You were still talking with Dipper on the phone when you got home, Vlad running straight to the backyard to play with the others. You wished them fun and got inside, letting the warm air and sweet fragrance of food was floating in the air, the heat seeping into your bones and chasing away the cold from outside. You found Bendy and Shade sleeping on the salon couch and Pure help the Doll in the kitchen, Pale King, Grimm and Radiance were sitting on the salon table, still having their original sizes. The three Higher Beings looked up to see you come in and talking on the phone. You waved at them, and they returned the greeting as silently as possible, the Moth taking off into the air to perch herself on your shoulder and listen to your conversation.
The prince greeted you with a hug, nuzzling their snout on your face. You giggled, motioning to the phone in your hand, Dipper's voice echoing from the other side. They frowned letting you go and returning to help the Doll. You couldn't help but find them adorable whenever they were pouting like that. You headed to your room, not wanting to disturb the other two with your talking.
"I see you and Mabel have had a full day." you said, opening the door to your bedroom.
"Yeah. School sucks a lot." he replied.
"Tell me about it." you said, a smile tugging at the ends of your lips. "What are you going to do this Christmas?" you asked, taking a seat on the side of your bed.
"Well, the usual, you know. I think we'll drive with our parents to Oregon to spend some time with Grunkle Stan and Ford, look out for Bill so he doesn't set the town on fire again this year." he answered, sighing deeply.
You could picture the dream demon run around with a flamethrower, setting things on fire, laughing maniacally in the air. You felt a wave of compassion run over you directed towards Will and Dipper. If something like that were to happen, they were the ones who had to deal with it. Oh! Poor boys.
"Anything new about the train?" you asked him, trying to change the subject to something else.
"I'm afraid not. Grunkle Ford is still looking up information about it, but so far, he found nothing. You?"
"Nothing on my end either. James has been too busy to look into it and then there were the midterms." you answered with a deep sigh.
"Maybe the Great Ones know more about it? They've been around longer than anyone."
"I tried asking Flora but in vain. She doesn't know anything. Amygdala is the same. Ebrietas has been living in Yharman for the last few centuries so I doubt she has any idea about it either." you said, reaching out a hand and petting the Radiance's puff.
"Aren't there anymore creatures we can ask?"
"Hm...I don't know...Maybe Patches could..." you paused, hearing a frown from the other end of the phone. "Something wrong?"
"I don't like that Patches guy." Dipper said. "He seems shady to me. Even more than Bill and that's saying something."
Indeed. Bill would try to gain your trust and then his arrogance took over, revealing his true intentions. Patches, on the other hand, was much harder to read. He had better control over his act, one that could fool anyone if he weren't just a human head on a huge spider's body. You didn't like the idea of asking for his help either, but you didn't have many options left. The Doll was under clear instructions to not tell you about the other Great Ones, as Flora was not fond of the idea of another snatching you and claiming you as its child. Not like you could blame her for that one. She agreed with Amygdala's presence as it was more focused on your sisters and Cecilia rather than you and James.
"I don't like him either, but we don't have much of a choice. Gertrude is still not talking to us and Olaf said that he doesn't know anything either. He also said that due to some things, he doesn't have the time to search for information." you said, and you could hear him sigh on the other side.
"I know...Just...just take care around him." he replied.
"Hey, don't worry about me. I have a great family by my side to protect me." you said, Radiance puffing in joy at your words.
Dipper chuckled. You could picture his smile, a light blush running across your face. You sensed the Moth's stare on you but did your best to ignore it. Out of the three of them, Radiance was the most understanding when it came to your relationship with Dipper, but it was obvious that her opinion was beginning to change.
You continued to talk about mostly useless matters, plans for when you two would meet again, a time neither knew when it would happen. You ended up the conversation after an hour, stretching your arms and leaning back on your bed the moment you closed the phone, Radiance flying towards the balcony to look at the ones outside.
"I'm glad this winter has been calm so far. Unlike last year." she said, watching the little ones play.
"Yeah. Last winter was pretty crazy." you said, a wave of memories coming crashing down on you, bringing tears to your eyes.
Last year you went to your parents. You saw your mother and father, you argued with them and helped them around. This year you were able to do it. You began to recall all the times you wished to spend the holidays away from them, realizing now how stupid it was. You never know what you have until you lose it. You smiled sadly, turning on the side and staring at Kuro's egg as tears began to flow.
"Are you alright my dear?" Radiance asked, looking at you concerned.
"Yeah. Just...just remembering some things." you said, avoiding her glance.
"Do you miss your parents?" she asked, landing next to you and putting a wing on your cheek, shivering when the coldness of your skin seeped through her feathers.
"Yes." you replied, as she leaned in closer to hear the word leave your lips.
She sighed, jealously trying to clutch her heart and poison it. She felt a hue of envy towards Norah and the place she had in your heart, even though she knew it was wrong. She was your birth mother, the one who raised you for the most important part of your life and the one you still looked up to despite trying to deny it. The Radiance loved you dearly and she knew you loved her as well, but the jealously was still there, trying to subdue her. But she stood strong, not giving in to it. Not like last time.
You reached out a hand and brushed your fingers over Kuro's egg. So warm and pleasant. Oh! How you missed him too. Holding him and watching him fly. But you had to wait, just like the doctor said.
