#maze.rewrite

[journey-of-daydreams]

Invitation to Nowhere [Rewrite & Reader] [Platonic]

After a "kind" "invitation" to a picnic from Rewrite, he becomes more interested in your mental state than you'd like.

Type: Oneshot Genre: Mild Horror Content Warnings: Hunger Mention Stage: Early 1 Ring Notes: Rewrite is referred to as "Sonic" in this, as Reader is not fully aware of their identity yet. This is also early in Reader's and Rewrite's relationship, so their interactions are mostly negative. (sorry to those looking for fluff)

You're exploring the stretches of Green Hill. It seems your surroundings change every so often, and so you've taken it upon yourself to explore daily. You hope that in doing so, you would find an escape, or a weapon, anything to protect or aid yourself in any way.

As you're walking next to a small pond, you hear it: Faintly, in the distance, an unfortunately familiar squealing: The sound of Sonic running. You stop dead in your tracks and swivel your ears around, trying to catch the source of the noise.

It's getting louder. He's approaching.

Fear starts to rise in your chest as you look around, trying to spot him before he catches you off-guard again. Sure enough, you see him and his wide smile, making a bee line for you.

You take a deep breath and brace yourself. There's no point in running.

He catches up to you and stops like he just hit a brick wall, losing all momentum in an instance. He pulls his signature "finger-wagging" pose that you've grown to hate.

"Hi, friend! Are you ready?" He beams enthusiastically.

"...Uh- For what?" You question warily.

"Great!" He shoots a thumbs up at you. "Let's go!"

Before you can react, he grabs you by the shoulders and lifts you up over his head. You shriek involuntarily. "Wait! Wait!"

He doesn't wait. In fact, he zooms off into the forest, carrying you over his head like a squirming cat. Trees, ferns, rocks and greenery whiz past you. The forest gets darker, and darker. The sky slowly fades from sight. You have to stop squirming just so you don't get hit by a wayward rock.

Suddenly, he stops on a dime, and the abrupt halt knocks the wind out of you. He gently places you down and gives you a pat on the head.

Slightly dazed, it takes you a moment to process the... unusual sight ahead of you.

In the middle of the dark forest sits a campfire and your two friends; Miles and Ekiduna. Miles looks up at the two of you as you approach, shifting uncomfortably at the sight of Sonic. Ekiduna is scarfing down on what appears to be a boiled egg, not looking up at you two. They sit on top of a red checkered picnic blanket, plates scattered around them. Far too many plates for just 4 people, in fact.

You glance at Sonic, who was standing with his hands on his hips. Proudly looking at the scene he set up, you assume, though it's very difficult to read his expression thanks to his permanently smiling face.

Locking eyes with you, he gives you a tilt of the head and pulls a frying pan out of nowhere. "Waffles?"

"Uh- Sure." You decide it's best to go along with whatever the hell is going on.

With a nod, Sonic chucks the frying pan at the campfire. It jitters around before magically re-orienting itself into an upright position. He plops down in front of the fire, back turned to you, and puts a yellow, circular blob into the frying pan. It instantly simmers as smoke rises out of it.

You decide to take a seat next to Miles.

"Hello," He quietly says as you sit.

"Hi." You give him a smile back. You turn to Ekiduna, who nods as his "hello" at you.

"Nice to see you again. Despite the, uh... Unfortunate way you were brought here." Ekiduna subtly gestures at Sonic.

You huff a tiny laugh. "It's fine." You would joke about it, but you don't dare say anything negative about Sonic within earshot of him. You don't have nearly the same bravery as Ekiduna does, talking against Sonic right in front of him.

Oddly, though, Sonic seems to ignore the 3 of you when he's in the middle of something, as if too preoccupied to care. You and Ekiduna have learned to take these opportunities to chat and move about... Though, you won't pretend Sonic can't still hear you. Surely, he must be able to.

You turn your attention back to the "waffle" cooking on the fire. Sonic was starting to sway his leg impatiently. Still, you notice the yellow blob slowly flattens out... Slowly, a faint, familiar grid-like pattern starts to form.

