focus if his heart didn't pick up in fear. Even if it was helping bring a bit of warmth to him.

"Now... which way do I go?" He had no way to tell where he was in the forest. Where to go to try and find something, anything, anyone that might help him get home. He didn't even know if there was anything else here... Yet he had this strange feeling that part of him had been here before. He shook those thoughts out of his head as he floated forward. He knew he had never been here before. "You just got away from Vanessa, don't let her tricks mess with your memory now! You're closer than you were yesterday."

He didn't like feeling like this. He didn't like dealing with stress, even his own. He just wanted to get home so he could be himself again. So he could get back with his family. He floated through the forest, occasionally calling out to see if he would get a response. He could have sworn he could hear an occasional voice in the distance, but whenever he went the way he heard it, he found nothing. He had this strange feeling like he was being watched. He didn't like it. He wanted it to stop.

"Come on, don't go insane now," He said, head in his hands as he floated ahead, not seeing the purple vines rising from the ground. "You have to get back to your family. Your clan! You can panic later-"

He was caught off guard as suddenly a light came from the ground. He suddenly felt a bit more tired... or at least his body did. His mind was still as awake as before the light, but his body didn't react as quickly as he wanted it to when he tried to back away from the vines. That allowed them to quickly wrap around him, mostly focusing on his arms and torso. By the time his body seemed to awake, the vines were around so tight he could barely move. He tried to summon the strings again, but the vines glowed, and they didn't come.

"A-Are these absorbing the magic?!" He panicked. He looked around, trying to see if anyone was nearby, but he couldn't see anyone. He tried to get free, even beginning to bite and tear off little bits of the vine. It tasted awful, but he needed to get out. He just got- wait. He blinked, and it suddenly seemed like he was in a different area. One that looked higher up, like part of the sky. "What in the" He froze when he noticed a shadow casting over him, slowly turning around to see what was there.

"So, you finally decided to show your face." A large, snake-like shadow hissed, his eyes glaring at him with a hint of... curiosity? "You had everyone waiting. It's been two weeks since the night sky signaled your arrival."

"Night sky signaled my arrival?! You gotta be crazy! I just got out of some crazy lady's place, I don't need this!" Randy shouted, angry. He was scared, but he was also mad. He just got free, he didn't need to be trapped again. The phantom seemed to back up, as if in genuine surprise by his words and tone. Randy glanced down and kept biting at the vines to try and get free. He spat some out before looking at the ghost. "Just let me go! I want to leave this place, I have a family to look after!"

"Well well... This is different from how it went in my head." The phantom admitted, almost a hint of embarrassment in his voice as he snapped his fingers. The vines quickly disappeared, and Randy gasped for breath. He backed away, keeping his eyes on the phantom, strings just barely coming from his hands. He couldn't run, not yet. He was still in this strange plane. "I guess I know what happened to my body then... It's a little weird to think about. But at least I can stop wondering."

"Your body?" Randy asked, confused, glancing down at himself before looking up at the phantom. He tilted his head, lowering his guard a bit. "Are you Prince AJ? Because that's what Vanessa’s been calling me."

The Phantom rolled his eyes. "Technically yes, but I stopped using that name after my death. It's Snatcher now." Snatcher said, placing a hand on his chest and giving a smirk. Randy suddenly felt a lot of pity for the ghost. He didn't remember if Vanessa told him how he supposedly died or not, but he had a feeling she was behind the prince's death. And even if she wasn't, just being around her seemed like a nightmare. "She tried to revive me, but the spell doesn't work if the soul is already around as a ghost."

"And it just pulled me in? Geez, what are the odds?" Randy asked, shaking his head while Snatcher shrugged, looking to the side ever so slightly, tapping the tips of his fingers. Randy shook his head and sat down, rubbing his wrists again. They were still sore from the shackles, and the vines just brought back some extra pain. Not to mention the faint ache around his torso. "Well, I don't know how to give it back. So uh, sorry about that." He said as he looked up. "Would if I could."

"Please keep it, having a body is overrated," Snatcher said, waving a dismissive hand, before humming. "Why don't you come to my place? I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and we have a lot I feel needs to be discussed."

"I'm assuming I don't have too much of a choice in this?" Randy asked, to which Snatcher shook his head. Randy let out a sigh as he glanced down. He didn't have time to mess around for once, he needed to get home! But then again, maybe if he played along with Snatcher, he might be able to help. He seemed a lot more bearable than Vanessa, at the very least. He has a personality. "Alright then." He said, floating up, losing his balance, and almost falling. "Gah, still not used to this."

"Every time you think you got ahold of it, you mess up something basic?" Snatcher asked, holding in a chuckle. Randy nodded, giving a small chuckle as well. He could see how it could be funny. "Yeah, I get it. Although I do think I had an easier time, the tail helps with balance." Snatcher said as he gestured to his tail, before snapping his finger, the realm around them slowly fading away. "My home isn't too far from here. Just, be aware. My daughter may ask you a few hundred questions."

"You had a kid?" Randy asked, Snatcher, giving a nod before turning away to begin to lead him to his home. Gah, how badly was he treated? Was his kid dead as well? "Wait up!" He called once he noticed the distance between them. "I don't want to keep crashing into stuff!" He shouted, earning a small fit of laughter.

-------

Turns out his daughter wasn't the only one. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of small, ghostly figures around the tree where the phantom lived, all curious about Randy. It broke his heart when he learned they were all children. All were killed in one quick instant, with no adult souls other than Snatcher to watch over them all. Most of them couldn't even talk. But the ones that could seem so excited, so curious. Ask Randy questions he didn't even know how to begin to answer. He wasn't some magical being after all... well, before two weeks ago, at least.

Snatcher did eventually manage to get them all to give Randy some space, after a minute or two of watching to amuse himself. They all stayed just outside the tree, except for his daughter, who sat on one of the steps. Randy took the chance to warm himself up from the coldness of the cellar and the snow, Snatcher being kind enough to get him some sort of tea to help with that. However, Randy had this weird feeling that he was doing it more as some show of good faith, rather than being of good faith.

"Hey... was Vanessa behind what happened to... you know." He glanced towards the kid. "Because she seems like the type to do this kind of thing."

"I'd... rather not go into all the details for their sakes, but yes," Snatcher said, glancing to the side ever so slightly as he sat in his chair. Randy rested himself against the wall, floating down a little lower. Snatcher had given him a few, vague tips on the way over to the tree and it was helping, even just a bit. It was going to be a long time before it felt like walking to him, though. "But anyway. You're the second version of yourself... Shadow, want to tell him about the first?"

The girl let out a gasp. "Yes, Papa!" She said, jumping from her seat and turning to Randy, earning a chuckle from both men. "Long ago, like very long ago before my Papa's Grandpa's Grandpa's- or was it-" She shook her head. "There was the first Moonjumper. A deity of the Moon that was found here in Subcon and protected it until the day he was killed after healing the prince! But he had visions of his death before he died, and what would happen after, and here you are! Like he said!"

"He was... murdered?" Randy said, giving a gulp. Shadow nodded her head while Randy turned his attention to Snatcher. "Why? It sounded like he was a good guy."

"He wasn't killed by the people of Subcon, or even by a mighty foe. Some man wanted his powers and thought he could get them if he killed him first. Not sure what his logic was, but he was caught after the creations of the fire spirits, what killed Moonjumper, was traced back to him, and executed." Snatcher said, Randy, giving a nod as he drank his tea before it went cold. "So yeah, I would stay away from anything that looks like fire here until the last of them die off. Luckily that may be sooner than we originally thought."

"That sounds cruel," Randy stated, raising a brow. How did Snatcher know the Fire Spirits wanted to kill the original Moonjumper? Maybe they didn't, but had no choice. And what about them almost dying off completely? He didn't like the sound of that. Snatcher just shrugged in response as Randy sighed, shaking his head a bit. He looked at one of his hands. "Thanks for the warning, but I don't intend to stay too long. I don't care if I'm part of some prophecy, I'm not some deity."

"I mean, technically." Shadow Kid whispered over to Snatcher, the phantom giving a nod as Randy rested his head in his hand.

"I just need to get back to the Toppats," Randy spoke, shaking his head. "I'm Randy Radman for crying out loud, I'm normally at the top of whatever life throws at me. Why am I struggling so much now?" he asked, glancing up at Snatcher. And was confused. The ghost looked surprised, maybe even shocked. He turned to Shadow Kid, and she had a similar reaction, although there was also some excitement in her eyes. The minions (as Snatcher called them) started whispering among each other. "Uhh... why are you guys looking at me like that now."

"So uh, the toppats are on this planet." Snatcher started with an awkward smile. Randy barely caught the cup when he dropped it from shock. Firstly, confirmation he had to be on another world since he said 'this planet' and not something like 'in the area'. But also, they were here?! He could get back to them without relying on otherworldly magic. That alone brought a smile to his face. "Don't get too excited pal, you're probably going to be shocked. From what I heard, it's been decades since your death."

He froze. "My... what?" He asked, looking at Shadow Kid, who seemed to glance to the side, then back at Snatcher. He knew Vanessa claimed to bring him back from the dead, but... "Y-You gotta be joking, right?" He chuckled. "You are joking."

"That would be something I would do, but I'm being honest with you, pal. It's even in the records of the orbital station, I snuck in and read them out of curiosity before." Snatcher spoke. Randy felt his body shake and took some breaths. "See, the spell only works on dead souls. It will pull in the closest dead soul that meets the conditions of the body. For reasons that may or may not involve some past spells," Snatcher glanced to the side "That was you. You probably don't remember your death or what happened before, that seems to be normal based on people brought back through similar means."

"Hey, it's ok, Mr. Radman." Shadow Kid said as she walked over to him, jumping up and taking one of his hands. He looked at her. "The current Toppats are nice, I'm sure they'll let you back in without much worry." He gently patted her head. He was sure she was right but... Knowing he died...

"I think it'll be best for you to go and explain yourself. Normally I would say something like that is a dumb idea, but, I don't think you have anywhere else to go either way." Snatcher said, Randy, giving a small nod. Snatcher had to hide his smile. He felt bad for the man, he did. But he wanted things to stay as they were in Subcon, he didn't want any Moon deity bringing in unwanted attention. "Well then." He said as he floated up from his chair. "I suppose we should get a move on then."

"Yeah... the sooner the better," Randy said, slowly floating up and following him. Shadow Kid quickly raced over to jump on her father's back, Snatcher rolling his eyes as she climbed up to around his head. That gave Randy a small chuckle before he glanced to the side. "God, what do I even say... Hey, I'm a dead leader brought back as this thing! You can trust me!" He shook his head with a chuckle. "And you said something about an orbital station? We're in space now? Is that just common tech?"

"I think they had to steal it to get it." Shadow Kid said, to which Randy nodded. He supposed that was true, knowing the clan. They were criminals at the end of the day. "Papa, shouldn't we give the Toppats a heads up?"

Snatcher chuckled. "Hey, Carson," Snatcher called out, making Randy tilt his head. "We're bringing the Moonjumper to you guys, go let Reg know. He's nothing like we expected, I don't think you need to worry about being a prophet!"

"Wait, Prophet?" Randy asked. "I just said I wasn't into any of that deity stuff. And why are you speaking out loud?"

"I revived a toppat in the past, part of the reason why you're here since part of your soul slipped through the crack. Part of the spell, or at least my version, is he can hear me in his head. Used his middle name since it should have caught his attention more since it's been months." Snatcher admitted, glancing to the side slightly. Randy gave him a small glare, would have been nice to know. "And according to some stuff about the prophecy involving you, he's supposed to be your prophet. But you made it clear you don't want that."

"Exactly," Randy said, sighing as he glanced forward. He whispered under his breath. "I just hope Java is still alive..."

-------

Randy didn't know how long it took them to leave Subcon. He didn't keep track. He just knew the forest slowly turned alive, and the night sky brightened today. Subcon had been in eternal night for centuries; at least according to the ghostly prince. Such a sad life, it sounded like. The night sky was beautiful, but so was that of the day... He felt a strange shift in the air as they slowly approached a clearing, making him pause.

"Getting goosebumps or something?" Snatcher asked, raising a brow. Randy shook his head, he didn't know what it was. It was like they were surrounded, but not in a bad way. Almost like a warm blanket, but not wrapped directly around him. "Well, too late to go back, we're here."

Snatcher took one of his hands and moved a larger bush in their way to the side, revealing the full clearing. Randy paused. There were large pieces of metal, parts of what seemed to be a rocket, dotted about, as if broken.

"Oh god..." Randy whispered as he floated a little closer, trying to remain hidden just for the moment. How long had they been here? Were they all ok? He could see a few groups of toppats out of the station. Some walking around chatting, others working on repairs from the looks of it. And he didn't recognize any of them, at least at first glance. Was... everyone he knew gone? "Are they all ok?" He floated a little closer, only to suddenly be tossed to the ground, "What was that-"

"I got a few words for you, Moonjumper." A woman with black hair asked, glaring him up and down. She didn't have any weapons drawn, but Randy knew better than to assume she didn't have one. Snatcher quickly got between them both as Randy backed away, raising his hands in the air slightly. He didn't need to look around to know they just got everyone's attention. "Snatcher, what are you doing, get out of the way." The woman said, peaking around to glare at the moon deity. "I don't know who-"

"Randy!" He shouted quickly. "My name's Randy, I'm one of you! I don't mean any harm, I just wanna go home!" He lowered his voice as he saw her brown eyes widen ever so slightly. "...Sorry... I panicked."

"Cross, I thought we told you not to attack." A voice said from nearby, Randy looked over to see a man with two toppats on. He wanted to roll his eyes badly, the mer look reminded him of Wilford. But he didn't want to ruin his impression even more. "I understand your worries for you fellow elites, but now isn't the time." Cross glanced to the side with a huff as the man looked at Randy. "I apologize on her behalf... You said you were Randy, right? The one who almost drove the clan to..."

"Bankruptcy, yea." Randy awkwardly chuckled as he glanced to the side. "That's all on me, I never should have been put in charge of that stuff. I had my reasons at the time but, hindsight is twenty-twenty?" He shook his head. "Sorry, I'm still so… shaken. I was locked in this cellar of his ex," He pointed to Snatcher. "The past two weeks, just got out this morning. Then found out about the prophecy... and being dead... and that a lot of time has passed." He shook his head. "I swear I can be more professional, I'm just shaken. You probably can't even believe a past leader came back to life-"

"Well, it's not the weirdest thing that happened, believe it or not." Another voice said, Randy, turning his attention from the man to another that had stood on the side. And froze in shock. Jaques? But, he disappeared years ago! And he still looked the same age as in his painting. Just more, livelier? Jaques walked up to Reginald and nodded. "There's a faint echo that changes his voice slightly. But his personality, the way he moves, the way he speaks. He's Radman, no doubt about it."

