#nintendodeathsystem

[dayfourwmv]

[ . . . W H E R E A R E Y O U G O I N G ? ]

The question burns, nearly sparking the wooden pieces that made his "heart". Why would he get answers after decades of questions? What satisfaction would that bring him, now that he's fallen this far? The Salesman chuckles as be begins his descent, ignoring the child entirely. The creaking of the tower grows louder, muting the once comforting song.

That devil-of-a-merchant disappeared as Tatl broke out of BEN's cap. She feared him ever since he came back from—

The child shifted with an ever sinking pit at his core. He can feel a frigid sweat take hold with every step he took toward the accursed mask. Was it more terrifying to watch the other shatter his expectations, or for him to leave something in his stead? He was the Happy Mask Salesman, after all. For him to abandon this, and the Mask of Majora ...

Whatever is about to happen fills him with dread.

And whatever is about to happen, he can't avoid it.

Summoning all of Link's courage, he steps forward to close the gap. The fairy, begrudgingly, stays to watch over BEN. Though the river beneath the town and the stone walls that towered high above were the same, something in this world had twisted and darkened. An unbearable, undeniable pressure that saw through his facade from the start of his dashboard journey.

BEN squeezed his eyes shut, willing the wretched thing out of his world. When they opened, his body grew colder. He'd have to look the other in the face, as much as he wished not to.

His head fell to where a mask laid before him.

[gildead]

Do you see why he's nice to other creepypastas, guys? Do you see why he doesn't immediately start bullying creepypasta protagonists unlike a certain green Best Heterosexual Bro Pal For Life™?

HE ALREADY DIED VIA MORTAL KOMBAT FATALITY ONCE. HE'S NOT DOING IT AGAIN.

[challengeplayers]

"Ah, there you are. Rather late for someone of your professional standing, no?" No matter, he had all the time in the world.

With a simple knowing glance and little more said, he presented the other with a plain black suitcase, its contents unknown to all but the two.

"I am certain this will meet your standards."

SOME THINGS CANNOT BE HELPED. NONETHELESS, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

IT IS TAKEN WITHOUT HESITATION, Nintendo itself cracking the case off to peer within its contents. Satisfied, he locked it shut.

YOU NEVER FAIL TO IMPRESS.

[dayfourwmv]

[ ITS BEEN TWENTY YEARS. YOU'RE THE BEST, UNCLE MX! ]

"MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, I MIEL AMICI!"

"TONIGHT, I will be crashing through the walls of MY FELLOW SANTALESS HEATHENS to deliver GIFTS! Because if you can't rely on THE OTHER BIG GUY IN RED, you can at least rely on THIS BIG GUY IN RED."

A NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. You are all getting a NES and Super Mario Bros., just like every other year he does this. If you already have that, it's going to be a Game Boy Color and a copy of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.

...Unless he doesn't like you, then you're getting a box of various assorted organs. Maybe belonging to loved ones, maybe not. Hard to keep track.

Lucas gets a singular day off.

[gildead]

Uncle MX gave me a present :)

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT.

[dayfourwmv]

CONFESSION CANCELLED.

HE'S GOING HOME.

[dayfourwmv]

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He had just leapt for Lucas. Where could he be now? BEN had been temporarily blinded in the process. He could feel a warm light coat his contorting body. His fairy was stitching him together, as every consecutive crack brought back another recollection of MX's mercilessly brought him a second death. It would have been, too — MX saw his weak soul for what it was. Bones snapped back into place. His undead heart was pounding. As the light faded, he could hear HIS voice taunt him during his non-existence. ( I'M STILL HERE. I'M STILL HERE AND I'M SORRY. I JUST WANTED TO HAVE FUN. I DIDN'T MEAN IT. )

Even healed, his body was still tormented. BEN gripped himself tightly, squeezing already shut eyes tighter. The dazed boy pulled at his hair for some clarity. He tries to hiccup, but chokes on water. Water not from his cursed death, but more frigid and salty. He only now realized how weightless his body was - and not of his own volition. He so desperately doesn't want to, but he's left with no choice but to pry his eyes open to see where he'd been dragged to . . .

