New in Town: Onceler x Reader

Chapter 1: What brings you here?

You were a lone traveler ready to show the world a  new invention that would make life easier. You just didn't know what that new gadget was. That's why you embarked on a journey to discover what this creation would be.

You came from a small town and always felt like you didn't belong, you were meant for something bigger. At the first chance you got, you bought yourself a motorcycle and never looked back. Now life was going to be on your own terms, you were going to be the creator of your destiny.

Your POV:
It's been three hours and there's still no sign of civilization anywhere. I knew I should've kept another copy of that old map! There's almost no fuel left in my motorcycle and I'm getting tired of driving. I look around for any roads that could lead to a nearby gas station but to my dismay there's only tall trees with pink tops everywhere. That's weird, I've never seen these trees before or something so pink. Its pretty but it makes me sick. Suddenly my ride comes to a halt causing me to jerk forward. No! No! This means the tank is empty!

"What am I going to do now! I'm in the middle of nowhere with zero people around. This trip was a mistake." I yell out into the empty forest my frustrations before continuing my journey on foot. I'm not going to die in a forest. Nope. I'm too perfect to be in a situation like this.

-

It's been around half an hour and I finally see a river up ahead. Hopefully the water is clean, I haven't had a sip of water for a while now and my throat is getting painfully dry. I take a seat on a big boulder at the edge of the bank, the water below was actually really clear. This strange place was beautiful now that I look closer at it. I lean my face down to wash off the sweat from a day of traveling but instead come in contact with something slimey.

I open my eyes to see a weird fish standing on its tail staring right back at me with a confused expression on its face. What the fu-I lose my balance on the large rock from surprise and end up falling backwards. Owww, I think this place is cursed.

I quickly find my footing again and chase after the strange creature, I have to know how a fish can breath out of water. It's just not possible. It runs into a bush up ahead and I make a dive into the small plant. My hands search for the aquatic animal but only the course leaves find their way into my grasp.

"Sorry for scaring you off little fellow, I didn't mean to. Hmm, you know what?" I reach into my pocket and pull out a small bag filled with neatly wrapped lollipops. I carefully take off the plastic encasing and leave the small candy on the soft grass. "Oh no! I seem to have dropped a delicious dessert on this rather dirty ground! It would be a shame if it got eaten by some lowlife."

An orange fin reaches out from seemingly nowhere and grabs the lollipop, I'm surprised this worked actually. I didn't have any fish food on me but who knows what this thing eats. A pair of big eyes peer up at me from under some leaves and I try coaxing it out with a sweet voice.

"Don't you just look adorable. Come on out, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Y/N by the way." This earns its trust enough so that it fully comes into view, I spot the candy in its mouth. I'm not sure how it's grabbing onto the candy since it doesn't have any fingers. Oh well, nothing makes sense anymore it seems. "Have you seen any other humans? I'm looking for any sign of civilization, I need shelter for the night."

I'm not sure if it even understands me but to my surprise it points towards some trees a couple of feet away and I manage to see a mule. Next to it is some sort of large tent with a sign on the front door. This must be my lucky day. Relief washes through me and I thank the little fish before heading towards the unknown tent.

-

As I approach the small settlement, I notice how quiet the forest was in this particular area. It almost felt creepy how the only animal on this tiny bit of land was the mule that was lazily munching on some grass. I finally make it to the door but I hesitate in knocking, I don't know who lives here. Why are they so far away from the nearest town? What if they're a serial killer who preys on lone travelers?

I bite my lower lip in thought and look over the tent one more time. Whoever lives here probably just loves nature. Yeah. That's why none of the wildlife is coming near them. As my eyes scan over the place one last time, my gaze connects with bright blue eyes staring back at me from behind a tan curtain. They notice they've been caught and rapidly hide. I hear their footsteps approach the door and I decide to take cover behind their large wagon.

I hear the door creak open and my heart beats with anticipation. Shit. I took a wrong turn and now I'm hiding from a stranger in the middle of a large forest filled with deformed animals. I try to quiet my breathing as I hear footsteps getting louder. I take slow steps backwards but keep my gaze ahead ready to spot any movement.

"Hello!" A loud greeting startles me from behind and I turn around quickly, almost tripping on my own feet. My eyes are leveled with someone's chest and I raise my gaze to see a tall young man wearing a fedora. Wow, I can't believe I got scared by someone who wears a fedora. This is a new low even for me.

"Are you this welcoming to all your visitors? Do you have a habit of creeping up on unsuspecting victims?" I tighten my grip on my backpack from the short surge of adrenaline this man gave me. He scoffs at my sarcasm and folds his arms with a weirdly positive attitude.

"Do you have a habit of hiding behind people's homes?" I raise my brow at him and he smiles knowing he's got me there. "You knocked and I answered. Why did you run away?"

"Why were you looking at me through your window? I don't know if you've realized this but your body isn't invisible." I place my hands on my hips, I won't let him have the last word. He lets out a humorless chuckle before his features express his frustration.

"I heard someone outside my tent, I thought you were-...you know what, never mind. I just..thought nobody else lived here. What brings you here?" He leaned against the wagon while gazing down at me with a slight pink tint on his face.

"I don't live here. In fact, I didn't think anyone would want to settle in the middle of nowhere but you've proved me wrong." He tilts his head at my tone and I realize that I've let myself get carried away. I think I'm doing too much right now, I need to calm down. I'm scaring him. I give him an apologetic smile and try using a gentler tone, "Excuse my brash attitude, I've had a long day and it isn't fair that I take it out on you. I got stranded a couple miles back and I've been searching for any signs of civilization. That's when I saw your tent and well now I'm here talking to you."

"It's fine, I see you've been through a lot. I also had some weird stuff happen to me, I barely set up shop here actually. Hey! Why don't you stay with me tonight? I'm sure you're tired already and it's going to be nightfall soon." He has a look of hope in his eyes as he flashes me a kind smile. I look up at the sky and see that he was right. Who knows how far the next town is and he's offering me shelter. He's too cheerful for a normal person though, that's unsettling. I think he saw my mental battle on my features because he blurted out, "I make some really good pancakes!"

I let out a small laugh before nodding my head, I can see his smile grow at my amusement. "I guess I'll have to see for myself if you really are good at making pancakes then. You don't look like the type to cook."

"What do you-" He sees my smile and realizes it was a joke since he's clearly wearing a pink apron, he shakes his head and playfully rolls his eyes. "Haha, apart from your sarcastic jabs it's great to finally have someone to talk to, it's been so lonely traveling by myself."

"I get what you mean, I'm actually glad I found you. I was beginning to feel desperate for shelter since this forest seems endless. I can't imagine being here for longer." I lean on the wagon while motioning to the pink treetops. "I mean it's a beautiful sight but everything here seems...different. I guess it's just the wonder of nature."

"That's what I noticed too! I was getting tired of talking to the animals." I let out a small laugh but my smile disappears when I realize he wasn't joking. Mental illness looks different these days.