"Thank you, Jaques." the man said, letting out a sigh of relief as he glanced back at Randy. "He was stuck in his painting for years. Snatcher was the one who found out and freed him" The man said, the ghost nodding with a proud look on his face. Randy looked back at the two-hatted man, who gained a more friendly smile and offered his hand to him. "I'm Reginald Copperbottom, the current leader of the Toppat clan. I'm assuming you wish for a place in our ranks again?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Anything that doesn't involve finances, please." Randy sighed as he took his hand, resting his head with the other. He felt relieved. It wasn't a perfect relief, he still had a million questions and worries inside of him. But he at least had somewhere to stay, with people he knew he could belong with... He let go of Reginald's hand, and glanced at Snatcher, offering a smile. "Thanks for bringing me back here, means a lot." He then hummed. "Although it would've been nice if you spoke up as a backup."

"Hey, it's more entertaining to see how it all goes down," Snatcher said, letting Shadow Kid down as she asked to go find the other kids to play with. Reginald gave Snatcher a small glare as the ghost shrugged. Randy gave a small chuckle, so this was how things would be until they got to their home planet, if they could. Living in a forest clearing with a tricky ghostly prince as a neighbor? That didn't sound too bad. Could be worse. "Say Carol," he turned to the woman "Aren't you one to listen"

"I didn't want him taking part of our family away." Carol said, "Not his fault density tried to make him a prophet." She then glanced at Randy letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry, sir. We already lost him once. And we weren't told who you were." She eyed the ghost. "I know he didn't just forget to mention it."

"Listen, if I was in your shoes, I would've done worse," Randy said, shaking his head. "Don't apologize for caring for the clan above all, that's a good thing for any toppat." He said, Carol, giving a small nod as she backed away to give him more breathing room. He sighed as he glanced to the side, holding his arm a bit as he tried to think. "It might take me some time to get with the program, so to speak." He chuckled sadly. "I'm sure most, if not everyone from my time is gone now..."

"There's still a few, it's only been a little over thirty years since your death," Reginald said, Randy looking over quickly. Only thirty? They moved from the air to space in only thirty years?! That wasn't even a dream when he was around! Wait... only thirty... One soul came to mind, and it was apparent that he didn't need to say his name. "Java's still around," Reginald spoke. "Just... be careful with him. A lot happened to him since your death... I think he's still-"

"JAVA!" Randy shouted, racing towards the station as fast as the wind could take him.

Jaques glanced at Reginald, putting a hand on his shoulder before the man could speak. "Let me, it'll probably be best if I helped him. He used to hang out around the paintings a lot. It almost felt like we were friends back then." He smiled a moment at the memory before he raced off. "Randy!" He called, the Moon being stopping at the edge of the station's entrance for the man to catch up. Reginald let out a sigh as he shook his head, but he couldn't help but smile. If that didn't prove Randy's identity, would anything?

"Wait, Macbeth's first name is Java?" Carol asked, Reginald, nodding. "Huh... Not what I expected... Did you tell him about what happened to him, Snatcher?" She asked as she eyed the ghost.

"I mean, I did tell our friend what happened to Java," Snatcher said, before whispering. "I just didn't want to ruin the surprise. I mean, can you imagine Macbeth's reaction to all this? Oh, I would go watch if I didn't have basic decency." Carol tilted her head. "What? I do."

"No offense but, you don't show it too often," Reginald spoke.

Snatcher rolled his eyes, deciding to shut up before he potentially spoiled things more. Reginald glanced at the station. He was curious as well... He wondered how they'd both react.

-------

The Snatcher was hiding something. Macbeth knew. It felt so strange. He was so clear about Moonjumper being here. So clear about him not being a threat. So why else was his voice sounding so strange, acting so strange? What could he need to hide... How could he ever guess what was about to happen?

...

Jaques led Randy through the orbital station, trying to make some small talk with him. Help study Randy's emotions a bit more. Randy only agreed to go slower because he didn't want to risk breaking Java's bones when he saw him. To him, it was just too weeks, but it felt like the three decades they were apart. He considered the teen his son...

Well. He supposed he wasn't going to be a teen anymore.

They eventually walked into a large area, the paintings of past leaders lining the walls. It was ever so slightly tilted, but the false gravity had been repaired enough to where it wasn't an issue for Jaques. Randy scanned around, in awe, before his eyes locked down the hall, where his painting was kept.

But it wasn't his picture he locked onto.

A man was leaning against the railing across from the painting, staring blankly at it. His ghostly purple fingers tapped against each other like he was counting in his head. His eyes looked so... tried. There were bags under his eyes that lit up along with his wrinkles. They looked like almost all their life had been drained years ago.

Randy knew him instantly. There was no doubt in his mind. The only thing was pain.

"Yeah... that's what Reginald tried to warn you about." Jaques leaned in and whispered next to Randy. "Go easy on him."

Randy felt Jaques back away into the hall, giving him more space. It was just the two of them there now...

Randy floated forward, gently, carefully. He was who Snatcher revived? He was the one who fate tried to make a prophet? What happened to him, why did he die? He looked only in his late forties, maybe early fifties at most. The clan life came with a death risk, so for most, getting to that age was considered an achievement. But for Java, it felt too young. Far too young. How long had he been dead before he was revived? Was it quick?

He couldn't ask those questions, at least right now.

"Java?"

He saw the man's eyes snap out of a trace, going wide. With want seemed to be genuine surprise, and maybe a hint of fear. He looked over, spotting Randy. And then he glared. "Using a dead toppat's voice on me?"

"No, Java, it's me!" Randy spoke, offering a smile. "I know I look different, but I-"

"I know I'm your prophet, I already accepted that," Java said, turning to the side. "You don't have to try and guilt trip me into playing that role." He sighed as he glanced down, before pausing when he suddenly felt a hand on his chin. It felt so familiar... He shook his head and backed away. "What do you think yo'-"

"You look so tired... So hurt... The years weren't kind to you, were they?" Randy asked, tilting his head.

Macbeth glared as he glanced to the side, his hand shaking faintly as he tried to control himself. "You can't be Randy."

"Why-"

"BECAUSE HE WOULD HATE ME!" It was so sudden, the way he turned to Randy, tears going down his eyes. Randy felt like he was physically knocked back by the words. He looked at Java's eyes and saw nothing but pain, sorrow, and hatred. Hatred for one's self he never thought he would see in Java's eyes. "He got killed because I interfered! Wilford used ME to lure him out! I saw him get shot in the head mere feet away from me! He didn't think to protect himself because of ME! He lost everythin' because of ME!"

Tears started to fall down his face more, his legs were shaky. He grabbed onto the railing so he wouldn't fall to his knees.

"Wilford told me he only killed Randy because he was going to make me his right hand! That I would r-ruin the clan if Randy hadn't already!" He wiped at his eyes, trying his best to hold in sobs. "H-He ruined everything. He ruined Randy's name, I didn't even try to stop him. I just sat in my room for over a decade until Mom pushed him into the airship's blades-"

His hand was suddenly grabbed. He went to pull away but stopped. There was something about the way he was grabbed, the faint rubbing and the pattern that felt so familiar.

"Have you been practicing your magic?"

The question surprised him, and he looked to the Moon creature. "What?"

"Your magic? The way you used to be able to read souls. You were always scared of it, but you wanted to learn. We used to try seeing what it may be connected to, like that Astrin deity." Randy glanced to the side with a smile, before looking at Macbeth. "Has it improved? Can you show me?"

Macbeth didn't respond, he didn't know what game the Moonjumper was trying to play now. But he decided to play along. He closed his eyes. It was so long since he last did this. He felt the world around him go black and was able to feel the soul of the being in front of him... It all faded when his eyes snapped open, and he took some breaths. He looked at the figure.

"Hey."

Macbeth just broke down then and there. Part of his rational mind tried to deny it, but he had memorized the soul he could sense inside the body. It shouldn't have been possible. Even with Macbeth himself revived, it sounded like it would never be possible to get Randy back. Too far of different conditions. Yet here he was.

"I-I-I'm-m.." He could barely think, he hadn't cried this much, allowed this much emotion to run through him in so long. It was like decades worth of tears, and joy, everything was coming through all at once. Randy took his hands and Macbeth clung to him, wrapping around him as tight as he could. "I-I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. I-It should've-"

Randy pulled back, tears forming in his eyes as well. "Don't finish that Java, I don't want to hear." He started, "It's my own fault I got killed. I don't want you blaming yourself for me and Wilford's actions a second longer. I can't imagine the pain you went through..."

"But-"

Randy hugged him back, tighter. "I know me being back isn't going to erase your trauma overnight. I know. But please, we're both here again now. Fate may have brought us together again in a.. strange way." He heard Macbeth chuckle at that while he glanced down at himself briefly. "But it still brought us back. We can go back to being the family we were... If you still want that-"

"Why is that even a peckin' question, of COURSE!" Macbeth exclaimed, pulling away and looking at him. His smile was pained, but it was the smile Randy remembered seeing from the Java he knew. He was still there, just... changed. Grown-up. He placed a hand by his face and rubbed it. "Ow, I'm, how does this even work? I'm dead."

"Don't question it." Randy chuckled.

The air fell quiet for a moment as the both of them allowed themselves to settle down. Mostly Macbeth, oddly enough. Randy wasn't sure what overcame him to handle the situation as well as he did, but inside he had been a trainwreck of emotions.

It just felt... so good for them both, to be home again.

"So... I already talked with Reginald, and he said I'd be good to stay," Randy said after a minute or two. Macbeth glanced at him, his tears had dried, but his face was still stained, and he had a smile. One that was so genuine it made every smile in the past feel fake.

"You can stay with me until we get you a place of your own." Macbeth offered. "I might have to move some stuff around but I should have enough space for another bed, or at least a couch." He paused as his hat shifted. "Oh god," he said as he took the hat off, a tired Dweller floating from it. "Alex, I'm so sorry I forgot you were there-"

"One of those kids' ghosts, Dwellers right? That's what Snatcher called them?" Randy said, getting a nod from Macbeth, "Why do you have one in your hat? Not even one of the Bunny mask ones."

Macbeth chuckled at that but still looked mad at himself. "They're Alexsandera, you heard the last part of the name right. They're shy so they stay in my hat since they don't like to leave my side. Normally I'm a brick wall anymore so it's no big issue... I'm sorry you had to hear all that Alex.."

The Dweller just blinked tiredly, giving a head tilt, as if genuinely confused. They just woke up, it seemed. They then glance around, before spotting Randy. They looked excited, and floated over, a little hesitant. Randy offered his arm to them and they wrapped around.

He chuckled as he booped the small nose on the mask, the Dweller letting out a small, wisp-like sound that almost sounded like giggling. "Did they sneak out?" he asked as he turned to Macbeth. "Snatcher seems like the type to want everyone in his forest, well, in his forest."

"He is but, this little one just wormed their way in my heart," Macbeth explained. "So I talked things out with Snatcher and I, well, took them in as my own."

Randy's eyes lit up with joy. "I'm a grandpa?"

Macbeth let out some laughter and the Dweller seemed to let go of his arm, looping in the air in joy as Randy's eyes widened when he realized what he just said.

"I mean-"

"You were always my Dad, Randy," Macbeth admitted once his laughter finished. "Just because it was never official doesn't mean anything. I'm sure Mom would agree as well..."

Jaques gave a smile as he listened to the two talk. He had been worried when he heard how it started but, it seemed things were perfectly fine now... He went to leave properly and had to stop himself from shouting. "When did you two get here?" He whispered.

"You think I was going to learn the Moonjumper was here and was a revived leader and NOT come check it out?" Hat Girl whispered, Rumbi beeping in agreement in her hands as Platinum chuckled. "Remember, I was tied into the prophecy as well."

"I doubt we have to worry about that anymore, sis," Platinum whispered. "Besides, maybe for once, it's probably best to let these two have their moment."

"Exactly, so let's go," Jaques sighed, taking both of their hands gently and leading them away. "Also, Platinum, you're not allowed to have Radman help you with a tank heist."

Platinum's eyes widened. "How long has it been since I did one of those?!"

The other two quickly rushed him as they kept walking away. The shout could be heard from the room, and Macbeth rolled his eyes with a small blush on his face. He could afford to be a bit more open now, he thought as he glanced at Randy. Randy wrapped his arm around Macbeth and smiled. He had a feeling everything would be ok.

He was a deity now, on all technical notes. What could tear them apart again? Fire?

Oh.

How naive he was to think the story ended with him.

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #henry stickmin oc #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #ahit snatcher #moonjumper #randy radman #queen vanessa #mr macbeth #reginald copperbottom #carol cross #ahit subcon dwellers #shadow kid #shadow puppet

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

(was wondering why Randy kept getting occasional mentions alongside the Moonjumper plot)

Uh, Randy? You doing OK there? Have, any clue what's going on?

(He has no idea. Dude doesn't realized he died yet.)

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #ahit au #henry stickmin au #randy radman #moonjumper #ask #anonymous

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 50: The Moonjumper Rises

No one knew the events that would unfold that day. It was a day many would look back on, and ask others where they were that day. No one would even realize things at first. No one would know today was the day spoken about, whispered in legends. A myth which lost more and more of the truth as time went on. As societies fell and rose. As the planet changed. Most only heard bits and pieces their entire lives. Today was the day where the stories of Subcon would come to life. A prelude of things to come.

The question that would end up being asked, for those of Subcon, was going to be the same. The forest, like they always were. Snatcher wasn't there at the moment, having left early in the morning. He apparently had some spells he wanted to show their neighbors. A strange excuse knowing the phantom, but the dweller and minions shrugged it off for the most part. They were kids. They didn't notice the hidden bit of stress in the yellow eyes of the ghost. Even if they had, they may have thought they were wrong.

The kids would play along the woods. They did that everyday, but lately it felt like their spirits were rising. They had overheard rumors about something that might happen, and it made them excited. Some souls even ventured across the bridge, now repaired after Snatcher decided to fix it, into the snowy part of the forest. It was a grim place, but it had been the way it was for centuries. For the braver souls, it was hard to tell this place once brought tragedy for them. Besides, there was still some innocence in the snow.

However, the carelessness would go too far. As some of the minions laughed and played, one pushed another a little harder than they meant too. They were fine, but they hit the bell that held up the ghostly purple wall. The shift in the air was immediate, as before they even had a chance to ring it again, a black hand forced its way past where the wall was, summoning a spike of ice from the ground. The minions froze in fear, only a few snapping out and managing to drag their friends out of the Queen's path.

The Queen paid them no mind other than a quick glare. She could freeze them in place, use them for testing her dark magic. She could freeze the entire forest now that she had access to it. But she wasn't here for that. She was here for something else. Something she could see faintly in her dreams. She wanted to know what it was, and how it would help her. So she stepped out into the forest, ignoring the shaking spirits that fled from her sight. She had to be quick, before the one ghost showed up.

"Where is the cursed-" She had started in annoyance, but paused as she got near the end of the path she took. The large tree of subcon, it's centered craved with the face of the annoying pest. How was it even still alive? No matter, she had a feeling what she was looking for was here. What she needed to get what her heart carved, her heart ached for. She bent down, reaching for the water and freezing it over. "I am not getting my dress wet." She stated as she walked into the tree.

The ghost wasn't here, neither was the smaller one who taunted her in her home. Perfect.

