YAN-PARA au master post

[earthflames]

WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOX.

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[beautymark]

[There is no answer!

At least not at first. It's just the nothingness, stretching out forever. For a few beats, nothing changes.

Then, suddenly, the world explodes into colour. There's an open field, sunshine and a river. There's also childlike drawings of fish and weird, whimsical creatures floating everywhere. All the colours are oversaturated and unnatural, and there's a pleasant, crystalline hum filling the air.

Diarmuid is by the riverbank, staring down at crayon-coloured fish with wide-eyed fascination.]

[tracings]

[This is all about seven colors of "you have to be fucking kidding me" - enough so that Archer remains on guard, even as he approaches Diarmuid.

Some day, he might look back and question why he found floating crayon scribbles more threatening than a thirty-times-condemned skyscraper, but for now he needs to stay alert and not be distracted by how fucking stupid he is]

...Diarmuid. What's going on?

[beautymark]

[He jumps at Archer's voice, looking up at him with the same expressing he tends to carry when he's caught interacting with things that aren't there. Somewhere between surprised, confused, and guilty, his eyes dart around as he tries to find something "real" to look at.]

I don't know.

[tracings]

[That's real helpful.]

That's real helpful.

[He pauses, watching Diarmuid's gaze shift, directed at things that are mostly definitely there, in a "I put a beer bottle up my butt last night" sort of way. Curious, he waves a hand in front of Diarmuid's face]

[beautymark]

[It takes him a moment to focus, but once his does he zeroes in on Archer's hand, staring at it however he moves it. He's sure Archer is real, but for once that's the only thing he knows is real.]

...Everything's in my head.

[tracings]

That would be a convenient explanation, wouldn't it? Unfortunately I can see it too, so our predicament isn't that simple.

[beautymark]

[Keeps watching Archer's hand, a little afraid to look anywhere else.]

You can see it? The fish? And all the colours...

[tracings]

[He doesn't miss a beat - he keeps waving is hand, but after a couple beats he starts pointing very deliberately. Left. Right. Up. Up again. Down.]

Regrettably, yes.

[beautymark]

[You have his complete attention, Archer's Hand.]

But it's not real.

[tracings]

[Sloowwwly starts drawing circles in the air with his fingers. He's almost curious to see if you'll get dizzy from this]

Well if you have another explanation for this, then I'm all ears. For now, it's real enough.

[beautymark]

[He might. He might just.]

It's not. I know it's not. You shouldn't be able to see it.

[tracings]

[yeeepp, gonna keep that up, then. For science.]

Look, I know they say insanity is saying the same thing and expecting a different result, but you don't have to live up to that.

[beautymark]

But--

[He'd argue, but he's busy suddenly stumbling sideways.

Victory for Archer's fingers.]

[tracings]

[Watches Diarmuid list to one side, almost in disbelief.]

...are you serious?

[beautymark]

[Just

Sits, heavily. And yet he's still staring.]

Can't look at it...

[tracings]

[He has half a mind to haul Diarmuid back to his feet, pick him up, and drag him off, but Archer thinks better of that plan. He can't let impulse get the better of him again, and for all his mocking he knows that at some point, he'll be kicking a hornet's nest.

So instead he lets Diarmuid stay put, choosing instead to watch Diarmuid's back, because he doesn't like the look in these fishes eyes.]

...we can't sit here. Something wrong, and we need to figure out what sooner than later.

[beautymark]

Of course something's wrong.

[Reluctantly, slowly forcing himself to accept looking at the scenery.]

I told you, it's not real. Only usually there's only a few things that aren't real and a lot that are. But now there's just fake things, and you.

[He reaches out and grabs a fish, rolling it between his hands like dough.]

....I usually can't touch it, either. But you always bring these.

[tracings]

I bring those things?

[He grabs at a fish himself, because he's critical.

Also why fish]

[beautymark]

[They feel like they're made out of construction paper, only if you squish them it's more like play-dough.]

All the time. Everyone has something... When you do something bad, they have teeth.

[tracings]

...then I'll do my best to not unleash the kraken.

[a sigh]

Are you ready to go now?

[beautymark]

A kraken?

[Good job, you have given him ideas. There might be something big and shadowy in the river now.]

[tracings]

[Oh my god no you did fucking not]

...I'm not explaining that further, you'll get more stupid ideas.

[Yep, we're going. Now. Grabbing Diarmuid's arm. Come on. No krakens. Please.]

[beautymark]

[He only gets up because Archer is pulling on him. But of course he doesn't like being suddenly grabbed, so the world is instantly plunged into a stormy kind of darkness.]

Wait, don't--

[tracings]

[He sees this, and this is most certainly the opposite of what he wanted. Startled and just a little frustrated, he can't help but snap]

Don't what?!

[beautymark]

[It's reflexive to flinch, and he squeezes his eyes shut against the changes that fear brings. There's sharp, cracking thunder and lightning, and the fish all double in size, twisting into grotesque, toothy monsters.]

I don't like this. It's not supposed to be the whole world!