Of course it does.

You turn to Miles, who was staring at a random square on the picnic blanket. You would talk to him, but the poor thing is always too scared... And, to be honest, doesn't seem entirely... Lucid. He doesn't seem to register that this is just a digital world, and never talks about the outside world. You honestly wonder if he's just an NPC, but you don't think it would be polite to ask someone that.

Ekiduna, on the other hand, is a survivor like you. Long ago, he was brought into this game too. The two of you have found solace in talking to one another, about your past lives, and what's going on... and have whispered in the darkest of nights about potential ways to escape. In his time here, he hadn't yet found one. He hopes that you're able to help him, and you've been trying your best.

A small ding! that plays from the campfire brings you out of your thoughts. Sonic proceeds to grab the waffle—or, two waffles stacked together, as you just noticed—and his arm detaches from his shoulder and floats over to place it on your plate.

"...Thank you." You say politely.

"No problem!" He chirps enthusiastically.

You notice Ekiduna reaching for one of the waffles, and you shoot him a soft glare, bemused he's just... Trying to take it, right in front of you, without asking. Before you can say anything, Sonic slaps his hand away.

"Hey!" Ekiduna flinches back.

"Nuh-uh! You had your share!" Sonic insisted, wagging a finger disapprovingly.

"You gave me a single egg-" Ekiduna starts to protest, but is shut up when Sonic jumps closer to him, looming over him. Miles flinches and stares at the two, expecting something to go down.

Ekiduna leans back, eyes agape. "Ok. Fine." He crosses his arms, sulking. Sonic relents and backs away, seemingly pleased.

You feel bad, honestly. Everyone here is capable of feeling hunger, tiredness; You're pretty sure Ekiduna is hungry, if he's trying this. You wouldn't mind sharing, but... Shouldn't risk it in front of Sonic. You'll share later, when Sonic isn't looking.

Sonic lets out two harsh, electronic clicking sounds meant to resemble tongue clicks. "Rude Ekiduna. Stealing! At a time like this? How could you?"

Ekiduna rolls his eyes.

"Bye-Bye. To Green Hills you go!"

"Wh- Huh?" His eyes widen. Suddenly, Sonic grabs Ekiduna by the collar of his cloak, and Ekiduna yells in defiance, only for his voice to be cut off by both of them disappearing into thin air. Miles lets out an alarmed noise, stands up, and runs from the scene.

Oh shit. You thought it was resolved. Is Ekiduna going to be ok? You stand up, ready to take action. Maybe you should-

Yet, as quickly as he left, Sonic reappears with a *pop*.

"Hi, friend!" He waves enthusiastically and sits back down as if nothing happened. He's either ignoring or doesn't notice your stare of shock.

"...What did you do with him?" You nervously question, voice wavering.

"Relaaaaax." Sonic's hand twitches back and forth, as if it's meant to be a dismissive wave of the hand. "He's gone back to the starting zone."

"G-Gone back?" You question what that means. You know where the starting zone is, but-

"Gone back to the starting zone." He repeats with the exact same tone, akin to a record replaying.

"Did... Did you hurt him?"

"Nope!" He starts fiddling around with the plates, moving them around without real purpose. You're not sure why.

You watch him skeptically, not believing he wouldn't have harmed Ekiduna for his resistance. "...Really?"

He stops his plate shuffling and looks at you with his usual smile. "You're asking a lo-ot of questions." His voice glitches out, but his tone of voice is as playful as ever. You can tell that's a warning to stop.

"...Okay. Awesome." You try to calm your heavily beating heart.

"So cool!" He gives you a tone-deaf thumbs up. You shake your head in bewilderment and squeeze your temple with your fingers, trying to decide what to do.

It's... probably best to just sit back down. You know going along with Sonic's nonsense is a good way to appease him and keep him from retaliating. Later, you would go check on Ekiduna and Miles.

So, against every ounce of your being telling you to get out of there... You sit back down, avoiding Sonic's gaze. As you sit, you feel his eyes boring into you, unsettling you. You can't tell what he's thinking. Maybe he didn't expect you to stay. 