"Now where is it?" She hissed as she looked, as if her words would make it appear in front of her. Truthfully, she didn't know exactly what she was looking for. She had a vague image in her head, but it wasn't of the item itself. It was the memories the item could bring. Memories that never got to happen. Her happy ending her prince ripped from her with the help of that cursed florist. "I should have just frozen her like the rest, if I knew the adults wouldn't rise from their icy shells..."

She glanced at the stairs nearby. What looked to be a more recent addition compared to the walls they were connected to. She stepped on one, and took a peek into the room above. She had to face away at the child's room she was met with. She never got to give birth to her heir, never got the chance to have one. Her selfish prince took it away before she could. So why did her heart still ache, still wishing for his arms around hers. She let out a frustrated shout and slammed her hand into the bookcase nearby. Some of the books came out. One quickly caught her eye, despite blending into the rest.

She caught it before she could lose sight of it. "Now why have you been appearing in my dreams?" She spoke as she opened it. Even as she began to scan the page, she had her doubts. Maybe she had truly gone crazy, like so many said she had over the years. Maybe she was just desperate to sneak out of where she had been kept, and her brain came up with strange dreams as an excuse. That was until she caught the word 'recreation' on one page as she had scrolled through. "Wait." She went back to it.

It was a powerful spell. One most people would never be able to perform. With a few items and enough power, one could summon a soul from the spirit world and bring them back to their body, bringing them back to life. It had been tried many times in the past, yet only a small group of attempts were successful. In most other cases, the user's time had been taken as punishment, resulting in their deaths not long after the failed attempt. But Vanessa had lived longer than any human should. Even she wasn't sure she was alive anymore. Her beautiful red glow suggested otherwise.

"I could try and fail as many times I want." She felt a bit of pride as she came to that realization. But then she paused. The Prince. Her Prince. He was dead. She hadn't seen his ghost, if he had one. Likely faded away like the other adults of the forest, leaving the pesky kids behind to fend for themselves. She could bring him back. She could have him again.. if that was what she wanted. "I don't NEED him." She spoke to herself, closing the book, her arms shaking a bit. "He hurt me, I don't need him."

She had spent centuries telling herself that. That's why she ordered her guards to lock him away. He was technically a villager in status, so she could. She had planned on checking on him after she had taken care of the town, the florist. But once she had come back from dropping off her painting at their getaway manor, he was gone. He had tears stained on his face. She remembered him calling her. She ignored him at the time, but he seemed genuinely upset. Like maybe, he wanted to make things right.

Maybe this was her sign to give him another chance. Give them the happy ending all royals should have.

"My love for you never faded..." She said as she glanced to the sky. Part of her hated to admit it, but it was true. He was her everything. He just didn't see she was doing what was best for him. But surely once he awakes and sees a new life granted to him, he will understand. Apologize, and they could be happy. She walked out of the tree, beginning to walk down the path again. "We're going to have our happy ever after." She said to herself. "You'll just need to prove you've earned it first."

She began to hum as she walked back into the snowy area of the kingdom. The most cheerful tone she had hummed in years. It sounded haunting to the ghosts who could hear, all in their hiding spots. But she paid no mind, even as the sound of the bell crackled like thunder when she had walked past the annoying wall. It was no worry to her. She had a path to her getaway manor. Anything she needed but didn't already have, she would be able to get there. She was sure of it. She glanced at the book once again.

"Did you call for me my Prince?" She asked. "Or did the gods? Perhaps the book itself heard my silent cries."

Nothing but the wind responded. She didn't need an answer.

She was already picturing the life she could have with the prince. She would need to explain the tragedy of the frost. But deep down, it was his fault. He couldn't hold the actions against her. She knew it would take some time to get that in his head, but she was sure it was possible.

And maybe, once she had finished the spells she had been working on, they could have their subjects again. Whether they wanted to play along, or not.

-------

Snatcher had spent longer than he expected with the Toppats. Shadow Kid had played with the kids, them talking about the stories that Macbeth had told them not long ago. He showed off some spells he had been practicing to Hat Girl and some of the others. Most notably, a spell that allowed him to mess with an environment no matter how far away he was. He could do less the further away it was, but he was able to show the mess he managed to mess with a few paint cans in the metro, which was all that was needed to get a smile on the alien girl's face.

He had a bad feeling part way through his trip, like something had happened. He hadn't even gotten to talk to Macbeth like he wanted to, apparently, the ghost had been spending more and more time in his room. He eventually convinced him to come out, and acted like he needed him to help with some task in subcon. They both know what he really wanted to speak about however. They were silent until they had gotten far enough away from the crash station, before speaking of the myth they had been facing.

Snatcher had been speaking about how his traps just kept failing, when ice met his vision as they came closer to his tree. It made the two freeze, with Shadow Kid shaking a bit at the mere sight.

"No.." Snatcher spoke, before quickly placing Shadow Kid down next to Macbeth, and diving into the ground to teleport and check on the village. There seemed to be some frost but nothing and more importantly, no one, frozen. He then scanned the path, eventually finding a trail of ice that led to his home. Macbeth had already gotten to it by the time Snatcher dashed over. "What happened here?!" He shouted, startling to minions. He hadn't even noticed them, but he was reviled to see it was safe.

"I-I'm sorry Boss, it was my fault!" The one holding some books said, his eye twitching and it sounded like he was holding back tears. "Me and the others were playing in the snow, I-I knocked one of them into the bell and s-s-she." Macbeth walked over and bend down, placing a hand on the Minion's shoulder, allowing him to grab it while Alexsandera came out of the Conductor's hat. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, I swear! I-I'll never do it again, I didn't thi-ink she would-"

"Try and calm down." Macbeth said, patting the Minion on the head while Alex wrapped around their shoulder. "We know you didn't mean it. I doubt you even knew she was there." The minion sniffled some more, but took some breaths.

"D-Did she hurt anyone?" Shadow Kid asked as she poked out from behind Macbeth, the other minion shaking his head. "Are you sure?" She got a nod in return, and she let out a small breath of relief. Snatcher had begun to pick up the books. It was his home for one, but it was also something to try and keep him from screaming in fury. That crazy lady couldn't just let him or his daughter be... "Where is she now? Did she go back to her manor?" Her eyes widened once shea got a nod. "Really?"

"Based on what I saw, it looks like she came right here and left." Snatcher said as he glanced out of the house at the path. It was going to be annoying to clean the ice up later. He took the books from the minion and began to put them back on their sleeves... only to pause. He quickly counted once, twice, and thrice in his head. One book was missing. And he knew which one. "Shadow, you know the one book we used to bring back Macbeth? Is it in your room?" She shook her head. "The Dwellers wouldn't have..."

"Wait, did she take that?" Macbeth asked, getting a nod from the ghost. Alexsandera went back to Macbeth as if worried. "Why would she need that? It's not like she needs to be brought back."

"Papa, which spellbook was it?" Shadow Kid asked, as if she came to a realization. Snatcher glanced over at her with his head tilt. "Was it the same one that got the toppat stuck in the painting?" He shook his head. It was the one he had for years, the one that once taunted him with the spell of restoration, a gift he couldn't manage to give to the children.. She let out a gasp. "What if she's trying to bring you back to life so she can trap you!" She asked. "I don't want to lose you."

Snatcher froze for a second, before taking a breath and offering her a smile. "That's thankfully not a worry." He explained, gaining some confused look. "The people who made the spell added an extra rule to it. If someone tries to bring back someone who is already wandering the realm as a ghost, it will not work... kinda." He shrugged. "It will still bring someone back, but it won't be the intended soul. I guess at that point in the spell, it's too much just to completely shut off if done correctly."

"So, you'll be safe even if she tries." Snatcher nodded, and Shadow let out another breath of relief, him picking her up and placing her in his chair. "Good... I still feel bad for whoever is gonna be brought back, if that's what she's doing."

"Don't worry your little head about it. Whatever happens, we can handle it." He bopped her on the nose, gaining a giggle. "I'm gonna finish talking with Macbeth real quick, you just rest." He got a nod, and then headed out of the tree, Macbeth following with a small mumble as he slid a bit on the ice that replaced the water. Once they were out of earshot, Snatcher turned to him. "Great, we have my ex trying to bring me back despite everything else we're trying to get this Moonjumper stopped."

"Still haven't even caught a glimpse of it, huh?" Macbeth asked, getting a small shake from Snatcher. Macbeth sighed as he looked up at Subcon's eternal moon. It didn't matter. Moonjumper was going to arrive... Macbeth could feel it more than ever. He was sure Snatcher could feel it too. The ghost had slammed his frist into the nearby tree suddenly as the anger built up, Macbeth didn't even flinch. "I appreciate your help, but I think I just need to accept my fate... I should go home, tell the others."

"Hey, I'm not just doing this for you." Snatcher said. "This is MY forest after all. I don't want-"

"And I don't want my fate chosen for me, yet here we are." Macbeth raised his voice as he glared daggers at the ghost. The ghost paused. Like he had forgotten how much this was going to affect Macbeth if what the statue said was true. He eventually let out a sigh. "Just please... let me have however many nights of peace I have left... That's all I'm asking." He said as he began to walk away. He did stop and turn back. "I will put in a good word for you if it does come to that, Snatcher."

"I don't want a good word in for me. I just don't want some deity trying to dictate this place his own way." Snatcher admitted. "I don't think he's going to harm us, it would go against his entire purpose. But I could easily see him doing more harm than good... But I suppose at least I can fight for the forest to stay how it is, if the need comes..." He glanced at the train conductor. "Please, don't tell anyone, at least not yet. We still have some time. I might be able to reset the traps after I handle the ice."

Macbeth hummed, but gave a nod. "Do so if you wish. Just don't get yourself hurt." He said as he glanced at Alexsandera, who had rested on his shoulder. "Just... let me know when he comes." He turned away.

"Macbeth-" Snatcher started, but the toppat walked away, back in the direction of the orbital station.

He glanced away. He couldn't be too upset by Macbeth acting this way. How different would a prophet be from a puppet afterall. Worst case scenario for Snatcher, he'd just move to the clearing the Toppats currently residing in... Not that he wanted it to come to that.

He glanced back to the ice, and floated to get his book on fire magic. It was going to be a pain to get it removed. He almost wished a fire spirit would show up now...

-------

Vanessa hadn't been up here in years, it pained her too much to do so. But she needed to be up here. She had almost everything the spell needed. The last thing was hidden up here, in the closet at the end of the hall. She walked up to it, each step and movement of her body careful as she opened the door. She removed the cheese wheel she had placed as a distraction for any nearby thieves, and bent down, opening the long box that she had placed it on. Icy mist rising from it.

Her previous prince. His body still perfectly intact, perfectly persevered, all these years later. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his soft face. Even drained of all life, it was handsome, perfect. She carefully reached under him, lifting him up into her arms. She didn't know how fragile his body was. She didn't want to break it before she could bring him back. She hummed a small song as she slowly walked down and down into the manor, until she reached the cellar. The one he died all those years ago

And where he would be born again. Where their happy ending would start.

"Oh dear AJ, we'll have our happy story. I know you'll make it all up to me..." She said as she walked up to the wall. Right to the spot he died once before. She gently laid him down, and took out a mask. A mask based on the stories of the Moonjumper, something personal to the prince in his youth. She placed it on his head gently, and then paused, glancing at the nearby chains. "Perhaps I should take some precautions in case you aren't in your right mind." She said as she reached for them.

She clapped both onto his wrist, and took a step back. He looked exactly how he did all those years ago. When she first found he had left her truly alone. Well, she wouldn't be for long. Nothing was going to take her prince away again. Not even death itself. She took out the potions she needed for the spell, gently pouring some over the body. She tried to be careful with it, she didn't want her prince to wake up to a mess. With everything ready, she pulled out the book, and looked at the spell.

"You will be mine, my love." She whispered as she looked at the body. "Even death will not bring us apart."

She took a breath, and began to channel every bit of energy she had inside of her. Every spect of power. Everything she could. Her prince's body was fragile, she may only have one shot at this. She began to read the words she was to repeat throughout the spell. She didn't know exactly what they were or how to say them, so she tried to speak with pure power. She eventually took a small glance up, seeing the prince's body had gained a faint glow. So faint she barely noticed it. But she did.

"Y-Yes.." She said, before focusing her construction back on the pages in front of her, repeating the words. She could feel life filling the room. Spinning around her. She could do this. She could have her prince back. She kept glancing up, seeing the light slowly grow more and more. Each little light brought joy to her heart. She wanted to hug him already. But she needed to finish. "Stay with me now, we will never be apart again!" She claimed with joy during a break between the words.

The body didn't respond. It became harder to see its features. It started to look like it was... fading, almost. Every detail being slowly absorbed into the white glow. That wasn't right, was it?

"W-What-" She stuttered once she had looked up and noticed. He should have been breathing by now, right? So why wasn't he. She panicked, still saying the words. She kept using her power, increasing how much she was using. Her own hands began to feel the effects, the tips becoming frozen in ice. But she didn't care. She couldn't rest until her Prince was here, until he was hers once again. "Don't you dare leave me again!" She shouted as she held her eyes close. She didn't notice the little pink light being drawn into the cellar by the spell, making contact with the body.

The second it hit, an energy wave came from the body, knocking the Queen back. The book fell into the beer of the cellar, the words on it fading at last after the years of use. The Queen hit her head hard against the wall, and she almost was knocked out. But she did her best to focus, stay awake, take some breaths. She didn't need to stay awake for her, but her prince... her prince. Her vision had become blurred, but she slowly glanced up as the body once it started to clear.

"My.. Prince?" She spoke as the details began to clear. And then she paused, in awe at the sight.

He was there, but he was different, very different. His clothing had been restored, and his skin hand gained a blue shade to it. His head was the most different, in the shape of a crescent moon with red stripes near his mouth and one of his eyes. His legs were completely gone. He appeared to be floating in place. His eyes were closed, his nose was gone, but he was breathing. She could tell from the movement of his mouth, showing a blue interior and little fangs. He looked just like the stories of Moonjumper...

"My Prince..." She said, joy and awe picked in as she walked up to him. He didn't respond. Still just floating there. His breathing almost sounded like a faint snore... Of course. Vanessa remembered the spell said it could take awhile for the person brought back to wake up. There were a number of factors for why, but she shouldn't have been surprised. He’d been dead for centuries, and adding in a change in appearance... "I did like your old face a bit better." She hummed. "But I couldn't care less about the details. You're home! Oh, I should wake you myself!"

Oh, but that would be rude of her, wouldn't it. She didn't know exactly what happened to him after his death. She didn't know how he'd react to being forced awake. And his body could be in pain right now. She could let him rest, allow his body to recover. That was what any good partner would do, wouldn't they. And it would show more how much she loved him, despite how he wronged her in the past. If he still had knees, he would be begging on them for forgiveness. Oh, she would love that.

"Alright then, my Prince. I'll leave you be for now. But I'll be back." She said with a smile. She backed away, and headed to the stairs. She could start baking. Her prince always had a bit of a sweet tooth. It would make him feel so much better once he woke up. He would feel so guilty for trying to cheat on her. They could talk afterwards, catch up. Plan their wedding. "Oh, I haven't been this happy in years. I cannot wait!" She giggled to herself. "My my, I sure am chatty today aren't I? I might want to rest my voice. Me and AJ will have so much to say."

