Suddenly, This Guy

[ahelpingpaw]

Hello?

[It's a little clumsy, but a message comes through the mirror. Looking at it, though, will only show blue. It's fur, no doubt, and it's of a cyan color. Knowing the sort of people in this camp, though, such a trait probably is unfamiliar]

...is this even working?

[The mirror spins in the air. This is definitely some corner of the market, there are stalls, until the view once again only has blue fur]

I can't even tell! I have never talked through a mirror, or...even seen a floating one? If I didn't know better I'd think I have gone crazy, hyahaha...ha...alright, I'm not ruling that one out.

[Filbo doesn't even have any idea what he's talking to, or to who. All he knows was that he was brought here by mysterious forces he doesn't understand, felt like coming over here, got lost along the way, wandered into the market, got to the farthest point the magic bond allowed without triggering it, found the Heartstone, wandered deeper into the market, and as usual, there was a lot of misfortune.

All he knows is that this mirror is supposed to help somehow by getting you in contact with other people. He doesn't even have the slightest idea he's the only one of his species around here.]

So, uh, a couple notes? It's not easy being out here! There are these little creatures? With horns and stuff? They, they bite. Just saying, they bite. Pretty sharp teeth. [His tone pretty much proves he learned that the hard way] And second, I think I got lost. I have been going in circles, and all I have found to eat are socks. I mean, I guess if I get desperate there's that? But I'd really rather not to eat random socks I found, so...

[The mirror spins again. He must be trying to reach for it but it's just out of reach]

...could I have a little help? Please? I'm somewhere near all those cats. I guess I'll get wherever I'm supposed to go once I rest a little, but it'd be great to see someone before I go anywhere. Sorry about this, I'm such a mess.

[The mirror stays on even though Filbo requests for help. He just doesn't want to shut the mirror down in case there turns out to be some catch to using these and he had only one use a day or something, so he just leaves it on, giving opportunity for conversation.

'sup?]

Comments

[hellbentley]

[Crowley squints.]

Wha -

[It can't be...can it? Then again this place has the Easter fucking Bunny.]

Are you -

Are you a Muppet?

[rambles_on]

[This is the thing that makes Dean come out of his self-imposed time out, because Dean has had it.]

You know, I get it. I get the bloodsuckers, and the shifters, and the aliens, and the literal demon. I do! I don't like it, but I get it.

But this? This Teddy Ruxpin-looking motherfucker is too far. No! I will entertain all the fairies and unicorns you like, but not this.

I can take David Bowie's bulge, or Caitlin Clarke in drag, but not this Care Bears reject. That's where I draw the line.

[This, as they say, the straw that broke the camel's back.]

[hellbentley]

...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with you.

[The talk of actual faeries, the magic well, the teen who says he's something out of a comic book, the anime cat child, and Easter Bunny had already started to lose him a bit.]

Do we have to worry that a flock of feral Big Birds are going to run at us from the woods and try to kick us to death next?

[ahelpingpaw]

[The mirror spins again until it finally is floating some decent distance from him, aiming to his head and speaks more. Ah. His mouth moves like a muppet's. Up down up down up down. How does he articulate words despite doing just that, who knows, but it's happening]

What? No, no!

[Filbo looks like he walked out of a kid's educational show, that's for certain]

I'm a grumpus! [And that species name doesn't help, hah] You know, just an average one, nothing to write home about?

[Still completely unaware he's the only one like him around here, so he's talking like everyone else obviously knows what's a grumpus]

[ahelpingpaw]

The only ones about to try to attack anyone to death are the...I dunno what to even call them. They look a lot like you two. What are you, anyway?

[...yeah, he's pretty sure Crowley and Dean are just these bigger versions of the gnomes. Surely the same species!]

By the way, please don't bite me. I wouldn't be a good meal.

[ahelpingpaw]

[That...was a lot of words. A lot, from which, of course, he doesn't understand the references, hah. Still, bloodsuckers, shifters, aliens, and a literal demon around here, apparently. Ah.

...

...that's...not great, thought Filbo. Okay there's reason to be freaking out what did he get brought into and how can he get out of here right away please.

Still, despite internally freaking out, he laughs a bit nervously and asks:]

H-Hey, are you okay? Did I reach out at a bad time?

[okayimin]

[ Listen, this is weird, the surface is weird, she's pretty sure this is actually all a dream, but more pressingly: ]

Don't eat the socks!

[ She's saving those! ]

[ahelpingpaw]

[Oh, another one of these people. Huh. There sure are a lot of them around here, maybe...this place is full of them]

Right! Right...

[Hm, now that he thinks about it...the only living people he has seen or heard about are these ones. This is a market, he recognizes food stalls and kitchen objects around here. The signs are more proof this is all food.

Therefooooore...deductive reasoning means the only living people here eat socks. Well, more power to them, eating socks sounds like a bad time but what does he know. Better be courteous!]

No worries, I won't eat them! I guess...I'll give them to you once I see you. You guys will want provisions. These are all yours!

[okayimin]

[ Listen, she's got some sympathy. Surfacers are fucking weird and when she first got to the surface, she wouldn't have put it past them to eat socks. This is a Fair Assumption. ]

I'm not eating them. I'm tryin' to gather 'em all up. We don't know how long we're gonna be here or when the weather's gonna turn and no one ever thinks to have extra socks till they need 'em.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Ah. Filbo clears his throat, embarrassed he accused them of eating socks. Right, he should have guessed...that it's because they want clothes for the cold weather makes far more sense]

I know how it feels when your paws are gonna freeze off and that's never a good time, but...