You decide to stare at your waffles to avoid his gaze. You hadn't even taken a bite out of them this whole time. Though, honestly, you don't think you wanted to.

What's wrong with them?

You pick the plate up to take a closer look at it. They look fine. You sniff it, and-

The scent of real, toasted waffles hits you.

You can't help the sad smile that comes on your face. It smells like home, you realize. It's not often you feel sensations that remind you of the real world. You're not sure why you can feel these kinds of sensations in a digital world... Sight, smell, touch. But you can. And truth be told, it haunts you. Reminds you of what you lost.

"What's with the glumdrum, bud?" Sonic abruptly asks, pulling you out of your thoughts. You turn to him, and- He's laying on his side on the grass, his head propped up on his hand. Okay.

It takes you a second to realize you didn't hear him move, and, he's actually closer to you than he was before. Great, so he can move silently. Another reason to be wary of him.

"It's... nothing. I'm thinking." You say dismissively.

"You don't like waffles?" He continues to inquire with a head tilt, his hand glitching off his wrist for a split second.

"Wh- No, it's not that, I just..." Your words fall apart on themselves, knowing he wouldn't take any protest of yours seriously anyways. He wouldn't let you go just because you say you miss your home, he'd probably just laugh at your misery.

"We can play a game instead!" He suddenly jumps up with emphasis, excited by his own suggestion.

"Nono, that's- No, thanks." You rush to reject the offer. Any game of his is more deadly than fun, and frankly, you're not in the mood.

"Awwwww." He slumps and gives an over-dramatic, sad bow of the head that almost feels genuine. It's an odd, pouting look you've never seen on him before. It's off-putting, especially since he could easily drag you into a game against your will if he was this upset about it.

You're... Honestly taken aback by this behavior, his sudden questioning and interest in you. Just what was he trying to do?

You can't find the words, and you look back down at your food. Yet, Sonic doesn't move. In fact, he doesn't stop staring at you. Every second that passes becomes more and more uncomfortable.

"...W-What?" You ask, somewhat hesitant to break the silence.

"I made you the cool waffles and you're still so boring. What gives?"

You scoff, a bit confused by his wording. "You were trying to cheer me up?"

"No," He states bluntly. His inflection suggests he was going to say more, and you wait... But he doesn't speak again.

"...Well, sorry my sadness isn't entertaining, I guess." You mutter bitterly.

"Hmmmm..." He hums over-dramatically, tapping his finger to his chin in a 'thinking' pose. "You're lost, aren't you?"

You squint at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You can't find your way home." He sits in front of you in a crisscross position, his eyes never moving from you. Your expression drops and you look back down at your plate. You didn't think him of all people would be questioning you about this.

"I know. I've seen it happen many times." He closes his eyes and tilts his head up as if reminiscing.

"You don't know anything about me." You retort before you can stop yourself.

"Yes I do." He simply asserts, though you don't believe him. Before you can argue, he continues.

"A lot of souls get lost in this place. You're not the first, and not the last." He says in a low, muted and out of place tone. You give him a discomforted look, surprised by his sudden shift. He's looking directly into your eyes again.

So you've hurt a lot of people then, you think bitterly. You didn't know this, actually: How many people got stuck here. You were under the impression it was just you, Ekiduna and Miles... Just how many people have died here?

"Why do you all run to find the same place that no longer exists? Sinking yourselves further and further into the abyss."

"Why are you telling me this?" You question softly.

"Maybe, if you stop running," He slowly reaches a hand towards you, "-the place you're looking for would find you?" And points at your heart, emphasizing the 'you' as he speaks. You lean away so he doesn't touch you.

You don't say anything. You can't. You simply stare at him. He stares back, his empty smile unchanging and his pose unmoving.

"...

I don't understand."

"Oh well!" He offhandedly shrugs, his tone of voice and posture snaps back to cheerful. All of his previous solemnity vanishing in an instant. He grabs a whole rotisserie chicken that you don't remember seeing before and puts it on a random plate. "Let's dig in, shall we?"

