#rw IHAP

[thunder-opossum]

I Have A Proposition

-by thunder-wolf64

I will write this type of thing for each slugcat if you guys like this. Essentially Enot makes deals and guides the souls of this world to their ending. Giving them all that they have agreed upon. Today, Enot's target is Survivor.

Cw for body horror (Enot is looking a bit funky), and Survivor spoilers.

Story is under the cut!

Survivor dives under water and into the pipe, dropping into the complex system of underwater tunnels. The ball of thin white fur makes a large splash as she hits the water. Her two-toed paws scramble beneath the surface to pull her through the water. The slugcat surfaces with a gasp and drags herself up onto a metal platform. Cold water drips from her body and she shakes the liquid off. Wiping the stray fur out of her eyes, she notices some blue fruit hanging from the ceiling. She eagerly jumps for it, grabbing it in her paws and stuffing it into her mouth. She reaches for the next one before finishing her first.

“It’s rude of you not to share,” A voice echoes down the pipes.

Survivor jumps, choking on the food in her mouth and missing the jump for the other fruit. “-Ack cough cough What-” Survivor turns and her annoyed tone quickly comes to a halt as she sees what is infront of her.

A much larger, navy blue, and strangely-angled slugcat looks down at her. A crooked smile stretches across its unusually long maw, “Ah, thanks for leaving me some, I am starving.” The slugcat walks forwards, past Survivor, and easily pulls the fruit from the ceiling.

Survivor’s fur spikes up as she steps back from that creature. She hopes that this is not what slugcats from inside the walls look like, otherwise she would be completely out of place. “Who are you?” she wipes residual blue juices from the fur on her chin.

“Thanks for asking,” the slugcat has already engulfed several fruits, “I have lots of names, but Enot is probably the easiest for you to wrap your head around.” Enot’s bones seem almost broken in how its limbs bend, bad posture at its finest. “No need to introduce yourself, I already know all about you, the one who was washed away.”

Survivor can practically hear Enot’s bones cracking as it bends down to be at her eye level. “I think I’ll be going now.” If she's learned anything, it's that everything is a threat. It's time to go, she thinks. Whatever this thing is, it is not like me, how did it even get here, there's not a drop of water on its fur?

“Going where; to your family?” Enot smiles even larger, “You can’t make it home, It’s impossible.”

“And how do you know-” Survivor is quickly cut off.

“You’re right, how bold of me to assume you even want to go home! Maybe this was all planned.” Enot taps a long pointed finger on its chin.

“You have it all wrong. I miss my family, I would love to see them again, I just don’t know how. I could never comprehend the vastness inside the walls.” Survivor tries her best to reason with herself.

Enots eyes close slightly, the piercing-ness of them becoming less frightening and more smug. “Oh, I can help you see your family again. You will have to give up on this place though.” Enot sticks his tongue in disgust. “You would go on the journey of a thousand lifetimes! You'll have many stories to tell when you make it there, to the place you hold dear.” Enot moves closer, “It’s never failed to complete anyone else's story.”

Survivor cringes as she gets a closer look at Enot's unusual anatomy, flat broad teeth, strange eyes, vein-like stripes. Was this more than a slugcat? Survivor had of course heard rumors of gods before. Could this creature actually help? “You want to help me get home. Is that what I’m hearing?”

Enot nods, “Yes, yes, yes, You’re getting it! I'll get you on the fast-track to your ending! Otherwise you could wander this land for many cycles, every moment more confusing than the last.”

“You sure I will be home?” Survivor still speaks with skepticism.

“Whatever home means to you, Survivor,” Enot ensures.

“And how do you make this happen?” Survivor finally rests comfortably on her haunches, not looking like she's ready to bolt at a moment's notice. “I don’t have to, like, go on a murder spree in your name?”

“Nuh-uh, just shake my paw and the deal is sealed. And I will tell you everything you need to know!” Enot blinks its eyes, flaunting its long eyelashes.

Survivor holds out her paw expectantly, “Let’s just get this done.”

“Mhm, finally an eager one!” Enot’s blue paw meets in Survivor’s white one. A foul feeling prickles under Survivors skin but she holds on tight. Enot pulls her closer and gently taps on her scared nose, “Boop!” It laughs and lets go of Survivor’s hand. “Now try using that sniffer of yours, you'll find some new tweaks,” It winks.

Survivor twitches her nose, but breathes in deep, closing her eyes, visualizing the world around her, new scents reveal new paths that she hadn't found. “What Is this?” She asks, with her eyes still closed.