She could already picture it all in her head. Her Prince, slowly waking up in confusion and guilt. Maybe a bit frightened by her change in appearance since they last spoke. Her explaining what happened, how she meant to get him but how her guards turned on her and refused to let her get to him in time. A lie. Him eventually breaking down, begging for forgiveness, and pleading for them to start their new lives. A promise to never ever leave her sight again. Be chained to her, be hers and hers alone.

She smiled as she looked out the window at Subcon. "If I have time, I should try and get the garden clear. He would love to see how the Aruma flowers are doing." She spoke to herself as she headed to the kitchen, pausing once she noted the statues of people who wandered into the manor before. "And perhaps I should clean these up. I don't think he's dumb enough to believe they're just ones I commissioned." Not that he should care. If anything, he should be grateful she protected their home...

She didn't know the body sitting in the cellar was no longer her Prince's. That her fantasy would not come true.

Up in the sky above Subcon, the yellow moon took on a blue hue, the sky around it taking a faintly more pinkish glow. Signaling the start of a new era.

-------

Carol didn't know what was wrong. Macbeth had come back from Subcon forest and went to her room, asking if she could watch Alexsandera for him. She agreed, she could handle watching the dweller for a while. But she knew something was wrong. He hadn't ask anyone to do that since he got the child, at least to her knowledge. They were always together, the Dweller could easily just ride along in Macbeth's hat or on his shoulders. So the fact he asked her to watch them and just left...

Her suspicions were proven two hours later. The Dweller had fallen asleep while watching a movie, so she gently picked them up and went looking around the station for Macbeth. The Moon was slowly rising in the night sky. And she found him near the makeshift bar.

"Were you intending on me watching them all night?" She asked as she went over to him. He glanced over with a sigh. He appeared to be at least a little tipsy at most. Knowing him, she only assumed he planned to get black out drunk. She glared at the man tending the bar, a silent order to back away and let them talk alone. She then softened her look as she laid the Dweller on the table. "I appreciate your hindsight to not let Alex see you that way, but I don't think you should just drop them off for a whole night."

"Yo' right... My only thought was 'Someone needs to watch them for me.'" Macbeth sighed.

"I want to know what's going on. Do you think none of us notice how off you been the past few weeks. This isn't just you wanting to be gloomy either, we know you." She stated, and Macbeth sighed as he nodded, whipping some beer off his face with his sleeve. Honestly, the fact he drank pure beer alone should terrify her. Did he truly get that used to the taste? "I know I'm not the best at this emotion stuff either... But you know I can keep a secret to the grave, and beyond..."

"The reason I was revived is because I'm the Moonjumper's prophet." He spoke barely above a whisper, but the words felt like thunder in the dead of night. She froze, he rolled his eyes as he took another swig from the bottle he had. She placed a hand on his shoulder as he shook his head, mumbling about not wanting this. She didn't blame him. She didn't want him to go. "I could try to run from my fate but, why try? The Moonjumper is all powerful, if he wants me.."

"We're not going to let that happen, you know that right? At least not without a fight." She said, slamming her hand on the desk. Both froze for a moment and glanced at the Dweller, still thankfully asleep. Macbeth sighed as he reached over to them, patting them on their head gently. She glanced over to where some Toppats were repairing the system's nearby. "You were brought back because you affected everyone here. If that Moon tries to get you, we'll beat it. Deity or not."

"I don't want you all gettin' yourselfs killed over me. We can't bring everyone back." Macbeth stated as he glanced to the side, resting his hands in his lap. Carol paused, the sides of his eyes seemed brighter. Had he been crying? She didn't want to ask. So she didn't, just garbed a cloth nearby and handed it to him. He brought it up to his eyes and wipe a bit. "You know once you all are gone, I'm never gonna see you again, right?"

"Don't worry about the future, just try and focus on the present." She said, It sounded cliche, but it was true. Macbeth just turned away from the bar before he could grab the beer bottle again. She turned away as well, glancing at the trees that lead to Subcon nearby. Maybe she could find this Moonjumper before he found them... but she had this feeling he wouldn't hurt them. "Macbeth, you're gonna be ok." She said. "Besides, the Moonjumper isn't even here yet. We don't have to worry."

"That statement could be false any second, Carol. He's close, if he's not already here." Macbeth sighed, standing up. He paced back and forth a bit, only a faint wobble at first. That worried Carol more. Macbeth didn't start moving strange until he was extremely drunk. He usually had more focus, in the chance someone did something dumb and he needed to act. He truly seemed like he was trying to let it all go. He stopped. "I suppose I should be happy I had the chance to know you all in the first place."

"Uh, guys." The bartender said as he walked back up to the desk, earning a quick glare. In response, he just pointed to the moon above. The Moon that had a faint, but noticeable, blue hue it didn't have before.

They both froze at the sight of it, before Macbeth gave a small sigh. "I suppose time is already up then..." He glared at the weird look he got from the bartender, who only heard his last statement. He began to walk away, motioning for Carol to follow. By now, more had noticed the change in the Moon. Some seemed worried. Others seem to shrug it off. Blue Moons were an occurance on their original planet after all, even if rare. "I don't.. feel any different. I thought I would be a puppet by now."

"Listen, you just need to stay here. Ok?" Macbeth turned to Carol once he said that, raising a brow. She seemed... more emotional than he ever recalled her being. Even if it was silent. Even if it was just the way her eyes look. The faint tears in the corners. She couldn't lose him again, it seemed. He didn't know why. They were only slight friends at most.

"Are you still guilty about that night? It had to have be a year since you made that statement." Macbeth said. Carol didn't respond. She reached one hand out, pulling down her hat just a small bit to hide her face. Macbeth didn't know how long it truly had been. He tried not to ask exactly how long he was dead for. A few months at least, but he didn't wish to know the exact details. "I didn't hate you for it. You were just annoyed and being your cocky self." He place a hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't know.."

"Look, me running from my fate isn't going to do anything good. Even the original Moonjumper believed in that idea, so I'm told. You think he would have willingly walked into his death otherwise?" He questioned, before pausing as Alexsadnera slowly woke up, a faint sound coming from them as they looked over at him. He held out his arms, and they floated into them. "If the Moonjumper gives me time with you, I'll be grateful. But I need to be careful... And do what's best for all of us.."

"I don't want to see you go. None of us do." Carol glared at the nearby wall. "It's not fair. Why should you serve this person you never even met? They weren't even the one to revive you, it was Snatcher!" She took a breath before her voice got too loud, before it could draw attention to others. She glanced at the floor, giving it a glare. She then looked up at Macbeth. "I promise. We'll find a way to make things ok, for all of us. Even if I die to do so." Macbeth shut her mouth, moving his hand other hand her jaw. "Hey-" She said once she pulled it away.

"Don't say that, ever." Macbeth said. "I already lived my life. I was lucky to even reach forty considering everything I went through. And I'm not going to give up without at least a little fight. I just know I'm going to lose. What's the ghost of a man compared too..." He sighed as he garbed the side of his head. "I think I'm just going to lay down and sleep... if he comes to claim me, let me know." He said as he began to walk away, holding the Dweller close as he did. A small hum came from him.

Carol watched him for a moment, waiting til he was out of sight. "It isn't FAIR-" She threw her fist at the wall, barely acknowledging the pain that poured into her hand. Macbeth was supposed to be with them! He didn't deserve to die in the first place! Why did he have to be brought back only to be pulled into a life he didn't want. That was a fate worse than death! Or, could be... "I need to tell the chef. We need to be ready for when this thing comes." She said, standing up and beginning to head to Reginald's room.

She wasn't the only one upset by the sudden change in events. She knew it, even without being in the haunted woods.

-------

Something had grabbed him. He had just been walking in the forest, minding his business, when something grabbed him. He tried to fight back, but he couldn't. But strangely, whatever force seemed to grab him couldn't move him. Eventually, it let go, and he fell to the ground, catching his breath. He stayed like that for a moment, confused. He stood up, he needed to tell his princess what happened. But before he could try and walk to the manor, there was a wave of energy, knocking him to the ground once again.

And then he woke up, gasping for air. It felt like he was being crushed for a moment there. It frighten him. For a moment he didn't realize he was in a dream. He normally picked up on it when he had dreams of his past life, but this was different, for a minute, he truly thought he was still AJ. The nice prince who walked straight into his death trap without even realizing. He groaned as he floated out of his chair, planning on watching the woods as he calmed down. He glanced up at the sky.

The moon was blue. He froze. Ever since this natural night fell upon Subcon, the Moon was a cheesy yellow. Not the light blue that shone through the.. pinker sky? The change of shade was faint, but he noticed it immediately. Oh no.

"So soon?! But how?!" He checked his traps he set up. None of them had gone off. None of them even had a hint that something came near it. He took some breaths, his eyes were shaking. There was no way he had failed so easily. How could this have happened? The same day that the witch left her manor, and could've destroyed the forest before he’d gotten back. Was this some bad omen? "I-I must be seeing things." He forced a smile on his face. "I must be seeing things, that’s all!"

"Seeing what?" Shadow Kid's voice called with a yawn as she came down from her room. Snatcher paused upon seeing her. He didn't mean to wake her up. She hopped onto the ground floor and took a glance outside. Her eyes gained a sparkle to it, and Snatcher felt his heart sank. She dashed out of the house and onto one of the stones, looking up and pointing at the sky. "Papa, look at the moon! It's so pretty!" She turned around, the biggest smile on her face as she held a hand close to her chest.

"Yes... I see." He said as he floated next to her, looking up at the sky again. He was quiet for a moment, thinking about his words. "I think the Moonjumper is here." He admitted. "Somewhere, right now."

"Really?!" Shadow Kid asked with a gasp, it almost looked like there were stars in her eyes. She jumped up. "We should go find him, welcome him!" She stated. Snatcher tried giving her a smile. He really did. She was happy, and that should be all that mattered to him. Yet his face stayed blank, and she noticed, her own face falling a bit at the sight. She tilted her head. "Aren't you happy, Papa?" She asked. "This is the thing Subcon's been waiting forever for! Everyone's going to be so excited!"

"I wish I could be Shadow, believe me." He sighed. He didn't want to try spinning a tale. Not right now, not to his child. She seemed confused, there was even a hint of what seemed to be judgment in her eyes. Oh, to be so naive not to understand the true grasp of all this. He missed those days. He glanced at the water below, poking at a floating shard of ice that remained. "I'm sure if things were a bit different, I would be excited. I used to love the stories of the Moonjumper and his feets."

"I thought he didn't have legs?" Shadow Kid asked, that causing Snatcher to let out a giggle. He needed that. "But why are things different now, Papa? Why are you so worried? I don't understand."

"There's a million things in my mind Little Shadow, this isn't something I want you to worry your little head too much about..." he sighed as he looked around the forest. "This forest has recovered the best it could from what happened all those years ago. The bushcats are a sign of that, at least to me." Shadow Kid gave him a smile as he glanced at the water. "I just don't know if the Moonjumper will understand. What if he tries to change things for his own gain? Make things worse?"

"I don't think he would do that. He seems like a nice guy. Or, the old one did." Shadow Kid said, sitting down and kicking her legs a little as she spoke to him. Snatcher could see why she would think that. It was just the other powers of the Moonjumper that scared him. It was said the Moonjumper only used a fraction of his magic in his entire life. What could happen if this Moonjumper was willing to use all of it. "Still, I guess I can see why you would be a little worried."

"I don't want my worries to bug you, little one." He said, gently poking her hat off so it fell into her lap for her to catch. She gave a little giggle and he smiled. "If you think the Moonjumper will be good, then I suppose that's true."

"Papa, you don't have to lie to me." Shadow Kid said. "I can tell when you are." Snatcher paused for a moment. He supposed it wasn't realistic for him to change his option that quickly, just based on what his daughter thought. She got up and held his hand, and he adjusted the hat back on her head. She glanced at the Moon's reflection in the water nearby. She gave a hum. "You've been here longer than me, you know more than me. You know if there's a need to be worried or not. I still need to learn that."

"That's something you don't need to learn too quickly." He said. "Allow yourself to just be a kid." She gave a small smile, before giving a nod. He gently picked her up and carried her back into the tree. He took a second to glance at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even that late. He just was tired after cleaning the ice and went right to sleep. Shadow must have done the same to not wake him. "We'll take care of whatever Moonumper is like when he shows his face. Then we can plan there."

"Maybe we can do a stakeout or something?" Shadow Kid asked as Snatcher placed her onto the floor of the upper room. Snatcher gave a small hum, that wasn't too bad of an idea. Of course, it was too late for it to really work. "Or maybe we can have a nice chat with him. Show him we did our best?"

"We'll see, that's not a bad idea." He said as he rested on the stairs near her room for a moment. You think he would have shown up by now. When he first heard of the second coming, he pictured him bursting from the Moon in the sky. A sight everyone on the planet would take note of. And yet, it was nothing but quiet... was the Moonjumper being humbled? It wouldn't be too surprising, knowing the past version of him. "Just, maybe stay close to home until we do see him. He could practice his spells and you might get hit."

"Oh yea, that is something that could happen." Shadow Kid said, giving a nod at the thought. She then went back over to her bed, taking a second to clean up where she had played earlier, before Snatcher went to the station with her. Snatcher began to head down the stairs, but when Shadow called a sudden "Papa?" that made him turn around, head tilted. "If we see Ivy, can we have her stay with us for a bit? Like for a sleepover?" She asked, tilting her head. "The toppat kids told me what those were, and they sound fun."

"You know what, I'll see about it." Snatcher chuckled as he began to head down the stairs, snapping off the magical light they used in place of an electrical one. "Good night my little Shadow. Don't like the statutes bite."

"They don't even have heads." Shadow said, earning him a small chuckle.

Snatcher paused, losing the smile as he got to the ground floor, glancing outside of the tree again. He glanced at the sky. At the new Moon. He had one hope. And that was once the Moonjumper herald of the queen's action, she would never see a speck of snow again.

-------

Vanessa was thankful she had the foresight to place a spell to keep most of her ingredients fresh all those years ago. She didn't eat too often herself, so she still had plenty. She had just finished mixing up the perfect cookie recipe after the past attempts were too wrong in one way or another for her tastes. Putting them in the oven, she decided to head down to check on her lovely prince. Make sure his body was warm a safe amount. When she entered the cellar though, she was met with a sound.

Turning over, her prince was letting out a small grone, his eyes opening slightly before closing. She could hardly contain her glee in that moment. It took everything to not rush over and hug him in a single second. He was awake! Alive and awake. His eyes slowly opened more and more, before widening in one sharp movement as he gasped for breath, one hand shooting up to his head, before scanning around as if in surprise. Confused. Terrified. To see them dart around the room with high life brought her joy.

"Oh, my prince! Dear AJ, you returned!" She said, his eyes locking onto her and widening. "It has been centuries. Oh I missed you my love!"