...You're not sure what to say. This whole experience was... bewildering.

You find it hard to eat the rest of the day.

[journey-of-daydreams]

Your New Life [Rewrite & Reader] [Platonic]

You can't ever tell what Rewrite is thinking. Whether there's hidden meanings underlying their words, or if they truly mean what they say... You don't know. But you know it's getting worse. This is intended to introduce the concept of this depiction of Rewrite.

Type: Headcanons/Oneshots Genre: Mostly Horror (A Little Fluff but it's Scary) Content Warnings: Psychological Abuse Stage: Early/Mid/Late 1 Ring (With a preview of 3 Ring)

    * Ever since you got stuck in this place, your life has been nothing but chaos. Sonic, as it calls itself, demands your full attention, never allowing you a moment of peace. You're not sure why it took a liking to you... Or if it even did. Maybe this is the way it normally acts, or maybe you're imagining things.

In the middle of a sparsely forested area, you sit alongside Miles, Ekiduna, and Sonic. The sun shines down on you gently, birds are chirping, and a soft breeze cools you and rustles the leaves around you.

It would be peaceful in any other circumstance. But knowing you're trapped here, at the whims of the figure standing in front of you, you're nervous.

Miles is trying to keep himself occupied by building a small structure out of leaves and twigs. He's clearly on edge as well, his eyes constantly sparing glances up at Sonic.

Ekiduna, meanwhile, is pacing around, agitated. He had tried to leave earlier—hoping to search for a way out, no doubt—but Sonic picked him up by his collar like a cat and plopped him back into the immediate area, citing that they're having "quality bonding time" right now and he "can't just abandon his friends"... Right.

You turn your attention to Sonic, and notice him watching you. You give him a thin, polite smile and immediately avert your eyes.

You don't like it when he puts his attention on you. It's like he's expecting something from you, and you can never tell what. Maybe he wants you to do something, or maybe he's looking for a specific reaction.

You watch Miles, observing him as he's become intensely focused on carefully and oh so gently sliding a stick into place. His structure is resembling a house at this point. You're honestly surprised Sonic hasn't destroyed it by now, with how much he loves to torment him.

It takes you a second to notice that, out of the corner of your eye, Sonic is... still watching you. You focus your gaze on him, and he doesn't look away. A feeling of unease washes over you.

He's been staring at you.

"W-What?"

"Nothing!" He innocently says, lightly raising his shoulders, almost as if shrugging. It's only then that he looks away and puts his attention on Miles, who freezes the instance Sonic's eyes are on him.

...Oooookay.

    * But at some point, they start getting more... Direct. And it becomes even harder to dismiss their behavior as "nothing".

"Isn't it beautiful?" Sonic dreamily asks, staring out into the distance of Green Hills.

"Yeah..." You immediately agree as your gaze follows their own. Green Hills was bright and colorful, with its neon striped grass, and orange cliffs. But the cloudless skies always stood out to you. "I just don't like-" You begin, but;

"But I like you." They interject, immediately stopping your train of thought.

You look at them in surprise and confusion. They haven't said anything like that before. Their expression hasn't changed from their usual, empty smile. You can't get a read on them. Were they offended? Was that a joke? Were they messing with you?

...They're staring at you now, motionless, awaiting a response. Their unchanging, cheerful gaze is starting to unnerve you. What the hell were they trying to do?

You get the feeling you need to think carefully about your next words.

...

"...Thank you." You say cautiously, yet deliberately.

Their head tilts, their ear twitches, and they give you a thumbs up. That answer must have pleased them... probably.

    * It's difficult to tell if it's genuine. Rewrite has shown they enjoy toying with others; Both physically and mentally. Why wouldn't this be another game of theirs?

You hate this game. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

Sonic chose a game he'd have the advantage in; Tag.

"But! But! You get my generosity! You have a 60 second head start! Run, and once time runs out, I will find you."

The explanation of the rules sounded more like a promise.

You had the idea to try to hide. So, you're wandering through the area of Green Hills that's the most densely populated with cliffs. You hoped they provide cover and protection from his field of view.

