the-showfall-worker

[the-showfall-worker]

OOC:

Thank you for letting me be part of the Encoreverse. This may be my last post for this universe. These last few months have been life changing, seriously. I’m not meaning to sound dramatic, but I genuinely never knew that I could tell a story like this, out here in the open for people to come across. I’ve loved watching everyone grow with their writing. I’ve loved interacting with you all.

Unfortunately, all good things have to end. I’ve been completely burnt out on Encore for a while (I’m hoping it hasn’t shown too badly), and I’m struggling to keep up with posting.

Luckily, I’ll be open to do the occasional silly post/transcript! I’m not swearing off Encore entirely. But for now, I’m going to let their stories lie.

Realistically, not all stories end wrapped in a bow. Jenny and Daff will be dealing with their experiences for the rest of their lives. Trauma can’t just… be solved. But rest assured they will become happier. They will learn how to live again.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope to catch you all… on the fl1ps1d3. ;]

- @rainy-sys

[the-showfall-worker]

… So… New Year, huh?

… May this year bring us good things.

… May we all smile again.

[the-showfall-worker]

FUCK YEAH! HEY DAFF!!! :D

… Hello Will…!

[the-showfall-worker]

[Transcript received.]

[The worker is heard muttering under their breath.]

?: “… Gotcha, you little shit…! Edgar’s Barbie Girl thing works. Anyway…”

[A noise is heard as the worker picks up the phone.]

?: “… Merry Christmas to me, and…”

[AWAITING INPUT…]

[…]

[INPUT RECEIVED. USER RECOGNIZED AS “DAFFODIL”.]

D: “… There we are… Tired of this shitty thing using my deadname. Thanks, Daniel. Anyway… End transcript.”

[Transcript end.]

[the-showfall-worker]

… I can hear material being cut from Rose’s room… I wonder if Ness is making something…

[the-showfall-worker]

[Transcript received.]

[A door closing is heard before footsteps.]

J: “Daff, you’re back…!”

?: “… Yeah… Here’s your phone…”

[A thud is heard as Jenny’s phone is seemingly thrown onto the couch.]

J: “Thank god, okay, okay, I need to check on Edgar, I haven’t heard anything because you had my phone and—”

?: “He’s already awake.”

J: “… Oh… I uh. Missed it.”

?: “… Yeah… So no worrying… Like I said…”

J: “I mean, you have to admit that that’s something to worry about…”

[The room is quiet for a long while.]

J: “… Are you uh… Will you ever get that removed?”

?: “… Hm? … Get what removed?”

J: “Your, uh… Your leftover mask part, over your eye. That can’t be good for your mental health.”

?: “… I barely notice it’s there.”

J: “Daff, that’s not necessarily a good thing.”

?: “… Oh.”

[A creak is heard as the worker sits on the couch.]

?: “… Am I even allowed back in the hospital, really…?”

J: “I mean, I think you’d have to be, they can’t just refuse a patient I don’t think.”

[The room falls silent again, but Jenny is heard turning and tapping the worker’s shoulder lightly.]

J: “… What are you thinking about?”

[The worker’s voice is hesitant as they answer.]

?: “… What if I don’t want it removed?”

J: “Ah-”

[Jenny makes a startled noise at their question, but seems to force a calm response.]

J: “Uh, that’s… your choice, I suppose.”

[A beat.]

J: “… I just worry that that… thing is part of why you’ve been so quiet. You’ve never been so silent before, but ever since…”

?: “… Ever since I died, I know…”

J: “… Yeah… Do you… want to talk abou—”

?: “No.”

J: “… Okay… Again, I worry for your mental health, so—”

?: “I’m fine.”

[An air of disbelief hangs in the room.]

J: “… Daff, you sound like me.”

?: “… Then I sound like Edgar too…”

J: “Yeah… Again, sometimes not a good thing.”

?: “… I didn’t learn it from you two, if that’s what you’re thinking…”

J: “Learn what?”

?: “… To hide my emotions in an attempt to benefit other people…”

J: “So you admit you do that?”

?: “Never said that.”

[Another beat.]

?: “… I just… don’t have them.”

J: “… What?”

?: “… I don’t have emotions.”

J: “Daff, that’s a boldfaced lie. I’ve seen you.”

?: “… Then I meant ‘not anymore’.”

J: “Okay, but what about that horror game you talked my ear off about the other day? … You were smiling.”

[The worker goes silent at that.]

J: “Daffodil, talk to me… I miss seeing you smile like that.”

[The worker hums in response, but takes a moment to start talking. It seems they’ve decided to finally talk about what they were asked.]

?: “… I don’t let myself have emotions. Not willingly. Not anymore.”