"Did I take something? Where am I?!" He asked as he looked around the room. Not the first words she expected or hoped to hear. She felt a bit of anger in her, but chose to keep it under wraps. She was a little surprised by the voice. She didn't remember it exactly, but she thought it sounded different. AJ's voice always had a formal glow fitting of a royal, the tone of his voice now felt way too casual in comparison. "Why am I here? And Who are you?! What are you?! Where is my-"

"Oh, you mustn't have recognized me. I apologize, I have had a makeover since your death." She gave a small chuckle as she walked over to him. Her prince shook a small bit, seeming to move back in what almost seemed to be fear. It was cute. She took his hand, being careful not to freeze it as she leaned in close to him, him glancing down. She faintly noticed his eyes widening in horror. "Do not worry, You're safe now. I saved you from death, so we can be happy, like we were supposed to be."

"W-Where are my legs?!" He shouted, making her pull back. He reached down, his arm stopped by the chain, which made him take more notice. "Why are my hands blue?" He reached for his head shuttering at the horn. "Wh-What's wrong with my head?!"

"Oh, bringing you back had some effects on your appearance... here, let me show you." She turned around and pointed at a spot on the ground, a large sheet of ice forming from it. It wasn't the best mirror, but it did its job well enough. The Prince's eyes widened as far as they would go once he saw his reflection, looking down at himself again as if to confirm the change. "You look just like the Moonjumper, our myth. You used to love that story." She giggled. "Do you remember, my darling?"

"No! I'm not who you think I am!" Her Prince cried out in distress, a bit of anger in his eyes as he looked at her. Anger that was overtaken by fear as she rose a brow, him cowering a bit as he glanced down again, before pulling his hands as far as they chains would let him. It was nowhere close to making it too far from the wall. She was slowly getting more and more annoyed. "Look at me! I'm some jack-o-lantern like thing but, Moon based? Oh god, how is the clan going to-"

"Clan?" She asked, tilting her head. Genuine confusion in her voice. Where could he have heard of a clan. "What clan? Was there one near that dumb legal school you had to go to."

"Legal school? Lady, I'm the last person to go near legal anything!" He gave her a glare, anger in his voice. She was surprised. Did the spell mess with his memory a bit? She hoped so, because that was the only reasonable explanation for why he was acting like they never met. He tried to reach a nearby barrel, but it was out of reach, and glared at his lack of legs. "Listen, I don't know what you think yo’ doing, but I'm leaving. So you need to let me go-" He paused when she grabbed his arm.

"YOU ARE NOT!" She shouted, her hand beginning to freeze him as if on autopilot. Luckily, she managed to catch herself before it got far, and pulled away. He looked stunned, terrified, holding the partly frozen hand to his face. She garbed the nearest metal object, the key to his chains, and cracked the ice off with some effort. She did poke his flesh, making him bleed. "You will not leave me again." She said, more calmly this time. "It's clear you are suffering from some memory issues."

"No, I remember everything!" He said, backing up as much as he could as she glared. "I-I was just.. I..." He held a hand to his head. Why was everything so blurry all of the sudden?

He remembered just testing out one of his sets and then... everything was a blur.

"W-Why can't I remember?!"

"Oh, don't you see now my dear?" Vanessa spoke, garbing his hand, rubbing gently at where the blood had slowly leaked from the surface. He looked a little surprised by his blood, taking some breaths. It was a light blue color, and had a glow to it that lit up the dark cellar. "I promise, I will not harm you, we were meant to be together. We have known each other since we were young.”

Her Prince opened his mouth to speak, but bit his tongue. Quite literally, as he coughed, moving his free hand to his mouth. He felt his fangs and quickly pulled his hand away. He didn't even bother glaring at the queen when she chuckled.

"I know your change in appearance has frightened you, but fear not." She caught his eyes drifting to the direction of the key for the shackles, and gently put her finger to his lower jaw, making him lock eyes with her again. "You will get used to it, in time. While you stay here, forever. Never to run away to some other women. Never to betray me again. Or else you'll wish you remained dead." Her tone lightened as she blinked. "Is that clear, my Prince?"

She watched the gears turn in his eyes, as if thinking. Eventually, he glanced at the floor, at his shackles, and sighed. He then glanced up at her, a sheepish smile adorning his face. "O-Of course, my dear."

Finally, he was listening. She gently took the back of his head, before quickly pulling him in for a kiss. He seemed more caught off guard than normal, he had a hand placed on her shoulder for a second as if to push her away. But he didn't, eventually caving into the kiss. He let out a quiet shutter when they parted.

A faint ringing sound came from upstairs, making the 'Prince' flinch. "Oh, I’ve almost forgotten!" She spoke as she backed away. "I made some cookies for us, I know how much you loved them."

"Well... I always had a sweet tooth?" He spoke with a small chuckle.

Vanessa smiled as she headed to the door. "I'll be back in only a few moments, my sweet Prince." She called before she headed up the stairs, humming.

The second he was sure the creature was out of earshot, he spit out, coughing and scratching his tongue to try and get the old, cold, somehow dusty taste from his mouth. He only stopped out of fear whoever this was would walk in on him doing so. He needed to get out.

He turned his attention to the keys nearby. However, not only were they out of reach, but they were placed on the other side of what appeared to be a foundation wall? He didn't know the terms. It was just sitting there, so tauntingly. His freedom was so close!

Freedom to.. what?

He slowly glanced down at his new body again, still with so many questions in his mind. Why did his body change to this... thing? Could he even still move anywhere on his own? He was able to move his arms freely, so it seemed like he still had legs. But they couldn't just be invisible, he couldn't feel the ground. Where was this place? It wasn't some normal jail or government base? Could he even find his way home, or to anywhere he knew of if he got out? How would people react to something like him?

He didn't know. It was as simple as that. He had no answers to these questions and no way of getting them. At least as long as this crazy lady thought he was some prince. Her prince.

How was he supposed to know in that moment, that he had been chosen to become the second coming of a deity? That his mere existence now was something to behold?

He looked down, resting one hand on his head, still shuttering at the shape and feel of it. As he heard what he could only assume was the footsteps of this person, he only managed to whisper one thought under his breath.

"Randy Radman, what on earth did you just get into?"

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #henry stickmin mr. macbeth #mr. macbeth #ahit snatcher’s minions #ahit snatcher #queen vanessa #moonjumper #randy radman #ahit subcon dwellers #carol cross #shadow puppet #shadow kid

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Moonjumper Doodle

#content from main #;)

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

I'm sure things are gonna be fine Macbeth. I don't see why you would be brought back only for you to be tied down a path you don't want.

#the henry stickmin collection #anonymous #ask #henry stickmin mr. macbeth #mr macbeth

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 49: One Last Reflection

He knew that time was running out. He could feel it. He didn't want to show it but he knew. Strange visions in his dreams. The faint sound of sand falling, the faint click of a clock in the background... If he wasn't already dead, Macbeth would have just assumed it was a midlife crisis. But knowing the stories. Knowing his role with the second coming of the Moonjumper. It was clear what the dreams were telling him. He should tell the others but, how could he? He didn't want to be anything more than what he already was...

Staying silent was all he could think to do. Distract himself with any little thing he could. Breaking up fights among members of the clan, making sure the youngest among them were alright. He even started slipping files from Sven to work on when the blonde wasn't looking. Yet, none of it truly helped. It would only offer him a few minutes of silence before the thoughts came back. Even Alexsandera couldn't help him. Their presence was only a small bit of light in what seemed to be a storm of darkness. A storm in his mind...

He supposed the only thing he could do was accept his fate. Try and find some peace in how things would play out.

Still, it didn't stop the questions in his mind. Why him? Was it because of the magic he had in life? He didn't even know how to use it, and it was what got him killed in the first place. And he was distended to 'get along' with the second coming? He didn't know if he trusted the statute's words... He just wished he'd known beforehand. Badge could have told him when they first met. He knew Badge was part of the Moonjumper now. Could have given him a heads-up.

He was taken out of his thoughts by a small crash, turning to see Donnie picking himself off the floor.

"Woah, sorry, didn't mean for it to be that hard!" Lavern said as he walked in, Donnie rolling his eyes as he picked himself off the floor. Lavern glanced over. "Weren't you and the other elites supposed to meet up earlier?"

Macbeth blinked, glancing at the clock on the wall. They were supposed to meet at 10 am. It was 1 pm now. "Well, no point in goin' now. I'll let Carol and Sven grill into me later." He sighed as he shook his head. "Why were we even havin' one today?"

He just wanted to make sure the kids were ok. He told himself he'd only be in here for an hour at most. He hadn't even done anything besides just standing there. Maybe breaking up the occasional fights between kids or helping one when they needed it. It might be one of the last times he got to do so. So maybe a part of him was trying to reassure himself that things would be, ok? If the others asked, he could claim Alexsandera refused to stop playing with the kids, though he would feel guilty about it.

"Don't ask us, we're just walking by," Lavern said as he adjusted his hat. "Hey, you know, there's something I always wondered about you."

Macbeth rose a brow. "What?"

"People say you've been in the clan for as long as they can remember, a lot of people." Lavern started. "Even people who have been in the clans for decades say you were always there."

"A lot of us were born into the clan though." Eric started nearby, as he placed his switch down and tilted his head. "I was, Marybeth's family’s been here for generations." The girl nodded from nearby, placing down the bow she tried to tie on Alex's ghostly tail. "Mr. Macbeth's prob just the same case of that... right?" He turned to the ghost.

Macbeth gave a small chuckle. "You could argue I'm close to that, but no. I was adopted into the clan when I was five... though, I suppose 'adopted' isn't the term you would use for what happened.."

"What do you mean?" Donnie asked, tilting his head. Before giving a small gulp. "You weren't... kidnapped, were you?"

Lavern turned to Donnie and blinked. "Why are you acting so surprised, we're a criminal organization!... even if this feels like just a neighborhood sometimes."

"Well, it was techally a kidnapping, but I wouldn't say it's a bad turn of events.." He blinked as he glanced at the ground. It's been forever since he thought this far back. "I don't remember much. I just remember hidin' in a room in some small house, there were a lot of sounds nearby... Then Randy found me. He convinced me to come out of hidin' and brought me to the airship. After they couldn't find my parents, I was taken in by my mom."

"Wait, what?" A robotic voice called, Macbeth glancing up to see Hat Girl and Platinum in the entrance to the hallway, surprise on Platinum's features. "How come we've never heard this before?"

"Platinum, this is Mr. Macbeth we're talking about." Hat Girl said, rolling her eyes a bit.

"But it sounds a lot like what happened with you! I have a right to be curious." Macbeth let out a chuckle at the topbots comment. He never really thought about it that way before.

He still wondered what exactly happened. He just faintly remembered playing with his plushie before any of that happened. He couldn't even remember his biological parents' faces, could only faintly remember their voices. One might assume that the clan was behind it, but he knew them better.

"Wait, you were in the clan during the party's guy reign?" Eric said before Macbeth nodded.

"He became leader a few days after I was taken in. Something had happened to Reynaldo and his right hand, and so the leadership fell onto Randy since he was the third in command, like Sven is now." Macbeth couldn't help but give a smile. "I know you all heard about how he almost bankrupted the clan. And he shouldn't have let it get that far. But he was just... well, perfect isn't the word." He sighed. "But he always was there for everyone and made sure everyone was as happy as he was. He spent who knows how many nights doing heists all by himself just to make up for the near bankruptcy."

"Do you have any stories from that time?" Marybeth asked as she came over. That made Macbeth pause. He did but... god, how could he even begin to tell them all, without giving away too many details? "We always heard that he was a party animal, but that's it."

Macbeth took a glance around and realized he had become the center of attention. "I'm not gettin' out of this, am I?"

"Nope!" Laven said, getting in front of the exit to the room with a small smirk.

Macbeth let out a sigh as he walked over and grabbed one of the chairs in the room for himself. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it'd be nice to get some stories of Randy out before it was too late. Keep the man's memory around for a bit longer.

"Where to start?" He pondered as he glanced to the side. "...You know one thing Reginald and Randy have in common? They're both surprisingly good with machines. Expect Randy didn't mess with topbots, he would make these courses for his parties. Like wipeout, but smaller." He saw some eyes light up. "It was his way of letting the members of the clan have fun while technically training at the same time..."

As he began to describe a story he could remember, he couldn't help but have a memory begin to form in his mind...

-------

It felt like at least a quarter of the clan's budget went to the "Game Sets" as Randy would call them. He loved making them more and more challenging, while still being fun and fitting for his party's. He never got the balance perferect, but they were enjoyable to those who wanted to try. He could have gotten away with just reusing the same few again and again, but he always had more ideas. It gave him something to do. The only bad thing was you had to be at least a teenager to go on the 'proper ones', and not the small ones Randy made for the kids.

Java couldn't wait any longer. It would be months before he turned eighteen and he just wanted to try at least once. He had already mastered the smaller ones, he wanted a real challenge. He snuck into the room Randy used as his workshop, and raced over to the recent set Randy had been working on. It was a decently large tower, with lots of distracting lights and platforms. Java raced to the controls to get it started. He didn't even notice when the door opened up once again.

"Java Carson Macbeth." He froze upon hearing those words, turning around to see Randy standing there. He looked a little surprised, but seemed to piece together what was happening. "I'm still testing that one, Java."

"Is it really a proper test if you're the one testin' it alone?" Java said, turning to Randy with a sheepish smile. "I mean, you already know everything that's going to happen, so you have an unfair advantage. You know the quickest way in all that." Randy seemed to tilt his head at that, a hint of a smile turning on his face. Perfect, he had him distracted as he reached behind him. "I still don't get why you don't have other members test it for you, it can't be that hard can it."

"Everyone is usually busy outside of my parties, I don't like to bug them." Randy chuckled as he rolled his eyes and went to check on one of the control boxes for the lights he had nearby. Java took the chance to press the button, the machinery in the game set humming to life. "Wait-" Randy glanced over as Java raced right up into the set, a smile on his face. "Java, get out! You could get hurt, I'm serious!" He said as he raced into the set to grab him. "Yo' not old enough to do this safely! It's more than it looks!"

"I'm old enough in a few months, there isn't gonna be any change for it to be safer then compared to now!" Java said, rolling his eyes as he raced up the stairs, keeping one hand in front of his eyes to block out the light distractions. They weren't too bad, Randy hadn't turned them high up like they normally were since he was still testing a build. He did eventually come across a gap that looked a little too far for him to jump. "Shoot.." He mumbled, before jumping onto the wall, clinging to the fabric.

"What are you-" Randy spoke as he caught up, before pausing as Java began to climb up the pole. The man had to blink a few times to be sure he was seeing what he was seeing. He knew Java had been good at climbing and finding shortcuts on the smaller, kid-safe versions of his sets, but he wasn't expecting him to do the same so quickly. He couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You're like a cat or monkey." He shook his head. "Still, you need to get down. The mattresses at the bottom can only break your fall so much."

"They can protect adult bodies just fine!" Java called as he got onto a higher platform, sticking his tongue out before racing off. "Yes, but- Ugh! I love you but why can't you listen?" Randy started, before continuing to go after the child. He knew his own little shortcuts, he could cut corners. He was just worried, what if a platform shook while Java was on it? He didn't make it shake much, but it was still a concern if it threw him off balance. He took a glance ahead, and paused when he saw Java close to the top. "Stay still!" He ordered, but the child just raced ahead, jumping up and slamming his hand onto the bottom.