“Your way home, you’ll meet someone who will tell you the rest of the way, just follow their instructions and mine.” Enot stares at Survivor silently for a few more moments before dashing off and diving into the water.

Survivor tries to follow, but when she reaches the surface of the water, it’s completely undisturbed, the strange slugcat had vanished. The only thing she could do now was follow what she has left… I’ll be home soon, I swear.

---

End.

I will hold a poll later for the next scug Enot will interact with. If this gets enough attention, that is!

[thunder-opossum]

I Have a Proposition

-by thunder-wolf64

Cw for Monk Gourm Surv spoilers.

Story below the cut.

As Monk crawled into a shelter, rain shook the ground outside. Unexpectedly, someone followed behind. Monk turned around and jolted seeing the creature behind them.

Enot's smile grew, it's flat red teeth shining against the dim light. "Hello, short one!"

Monk's ears pinned, "H-hello!" He returned the greeting. Monk shuffled into the corner a bit more, "Do you need to stay in this shelter? it's raining outside now, I don't think you'll make it to a different shelter." Monk patted the insulated ground of the room. "I don't mind company, I'd never want anyone to die to the rain, not without as much help as I can offer."

Enot chuckled softly, "You sure follow your namesake." It slithered into the box, soft moss and lichens padded the cold metal ground. Though that didn't matter to Enot. "Do you share shelters a lot?"

Monk was quiet for a moment, "... You must've heard about me from the scavengers, they love to chat." The yellow slugcat laid down on the ground, his short fur and body heat warning the ground. "Mhm back home I usually sleep in piles with the others, but now I'm here and more often scavengers and lizards will hibernate with me. I have yet to see another slugcat though!"

"You must miss colony life, you're a sociable little creature." Enot scooted closer to Monk and lays down, its long tail curled around both of them. "Colonies aren't around inside the walls anymore, the rain is too severe and the shelters are too small."

"The walls?" Monk echoed. He noticed Enot's long and disjointed tail curling around him, but he didn't mind. "Is that where I am?"

Enot nodded its head, its long ears smoothing out to avoid hitting the top of the cramped shelter. "Inside the walls, a place where the rain takes over, as you know. Your life on the outside, in the wilds, is more tame than the destruction here."

Monk chuckled, "I mean, not dealing with jungle leeches is nice-"

"Is feeling yourself slowly becoming paralyzed from a spider better? Is dealing the rot better? Is swimming in polluted waters better? is getting swept off the ground by vultures better? Is lizards fighting over your limp body better? Is being drowned by worms better?" Enot leaned closer and its smile wrapped around its long snout. "You haven't even experienced half of the terrors here. No matter how nice you are, how much kindness you treat a creature with, you'll always be reduced to a karma flower for your empathy."

Monk stood up and stepped away from Enot. "You can't know that."

Enot hummed, "hmm, well I do." Enot sat up on its haunches and leaned over the yellow furred slugcat. "You need to go home. You won't find your sister here. She's already gone."

Monk's heart raced, what does this slugcat mean by that? "She's not gone, she'll never be gone for as long as I'm searching for her." The whole reason Monk came here was for Survivor, he couldn't give up. "And how could you know?!"

"Everyone really needs to stop asking that question again and again." Enot rolled its strange blue eyes. "I made sure your sister had her ending. You need yours. You'll see her again, you just need a way to go home." Enot taps his claws, "Except you can't actually leave."

"You're not making any sense! Is Survivor already home? Is she still here?" Monk starts to lose his composure.

Enot frowns, "ugh, timelines, how do I make this sort of linear?" Enot starts to mumble to itself while Monk sees if he can make a run for the exit. "Gourm opened the door after Surv- but Surv isn't home so Monk can't see her..."

Monk leapt around Enot and dashed for the pipe, but the messed up slugcat grabs Monk by the tail and drags him back down. "Get off of me!" Monk yelps.

"Wait wait wait! Darn... OKAY." Enot gently tosses Monk back into the corner and blocks the exit. "Out of every scug I figured you'd be the easiest to convince towards their 'bad' ending." Enot groans and yanks on their ears in frustration. "Ummm, sure go home. It's a long journey, and your sister won't be the same. But screw the timeline, my existence itself is breaking this world!"

Monk looks on twitch fear, "...what?"

"You beat my games, I'll have to think this through better next time!" Enot begins to cough something up, an egg with a weird red marking. "Sorry about this, but it is .. your payment for your ending or whatever. Find the iterators yada yada and you'll be fine-" Enot reaches out and taps Monk on the nose, "-boop!" Enot drops the egg and everything starts to warp.