A soft knock at the door, caught your and Radiance's attention. You both looked up to see the Doll stand in the doorway, Ghost and Robby running past her and jumping on you, arms outstretched and wrapping around you with the force of two 8 year old. They had grown so much since summer. Ghost was now reaching Pure's waist and was two heads smaller than you, while Robby still had some growing to do to reach them, but that didn't seem to bother him. He was taking advantage of his still baby height to get out of trouble and get his father, and everyone for that manner, to spoil him rotten. But could anyone blame you? His pouting face and puppy eyes were too irresistible.
"Lunch is ready, (Y/N)." the Doll said.
"Ok. Thank you for telling me." you replied, getting off the bed, those two babies still hanging onto you.
Robby growled, tightening his grip on your neck, burying his face in your chest. You held back a coo, your heart racing from the cuteness.
"He's such a baby sometimes. Just like his father." Radiance said, sighing.
The Doll laughed softly, covering her mouth with one hand, her shoulders trembling.
You smiled, patting his back with one hand and pressing your lips against his head.
"He's still adorable." you said, the baby purring in your arms.
"Hm. I'll give you that." the Moth replied, throwing a quick glance towards her nephew, a smile showing in her eyes.
✠♦✠
She noticed it, the strange figure moving around the house, one that none could see. It started with a faint sensation of being watched. One she couldn't focus on as the grief of her parent's loss was too overwhelming, suffocating everything else, even her need to breathe. But as the pain died down, and reality became easier to bear, the feeling made its presence known, and she could see a feeble shadow roaming near the home. She was scared, unsure of what to do. Was it just a result of her imagination? An illusion played on her by her stressed mind? She planned on ignoring it, afraid of talking about it, but the sensation wouldn't go away.
One night, she couldn't take it anymore. Weird dreams creeped into her head, spiders and other insects crawling on the walls, her younger sister walking along the shores of a dark sea with a tall, dark figure by her side, and many more. She got up, sweat running down her brow, gasping for air. Scarlet flames and golden orbs were still dancing in the back of her mind.
The room was silent, the bed above hers in which her sister used to sleep, empty and cold. Ah! How she missed her presence now, in the dead of night after that strange dream. She wanted to call it a nightmare, but the bundle of emotions in her chest made it hard to describe it as such. She tried to recall the details, but their escape through her fingers like fish fresh out of water.
Shivering, she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. but the thin fabric did little in keeping the cold at bay. She made her way towards the door, the sound of it opening echoing through the silence like that of shattered glass on hard floors. She carefully stepped outside; shadows cast on the wall by the moonlight seeming much more menacing than ever before. Was the night always that scary? She made her way to Cecilia's room, knocking shyly at the door.
"Aunty? Mind if I sleep with you?" she asked but received no answer.
She knocked again and again, but to no avail. There was only silence on the other side. Growing concerned, she opened the door with as little noise as she could, enough for her head to fit through and peer inside. She found the bed empty, the sheets untouched, and no trace of her aunt. Shivering more, she looked at the dark corridor illuminated by the silver celestial body outside.
"Aunty Cecilia? Where are you?" she called out, stepping forward through the hall.
No answer again. She continued to walk, until she reached the living room and looked towards the window, something catching her attention and diverting her gaze to it. Outside, she saw her aunt's figure standing still and talking to someone, but who it was she couldn't see. She approached the window, trying to get a better view of the scenery, but she saw nothing. She squinted her eyes, a gasp getting stuck in her throat when she noticed strange forms moving in the air. W-What was going on?! What was happening?!
Dread settled in her chest and adrenaline rushed throughout her entire body. She ran to her bedroom, jumping in the bed and pulling the covers over her head, trying to calm her breath and wild heart. There was something outside, something she was too afraid to see. Questions and warnings were swirling through her head, fear taking over and distorting all reason. She needed to tell someone about this. She needed to get out.
✠♦✠
"(Y/N)! James! Welcome!" Aunt Sarah shouted as soon as she opened the door and saw you and your uncle, her eyes getting stuck on you. "Oh my! (Y/N), you look amazing, darling! Who did your makeup? And hair too." she asked, taking a silver strand of hair and twisting it around her fingers.
"A friend." you said, hoping she'd leave the conversation at that.
"You must introduce them to me. Look at this handiwork. It's amazing." she said, letting go of your hair and backing away to get a better look at your costume.
You were wearing a long, white dress and red cape over your shoulders, large enough to hide your void arm. You couldn't find any other way to deal with it and explaining to everyone about the void without revealing everything else. The others wrecked their brains trying to find another solution. There was even the proposal of trying to detach it somehow, but it was quickly shoved away by Shade who stared at Radiance as if she was the biggest idiot in the world. Covering it looked like the best option and also the worst, but there was no other way. Now, you only had to be careful and do your best to not use your arm.
"You look wonderful my dear. Let's go. Everyone's already here." Sarah said, making a move to grab your "missing" arm.
You flinched, backing away and out of her reach. She realized her mistake, retracting her hand, a look of horror and sadness appearing on her face.
"Oh, my! I...I'm so sorry!" she said, looking away in shame. "I...I..."
"It's ok, Aunty. It happens." you said, placing your other arm on her shoulder.