You're walking along a cliff wall when you hear you hear a faint squealing sound. The sound of Sonic running.

And it's getting louder. He's getting closer.

Even though you don't see him yet, you feel the need to pick up the pace. Find better cover.

For a brief moment, the squealing stops... And starts again. Was he changing direction? Actively chasing someone?

You swivel your ears around, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from... But the sound bounces off the cliff faces, or is maybe obscured by them? It's like the sound is coming from everywhere. You can't tell where he is.

You make it to the corner of a cliff, and the buzzing of his running stops again. You slowly peek around, and...

It's Sonic. His head snaps in your direction.

Shit.

You quickly duck back and make a break for it. You hear Sonic start chasing after you too.

Just keep running.

You run into an area with dense cliffs, hoping to lose him and find a forked path. Your heart is pounding. You're giving it your all.

Brown, checkered cliffs fly past you with a blur on both sides. Your eyes dart from side to side, trying to find another path. And ahead of you, emerges from the fog:

A dead end.

Your heart drops. You slide to a halt.

Shit. Shit.

You turn around and your eyes urgently scanning around, trying to find another escape route. But the only one you see is the way you came.

Sonic emerges from the fog, and your gaze locks onto him. He stops several feet away from you, slipping into his idle finger-wagging animation.

He stares at you, and just stands there. Waiting.

He knows he's already won. You know he's already won.

You stare at him for what feels like an eternity, awaiting your fate.

...Yet, he doesn't move closer. Doesn't say anything. His silence is alarming, and you don't dare take your eyes off him.

"A... Are you going to tag me?" You question, voice shaking.

"Are you going to tag me?" He mockingly mimics your inflection, but his robotic voice is unable to match your fearful tone.

You squint at him, your panicked brain struggling to grasp the underlying meaning of his words, but at least knowing he's being pretty smug right now.

For a brief moment, you risk averting your eyes to look around one more time for another escape route. Yet again, you see nothing, but the very path Sonic is standing in.

You fix your gaze back onto him. He still hasn't moved any closer. The game is at a standstill.

...Ah.

He's toying with you. If you want the game to end, you have to be the one to accept your fate and approach him.

Asshole.

    * Yet, there are periods of calm; Periods with the faintest hint of sincerity. Ones that make you wonder, if deep down, there's truth to it.

In the dead of night, crickets chirp electronically around you. A campfire sits in front of you, emitting a faint glow; but notably, no warmth to protect against the chill in the air.

Miles sleeps next to you, a soft breathing noise emitting from him. Nearby, Ekiduna was resting behind a tree, silent and not moving... Possibly asleep, but you can't be sure with him. Sonic lays not far from you and Miles, laying back with his arms resting behind his head to prop it up. His eyes were closed, giving the impression he was asleep, but his smile remained plastered on his face. It was unusual to see him still, let alone sleeping. Though you wondered if he even had to sleep.

You watch him closely to see if he was actually sleeping, listening and watching closely for any signs of breathing, or anything.

One of his eyes suddenly open to look directly at you and a chill runs down your spine.

"Hello, friend." Sonic greets you in a hushed whisper you've never heard from him before. You're surprised he even had the ability to speak quietly. "Need something?"

"Um- No," You stutter, feeling awkward as though you were caught doing something wrong. "Sorry."

He mimes a laugh but nothing comes out, like a voice file that failed to load. He springs into a sitting position, his limbs wobbling from the movement.

"If you're bored, we could go for a walk!" He offers, tone still hushed yet cheerful at the same time.

"...A walk?" You repeat cautiously, not fully believing it's just a walk.

"Yes." He states with a small nod. You expect him to offer further explanation, but he doesn't.

"That's it?"

"We could play a game too!" He adds with a glitchy tilt of his head.

"No, no, a walk is fine." You politely decline with a forced smile, remembering the last "game" he made you play... 

"Perfect!" He sang, catching you off-guard, and it hits you that he took your wording as agreement. He springs up from his sitting position jankily and unnaturally and starts trotting away.