J: “… That’s—”

[The worker cuts her off before she can scold them.]

?: “Do you… remember your death?”

J: “From the security? … Unfortunately, yes.”

?: “The whole thing?”

J: “… What do you mean ‘the whole thing’? I was chased, I… died. And the next thing I knew I was back and—”

?: “… So nothing between then?”

J: “… ‘Between then’?”

?: “… When you were dead… You… don’t remember the feeling of being dead?”

J: “Daff, that’s—”

?: “Impossible…?“

[Jenny inhales, but only speaks after a minute.]

J: “… Do you remember?”

?: “Yes.”

[The worker answers simply, as if they hadn’t confirmed such a horrific thing.]

?: “It was… cold… Freezing cold… I remember I couldn’t open my eyes… I had no strength in my body at all… I could barely think at first, but… then I felt the pain again.”

[They take a moment to gather their thoughts, then continue.]

?: “… I felt myself get lifted up from the floor… I felt colder then, despite not being on the tile anymore… More like a chill up my spine… I couldn’t move, but I could feel, and when I was lifted from the ground… it was the coldest I had ever been.”

[They take a deep breath.]

?: “I recognized the voice I was hearing after a while. I didn’t get a headache. I didn’t feel any physical pain remembering him… But I wanted to sob. I wanted to scream. I wanted to say something. To tell him that I was still conscious, to tell him to put me down, to ask him so many questions… but I couldn’t.”

[Another breath, this time shakier.]

?: “Then…”

[They choke on their breath this time, and it becomes audibly clear that they’re crying. Their voice gets quiet with emotion.]

?: “Then I felt a pain in my neck… Like a pinch. And I stopped feeling anything… No physical feeling, but I was… still able to think… the whole time… The whole time…”

[The couch creaks as they move to hug themself.]

?: “… The whole time…”

[There’s an eerie silence in the apartment, lasting about 3 minutes.]

J: “… I’m so sorry, daffodil…”

?: “I’m fine.”

[The worker’s voice has returned to what it was before. Distant and devoid of emotion.]

J: “No, you’re not—”

?: “Emotions get people hurt, Jenny, let me have this… It’s the only comfort I have.”

[More heavy silence.]

?: “… I’m fine… Let’s… do something else for a while.”

J: “Daff, I—”

?: “Please.”

[Jenny falls silent, but after a while she’s heard standing up and walking off. She comes back after a few seconds, handing something to the worker. Things on the device she handed them clack around as they seem to fidget with it.]

J: “… Power Washing Simulator?”

?: “… Yeah… Thank you…”

[There’s 6 minutes of silence, minus quiet gameplay noises. Quietly, the worker’s voice is heard again, higher and softer.]

?: “… That was hard for me to talk about… Thank you for listening to me…”

J: “Anytime, sweetheart…”

?: “… I love you, mom.”

[A beat passes again.]

J: “… I love you too, daffodil.”

[End transcript.]

[the-showfall-worker]

Nice! -Ness

… Thanks… Weirdly enough, that’s clear in my head…

[the-showfall-worker]

Normally luigi, how about you? -Ness

… Bowser, or if I’m going against someone especially competitive, Metal Mario… At least, in MarioKart 7, I think… Yeah, that may be the one I had…

[the-showfall-worker]

It'll get everyone's mind off it... And I'm sure you'll remember important stuff eventually. -Ness

… I hope so. The only important things I remember are things that are already mostly known by people… And my deadname. So that sucks.

… Sorry to bring the mood down. Who do you play as in MarioKart? So I can know whether I’m getting my ass beat or not, haha…

[the-showfall-worker]

Anytime dude, do you uh... Wanna play Mario kart? I have a copy on my switch? -Ness

… Sure… I think the last time I played MarioKart was years ago at a family party… I don’t know why I remember that but nothing important, haha…

[the-showfall-worker]

Dunno, but we should probably get down before it gets too cold. -Ness

… That’s true. Thank you…

[the-showfall-worker]

… Ness gave me a box of cookies… I don’t know why a box of cookies would give me a headache.

[the-showfall-worker]

Wait... Daff uh this might be bad, Rose is talking with her half sister that wants her dead... Just a few hours after the stuff with Edgar... O H F U C K

… Wait.

[the-showfall-worker]

Gotcha, I'll be up there in a like 3 minutes. -Ness

… Thank you.

[the-showfall-worker]

What kind of cookie do you want? -Ness

… Just a chocolate chip one, if you don’t mind.

[the-showfall-worker]

Can I meet you up there? I got off work early said it was a family emergency... I'll bring cookies? -Ness

… Sure.

[the-showfall-worker]

I'm not worried about that, but you can still get down please? -🌹

… I just wanted to look at the sky for a bit.