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ WORLD 2 — 2

Something is coming. Or rather, someone. The chains around his wrists never felt tighter, never felt heavier, never felt so ... hauntingly familiar. HEAR ME, LUNA. I AM READY TO BE WITH YOU. He didn't know how to swim. He never collected anything more than the Deku Mask anymore, there was never any need. He did not know how to swim. Someone is getting closer. In a frenzy, he mimics the game he once sat in front of a TV to play with his father. His dad got him into video games. He was always cooler than other dads. CLOSER STILL, BENNY BOY. They've beaten this before. PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE, LUNA. I'M SCARED. They'd just have to do this again. Together.

His body aches and his mind screams at him to leave. But as the demon already said, there was nothing he could do until MX let him go.

[gildead]

MX, did you just kill my Best Heterosexual Bro Pal For Life™?

Damn it, Ben. Can you please stop trying to traumatize the new blood for five minutes? This is why we can't have nice things.

[gildead]

"Actually, I was gonna suggest swapping Archer and Proton. You've both got the, uh, glitchy backrooms thing going on."

"I... kinda wanna see what happens if you two fight each other."

He'd also like to avoid a sequel to The Banana Incident.

❝ Because I'm older and I said so. Unless you want to swap the red one for . . . Petrel, was it? ❞

[gildead]

@nintendodeathsystem || worst. rizz attempt. ever.

Okay, Gold. Don't panic. The very pretty eyeless girl just wants a reward for being the brave hero who kicked in the balls of the weird rude version of Red that tried to snap all of his ribs like tiny matchsticks. No pressure. He can come up with something. All he has to do is stay cool and not get himself into funny shenanigans--

"I have infinite money and will take you out for ice cream wherever you want?!?!?!"

...Yeah, no, forget I said anything. You're on your own for this one, Gold.

[dayfourwmv]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

[gildead]

The entity stares back from the CRT television, merely watching the other. A mirror image, only leaning forward in response to the other's confused reaction. A low rumble emitted from the device, albeit not a loud or threatening sound. Bloody sockets peered into the other's, the green-tinted light filling the dark room with a sense of unease.

It continued to mirror his movements, with just barely enough delay to give the unsettling feeling that the reflection was more than that. Something alive. Something breathing. Something...

Something that suddenly, near-instantly, changed in appearance.

[ FRAGMENT. ]

As soon as Gold finds his own visage staring out from him within the TV, his sockets widen as he floats closer to the screen. He tilts his head to the side like the world's strangest little Wooper, watching as it follows, with only a slight lag to its movements. He rematerializes his sleeves, and the image follows... but more.

The mirror's eyes fade back into their sockets, the blood receding from whence it came. It regains color, changes shape as it ages down to a perfect likeness of Gold from three years ago. Same chubby cheeks and boxy pre-growth spurt shape, same haircut he received shortly before embarking on his journey. A Cyndaquil materializes on his shoulder. Hurry...?

No. Not Hurry. It's Please. If that even was her name.

And then, the rumble gives way to music.

Now it's Gold's turn for his sockets to start 'bleeding' -- albeit, the blood isn't thick or congealed this time. Rather, it's wet, fresh, almost watery. He dabs with a sleeve before giving it a tiny lick. That's weird. Blood is usually metallic, not salty.

Is... is he crying?

He turns back to the screen, slowly nodding. His other sleeve cradles the CRT before he pulls himself over to give it a hug.

"Fragment," he repeats, whimpering through the tears.

[gildead]

@tetramulti asked:

Gold gets a text. It's from Alexis! [I also got grounded, send help :( I'm not even Shinto's kid??]

Give Gold a moment. It's hard to scroll and read through his texts with no fingers and only floppy sleeves-- oh, here we go. He's gotten text to speech to work again, here come his replies.

[no she's like that with most kids that's normal for her] [ugh i'm so sorry this isn't fair :( jimmy's been chill about it but i know dad's gonna be pissed when he gets back]

He pauses before continuing with a question of his own.

[do you think hypnos gonna come after us again when he revives] [?]

[gildead]

"I'm in danger."

[gildead]

@wariodemambo || what if we carved pumpkins together... and we were both goth.....

Oh, thank Ho-Oh. Now he doesn't have to worry about Celebi accidentally stabbing themselves or someone else with that knife. He gives the Time Travel Pokémon a long, hard stare until they acquiesce the knife to Ashley.

"So, uh. There's this Pokémon." Of course, what else would he be looking to carve? "It's not really... one I've seen before? Or at least, it's from a far-off region, but it kinda looks like all these pumpkins. And I think it'd be cool if we made the pumpkin look like, y'know, that."