"Wait, I-" You object, but he ignores you and is already walking away.

You're pretty sure he'd be angry if you didn't go with him. As terrified as you are to be left alone with him, you can't risk getting on his bad side.

Against the anxiety in your core telling you not to, you follow him.

---

You're lead to an open clearing near Green Hills, just outside the forest. There's a few plants nearby, the one catching your attention the most is a sunflower. Crickets are chirping all around you, and you hear the faint rustling of leaves the wind.

Sonic stands with his head pointed to the sky, watching the stars. Your gaze follows.

Dozens, maybe hundreds of stars dot the sky. You can't deny it's pretty... Though, after a second, you realize they're all the same white color. Another reminder that the world is digital.

Still. The peace settles in. It's... quiet. You realize Sonic hasn't said a word this entire time, which is frankly strange, since he doesn't usually stay quiet for long.

You observe him as he stares up at the sky for several seconds. You can't help but wonder what he's thinking, to be this quiet.

He averts his attention from the stars, and looks at you.

"This is boring. You have bad taste." He states, referring to the fact you chose this over the game suggestion.

The abrupt change of tone throws you off. You can't help but smile bemusedly at him. "You're the one who suggested it!" You respond without thinking, immediately regretting your argumentative tone.

"You chose it," Sonic closes his eyes and shakes his head, hands on his hips. "Over my game! And now you're arguing with me! Unbelievable." He pauses. His eyes open to stare through you, shooting an icy cold fear through you... His pupils have changed. They're human.

"I should punish you."

Your eyes widen. Your heart drops. You have to salvage this. "Wait- I'm sorry, I-I didn't think-" You stutter out, but you're interrupted with low-pitched giggles emitting from him that don't match his voice. His whole demeanor lightens back up.

"I'm joking, silly! You should see the look on your face!" He exclaims joyously, still animating as though he's laughing at the funniest joke he's ever told.

The tension only slightly leaves you're body, now replaced with an uncertain unease.

He's... not angry?

He stops laughing, his expression going back to his usual empty smile... And, then, without a word, he starts walking back to the camp and gives you a friendly pat on the head as he passes by.

...What the hell.

You watch him as he leaves, heart still thumping in your chest from the encounter.

Sure enough, you're completely unharmed.

    * No matter what the truth really is, you're trapped here, at the mercy of their whims. If you want to survive, you must play along. Even though you don't understand. Even though you have no idea where your complicity will lead.

They're floating in the sky with their arms crossed, gazing out into the distance. You stare up at them with shock and uncertainty. Their quills are sharper, their whole demeanor is... Different. More confident. The instability and distorted appearance they had before is gone.

They gained their third ring, you notice. You can guess where they got it from. The last survivor, besides you, is gone.

You're honestly, truly alone with them now.

As the dread settles into your very soul, you hear them speaking in an unusually soft voice. Not to you, you don't think.

「ついに……初めて、心の平和を…見つけたような気がします。」

Their tone of voice is more varied, more human than it's ever been. You don't understand what they're saying, and it scares you a little. Just what are they thinking? They sound calm, at least...

They abruptly turn towards you, their movement distorted and unnatural. And suddenly, in a pixelated flash, they appear directly in front of you. You jump, expecting them to attack.

Instead, they gingerly take hold of both of your hands into theirs, their eyes piercing into you.

"I'm so happy to finally see you, friend."

[journey-of-daydreams]

REWRITE & READER MASTERPOST

"You're the one I'm looking for!"

They're lying. With their sweet words and affectionate gaze, they must be lying.

This is the masterpost for a collection of oneshots and headcanons I'm writing focusing on the Sonic.exe Rewrite by Springless.

I was fascinated by the concept of an overly affectionate and friendly Rewrite. You had no idea if they were genuine, if they were manipulating you, or just fucking with you. These oneshots are meant to explore it.

There is a rough plot that will be followed, though my posts will be out of order. I will try my best to make it comprehensible.

Notes:

This is a reader-insert story. Reader will have a conflicted relationship with Rewrite.

Content warnings will be provided when necessary.