"Anyway, Sarah, let's not keep the others waiting." James said, gently pushing her towards the salon where the others were gathered, laughing and chatting happily with one another.
You were ready to follow when you noticed your sister, May, standing in the hallway, heavy bugs underneath her eyes.
"Hey, sis." you said, approaching her.
She flinched and looked at you as if you were a ghost, before she realized that it was only you.
"O-Oh...hey, sis." she said, voice faint, her body still shivering from the initial scare.
"H-Hey...w-what's wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost?" you said, trying to play it as some kind of joke, but the look on her face made all your glee vanish. "Hey, what's going on?! What happened?"
May opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, someone grabbed both of you by the shoulders, the strong scent of alcohol hitting you in the face. You turned your head to look at Uncle Troy who was already tipsy and could barely stand straight. He greeted you both, throwing a drunken comment about your appearance. You laughed, trying not to cringe at his presence, stealing a glance towards your sister, who had retreated into her shell. Darn! Why did he have to get drunk so quickly?
He made small, drunken chatter with you and your sister, merrily making a joke here and there, laughing loudly after each sentence. You tried to keep your cool, sweat rolling down your back as worries began to sneak into your mind. Your thoughts revolved around your void arm, fearing the cape might slip and reveal it.
Fortunately, Patrick called for him, he and others standing in a circle around the large TV, watching the parade along with their children. You sighed in relief when he left, pulling the cape closer to your body. You looked back at your sister, but she was already making her way towards the garden engulfed in snow. You tried to follow her, concerned about her odd behavior, when another relative found you and swooped you in their chatter. Aunts and uncles, cousins that you hardly saw before asking about your well-being. You answered politely, your hand clutching the cape, praying that it would all end soon, eyes continuing to look after May. You saw Rea and Cecilia speaking with James in a corner, both appearing as if nothing was wrong. Were you just imagining things? If something was indeed going on with your sister, they would have been definitely agitated and looking for answers. Maybe they wouldn't have even shown up. But they looked calm, immersed in the holiday spirit. Still, the feeling was still tugging at your heart, the sensation refusing to let go. Something was wrong with May. But what?
✠♦✠
There was another one now. Smaller than the other, but the shape was still as scary. She could see its contour, faint, so very hard to distinguish through the storm of snow falling down. But the traces left on the ground were visible, forms of deformed legs and palms pressing against the soft blanket. She was still scared, the cold from outside unable to match the one from within. But she couldn't resist the urge, curiosity demanding to be quenched. They never hurt her nor her family. She thought herself going insane, but the marks left by them were there, broken twigs and flattened grass, things that fell out of nowhere, wind unjustly blamed for things she couldn't explain, but now made more sense.
They were watching her too, parents worried for their children, mother watching after for the son and daughter, the secret that couldn't be revealed, the other concerned about the three daughters, especially the one that began to take notice of its presence. The two Great Ones looked at each other, looking for answers and solutions to this newfound problem. Flora growled. Amygdala hissed back. Tell Cecilia about it? Of course it thought of it. But James made it clear that he wanted to involve no more of his family in this world. (Y/N) wasn't supposed to get so deep into its lair, but fate had other plans. She was accepted and she welcomed it in turn, but there was no saying how her sisters would react to it. May was able to sense their presence now, and the fear was clear as daylight, reflecting in her eyes like stones on the bottom of shallow waters.
The Moon Presence groaned. This was the last thing they needed. She resisted the urge to slap the Eldritch Spider, focusing her attention on the child staring at them, or rather, at where they were, her irritation fading. She sighed, her tentacles circling the girl, but not touching her as to not frighten her. She wanted to hug her and assure her that it was going to be alright. She wasn't going to harm her, nor anyone else for that matter. But revealing herself was not a decision she could take on her own as much as she yearned to. She made do with just looking at her, taking in the features that set her apart from her sister and those that made them look alike. Curly (h/c) hair reaching her shoulder, eyes the color of chestnuts and small nose. She cooed, reaching out a finger to touch one of her curls, but someone called May inside, and she disappeared before Flora could do it.
Amygdala growled. The Moon Presence replied with a hiss. They had their children already. They had to be glad with what they had. Flora wanted to say something when a shiver ran down her spine, the air getting colder and reality distorting itself. Oh, shit! He was coming.
✠♦✠
You stared out the window, one headphone in your ear, the other in Bendy's listening to Television Romance by Pale Waves, Ghost and Roby sitting in your laps and playing with each other on an old Gameboy James found once lying in his room, after Radiance and Herrah pestered him to clean it up. The Doll wasn't allowed to help him as she was already busy with the other house chores. You still recalled the expression on his face when he came down in the salon to give you the news. The childish bliss as he held it up and called the children to him to show them how it worked. It was...really nice to see that side of him. After days of stressful work, you forgot that he had another face other than the worn down one, unshaved and with bags hanging underneath his eyes.