"Yes!" He called as the machinery and lights all slowed. "I told you!" He said as Randy took a few breaths to calm down. Java stood there with a proud expression, but Randy just gave him a small glare. Randy was lucky most of the parts he did plan either didn't work properly, or weren't installed properly yet. He walked up with his arms crossed, and Java shrunk in his spot a bit. "I-I won, and I was fine." He said, offering another sheepish smile.

Randy let out a sigh. "I can't say I'm not impressed, or not a little proud. That's not the point." He said as he bent down, having Java lock his eyes with Randy's purple ones. "But there's an extent to risks that are fun. This was supposed to have walls that slam out and close quickly as part of the course, you know, dodging obstacles." He rolled up his sleeve to show some bandages around his arm, making Java's eyes widen. "Granted, it's my fault for getting too close to the rapid fire, but still."

"They just looked fun. Like acting on a stage." Java claimed, and Randy gave a small nod, gently ruffling the hair of the boy. Java looked down to the ground and started to tap the tips of his fingers. He didn't think he would have gotten stuck in the doors, but he could see Randy's concern. Randy took one of his hands and began to lead him back down the set. "I'm sorry." he said as he glanced to the side. He wasn't completely, but he didn't want to get into more trouble than he likely had.

"Just don't do it again. You can wait til you're older before you try the main courses. There's a reason I wait until training age to allow you guys on." Randy stated, Java giving a nod. God, the kid wasn't intending it but he was just giving sad puppy dog eyes. It was going to hurt Randy's heart, he didn't like having to be this stern or, even this responsible. "At the very least I know this set is beginner friendly.. Or at least it is if everyone climbs up the pole like you did."

Java gave a small smile. "Hey, you won't always have a rope, right?" He said, Randy giving a chuckle as he nodded, adjusting the glasses that reseted on the brim of his hat. As they got to the bottom, they noticed someone else by the door, giving them both a glare. Randy cursed a bit under his breath as Java froze. "Uh, Mom?" He said with a smile as she walked over. "I-It's not what you think. I was just curious so Randy very, very carefully took me to the top! While it was, powered on.. hehe.."

"Radman, if you're goin' to leave the door to this room unlocked and have the controls in the open, you should maybe close of your carnival attractions. What if Java got hurt?" Lynna said as she glared at the man, who just held his hands up in the air. Java got between the two of them, causing both to blink at him for a moment, before Lynna let out a sigh as she looked at Java. "I know you wanna have fun and improve your skills, but there's safer methods for both. You don't have to try and prove yourself to Randy."

"Mom!" Java said, a little blush forming on his cheek as Lynna blinked, before facepalming herself. "I'm going now!" He said as he raced out of the room, only stopping once he was out of sight. He leaned against the wall to hear chuckles from the two in the room, but it wasn't malicious. It was just that chuckle older people did when kids did something they thought was funny. "I better not sound like that when I'm older." He mumbled. "I have shows I need to star in." He peeked into the doorway, seeing Lynna shake her head slightly as Randy pulled down his sleeve.

"I swear, what are we going to do about that boy?" Lynna spoke as she looked at Randy. "He takes so much after you."

"I mean, is that really a bad thing? It means he grows up with a sense of humor." Lynna went to shove his arm but Randy just stepped to the side, catching her when she almost fell. "Didn't you just tell your son to be careful?" He asked with a small smirk.

Lynna pulled his hat in front of his eyes and took his glasses before backing away and hiding them. Java couldn't help but giggle as he watched. He loved those two...

-------

Some of the kids started talking among themselves about the sets. How fun they seemed. How it would be so cool to have them for when they would eventually need to train those skills for a heist.

"Lookin' back now, the sets weren't as crazy as I thought they were when me and some others like Willson thought they were.." Macbeth sighed as the memory faded from his head, glancing at the group. "Then again, he started removin' some features and made them overall more 'safer' as time past by. Could've been because he gave himself less budget to work

on them, could have been a safety concern, who knows."

"I think we still have some old pieces of those sets in storage." Hat Girl said as she glanced at the others.

Lavern's face lit up as he looked at Hat Girl and Platinum. "Oh, you two need to get your Dads to have that set back up! It's training and it's better than us sitting around doing nothing!"

"I'm not sure." Platinum said, glancing to the side. "It sounds awesome, yes. But what would be the point in dragging all that out when we're just gonna need to put it back anyway?"

Lavern rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "When did you stop being fun, Platinum?"

"I'm STILL fun!" Platinum shouted, huffing while Hat Girl rolled her eyes. "How dare you even suggest that I'm not. That's what I'm programmed for!"

Macbeth let out a small chuckle as he rolled his eyes. These kids were going to kill him one day. Made him think of the good old days...

"It's still interesting how you described Randy." Donnie said, looking at the elite. "I know people tend to just focus on certain traits of people they have only heard of but... He sounds a lot more calm then what I remember hearing about."

"Yea, doesn't even sound too far off from Hattie's dad. Except he sounded like he was more fun." Marybeth said, Hat Girl giving a shrug as laughter and some gasp filled the room, even Macbeth couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"He was like that." Macbeth sighed as he glanced to the side. "The Randy you heard about was the man you would see when the parties were happenin'. The rest of the time, he was more 'chill', you might say." Lavern let out a small grone as Macbeth rolled his eyes. "If you ran into him at the right moment, he was almost like a mini fountain of wisdom."

"Ok, you can't say somethin' like that and NOT give us an example." Platinum said, raising a brow.

Macbeth let out a sigh as Alexsandera floated and rested on his lap, him taking the moment to adjust their mask before he spoke. "I'll give you a small one, from back in my early teens. One rule, you aren't allowed to go blabin' or judin' me."

"You already know we're gonna say yes, just spill the beans Mr. Macbeth." Linda called from the back.

"Alright alright.." They deserved to know a bit of how he truly used to be. "I was a dumb kid back then. Didn't always think clearly about what to do. I also used to be way into music, especially musical theater-"

"Used too?" Platinum held back a chuckle. "You still got the pipes, sir-"

"Do you want me to finish or not?" Macbeth questioned, adjusting his hat while trying to hide the faint blush that had appeared on his face. Platinum held his hands up while nodding, and he sighed. "Good. Well, I wasn't the only one back then, surprisingly. There was this small group that would sneak cameras into shows and get recordings to put on VHS tapes and share. Anyway, I overheard them talkin' once about an idea they had one day, and decided to do somethin' stupid."

-------

Java was tapping his fingers on the tablet with one hand while he was going through the DJ set used for the parties with the other. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, to be fair. The headphones, maybe? He was reading about theater and had heard about something called a 'click track'. He had been practicing some songs when he was alone, but he always found himself missing the beats even with the VHS or records playing in the background. He thought it might help. Sure he was destined to be the clan's next Train Conductor, but he was allowed to have hobbies.

Randy came into the room, Java caught it from the corner of his eyes. He didn't think messing with the set would be that big of a deal, he was just opening and closing the drawers attached. Why the set had drawers in the first place was beyond him. Pretty sure it was a custom build Randy had made just so they could keep all the equipment in a smaller space than usual, or something. Java never knew how to play music, so he could be completely wrong. He just knew he wanted to- he shouted when he closed the drawer too fast, getting his hands caught.

"There's a reason handles exist Java, food for thought." Randy called, though he did place his drink down and went to check on the teenager just to be safe. Java mumbled a bit as he sat in the chair nearby, rubbing the trips. They were a faint shade of red, but that seemed to be the worst of it. Randy leaned against the wall, before looking at the set in confusion. "Why were you going through this stuff anyway? I mean, if you wanted to try DJ-ing, the set itself is right there."

"I was lookin' for the headphones." Java said with a sigh. "I thought maybe they were connected to a clicktrack. Because I swear Zackery just, doesn't miss a note. It's almost inhuman, I'm almost ready to call him a topbot!" Randy let out a chuckle, and Java did as well. Helped take some of the pain away. "Hey, maybe that should be your next big idea? I mean, a DJ topbot would be pretty cool. Who knows, maybe you can make it alive?" He then shook his head. "Like that'll ever happen."

"You have powers, Java, never say never." Randy said as he ruffled his hand, Java pushing his hand away. "Though, I do gotta ask. Why do you need a clicktrack so bad?"

"I overheard some members talking about doing a shorter version of a 'Les Miserables' play to kill time between the party's and heist since they aren't happening as much anymore, and I was thinkin' of seeing if I could sing a role." Java admitted as he glanced to the side. Randy tilted his head to the side as Java let out a sigh. "It sounds stupid now that I'm saying it out loud, but I thought having a clicktrack to practice would help. I just, really would like to do a proper show.."

"I mean, a musical that's all singing seems a little much for a starter, but I get your ambition." Randy chuckled as he gestured to the floor nearby, only notable as a dance floor thanks to the DJ set. "I mean, I always wanted to make people smile and look at me... Man, I sound like a cartoon character." Java chuckled as he nodded, Randy tapping some buttons on the set. "I mean, if we all just did crime, it would get boring eventually. Then we have a record for literally nothing. You gotta have hobbies."

"Yea... I just.." Java sighed. "What if I don't get the chance to act on it?"

"Yo' a little young for a crisis like that." Randy pointed out, and Java rolled his eyes. "You just gotta do your best, even if you don't get this role, I'm sure this won't be the last time the clan does a musical. You got decades to act on your talents, don't worry about becoming a star this very minute... if any of that makes sense." Randy yawned as he shook his head. "I'm not sure if you can tell but I’ve been staying up with slushies since last night. I had a lot of paperwork to do."

"Do you need any help? Willson is busy with his little lover." Java rolled his eyes as Randy chuckled. "And I haven't found anyone else to do anything with since Mom's at the train. I was going to hang out with you earlier but Wilford got on me the second I got ten feet of your office." Randy let out a groan at the mention of that joykiller. "Besides, I'm gonna need to do paperwork someday so might as well get a start there... and it gives me a cover story if we somehow broke this."

Randy's eyes widened. "Oh, good point, let's go." He whispered.

-------

The kids all let out giggles, if not full on laughs, once Macbeth had ended the short story. It was simple, the ending wasn't even supposed to be a joke. But it's just how Randy was. Also bringing the smallest bit of comedy with his words, even when he or no one else intended there to be one.

"Man, that Randy guy sounded great!" Lavern spoke as he leaned against the wall, wiping a small tear from his eye, or at least did the motion. "And you sounded so... extra cool?" Lavern held in his original statement. "What happened for you to let a lot of that energy go?"

Macbeth sighed as he got up, letting Alex float up to his shoulders. "Time, mostly. Trust me, Randy was always right about one thing. Time does change you, and you can't really stop it... It's just a matter of how much you let yourself be changed..."

"Mr. Macbeth... are you crying?" Marybeth asked in concern. Peck him. He didn't even realize.

"I'm fine, just. Dust in my eyes." he sighed as he went to leave the room. "I'm goin' to go rest now, ok? Doin' nothin' has got me tried."

"Can you tell us some more stories tomorrow?" Eric called out, with Linda nodding nearby.

He looked away. "Maybe.." he spoke before he left. Feeling so... conflicted with himself. On one hand, he was happy to finally get some of those good memories out of his system. On the other, he hated reflecting on that time in his life. Hated knowing the last party Randy ever threw was his seventeen party.

Hated knowing what was offered to him that night.

-------

The airship had settled down from the night's events. Most had gone back to their rooms to rest the night away, or were wandering the halls talking with others. Java wasn't one of them. Sure, it was his party so he would naturally be more energized about the whole thing, but he still felt just as awake as when he had woken up that morning. The only reason he had even left the main party room was because he noticed Randy wasn't there. It had confused him a bit, so he went looking.

He eventually found the man in the cockpit, sitting in the driver's seat and glancing out the window. It was late at night. Technically, it would be the next day soon. It was a bit cloudy, but he could still see some stairs from the top of the glass. They felt more... mystical tonight. Java had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Maybe Randy had found a way to apply something to the windows? He wouldn't be too surprised if he did, he just didn't know how.

Still, he snuck up behind the leader, and went to scare him. Only for Randy to quickly turn around, making Java fall back in surprise.

"No fair, it's my birthday, Rand!" Java spoke through his laughter, getting up as Randy rolled his eyes before sitting back in his chair with a chuckle. Java went beside him as he glanced at the map Randy had open. Los Angeles was their next stop huh. He glanced at the man. It was amazing how Randy could still seem so energetic, even with a faint bag under his eyes. "I really loved my party. I think the clan did too." Randy glanced at him. "But I think they're worried, I can't be the only one who knows about you sneaking out."

"How long have you known?" Randy asked, raising a brow before shaking his head. "I know, I know. I shouldn't be doing it alone. I... probably shouldn't have been doing a lot of things alone.. I just didn't want to throw the boring work on anyone else, you know?" Java gave a nod as Randy sighed, looking like he was contemplating something before smiling, turning to Java. "You know, I never got around to selecting a Right Hand. It's dumb, I know. I just thought I could handle it all myself."

"It's a little dumb to think that, even I know that." Java chuckled, before pausing. "Why are you bringin' this up to me, Randy? Shouldn't you be speakin' with mom and the other elites?"

"I already know my choice." Randy said, shaking his head. "It may seem irresponsible, but I know who's going to be my Right Hand... You think I haven't noticed some of my work being done for me?" Randy asked as he glanced at Java, who froze. He went to explain, but then paused. There was no way... He felt his heart beat in his chest a bit. Randy turned the chair to face him completely. "We will need to wait another year to make it official, I don't want to break traditions after all.."

"Yo' jokin'." Java spoke, but Randy shook his head. So much was going through his head. Excitement, concern, and a million other emotions he couldn't quite place. Being the Right Hand was an honor enough. But it wasn't just that. The position was a near-garantie to the toppat throne. That, if the impossible should happen and Randy was lost, he would take his place. "Y-You know my mom is goin' to kill you when she finds out right?" He asked, but couldn't help but keep the smile on his face. "Why me, out of everyone here?"

"Oh, if I tried to put my thoughts into words it would take hours." Randy chuckled. "But you have spirit. Even at your lowest, you care for the clan above all. That's something not many people can truly say they have, but you can... Yo' a model toppat in a million and ten ways. Yo'... almost like a son to me." Randy smiled, and Java had to hold back the tears in his eyes. Randy then gave a shrug as he glanced to the side. "Of course, if you don't want the position, that's fine. I can always-"

"YES!" Java said, the sudden shout almost making Randy fall out of his seat, despite how he had been preparing for that. "I-I swear I'll be the best right hand this clan has, and will ever see!" He began to pace back and forth in his spot. "We'll have the best heists. Create the best lives for everyone... I might be able to sneak in a few shows. I been leanrin-" Randy reach over and placed a hand on his shoulder, and Java took a breath. "Let me guess, finish being a kid first?"

"Yup." Randy said as he leaned back. "Yo' never truly an adult, or at least that's how I feel." He chuckled. "But you got one year left before people act like that's all you are. Enjoy it, Java."