Monk gasps as he wakes up where he started last cycle. "... I think I need to go home asap."

---

Moink avoided Enot's tricks through plot holes! Yippie!

Also new monk design!

[thunder-opossum]

I Have a Proposition

-by thunder-wolf64

Cw for Hunter spoilers, rot, and Enot being anatomically odd.

Hunter back flipped over the yellow lizard, throwing her spear in mid flight down into the lizard's spine. It roared in pain as it was pinned to the ground. Hunter quickly scampered along. Time is running out, the rain will be here soon, and I need to eat, she thought. She assessed the area to see if there were any more threats around. That lizard will be dead soon, I can eat and make it to a shelter.

Seeing only a few other threats around, Hunter quickly ran back over to the now dead lizard. She tore chunks of flesh from the body, trying to eat as fast as possible as she felt her internal clock ticking, every second counts.

A buzzing sound came from a pipe seconds before a centiwing burst out, its green body sparking. "Iterators above-" she cursed as she dove for the nearest spear. Grabbing the weapon in her right paw she turned and threw the spear, despite not taking a lot of time to aim, it his spot on. The bugs' exoskeleton crunched as the spear flew through its body. Hunter didn't have time to celebrate her amazing skills when a bunch more lizards came to investigate the noise.

Hunter started running again and dived into a pipe. With amazing speed and accuracy she maneuvered the land, jumping and climbing poles that were slick with rain, avoiding pole plants, and making it to safety. She breathed hard as she finally dropped into the shelter. Rain splattered beneath her feet, rain had already started to fill the room before the doors closed. she groaned and defeatedly laid down. Her body hurt, but not just from running around all day. She let herself fall into hibernation before she could dwell on her affliction for too long.

* * *

Every cycle was harder for her. As her eyes opened she could feel something moving under her skin, bubbling up as painful sores. It left X shaped wounds across her orange fur. With a few deep breaths, she hauled herself out of the den and painfully stretched her muscles and skin. An eggbug scrambled around the room at the sight of Hunter. She didn't bother trying to catch it. She's more likely to end up hurting herself in her already rough condition. Your lucky cycle, bug-

She jumped slightly as a spear burst the big, sending it's eggs flying around the room. She looked for the source, her good eye landed on a strange creature. A slugcat, but something was terribly wrong with it. I can't really judge, she reminded herself. "Get outta' that corner," Her voice rasped.

The slugcat smiled, "You not feeling well? An eggbug is an easy meal for someone under your circumstances." It picked up a blue egg and popped it in its mouth, swallowing whole. "You should eat anyways." It picked up another egg and tossed it at Hunter.

But she just stood there, the egg hit her on the snout and dropped back onto the ground. "If all you're here to do is chat, I'm afraid I don't have the time to spare." She took a few steps towards the same tunnel she came through last cycle.

"Yeah, it seems you used up all your spare time falling to your death." The slugcat stepped nearer. "Your journey will do more than kill you."

Hunter hissed, realizing that this scug is too knowledgeable. "Who are you? Did NSH send you to replace me?"

"I'm Enot, and I'm here to motivate you! For once I actually want you to try and finish your journey." Enot chuckled to itself. "I know you're planning to go to Five Pebbles. I'm here to tell you that you don't have time, he can't help you. Not when you die before you can reach his front door."

"So you're saying I should just take the short cut?" Hunter says confused.

'"Spot on! You have just enough days to do what you need to. You stray from that path, and there's no guarantee you'll make it on time."

Hunter is skeptical, "Why should i-"

"-You don't have time to hesitate, you don't have time to go to FP. You know it." Enot's tone becomes unusually blatant. "Go now. Go run to Moon. Your cycles are getting shorter."

"I think-"

"Stop. Go. Time is running out." Enot did not let up. Although it may seem like Enot is being helpful, it knows that Hunter will succumb to the rot, sure, she'll get the neuron to Moon, but that's all Enot needed.

Hunter goes quiet. She knows she can't argue, she knows what she needs to do. She stares for a few more seconds before diving into the pipe, continuing her mission.

---

Hunter will become Hunter Long Legs.

[thunder-opossum]

Welcome back to poll time! I didn't think all the vanilla scugs would be taken out first- but now it's a free for all!

Who will be visited by Enot next?

[thunder-opossum]

You all seemed to like the story, so I'll continue!

[thunder-opossum]

Survivor ascended, Monk found his way home, who is next?