Pure was dozing off in their seat, opposite of you, holding their father and sister in their arms, the Radiance resting on your shoulder, eyes closed, Herrah scolding James about something. Shade was strolling through the empty train compartment, stretching their feline body and sniffing everything they could. Grimm and his troupe were at the buffet, enjoying a drink and making plans for the show they wanted to put on once they reached their destination. The Doll was sitting next to James, staring at the changing scenery, a look of amazement on her face. No one could blame her. She was so occupied with taking care of you all, she had little time to herself. Groceries always fell on either you or James, thus she didn't get the chance to go out a lot either. She seemed contempt with this kind of life, often saying that carrying for humans was why she was created, though you had your doubts about that, and Flora affirmed your suspicions. She said the Doll was created by some old man who was very lonely and devastated after the loss of a dear one. The Great One saw his loneliness and decided to take pity on him by offering her conscience so she could be more than a piece of porcelain. Thus, the Doll as you knew her was born.
Speaking of the Moon Presence, ever since last night's family reunion, she seemed kind of off. She appeared distracted; her mind preoccupied with something. Both you and James tried to ask her what was going on, but she didn't answer, not telling even the Doll about what was bothering her and that concerned all of you. It wasn't like her to act this way. What could have happened?
"Can I change the song?" Bendy asked, motioning to grab your phone.
"Sure." you said, handing it to him.
You returned your focus to the sight outside, the train movement being somewhat soothing. You were all blessed that the ticket could be paid in geo, Hallownest's old currency, and the King still had plenty of it, or else the cost would have sky-rocketed. The machine was moving fast, yet you could barely notice were it not for the outside which was constantly changing. It seemed to be able to walk over anything be it rock, water or ice, passing through mountains through tunnels tat only it could access. You watched the road in fascination, smiling when the ocean came into view, the waters shining as the sunlight fell upon it.
"It's so pretty." you said, pressing your fingers against the window.
"Yes, it is." the Doll replied softly, a smile tugging at her lips when she saw a shadow come close to the surface, but not enough to reveal its true appearance.
Your insides warmed up, seeing her expression. She was also like a mother to you, so kind and gentle. Whoever made her, must have been really blessed after the Great Ones offered her conscience. She talked about him sometimes, commenting on his restless sleep, and the way he stared at the moon, praying. She never uttered a bad word about him, showing only compassion. Her voice was trembling a bit each time he was brought up and Pure signed that they often found her afterwards staring at the amulet around her neck, a gift from him.
You looked out the window again, the tune of the song Bendy chose filling your mind. He really liked Pale Weaves, which was kind of nice. There was something about Heather's style. Even in music videos, she was simple, weird, and captivating with her slow movements, the way she moved her hands around and gestured. You were quite happy you found the band, and Bendy even more so. Truthfully, you would have never thought him to be one for the indie genre. Henry often said that whenever he came over, the neighbors would complain about the loud rock music he was listening to. Finding out how much he loved the 80's rock was quite a surprise, a welcomed one too. He was more than a cartoon now, just like Robby. He was Bendy, the Ink Demon, the guy who liked to play pranks and tease Pure with his ability to talk. He was the dude with whom you could spend days exploring abandoned buildings and listen to music at midnight while lying on the grass and staring at the night sky. He was a great friend, a silly brother, an amazing family member and so much more.
"Nyah! It's my turn!" Robby shouted, taking the Gameboy from Ghost, and pressing the new game button.
You watched the little one try to beat the level, his pouting and the way his eyes lit up every time he defeated an enemy, fighting the urge to pinch his cheeks and cover him in kisses.
The rest of the journey passed by quickly, the ocean fading and the train stopping into a sea of green and white. You got out, the cold and forest-scent filled air of Sweden filling your nostrils, the sky nearly completely dark despite being only around 5pm. You inhaled deeply, enjoying the sound of your steps against the soft snow. The children were already running around, trying to catch the few silver bees that still roamed the air, carried away by the playful wind.
"Be careful children!" Grimm yelled after them, wrapping his cape closer to his body, pale steam coming from his mouth.
Unlike him, Myla, Brumm and Divine didn't seem to be bother by the cold too much, the clothes patched with artificial fur on the inside proving enough to keep them warm.
"Brrr! So this is Sweden. Pretty cool." Bendy said looking around, zipping his jacket all the way to the top.
Shade was wrapped around his neck, eight eyes narrowed and focused on the falling snowflakes, small toys just waiting to be played with.
"I know, right? Wait till you see more of the forest. There are some cool ancient ritual grounds and caves that I'm sure you'll like." you replied, smiling as you watched your breath come out of your mouth as white smoke and disappearing into the ether.
"Oh! No! No way I'm letting you go in those dangerous places!" Radiance chimed in, her body hidden by the scarf around your neck, her feathers tickling your skin.
"Joy killer." Bendy muttered under his breath, the Moth glaring his way.
You giggled. These two were so funny when put together.
The Doll bend down to run her fingers through the bundles of snow, the chill traveling through her fingers and up her arm. She was made of porcelain, but through the Great One's power she could feel, she could sense warmth and cold, but they were so very different from the way humans perceived them. Some were deep, some were faint. Unexplainable yet stull so very simple.
"It's beautiful." she said, light shining in her eyes.