"Do I need to get you some pop, yo' only thirty-three yet yo' sounding like someone's grandfather. Respectfully, of course." Java added with a chuckle as Randy faked a faint into his chair at the news, before rolling his eyes as Java glanced out the window again. Then glanced faintly at the chair Randy was in. It might be his some day. He hoped it would only fall to him in a case of retirement...what was he so worried for? Everything would be fine. "We, probably should head back and start clearing up the party."

"The worst part." Randy grone but nodded as he got up. "I swear I should just leave the room as it is sometimes. We end up reusing basically the same decorations a lot... at least we have been lately.." He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm gonna take a break from my secret heist, at least for a bit. LA should have enough to keep the clan afloat for a while while I, or we." He smiled as he glanced at Java, who nodded. "Figure out a better way to get the cash we need. Hopefully your party will have tied everyone's energy over until then.”

"If people are annoyed, then they shouldn't complain ‘bout your ways of spending money in the first place." Java said, rolling his eyes while Randy sighed, looking to the side. Like Java didn't fully understand yet... He was a kid. He would understand eventually.

There was a cough in the hall, and both turned to the figure that had been standing there. "I don't know what you two were yapping about, but Randy needs to go to bed now if he even wants to try and bring a good idea to tomorrow's meeting," Wilford spoke, giving a slight glare to the man who seemed a bit confused. "Really? Did you forget? You were the one who scheduled it." He glanced to the side and muttered "This clan is a lost cause." before he lit one of his cigars, eyeing Java when the teen glared at him.

"Sorry, this was my first big party in a while. And you know how easily distracted I am by them... Let me clean everything up then I'll head to bed." Randy said, Java giving a nod as the two began to pass. "And please, take that outside. I don't want to be a buzzkill but there are children present." Java gently grabbed Randy’s shoulder and the man rolled his eyes. "What, it's true!" He said as they both chuckled a bit. They didn't see the death glare Wilford was giving the man in pink. Didn't see him form a fist.

"Man. I can't wait to see how things look in a few years." Java smiled. "I know I shouldn't let it be gettin' to my head but, come on, it's a big deal." His father figure nodded as he wrapped an arm around him. Java glanced at the ceiling since he couldn't look at the sky. Things were going to go so well with both him and Randy in charge of the clan. He didn't expect things to go perfectly, but he knew he would do his best. "Our reign is going to be talked about for decades to come, I just know it!"

If you told Java the events that would have happened that night, he wouldn't have believed you. If you told him in just a few days he would walk in on Wilford trying to kill Randy, he would have shrugged it off. That Wilford would shoot him in retaliation for the attempt. Hitting him in the arm and just barely missing his head, ruining his hat. If you told Java Randy would have run to check on him, and that's when Wilford would get the kill, he wouldn't dare believe it was true. He wouldn't have.

But when Wilford would tell Macbeth that it was all his fault, he would. And that if he wanted him and his mother safe, he dropped everything 'Randy like' about him... He would drop himself..

-------

Macbeth was silent as he sat by the window in his room, glancing out at the night sky. Alex had themselves wrapped around one of his arms, poking the buttons of the 3DS he held for them. He found it in storage and just kept it when he couldn't find the owner. Had a copy of Omega Ruby in it. It kept Alex entertained when he needed some time to think. Even if he occasionally needed to help with some inputs if the pressure from their mask wasn't enough.

He glanced down at the bottle he held in his free hand. He always told himself he would at least try to drink less. But he had just been picking up on it more and more, behind the scenes. He never got drunk, and rarely got a little tipsy. He didn't want to become a mess in front of Alex. He just needed to motion the action at the very least. Trick his mind into letting go.

It wasn't working.

"I guess I'm gettin' that very important position whether I want it or not." He whispered to himself as he put the bottle on his desk, before pausing at the sketch-up toy next to Alex's bed. Percy, the only thing he had of his life before Randy...

Did.... such a time ever truly exist?

It didn't matter now, he supposed.

In a hundred, thousands, or a million years while filling the role that was chosen for him, the present would seem like it never existed...

Was it even possible for his brain to handle that long time of information?

He didn't know... He just had to try and enjoy what little time remained of his normal life.

The Moonjumper is coming.

And he can't stop it.

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #henry stickmin oc #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #henry stickmin mr. macbeth #mr. macbeth #mr macbeth #randy radman #ahit subcon dwellers #sir wilford iv

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Mu. You know you're allowed a break, right?

#a hat in time #anonymous #ask #ahit mustache girl

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 48: Gaming Break

It seemed whenever they tried to take a break anymore, something happened. It was almost driving the group of toppats insane. From the discovery of what happened to the first Moonjumper, to Macbeth's potential future with the second coming, to Platinum getting close to getting fried, it just was building up in the background. They just needed a break. Get away from the station properly, away from Subcon. It wasn't exactly the forest's fault, but it just felt convenient with how everything happened there.

That was the main reason they were at Dead Bird Studios that day. The Conductor wanted Hat Girl to come out and play a secondary role alongside Mu for one of his future movies. She took the opportunity, and some of the others managed to sneak their way to getting invited to tag along. Offering to be extras in the background so it wasn't as strange, and so it wasn’t just these two characters that were human while the vast majority of the others were birds. It was easy to do once they got there, just pretend to do things once the camera rolled.

That was what Mu got from them anyway. She just agreed to show up because she was offered money, an opportunity she didn't get too often. The only member who had seemingly shown up just for the heck of it was some Blake person. She didn't speak to them, didn't have time. She just focused on getting her scenes done. It did feel nice to talk with Hat Girl again. It felt like forever since they saw each other. If she didn't know about what happened to her, she never would have known anything was wrong.

Eventually, it was the end of the day. The toppats were getting ready to leave and Mu wanted to get out of there as quickly as well. She didn't know exactly why, she did like being around the group. For a bunch of criminals, they treated her well. But she didn't want them noticing that. Maybe that was why she found herself in such a hurry. Maybe. She just headed to the door while everyone was talking, reaching for the handle, before pausing. Was that... rain she could hear outside? That didn't seem right.

She opened the door a little bit, and it sounded like hell. There was roaring winds and clashes of thunder, rain pouring onto the sand. She quickly closed the door. "You gotta be kidding me." She mumbled aloud, drawing the attention of the others. "Eye of Shinoloko." She explained, and immediately the Conductor facepalmed with a mumble. She didn't blame the guy for being frustrated, even if he could camp here all night, two of his grandkids were with him today. Who knows how their mother might feel.

"Eye of w'ot?" Right asked, going over and opening the door to get a look himself. He quickly closed the door after he got a look of the chaos that was happening outside. He seemed genuinely surprised for a second, before looking over at the natives of this planet. "Suppose t'is is somet'in' t'at just, 'appens now and again?" He asked, getting a nod from Mu. "Ya could 'ave at least warned us before we came out."

"Ye think if I knew it was happenin' again I would have Crow and Rosetta here? Or invited anyone?" Conductor snapped a bit, before shaking his head and mumbling. "The one day Grooves doesn't show up so he can deal with this too... This is some pecking natural event that happens once a year, normally. It happened a good month before yer ship crashed onto the planet, so we shouldn't have to worry about this until Spring." He glanced to the side. "Weather Penguins can't do their jobs.."

"Look, I don't understand half of what yo' saying right now." Macbeth sighed as he sat against the wall, taking off his hat and letting Alexsandera rest along his shoulder. "But it looks like we're going to be stuck here while, so let's just deal with it." He said, before shaking his head at his tone. "Sorry, I haven't been sleepin' well lately." He apologized before he started another quick fight.

Hat Girl was quiet for a moment. She allowed Rosetta to hold her hand, it was clear she got scared from the momment Mu first opened the door and they heard those winds. "Why don't we play a game or something. Just to past the time?" She asked, glancing at the others. Platinum gave a clear nod and the rest either didn't respond or just sorta shrugged. She then got an idea and turned to Blake. "Do you have extra phones with your mod on them?" She asked, Blake lighting up at the mention.

"Is now really the time for Among Us?" Van asked, jestering back at the door. Platinum gave a shrug and went to the edge of the hall, already pulling out his own phone. "...Wait, Blake, why do you carry multiple phones on you? I know you're a tech person but is that really necessary?" Blake began to sign with one hand while they got their backpack off with the other. "Y-You know I can't understand signs that quick..."

"Wait, is that the game Snatcher told me about the last time we were in the woods together?" Mu asked Hat Girl, who gave a nod. She paused when Blake tossed one of the spare phones over to her. She eventually sigh and booted up the app. She thought the game sounded dumb when she heard about it, but it wasn't like there was much else to do... She paused when she clicked through the inventory screen out of curiosity, seeing an outfit that looked like hers. "What in the-" She glanced at the others, confused.

"Oh, Blake’s been wanting to draw some outfits based on the people they've seen on this planet and add them into the game. Your one of the frist they finished." Hat Girl turned to Blake who signed to her, before turning back to Mu. "They hope you're not too weirded out by it." She added. Mu just looked at the screen. She was..a little. But, there was some weird, nice feeling about being considered for something like this. "Pops, Conductor, Macbeth. You guys going to play?"

Right let out a small sigh. He Agreed with Van that this didn't feel like the time for games. At the same time, he already had his phone out to text Reginald to let him know they'd be back late. And as much as he wanted to brute force his way through the storm, he had to remember he had limits. "Fine. But just for a bit. If this goes on all night I want to keep Reg updated..." He paused as the lights flicked for a moment, some going out while a few managed to stay on. "I guess that's normal too."

"Normally." Conductor said. "Although I could've sworn there was some blots of lightin' dancing around one of the bulbs, but even I know that's ridiculous. Either way, toss me that metal box." Blake tilted their head. "Yes, I am aware what a phone is, but I can make up slang." Blake rolled their eyes and toss one over... and for a second it looked like something zap from the light above into the phone before it fell on the floor. "...Ye think I would catch it after that?"

"Ok, so funny story-" A voice came from the phone, some of the group shouting from the surprised. Hat Girl and Platinum both looked at each other to see if they were thinking the same thing, before Hat Girl grabbed the phone. Hydratic adjusted his mask slightly before he glanced at her. "I left the ship just to get some fresh air, the storm cloud moved to far from the ship and the sea.." He shook his head. "Point is uh, do you mind me chilling here with you guys. The eye is too much for even me, believe it or not."

Platinum took the phone from his sister and showed it to Right and Macbeth. "This is the Hydratic guy we told you about from the cruise." Platinum said. A cheerful voice but a wink when he had said that. Macbeth slowly reached for his sleeve, he had that feeling again. The same one he got near Autiomaa and Legends. Right gave Platinum a knowing nod before Platinum placed the phone down. "I think it'll be fine. We were going to play a game... just don't cheat. I don't know how well your powers would allow you to do so, but trust me. No one likes cheating."

"Kid, do I seem like a cheater?" Hydratic asked, gesturing to himself.

"...I want you all to know all this has just sounded like gibberish." Crow said, earning a few chuckles from those in the room. "What, I'm serious! ...And also, what are we even playing?"

Mu shook her head slightly before she glanced back at the screen. She didn't remember the last time she got to play any sort of game... Maybe this will be fun.

-------

Once the rules were explained, they started the game. Mu sighed a bit in relief when she saw 'Crewmate' on her screen, being the impostor sounded exhausting. She picked her location on the map and took a look at her task. She saw she was right next to the vault and headed in to do the dress mannequin task. She was curious as she looked around the map. Sure, it wasn't the exact same, but she did hear that this was based heavily on where they lived before the station. Made her pictured how Hattie's early years with the toppats were..

She left records to go look around for her next task. She hadn't seen anyone around yet, and was a little confused about that. Sure this was a big map but it didn't seem too big. Surely she would have bumped into someone by now? She wasn't sure what to think about that... She let out a shout as the Body Report screen came up suddenly. "His body was in electrical." Macbeth said as he glanced around. Mu opened up the chat to see Blake asking if anyone was nearby.

"Electrical? I saw Van in there a minute ago." Right said, eyeing suspension at Van. The teenager paused and looked at him, as if surprised. "Didn't even look like they were near a task. Just was standing there." Van glanced at Platinum, who was looking down at the ground, tapping his hands against the floor. Van finally open their mouth to speak, but got cut off by the voting sound effect. "If ya had a case, ya would've made it by now." Mu gave a nod to that, Van did seem suspicious. 

"I-I haven't played in awhile, I-I'm not used to getting accused! I just left before Platinum even came in!" Van got out their words at last. But it seemed too late. Mu had already cast her vote in, and seemingly everyone alive was in a silent agreement. Van finally clicked to vote, one person voting to skip while everyone else voted the white crewmate out. "I didn't even do anything." They said as the screen confirmed they were not an imposter. "Just, be careful guys. Ok?"

Mu let out an annoyed sigh. Maybe she should have waited for a proper response. Sure they were still good on numbers for now, but who knows what would happen as the game went on... The conductor got killed not long later, Macbeth once again finding and reporting the body. Blake put in chat that they had last seen Crow with him, and Rosetta agreed. However, no one was as willing to jump into a mass vote over that after what happened to Van. The majority voted to skip, but there was a silent agreement to keep an eye out for that Cyan crewmate.

Mu let out a sigh as she finished putting the guns away, heading up and passing Hat Girl as she went into the engine room while the Rose crewmate went into cockpit. She walked through the main hall and began to pick up the towels on the floor. Mu really hope this was just for mechanics, and the toppats didn't actually just leave towels on the floor like this. She went into the proper shower section to grab the last one... and just barely caught the shape of the pod, before Hat Girl seemed to come from it. But she had just seen Hat Girl walk into cockpit.

"Shoot." She whispered before she quickly raced her character away before the impostor could react. She passed Hydartic's blue crewmate (himself??) and got onto the flying pad, panicking inside her mind until she could get up to the meeting room and press the emergency meeting. "Shapeshifter was on!" She blurted out, letting out a small sigh that no one had died that turn. "I saw Hattie in cockpit and then walked in on someone shapeshift into her. Didn't catch the color of the pod."

"Shapeshifter makes this a lot more risky. Thanks for the clear Mu." Hat Girl said, turning to her and smiling a bit. Mu smiled back, before looking eyes with Crow. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel him looking around the room nervously. She didn't know the Conductor's grandkids well, but she knew that wasn't like Crow in most situations. She cleared her throat. "We're already suspicious of Crow, I say let's get him out of here. Unless anyone was with him this past round."

"No one was.." Crow admitted, and the votes came in quickly. He threw his hand in the air when he was voted out. "I wasn't even in showers!" He said as the screen confirm his role. "...And Sorry about the kill, Grandpa.."

Mu had thought now that they had gotten one imposter out of the game, getting the other was only a matter of time... Yet the game kept going for a while. Lights got turned off for a good chunk of time, since it could be a hassle if more than one person tried to fix it. That allowed the living impostor to get multiple kills in each round, slowly lowering the comfortable distance between them and victory. And everytime Mu thought she had an idea who it was, they would be dead by the next meeting...