Gold pauses and lets out a series of hacking coughs, eventually spitting out an errant M-shaped Unown from within his mouth. He really wish they'd just hide in his hood, or under his hat, or somewhere far less invasive, but without his sleeves they didn't have much options. The Unown floats over to the half-broken Pokégear on the ground by Gold and taps buttons with its tiny limbs as it pulls up something.

The Unown floats to Ashley and turns the PokéGear around... to reveal a reference photo.

"It's... kinda complicated a design. I can try and find a simpler one, I just thought it'd be fun to have. Y'know. A pumpkin that's a pumpkin."

[dayfourwmv]

Cold.

Something latches onto his hollow core, piercing and twisting inward. They tear at his wounds, entrails of insecurity pouring out from within. All this time . . . In all this time, he assumed his troubles had ended once J█D██AB██ was out of the picture. That he, in his eternal torment, carved some comfort in the abyss. Torn away from his strings at last, only for that grip to bring an unbearable despair.

He can't move as the other continues to contort — That is, break the status quo. But instead of seeking to help BEN, the merchant stalked as his plunged himself further and further into despair.

The other shifts to hide something. A burning pit swells within his belly. HIS BURDEN TO SHOULDER? HIS PUNISHMENT FOR CLAWING AT A WORLD NOT MADE FOR THE ORGANIC, RIPPING HIMSELF TO SHREDS FOR A GLIMPSE OF WARMTH?

HOW IS IT

f̡ ͏a̸ ͝ ̨̢ ͟͠ ̸̀i҉҉͠ ̷́͢ ��̀͢ ̡͡͏ ͞҉̛͝ ̶͘͡͝ ̵͟͢͞ ̵̷̧̛͞ŗ̸̴͜͠ ͢҉̸̕͜ ̴̷̧̧̛͝ ̷͟͟͠͞͞ ́͘҉̷͟͜ ̷̡̨̨̛̀ ̴̴̷̷̨́͞ ̀҉̶̶́̀͜ ̷̴̛̕͟͝͞ ̡҉̶̵̨̛̕͜ ̴̢̛̛̛̕͘͞?̶̕͘͟͠͏͡͠

As he undoes his bag, you fumble for your blade. You can't get it steady. He frowns, unhooking a mask for inspection. You can't get it steady. Unexpectedly, he drops it. You can't get it sTEADY. But only gives an empty smile. YOU CAN'T GET IT ŞT̡͢E͘͢͞À̵̛̀́D̴̶̴̛͜͠Y̡̨̢̛̕͜͝. You can feel Tatl pull you from the shirt collar as you try to walk forward. She persists and pleads and promises you that it's not worth it. But still, you can't get it steady. You give, pivot, and scoop Tatl with your hat, asking her to hold on.

[ WHY NOW . . . ? ] Is all he can manage when he turns again.

[ IN ALL MY TIME STRUGGLING — ] But his thoughts are cut short as his eyes focus on the ground. His would-be breath hitches.

The boy turns to the other.

[ . . . W H E R E A R E Y O U G O I N G ? ]

[ ...Ha, quite the presumptuous one, aren't you? ] The 'voice' rang back, sharp eyes immediately focused on the boy.

[ Good company requires good manners! One who does not practice this may find themselves constantly in need of friends. Or worse yet... under the pressure of many enemies. ] As the textbox continued to scroll without the other's input, he seemed to be taking inventory, notably tucking away a small bundle of ghostly white masks into his backpack. Were those always in the game...? ...Well, you'd know the answer to that, wouldn't you, Ben?

Before you'd have the ability to answer however, a hand clasped to your shoulder with the grip strength of a Goron. The nonexistent air seemed still as the man's breathing came to a sharp halt.

[ I have no plans of staying here to watch the moon fall for the umpteenth time, child! Nor do I need that wretched Mask! Whatever chain of events are about to transpire, this is your burden to shoulder. I shall return when it's quieter, Benjamin. ]

Though the Salesman would find himself turning to leave, his grip on the boy's very being now absent, he couldn't help but notice an oddity with one of the masks that adorned his backpack. Frowning, he was quick to hide the abnormality from Ben. Though... considering the current events at hand, perhaps attempting to hide such a thing would be fruitless. Alas, this is not my business to meddle with!