You smiled, your insides getting warm, enough to block the cold from outside. Pure was by your side, Hornet and Pale King having already used the lantern on themselves were looking watching the other two play, the princess beating her foot against the ground, the needle and thread ready in her hand. Just one minute of carelessness was enough, and she would dart towards the woods, swinging around to her heart's content. The Wyrm, however, wanted to give her no such thing. He had enough of her pranks and thought that it was time to teach her some manners. As if he hadn't tried that before. Everyone knew how he couldn't resist her begging tone or stand his ground against Herrah's fury; thus Hornet could do whatever she wanted, fearing no consequences from her father. This time, however, he was hellbent on changing it. Bendy, Grimm and Shade already had placed bets on his failure as it was only a matter of time. Herrah wanted to bet as well, but she changed her mind, saying that it wasn't exciting enough. Especially when she had the greatest influence on the outcome.
"Alright everyone!" James shouted getting everyone's attention. "It's time to go. Gertrude is waiting for us." he said going ahead and motioning you to follow.
You all agreed and took off, minds filled with the thought of Gertrude and how she'd react. You were a bit afraid, worried that she might snap at you. Personally, you never saw her angry at you, but from what you knew, she was not one to be messed with. You sighed. Postponing this meeting won't do anyone any good. You had to face her at some point. And if she was still mad at you, then maybe the spirit of the holidays, it was the second day of Christmas after all, may make her be a tad more lenient.
You walked for half an hour, Gertrude's and Olaf's house coming into view, but what you saw left you all speechless.
In front of the house, there were four tall men, two of them faceless while one had a mouth and another had eyes and mouth, wearing Christmas sweaters, more or less, and enjoying warm cups of hot drinks and watching over 4 young adults that were shoveling the yard and setting down the table and silverware needed for the upcoming celebration. One of them had a simple mask with black eyes and lips, the other was wearing a hoodie over his head, red eyes and mouth shining through the darkness, another had a pale complexion, skin seeming leathery even from the distance, a sinister smile on his face and eyes shaped quite odd, much too round for a normal human. One was a small boy with blonde hair and elongated ears, resembling those of elves in video games. His eyes were black with red irises and he was covered head to toe in green clothes. There was one more boy tapped by a tree with scotch and ropes, his mouth covered too. He had brown hair and wore black glasses with golden lenses. Moder and Gertrude were standing on the side, watching them work, the Norse Being nearly dozing off. Neither Gertrude nor Cody were anywhere to be seen.
One of the tall creatures saw your group and turned to tell Olaf about it. The old man immediately lit up and looked in your direction, a bright smile broadcasted on his face.
"James! (Y/N)! I'm so happy you could make it!" he shouted, coming closer, helped by on of the faceless creatures.
"Hello Olaf! I'm so glad to see you! I've noticed you and Gertrude had guests." your uncle replied, eyes wide at the strangers.
"Oh, yeah. Quite the surprise right." the old man said, chuckling. "Everyone, this is Slenderman." he continued, pointing to the one besides him.
He gave a light bow, his faceless head showing no expression.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ladies and gentlemen." he said, a demonic voice coming from him, yet no lips were there to move and let the sound escape, but it was still there, nonetheless.
"It's a pleasure as well, sir. This is my niece, (Y/N) and these are my friends and family." James said, introducing everyone one by one.
Slenderman bowed politely to each one, while the others approached him, the one with eyes and mouth smiling widely at the sight of the children. He was wearing a red sweater with reindeers and presents, along with polka pants and top hat. Another one, who was wearing a green Christmas sweater heavily modified and which looked pretty strange, but also cool, was staring at Pure and Bendy, examining their clothing and shaking his head here and there. The last one, a bit taller than all of them, with just a mouth, was staring, if one could say so, at you and the Doll, making you feel uncomfortable.
"I'm glad to meet all of you, sir. Now, please allow me to introduce you to my family." he said, motioning the others to come.
The teenagers left what they were doing, hurrying to come to Slenderman's side. They looked at you and the others quite strange, especially at Bendy and the bugs. It was when they got closer that you noticed the one with the eerie smile and the elongated ears were covered in bruises, eyes purple and cheeks swollen. Your eyes met with theirs and before you knew it, a name slipped through your lips.
"Gertrude?"
They nodded in silence, a tear falling down the cheek of the elf. Poor guys.
"These are my siblings and adopted children. Splendorman or Splendor for short." Slender said motioning to the one wearing the polka pants.
He took off his hat and bowed, the smile never leaving his face. He kneeled down in front of Ghost and Robby, both covered in snow, especially the princes' head, in between their horns.
"Hello little ones! Do you want to build a snowman?" he asked, his question being answered with enthusiastic nods and nyahs from Robby. "Alright then! Let's go!" Splendor shouted, clapping his hands and leading the children to a nearby snow pile that they immediately began to work on.
Everyone watched them, Grimm and the Pale King happy that their children were already playing with someone who seemed somewhat responsible.
"This is Trenderman, or Trendy." Slenderman continued, gesturing to his sibling who was faceless just like him, but wore a pair of glasses, despite his lack of eyes.
He stepped forward, a hand beneath his chin, the air becoming tense around him.
"That scarf and that shirt don't fit." he said, pointing at Pure. "Gold and white are nice together, but your body is black head is white, and the scarf also had green on it, plus the design doesn't fit with the shape of your horns. You'd be better off with a much simpler design."
They looked down, a light blush running across their mask. Being scolded for their clothes was one of the last things they ever expected. You stared at the ground, biting your tongue. That scarf was a present from you. You bought one for everyone along with a few books and toys as gifts for this Christmas. To hear Tender's critique was less than pleasant.