She was thinking about her latest suspicions when a new alarm sound started playing. She quickly checked the map and saw two points on it. She went to the closest point, but found Macbeth was already there. She cursed herself since the pad was on the left side of the screen, meaning she'd have to go the long way. Or have someone beat her there. She began to hurry as quickly as possible, and did make it to the end in time to input the code. Allowing a breath.. before Hat Girl's body was reported.

"Engine room." Right said, letting out a sigh. "Would 'ave been at t'e sabotage but I was lock be'ind so many doors."

"Wait, you were the one who got Van voted out in the beginning." Mu spoke as the thought came to her. "How do we know you weren't lying back then?" She asked, crossing her arms. Right just seemed to send her a glare while Macbeth glanced at them both. Everyone else in the room was either silently watching or, based on their typing, discussing what was happening in the ghost chat. "Macbeth, I saw you more than enough times. You would have killed me by now. I think Right self reported."

"'nd 'ow do we know ya didn't start the sabotage? Macbeth, it 'as to be 'er. Ya gotta vote 'er out." Right said  before casting his vote as soon as it started. Mu quickly cast her in relation, and waited. The votes came in, two votes for her. She held in a frustrated sigh as she watched herself get voted out... Only to have her eyes widen at the brown crewmate on the red screen. "Wait-" Right seemed just as surprised, before turning to Macbeth, who had a small smirk on

his face.

"Didn't expect me?" He asked. "I played it with the kids a hundred dozen times at least. I know the useful traps to avoid."

"Yea, as soon as I heard Pops and Mu access each other, I knew it was over." Platinum sighed as he led his head back against the wall. Hat Girl gave a small chuckle as he rolled his eyes. Mu shook her head, why did she fall into such a  trap? Now that she thought about it, she did catch a glimpse of the pod's color. It wasn't enough time for her brain to figure out what color it was, but it was far from purple. "Well, should we hop into the next round? I'd like to see if I can get payback on Crow."

"I was just playing my part of the game, if my teammate didn't report the bodies so often." Crow mumbled before glancing over at Macbeth, who gave a small shrug. Mu glanced at the ghost. She had this weird feeling about him. She didn't know exactly what, but there was just something that felt more.. divine about his presence. Not sure why it took him winning a game for her to notice. "But yea. Let's just get started, I don't think the storm is going away anytime soon. And not like we have someone who can control storms."

"Trust me, if I could call Anumand to clear this, I would." Hydartic's voice called from the phone. "They'd do a great job.."

After a few more minutes of talking just to settle down the nerves, the next round began. Mu thought she heard an annoyed sigh from somewhere in the room but didn't look up from her screen as she began to work on her next few tasks. She started to get the feeling of the layout in the back of her head, and that made it easier for her to relax. She only would tense up once she found herself in a room with some other players. Who knows when one of them could try to kill her after all. 

She got most of the task on the left side of the ship taken care of that she felt comfortable moving to the right side of the ship. It was a little longer than last time, no one must have died yet. Or if they had, no one had found their body. She learnt that the map had a few good spots for bodies to be hidden, even by accident. Blake must have designed it that way on purpose... She heard a sudden thud and while she had to remind herself not to look around, she figured she knew what that meant.

Sure enough, a small gasp came from Conductor and Blake's dead body appeared on screen. They were the only one who had died, and they looked annoyed about it. They crossed their arms and Mu shrugged when they made eye contact.

"I'm honestly surprised this is the first time any of us were murdered in the kitchen. Seems like the perfect killin' place if ye ask me." Conductor spoke as he leaned back. The rest of the group given him some glares and he seemed to pause a moment before he spoke again. "Oh, I didn't see anyone around. Believe me, I would have already accused someone if I did." The rest of the group sighed. "Let's just skip. It's just one death, we can take a few more before we need to vote."

"Why are you like this Grandpa?" Crow sighed as everyone skipped, not much more they could do. Mu picked records as her spawn location and went to take care of her task in the Lobby. Would have been nice to gotten more info but it didn't seem like anyone was going to trust any information the old bird gave anyway. She just needed some time to breathe... and she wanted to drop the phone when Platinum's dead body appeared on screen. It only been like, a minute or two? How was he already dead?

"I-I thought I saw someone but I didn't get a good look at them." Rosetta spoke as she placed her phone to the ground. "I haven't memorized everyone's color either.."

"Unless anyone's got any suspicions,  think it's best to save our voices and agree to skip." Mu sighed, and no one spoke up with anything. The only ones who were speaking were Blake and Platinum in the ghost chat. As the next round started, Mu would occasionally glance over at them. Wondering what was going through their minds as this all played out. She hadn't become a ghost yet... "Ok, this is getting ridiculous." Mu announced a minute later, once Crow had been found dead. "Let me guess, no one?"

"Actually, I think there's a chance the lass might be the impostor." The Conductor said as he pointed over at her, and she looked surprised. "I remembered seeing Crow with her last, and it wasn't that long ago." Hat Girl had typed out a message while he spoke, explaining she was with him but left a bit before the kill. "I thought we agreed Blake was going to be the only one using the text chat?" Hat Girl gave a shrug, Mu couldn't blame her. They took so long to talk sometimes. "We don't have to vote her now, I'm just pointing it out."

"I mean, you're just gonna make it harder for our team if you do." Hat Girl said. Only three people voted for her, so the game continued. Mu wasn't one of the people who voted her, but she had a small bit of suspicions. There was just something about the way Hattie said that final comment. It sounded like her normal tone on the surface but... There was a facepalm from across the room before the Conductor's body appeared on the screen. "Oh peck me." She said, Platinum breaking his silence to laugh.

"I-I saw her this time." Rosetta said, and Hat Girl just nodded. Mu couldn't help but hold in a small snort. Even Crow didn't make a mistake like that when they were playing. "Sorry.." Rosetta said to Hat Girl after a moment, but Blake shook their head from across the room. Platinum, the closest to the kid, quickly showed his screen that showed Blake saying it was just part of the game. "Still, she's so nice normally. I feel bad.." She said as the alien got voted out of the group.

"None of that matters in this game." Hydratic spoke. "It's all or nothing... But hopefully the game will be easier."

The game didn't get too much easier. It wasn't as bad as the massacre that was the last round, but there was still the occasional kill here and there from the Imposter. Mu had her suspicions for a while. She tried to be smarter about her guesses. She thought it could have been Macbeth, they seemed to have been bumping into each other a lot. But he was one of the impostor's last round, what were the odds the game would pick him again? He seemed to be in the right places for tasks as well.

She was suspicious of Hydratic for a while as well. He would run all over the map, and Mu was sure it was before he was trying to get a quick kill. During one of the past meetings, he said that he already got all his tasks done and was just running around to see if he could catch the impostor or find a body. Mu found it a bit strange that if he was doing that, why no bodies had shown up yet. But that wasn't enough evidence to make a proper accusation. And she didn't want the game to end with her making a mistake like that again.

The game started to feel like it was taking forever. The only reason she hadn't gotten her task done was the impostor kept setting up the crash sabotage what felt like every five seconds. She could swear Hattie giggled each and every time.

She let out an annoyed sigh as she finished the sabotage and then climbed up the ladder to dump out the trash. And she was done. She took a glance up at the progress bar, seeing it was close to completion. She tapped her hand on the screen as she waited for the inevitable next body to be reported... She thought she could hear a bit of muttering from nearby, but didn't look up... until a beep filled the room. "Alex!" Macbeth called, before the Crewmate victory screen played on everyone else's.

The room burst into a bit of laughter as the Dweller gently knocked the phone out of Macbeth's hands before resting in them. "Did they really just left the game for ye?" Conductor asked, Macbeth rolling his eyes but nodding as he patted the dweller on their head. Mu couldn't get the smile off her face. She felt robbed of a fairly earned victory, but there was just something about winning this way that felt a lot more funny. "Wait, I think the eye is claiming outside... at least a bit."

"T'ink yer right." Right spoke as he went up to the door and listened. "Still doesn’t seem safe to leave though."

"Could just be in the eye of the storm." Hattie said as Blake signed. Mu just sighed, she started to feel a bit tired. She should have been back in mafia town by now, or at least a decent bit away there. Hopefully she could get going again soon. But she was having a bit of fun here... why did her having fun have to feel so right? She should be focused on her sole duty. Yet... "Mu?" Hat Girl gently shook her shoulder, causing Mu to come back from the pit of her mind. "Are you alright?"

"Yea, just got a little worried for some people, that's all." It wasn't a very good excuse, she would have had names if it was a convincing sounding one. It was clear some people knew the truth about her statement, but didn't speak up about it. No point in risking starting a genuine fight after a bunch of light-hearted and playful ones. She glanced back at the screen of the phone she had. "Do you guys want to do something else... Or do more of this. I kinda wanna see if I can get lucky with the role I'm given." She gave a small smirk.

-------

They all slowly lost track of time as they played. Mu knew for sure she did. The longer she played, the more she enjoyed the game. Sure, she still thought it was a bit dumb, but dumb things can be fun sometimes. She did eventually get to be impostor, although she didn't get too many kills in before she was figured out. The role seemed a lot more stressful than she originally thought. Still, she enjoyed her time. It almost made her feel sad it would be over once the storm had cleared.

They started another round, finding herself as a crewmate once again. She spawned in the main hall, since that gave her the most access to the possible task she could do. She saw she had a few and started working on them. The game went on and Mu was expecting a body found screen at any moment. It almost made her feel uneasy that there wasn't one yet. Like she'd be the body that would end up being found. She wasn't the best at being patients during meetings, only able to keep her mouth shut by ranting her feelings in ghost chat. A lot of the others were similar.

The screen began to flash red and she sighed as she went to fix the sabotage. She didn't understand why everyone liked using this one so much, the lights seemed so much more effective... She got to the left first and quickly placed in the code and waited for the sight side to do the same... She heard a facepalm from somewhere in the room and by now that usually only meant one thing. Right Hand Man's dead body appeared on the screen. She looked up to see the man shaking his head.

"It's Crow!" Hydratic's voice came from the single phone laying on the floor. "He killed Right... hang on" there was a chuckle from the phone before he could finish, a bit of laughter in his voice. "He killed Right right in front of me." Crow just held up his hands in defeat. Mu shook her head a bit, holding in a chuckle as she sent in her vote. He could have at least tried pleading shapeshifter. "You think he would've picked up that being a bad idea." Hydartic said, before the votes came in.

"You know what, I think I prefer watching all this to playing it anyway." Crow said, leaning back as he adjusted his phone. Mu knew better than to expect good things from getting one impostor out by now. She glanced at her list of tasks and saw she only had the meeting room task to finish, and she was done. So she raced over to the room from her spawn location as fast as she could, and pulled down the lever. She let out a small sigh of relief as she knew she did her part.

She then shook her head and decided to focus. She might be able to figure out who the impostor was if she was careful. She began to slowly head around the map, watching everyone. If a room had two people in it, she would leave and wait, coming in to check if one of them had been killed. She was making a big loop around the orbital station, until she got to the security room. Right next to the cameras was Platinum's body. She couldn't help but feel bad, he had been through it a lot these games.

"Why did you do that?!" Hydearic called suddenly as she reported the body. "The impostor was shapeshifted as me and I was chasing them trying to make their timer run out!"

"Well I'm sorry, I wasn't aware." Mu said, rolling her eyes a bit. "Besides, I think I got an idea about who it is. Was anyone with Van at the last minute? Because I saw them with Platinum a lot this past round." Van seemed to freeze up as they tried to think of what to say. Mu chuckled a bit as she opened the in-game chat and saw Blake had put on a smirk. Soon the voting began. "You could’ve at least tried to defend yourself" Mu said once they were all casted.. only to sigh. "Are you kidding me?"

"I-I'm not good with these kinds of things, what did you expect?" Van asked, before sighing as they placed their phone down, likely done with their task as well. She rolled her eyes as she focused back on the game. Maybe it was the group's fault for being so quick to vote at first mention of who might be suspicious. But if half the people didn't freeze up or thought quicker they wouldn't be in those situations. "I'm stretching my legs. They've been on the urge of falling asleep, and I don't wanna deal with that when we leave." They said as they stood up, careful walking past Platinum.

Mu let out a sigh as she went back to her new routine of checking all the rooms, and seeing if she could catch any murders that took place. She was feeling tired, and not just because of her current gameplay cycle. It had been at least an hour, likely more, since they started playing. She wasn't keeping track of the time for once. She just wanted to go and lay her head down. She was thinking of after this round ends suggesting they just turn in for the night if the storm was still blowing outside.

She woke up a bit when Hat Girl's body appeared on screen. "I swear some people are faster than others, might have to look into that." Blake sent in the chat as Mu opened it. "Weapons. The upperpart near Burt's room. Just saw their Shadow." They typed out and Mu glanced over at them. She then glanced around, no one seemed to be acting guilty. "Mu, why have you been going in and out of rooms? You called Hydartic out on similar behavior earlier?"

"I'm a hypocrite and bored, what else do you expect from me?" She asked as she sighed. She knew Blake didn't have any useful info based on how they commented, so it was likely going to be a skip round, so why bother trying. They still had eight players left, so they were almost better off letting the impostor do the kills and try and catch them in the act. "Voting someone off will make it easier for whoever is impostor... we're at least able to travel in pairs now, that might help."

"Sure it would, lassie." The Conductor mumbled, sounding a bit annoyed as he skipped. Mu raised a brow at that, but didn't question it much. She saw Right nearby when she loaded in and started to follow him. For the next three or so minutes, everything was calm. Then suddenly, the Conductor mumbled "Oh peck this." Before the disconnect sound was played... and the crewmates won. There was a bit of quiet laughter from the teens as the bird crossed his arms. "It was impossible for me to get a kill!"

"You could have tried a little harder, Grandpa." Crow said, crossing his arms before pausing. "Hey, do you hear anything?I think the Storm's over."

"Wait, what- Hattie, take me to the door." Hydartic called out, a hint of what seemed to be panic in his voice. She nodded and picked up the phone, walking over and opening the door. It was still raining, and there were still winds with sand dancing about, but it was much calmer than before. Suddenly, a spark came from the phone, Hydratic appearing in the rain. A bit faded, but it was still him. "I'm sorry, but I need to go now. As much as I loved hanging with you, I rather get home myself and not make you do the work for me."

"Oh, it's no issue! Just be safe!" Hat Girl waved, before the strange figured disappeared, what seemed to be electricity bouncing between drops of rain into the sky. She let out a sigh as she turned off the phone he was in, her eyes widened slightly when she saw the time. Mu looked at the phone she used, and let out a small grone. Almost midnight?

Mu sighed as she got up. "I need to go." She said before she headed out.

Just like that. No dramatic leave. Just covering her eyes to shield them from the faint winds of sand and dust.

Life was like that sometimes.

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #henry stickmin oc #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #right hand man #topbot #ahit conductor grandchildren #ahit the conductor #henry stickmin mr. macbeth #mr. macbeth #ahit mustache girl #among us

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Platinum, what's the dumbest thing you would do for money. Like if someone offered you five bucks?

#the henry stickmin collection #anonymous #ask #henry stickmin oc #topbot

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

(Doodle of Hydratic I made for other purposes but might as well post here)

#a hat in time #ahit oc #ahit fanart #listen he would scare the captain or seals at least once