The relationship between reader and Rewrite is intended to be platonic, but you can interpret it however you want.

The relationship between Reader and Rewrite starts off negative and slowly progresses. I don't find it interesting to jump right into the affectionate stage sorry

Reader uses they/them pronouns.

There will be horror.

There will fluff.

I don't know everything about Rewrite's lore/canon so if i get anything wrong I am so sorry

This is all self-indulgent so don't expect it to be perfect or even good. I also don't tend to have the motivation to write so... yeah.

MASTERLIST

> TAGS < #maze.rewrite - Tag for my content involving this depiction of Rewrite. Includes rambles not linked here #other.rewrite - Tag for other user's content that fits into this depiction of Rewrite

> GUIDES < Stage Guide || A guide explaining what Rewrite's stages mean and the chronological order they're in.

> ONESHOTS < [⭕] Your New Life || A series of oneshots that serve as an introduction/showcase of the concept. [⭕] Invitation to Nowhere || Sonic invites you to a picnic and becomes more interested in you than you'd like.

> HEADCANONS < [AU] Computer Program!Rewrite x Physical Reader || Rewrite is a sentient computer program and the Reader is a physical person.

[journey-of-daydreams]

Maze.Rewrite Stage Guide

"Stage" refers to the rough time period the respective fic takes place in. Over time, as Rewrite collects souls, they manifest as red rings, resulting in them becoming more self-aware and powerful. A 1 Ring Stage fic takes place before a 2 Ring Stage, 2 takes place before 3, and so on and so forth.

[⚫] 0 Rings All 3 souls are still alive, and Rewrite is mostly harmless towards everyone. While any fics this stage are not canon, I use this stage as an excuse to write fluff.

[⭕] Early 1 Ring Reader was recently brought into the game. Their relationship with Rewrite is mostly negative, and Reader fears them. [⭕] Mid 1 Ring Reader has a more conflicted relationship with Rewrite, who has shown interest in them. [⭕] Late 1 Ring Reader has formed some connection with Rewrite, who is starting to show some level of affinity towards them.

[⭕⭕] 2 Rings TBA (once I write something for this stage) 

[⭕⭕⭕] 3 Rings TBA (once I write something for this stage)

[journey-of-daydreams]

i like to think that you can tell how much danger you're in when around rewrite depending on how many rings he has

0 rings, he acts just like a video game character. any damage he does is really unintentional, and he's more oblivious than anything. you're barely in any danger.

1 ring, he gains a bit of sentience and sort of knows in general that he needs to gain more rings. might not understand why, but he starts actively attempting to get more rings. you're in a bit of danger. just stay out of sight.

2 rings, they're half sentient, half "unconscious". this is stated to be their most unstable form, and iirc, somewhere said they act extremely irrationally and impulsively in an attempt to get a 3rd ring as soon as possible. this is their most dangerous form. no amount of attachment or loyalty will save you from this form.

3 rings, they're fully self aware and godlike. 50/50 chance you're in danger. it likely depends on how much you amuse them. if you're boring, boom you're dead. they do feel some sense of loyalty, though, so if you aided them and proved to be loyal and useful, they *probably* won't kill you. probably.

4 rings, they're only a danger to themself. they won't hurt anyone like this. they'll also likely immediately revert back to their 0 ring form.

[journey-of-daydreams]

rewrite is probably so bad at reading and understanding human emotion. they understand the basics, like, smile = happy, frown = unhappy, crying = very upset, raising voice = angry or scared. they can guess what's making you feel that way based on context. but they don't understand the complexities of emotion.

i think sadness in particular they struggle with the most. they can tell you're upset, but can't figure out why. so they would rush to distract you. drag you into a game, or show you a cool new area they created, or give you a cupcake. because everyone likes cupcakes, right?

[journey-of-daydreams]

something that always bothered me is that, if rewrite supposedly had SO many victims; enough that the creator had to investigate, why do they only have a maximum of 4 soul rings? what happened to the other souls?

it implies that their red rings get consumed, somehow. and maybe, they have to continuously absorb more souls if they want to keep their sentience.