Then Slenderman moved on to introduce the last one, Offenderman, or Offendy. He was the one with only the mouth as facial feature. He bend down to you and the Doll's level, procuring two red roses from the sleeves of his sweater.
"For two lovely ladies." he said, presenting the two blossoms to you and her.
You both took one, you said a soft "thank you", while the Doll bowed politely, Grimm, Radiance and the Pale King glaring daggers at him. He ignored them, tipping the edge of his hat and retreating behind his brother. After the siblings were introduced it was the other's turn.
You found out that the those two who were beaten up were Jeff and Ben, the one wearing a mask was named Masky and the hooded one was Hoodie. The guy tied by the tree was Toby. There were two other girls, Jane and Clockwork who went with Gertrude to hunt, along with her wolves. You gulped hearing that, the tension inside alleviating a bit. If she was gone hunting than maybe she would be in good spirits when she came back. It wasn't fair for the poor critter that fell prey to her, but life is as such, unfortunately.
As soon as introductions were over, everyone spread around, James and the Pale King talking with Slenderman and Olaf, finding out what happened since the last time they talked. Grimm went on with the others to set up the stage for the show. Pure and Bendy had been taken over by Trendy who was going on and on about what a fashion disaster they both were. Hornet was already swinging in the trees nearby together with her mother, neither having a care in the world. Splendor was playing with Ghost and Robby, the snowman making having been forgotten in favor of showering Offender with snow balls. Now those three were running around from the angered creature, tossing fire and snow balls at him every chance they got. Much to Offender's credit, he seemed to focus all of his rage on his sibling, rather than the two children. The rest returned to setting down the table and do what else was needed for the small party. The Doll and Radiance accompanied you to see the Birch and Moder, the Forest Spirit having a tired look on her face.
"Hey, Birch." you said, waving at her, and kneeling next to Moder, scratching the creature's neck.
He lazily turned his head to look at you, his glowing, golden eyes looking foggy and half-opened. One of the Birch's branches was wrapped around one of his hands. She looked at him, concern written all over her face.
"What happened to him?" you asked, continuing to scratch him, and watching as the Norse Being laid his head on the snowy ground and fell asleep.
Was it from the cold? But he wasn't like that last winter. He had chased you through the forest as you ran to look for Kuro. He was himself back then. Now he seemed to be completely fatigued and in need of hibernation.
"Is he sick?" Radiance asked, Moder's state worrying even her and she liked him just as much as she liked the Great Ones.
"Maybe it's because of the cold. Flora gets sleepy too during winter sometimes." the Doll proposed, having more experience with beings the like of him than anyone in that place.
The Birch stayed silent, not sure what to say about it. The cold. This sudden longing to see his family. It wasn't normal. Something wasn't right. But today was a special occasion, and she didn't want to spoil it and neither did he.
"Yes." she replied in the end, looking at you and the other two. "It must be the need to hibernate."
"Ok." you said, something about her statement not siting right with you.
First Kuro, now Moder. Something was going on. You were about to speak when you heard a loud scream coming from the forest. Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound, their eyes seeing Gertrude and her wolves approaching, along with two other girls, one wearing a mask and having long, black hair, and the other one with light brown hair, two scars across her face near the mouth and a clock replacing one of her eyes. You assumed them to be Jane and Clockwork. The wolves were pulling a ledge on which was a strange deer-like creature with five horns and long teeth, like those of a saber-cat, scales covering its back. It was dead from what you could tell, a feeling of sorrow engulfing your heart.
"Don't feel pity for that creature. It's death is a welcome occurrence. Its kind kills and destroys for nothing but selfish pleasure. Its meat is something to be delighted in though." the Birch said, noticing the sad expression on your face. "But," she continued taking on a more serious attitude, "there is something else to be done now, isn't there?"
She looked at you and you knew exactly what she meant. Taking a deep breath, your heart racing wildly in your chest. You headed towards Gertrude who was greeting James and the others, her expression soft and joyful, not at all what you expected her to be after what happened and months of silence. She was there, acting as if they didn't even happen. You tried to calm yourself down, still your crazy pulse. Each step was heavier than the other, the weight of what you had to do becoming stronger and stronger. You felt the urge to run, to hide and forget it all. But it had to be done, like it or not.
"Erm, Gertrude." you said as soon as you were close enough.
She turned to look at you, her expression turning rigid and the smile fading. Ok. This was not a good sign.
"I...I..." you tried to speak but the words were stuck in your throat. "I'm sorry about..."
"Stop right there." the old woman said, putting a hand in front of you.
You looked at her, heart skipping a beat. All around, everyone went quiet, breathes held in anticipation for what was about to come. You felt all eyes on you and her, making your nervousness grow more than before.
"I'm sorry for not talking to you for so long. I had..." she said, scratching the back of her head and looking away at the ground. "I had some problems and...well...I'm glad to see you're doing much better than before and..." she stumbled on her words, continuing to avoid your gaze. "Anyway, let's forget about it and have a good time. We're celebrating both Christmas and your birthday, after all."
Your mouth was agape, the silence around you still undisturbed. Did-did Gertrude just apologize to you? No, forget that. It didn't matter. You sighed in relief; your shoulders finally free of the tension that's been tormenting you all these months. You smiled and nodded, happy that things were now ok again.
