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Quiet.

@theiongquiet.bsky.social

100 followers 120 following 370 posts

Don't worry about what's going to happen. If you could do anything in the world, what would it be? What would you choose? 🎨: https://www.tumblr.com/lavb-b/769034742343647232/and-you-will-surely-be-the-death-of-me?source=share

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Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · Aug 6

Reposted by Quiet.

Hide, hide! @fatecalls.bsky.social · 1h

Consumption and betrayal. Skepticism and blind devotion. Rivalry and submission. Terror and longing. Pain and unfamiliarity, And at the heart of it all, an emotion that can only be described as—

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 1h

> "Fun fact! The construct actually has rules of reality written into it, one of which being that only the Princess and I can exist within it. Don't believe me? Look up "The Long Quiet Rule 34" and see for yourself!"

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 1h

looms on its far side. I think you already know what waits for you within.

Broken
It's dreary. But of course it is. We're dreary, and so is she.

Skeptic
There's nothing to find out here. Time to check in with the missus.

I'm going to pretend you didn't just call her that.

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 1h

Princess.

Broken
You did the right thing.

> "Whatever we do next, it's happening at the cabin. No point standing around here any longer." [Head up the path.]

You stand at the edge of a cliff. An abyss yawns beneath you, empty and endless, the only path forward a rusted metal bridge. The cabin +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 1h

seen again?' All we did was throw it a few feet away. What's stopping us from just walking over and picking it back up?

Unfortunately, the fact that you already made your decision is what's stopping you from picking it back up. I suppose you'll just have to find some other way to slay the +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 1h

> "They've always had names. There's also Voice of the Hero."

Hero
Hey, that's me! I like that name.

That's news to me.

> "Anyways, I'm not bringing the blade." [Toss the blade into the woods.]

Seriously? Sigh. You hurl the blade into the woods, never to be seen again.

Skeptic
'Never to be +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

you in, Voice of the Broken wants us to go in without our weapons. Voice of the Skeptic is staunchly opposed to that. What do you think?"

> "I'm leaning towards the former. At least one of us has had a weapon each time."

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

need to comment on that. What a sorry, sorry voice you are. We should toss the blade. She can't talk to us at knife-point. That's no way to get a real conversation started.

Skeptic
You're being ridiculous. Why would we disarm ourselves at a time like this?! Don't. You. Dare.

> "Just to clue +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

guided by an unfeeling lunatic. We need to try talking to her.

Skeptic
Oh, should we talk about our *feelings?* That'll get us nowhere, trust me. They're too easy for her to manipulate, too illogical. We can't puzzle our way out of things if we listen to our heart.

Broken
I don't think I even +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

> "Yeah. I think we can do it this time."

> "...Should we talk about how we're starting with the blade this time?"

Skeptic
Huh. I... hadn't actually noticed.

Hero
Holding it's starting to feel... natural, isn't it?

Broken
Holding a weapon shouldn't feel so natural. It's proof that we're being +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

spare you my full introduction, but I would like to remind you that the people in my world are living, breathing, suffering entities and not pawns for you to sacrifice in pursuit of some vague truth.

You. Cloaked one. What go-around is this?

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

optimal plan. We need statistical significance!

I'll have you know that my reality is not a datapoint in your misguided attempt at an experiment.

Sigh. You've clearly already been here before, and judging by how deranged at least three of you are, you've already been here more than once. I'll +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

normal, a normal person gets traumatized from dying! And from watching someone cut her own head off!

Hero
Hold on, did you say thousands? How can it possibly takes us thousands of lives to find a way out of here?

Skeptic
Obviously we need a large sample size... i-in order to figure out our +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

will work out this time, I know it.

Skeptic
Oh, don't coddle him. For all we know we'll have to die hundreds of times to get to the bottom of things. Maybe even thousands. He needs to toughen up.

Broken
Toughen up?! You're both freaks! I'm having a rational reaction to what just happened. I'm +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

You're on a path in the woo—

Hero
See? All done. That wasn't so bad, was it, buddy?

Broken
But it was so bad. I don't like dying. I don't like being cold and alone in the dark.

Hero
I don't think anybody likes dying, but hey, at least it's over. We got better! And now we can move on. Things +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

Chapter III: The Cage

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

Your companion raises her blade to your throat and cuts it open. You rapidly bleed out, and then you die. You're a suicidal maniac, you know that, right?

Skeptic
Yeah. We'll see about that.

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 2h

You goddamned spiteful bastard. Are you really going to turn down immortality itself just to make me lose?

Skeptic
Why should it matter if we die at this point? Haven't you already gotten what you want?

I... I don't have to answer that!

Skeptic
You're just delaying the inevitable.

Gah! Fine! +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

days, or months, or years, or even decades. It's all a wonderful, boring blur. You've never been happier.

Skeptic
Decades?! No, it can't be decades. We can't go along with this. We can't let Him win.

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

This *is* your reward. An eternity of bliss, if you'll have it. And I suggest that you have it.

Hero
O...kay.

This is what's best for everyone. Trust me.

Skeptic
Like hell it is!

> "That's bullshit!"

What's done is done. And there's no going back now.

Time passes. You can't be sure if it's +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

ago, the only thing in front of you now is the vast emptiness of some place far away.

Skeptic
You don't have to act surprised. She told us about this 'vast emptiness' already, and we could see it through the windows.

Hero
But if everything's gone... Does that mean we're not gonna get our reward? +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

Skeptic
The door! Check the door!

> [Open the door and accept your reward.]

You open the cabin door, ready to return to a world saved from certain doom.

Only, a world saved from certain doom isn't what you find. Instead, what you find is nothing at all. Where a lush forest stood mere minutes +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

Skeptic
Fine, but we're taking the blade. I feel exposed without it.

Your work done, you remove the blade from the Princess' corpse and make your way back upstairs, closing the door to the basement behind you.

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

Congratulations! You saved the world.

( Somewhere upstairs, the world outside the windows fades into a textured nothingness. )

Skeptic
Huh. So I guess that's it. What a way to go. But she is gone, isn't she?

Hero
I hate this. Can we just get out of here now?

> "Agreed. Let's go see Hornet." +

Quiet. @theiongquiet.bsky.social · 3h

head. It stretches and tears, until finally, it falls to the floor, completely free. It bounces a few times before rolling to a stop at your feet.

Hero
Oh no oh no oh no what did we do? Can we put it back? Please tell me we can put it back.

The Princess' eyes stare up at you. Dead. +