['You probably will need more than just socks', was what he was going to say, stopped by not wanting to offend. The lack of fur is really going to give you trouble if it snows, guys, that's pretty bad. Maybe they just have really thick skins, though. Come on, be as openminded as possible, he tells himself, trying to not reach any conclusions]

Then I'll see if I can find more! I know this all looks abandoned but there's got to be more. I'll handle that!

[Filbo has been talking to others for like five minutes and he's already eager to help]

[wisdomreceiver]

[Cue obligatory mumbling of 'What the hell?']

Creatures with horns? What are you talking about?

[myagents]

[What the...?

Normally this would stimulate Price's curiosity, but the situation has been dire enough to eliminate all interest. Despite how surprisingly civilized this...Creature relatively is, witnessing it fills him with such dread that he emits a loud sigh.]

Please refrain from eating socks.

[ahelpingpaw]

You know, red caps over the horns? Little fast creatures? Sharp teeth and without any respect for other people's property?

[After a moment he adds:]

They look like...like you, but smaller. And with far more hair on their faces.

[Filbo still doesn't rule out these people he has been talking with through the mirror and the ones who attacked him -- the gnomes -- are the same species]

[ahelpingpaw]

I-I won't! I got the memo!

[Truthfully, Filbo is surprised too about how...courteous and civil everyone else has been. Nobody has been berating him for being lost or for being bitten by anything or for anything like that. That he's near a group of sentient people, even if they're absolutely like nothing he has ever seen before, is such a relief]

It's rough out here, isn't it? I sure hope things will never get so bad we'll have to resort to such a thing, haha...

[Well, Filbo would have resorted to that before sundown, really, but he's an outlier and shouldn't be taken into account]

[wisdomreceiver]

[????]

I've never seen anything like that. Not here nor at home.

[myagents]

I agree.

[It's safer to agree, after all.]

As far as I know, neither of us has encountered such creatures while exploring this world. Could you describe the area in which you found them? It could be beneficial to know so that we can plan ahead in case they turn out to be...Persistent in their hostility.

[He has so much more patience than what they give him credit for, he swears.]

[ahelpingpaw]

What? Really?

[Filbo narrows his eyes and touches the back of his head, looking for any head injuries. Ah...nothing. Sighing, he leans back on the stall he's against]

Maybe I have gone crazy.

[Maybe he actually was attacked by cats and his mind somehow muddled things up until he was seeing things. All this is...extremely outlandish and he doesn't trust his senses right now, really]

[wisdomreceiver]

Can't necessarily argue with that, we should probably wait and test it. By the way, I made a map. It's accessible through the mirror, if you follow it you can reach the rest of us so that you don't have to deal with those things alone.

[ahelpingpaw]

Sure, that's...um, wait, I gotta...

[Filbo finally manages to grab the mirror and a crayon. It's going to be far easier to indicate it with a drawing than with just words.

Before long, he has sketched a map of sorts with the Heartstone as the point of reference. Surprisingly enough, it's a competent map, even if it's mostly paths and circles. Despite his general clumsiness, Filbo has a good sense of direction and spatial thinking]

So...I was ambushed on these spots here? [He says, little dots appearing on multiple paths. The gnomes probably saw an easy target and went for him, he continues telling, drawing small arrows and writing] Twice I saw them run in this direction, so maybe they live over there? Uh, the cats also--they were in this area and I could hear them fight, so I suppose they roam over here as well, and...

[It's an incomplete map of the market, and a tad simple because he was just trying to indicate what happened, but somehow he does manage to give a lot of information]

I dunno where you guys are but...uh...I hope it's not through anywhere I got attacked. I'm not looking forward to seeing them again.

[ahelpingpaw]

[A map! Ah, good! This is of use. Filbo seems very relieved once he manages to see it]

Oh, thanks. You're saving my life here, buddy. I was...well, it's not my first time out and far away from cities and all that, but I just haven't ever been good at exploring.

[He has almost died exploring alone in the wild. Thankfully it didn't get so dire, but still...]

[myagents]

I don't believe we are anywhere near the areas you described. You are welcome to join the rest of us; I personally am not a fighter or a hunter, but I can provide medical assistance, although you might need to educate me on the biology of your particular species.

[He stops a bit to ponder.]

I am not sure if any of our current...Assets has firsthand experience with the creatures that attacked you, but they might be able to neutralize them or at least offer protection.

[wisdomreceiver]

[Aw, he called him buddy, that's cute. He's like a plushie, or something. Henry's mind goes to Robbie the Rabbit sitting on Eileen's bed, and is suddenly weirded out about how a muppet looking thing got him thinking about home. Guess Silent Hill really is that weird.]

No problem. See ya at the camp.

[ahelpingpaw]

I think I can do that. You...none of you have never seen a grumpus before, have you?

[It's starting to dawn on him that yeah, he probably is the only one in existence wherever this is. That's a little overwhelming]

Well, uh, despite everything I think it'd be...best to avoid them altogether? I mean, if they're hostile then we'd be escalating everything. That could make them strike back and we probably don't...need to get in a war if we can avoid it.

[More like he doesn't want them to anybody to get hurt because hey, maybe he was the one who did something wrong and stepped in those gnomes' turf or something. Still, he's pretty sure someone who suggests to neutralize them wouldn't listen to such kindhearted appeals, so instead he goes for the self-preservation aspect]

[ahelpingpaw]

Y-Yeah, same to you!

[See you at camp indeed!]

[myagents]

If we can manage to avoid them safely, even better. We will get to channel our energy in more fruitful endeavours.

And no, I have never encountered someone like you. However I cannot speak for everyone, as we all come from different universes. I invite you to interact with others you can spot at the camp. They are mostly friendly, and some of them might recognize you.