"But wait..." you said, the second part of her last sentence finally sinking in, "my birthday is still a few days away."
"I know, but who cares actually?" Gertrude said, patting you on the back and leading you to the creature she and the others hunted down. "Now, let me teach you how to prepare this beauty!"
"O-Ok." you said, gulping down and watching in horror as Jane gave you a knife, Clockwork being busy running after Jeff and Ben for strapping Toby to the tree to help out.
From the side, James felt a weight lift off his chest and he let out a deep breath.
"All's well that ends well. Is it not?" Slenderman said, aware by the situation as Olaf was kind enough to let him know what happened.
"Yes. That couldn't be truer." the man responded, watching you take the knife the old woman gave you.
You stared at the creature, gathering the courage to do what Gertrude was telling you, hands shaking and sweaty, the handle of the blade nearly slipping from your grasp. You gulped again, swallowing the droll gathering in your mouth, stomach churned at the thought of what you were about to do. Slowly and trembling, you were approaching the tip of the knife to the skin of the creature, when a bump from the inside made you yelp and back off, throwing the knife away. Jane screamed too, jumping away and holding her weapon in an offensive position. Ever Gertrude was taken by surprise and that was when it hit all of you. A sense of dread fell upon everyone, seeping into your bones and freezing you in place. Low groans came from inside the creature's stomach, more bumps coming up.
Before you knew it, the Radiance grabbed you and pulled you away, she and Grimm covering you and the Doll with feathers and capes, everyone else taking a fighting stance. Herrah was still hanging in one of the trees, Herrah yelling at her to sat there, as she and the Pale King positioned themselves in front of her. Nails and knives were out, sharp claws ready to slice and kill.
The sounds grew louder and something sharp popped from inside the creature's abdomen, blood gushing from the wound. It retracted itself back inside, but only to ascend again and again until, a much larger monster busted from the torn deer-like critter, screams echoed from its elongated head with a huge hole in at the base. It was horrible, tall and covered in red skin, ribs showing through, having three legs, long hands with sharp claws.
Everyone was ready to attack it, when it stopped screeching, and it began to look? around, seemingly confused.
"Erm..." it spoke, the voice coming from everywhere yet nowhere, echoing in your heads, everyone freezing in place when they realized that thing had sapience. "Where's Flora? I thought she was going to be with you."
...
...
...
Eh?
"Excuse me." you said, still in shock.
The monster looked at you, but before any of you could say anything else, he was hit with a dead tree trunk, the force of the sudden attack sending him flying a few meters away. You all looked away, in time to see Flora growling and hissing at the Eldritch creature. She looked angry, tails whipping at the air and the trees nearby. She noticed you and the distressed look on your face. She rushed to your side, frantically looking for any sign of injury or anything similar. She signed in relief when she found none, and then returned her attention to the other one, killing intent more than clear.
"Is this the way you welcome your parents?! I haven't seen you in so long and the first thing you do is hit me with a tree!" he screamed, having gotten up, and now focusing all of his attention on the Moon Presence.
Wait. So that one is her parent?
Everyone looked confused at one another and then at the Doll, who was oddly calm throughout the whole ordeal, but in all your fright, nobody noticed it.
"Sir Nyarlathotep, I assure you that Flora is happy to see you, but maybe an announcement would have been for the better." she said, everyone freezing in place, the Moon Presence growling at her statement, disagreeing.
Nyarlathotep puffed, staring at the Doll, arms crossed.
"I see my daughter once every 1000 years and even then, I have to announce myself!?" he complained, only to be answered with another tree trunk thrown his way. "WHY YOU!? Is this the example you're setting your child?!" he screamed at the Great One.
Flora froze, another projectile clutched in her hands ready to be thrown. She looked at you and James and then back at her parent, visibly confused as to what to do. It was her fault. She sensed her father's approach, and yet she didn't tell anyone about it, hoping that he'd come directly to her. Instead he followed her children, most likely in order to prevent her from attacking him. He could play dumb all he wanted but those cheap tricks didn't work on her. She knew his game all too well. She sighed and let the tree trunk down.
"There, my little one. Now let's all..." Nyarlathotep said, but he was interrupted when Flora grabbed a fist of snow and hurled it in his face.
Oh! So this was how she was act? Very well. Time to teach that rebel a little lesson!
He grabbed two fists of snow and threw them in her direction, one missing her by a millimeter, while the other one hit her in the head. Oh! The game was on!
Despite what happened, the rest of the day went on as usual, enjoying the meal Cody prepared, getting to know the new acquaintances better, and watching the two Great Ones fight with each other, throwing snow balls at one another relentlessly. Nyarlathotep seemed to genuinely have fun, and so did Flora. The Doll said that Nyarlathotep adopted her after the Great One who sired her had passed away. It wasn't really a surprise when that happened. The desire for an offspring affects all of the Eldritch kind. To the others, it didn't matter as long as Flora was happy, and he wasn't harming anyone else.
When night fell, the two Great Ones chased their game and watched the show of the Grimm Troupe together with everyone, enjoying a warm drink. Cookies were passed around, laughter filling the air along with the music played by Brumm, scarlet torches tossed in the air and caught by Grimmkin. The prestation lasted for half an hour, after which, on soft tunes of accordion and Myla's sweet voice, some were dancing, others were still eating and chatting on the side. You and Pure were moving slowly, their hand resting on your back, their movements gracious and in synch with yours. You smiled, thinking that they might have taken lessons from Grandpa. Beside you, Slenderman was dancing with Gertrude, her gleeful expression being quite a sight to behold. Few things made her happy, and she had quite the sour mood since Nyarlathotep ruined the creature she and the girls had caught. Luckily, she didn't start a fight with him, but she did encourage Flora to kick the living days out of him with snow, Olaf having caught her try to sneak rocks inside some snowballs more than once. Fortunately, he stopped her in time. No need to start a war between Eldritch Beings.
Overall, everything was good, and the night ended without any incidents, and you managed to celebrate both Christmas and your upcoming birthday in peace. You received quite a lot of presents, the boxes waiting to be unwrapped in the morning. Nyarlathotep and Flora had left to Yharman, wishing you all a merry Christmas and happy birthday. All was good, all was well and that was all that mattered.
✠♦✠
"Merry Christmas, SCP-049." the personnel said, pushing a tray with food through the narrow opening of the iron door.
The Doctor looked up from his book, wishing him a merry Christmas in return, his eyes examining the meal. Ah! A mixture of French and British dishes! Marvelous! It's been a while since he had enjoyed a good Yorkshire pudding and roast turkey with chestnut stuffing. Hmm. He didn't expect the Foundation to provide him with such comfort. Well, to be honest, his stay in this place hadn't been all that bad, except for the "incident", but otherwise, he couldn't complain much. He was provided with subjects for his experiments, and a good place with plenty of equipment to use. True, his access to it was going to be taken away, or not, as a result of his actions. He had plenty of complains about that but acting hasty now would only complicate matters. And he couldn't afford to make things worse than they already were.
He got up and approached the door, listening to the silence on the other side, glad that the door was not see through, allowing him more privacy. One minute passed, and then two. Apart from the personnel who was distributing the meals, he couldn't hear anything else. Good. Very good.
He took the tray and returned to his seat; his eyes concentrated on his bag which they thankfully allowed him to keep by his side. He set the tray on the table he was provided in his room, and bend down to pick up the leather container, soft whimpers coming from within. He slowly unzipped the bag, a pair of dark eyes staring up at him.
"Hey. It's ok. You can come out." he said, gently wrapping his hands around the small wendigo baby he had taken under his care.
He placed it on the table, the little creature immediately sniffing the food and trying to decide what to start with first.
"Wait a minute there Lavender. Not so fast." the Doctor said, stopping the wendigo from attacking a good-looking turkey leg.
He held the creature in one hand while with the other he was carefully shredding the meat off the bone and feed it to the little one. Thank goodness Lavender hadn't yet developed the insatiable appetite that her race was known for. She was still eating fast, too fast and he had to admonish her now and then, telling her to chew her food instead of just swallowing it and upset her stomach. She hadn't felt alright lately, her energy draining quicker and her movements becoming limper by the day. The Doctor thought about revealing her to the Foundation and ask for help, but something kept him from doing that, a gut feeling he couldn't shake off. He continued to keep her hidden, safely tucked inside his bag where she spend most of the time sleeping or chewing on some body parts he managed to sneak in from his experiments. It was a miracle nobody took notice of her so far, and he intended on keeping it that way. Besides, he already had an idea on what might be bothering the little wendigo, cussing himself out in his thoughts for not doing something about it then and there. He sighed. No use in regretting it now but doing nothing wasn't an option either. Unaware of when it began, the Doctor had developed an affection towards the creature, finding her interesting and her company pleasant. She was immune to the toxins in his skin which he was able to control now, releasing them at will. But he couldn't let them know about that now, could he? He didn't want to lose her now.
As Lavender was falling asleep in his arms, after having eaten the entire turkey leg and half of the Yorkshire pudding, his hand continuing to strike her fur. He sighed, looking at the iron barred window and then at the metal enforced door. They sure went out of their way to make sure he or those like him wouldn't escape. But he had to find a way. He had to find Lavender, before it was too late.
The sound of the alarm took them all by surprise, the wendigo breaking out in whimpers at being awoken so suddenly. Rushed steps echoed on the other side, doors opened in a hurry, voices screaming loud and furious. They were coming closer and closer. Quickly, the Doctor placed Lavender back into the bag, zipping it close as he soothed her. Just as he closed the thing shut, the door to his room opened and Foundation personnel came in, ushering him to get out and follow them. Neither had restrains, which meant that the situation was quite dire if they couldn't even take the time to chain him.
"What happened?" the Doctor asked as he followed them through the bright hallways, watching the others go and retrieve the rest of the SCPs.
"SCP-682 has breached containment again and is heading this way. We're taking you all to safety." one armed guard told him.
The Doctor remained silent, thanking the Heavens for this opportunity. He had a good idea about the layout of the site. Now that he was out and everyone was obviously more preoccupied with capturing that lizard and taking the others to safety, slipping away was a matter of patience and carefulness. He held the bag closer to his chest, sensing Lavender's shape through the fabric.
It will be ok. He will save her and put an end to what that madman has started.