Love in the Time of Beans (Among Us Logic)

Novisor Revisited (Pt 1)

I wanted to try an alternate take on the Novisor series. It's a little short for now, but I wanted to put it out there. Also I wrote this in like 40 minutes at 1 in the morning, proving to myself that I do not in fact have incurable writer's block.

The last time Player woke up in a different place from where he'd gone to sleep was that time when his parents let him stay up until midnight for New Year's. Player, being ten years old at the time, conked out completely at ten o' clock and woke up the next morning, tucked neatly under his race car sheets.

If only this situation could have been as nice as this. He found himself hanging upside down, encased in a cocoon of black goo. Only a thread of the stuff kept his capsule connected to the Airship ceiling. It was a treacherous situation, made worse by Captain's unnecessary input.

"Player! You're also stuck in one of those goo pods!" the white Bean announced.

"Where are we? What happened?" He couldn't remember anything that had happened after Poopyfarts read a creepy book and summoned Novisor.

"Hmm...I think we may have ended up in Pawstralia! Or that the world has turned completely upside down."

"What--I--Captain, no!" Player stuttered. "That's stupid. I'll bet this has something to do with Novisor and...wait a second. Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Ha! If I were a lesser Bean," Captain boasted. "Poopyfarts tried to stab me in the shower. Key word being tried. It was very steamy in the shower, so he couldn't see a thing! Luckily, I have a background in improv acting, and I was able to trick him into thinking he got me. And I lived to fight another day."

"Uh, but Wizard said he found your body, and you had a bunch of stab wounds."

"I'm a really good actor. Besides, what does Wizard know? He's not a doctor."

"He may not be," said someone new, "but I am."

Player and Captain glanced down (up?) to see his buddy Ninja and a strange black Bean they'd never seen before. The newcomer had on a plague mask and a tiny top hat.

"Ninja!" Player cheered. "And some guy in a mask! You don't know how happy I am to see you."

"How are you guys standing on the ceiling?" Captain asked, wonderstruck. "That's amazing?"

"What?" The stranger tilted his head.

"Don't mind him." Player glanced over at Ninja. "Can you help us down? Kinda stuck."

"もちろん." Ninja leapt at them and sliced through the goop strings with his katana. Player and Captain tumbled to the floor, a little sore but otherwise unhurt.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr..."

"Ah. It's Doctor, actually," replied the black Bean. "Dr. Doktor."

"Doctor Who?" Captain was still processing.

"No. Dr. Doktor."

"Doctor what what?"

"Enough! We must take action. Novisor has toyed with its prey for long enough, and it will soon make its final move. We must prepare ourselves."

"What do you mean?" Player looked over at Ninja. "What is he talking about?"

"Player..." said the purple Bean, sounding sad. His visor crinkled sympathetically.

"It means, dear Player, that you are in grave danger. Allow me to explain."

Ninja sat politely, having already heard the story, but this was information that his friends needed to know. Dr. Doktor's tone was dead serious.

"You know of this Novisor, but not of who or what it is. It is an ancient being, a manifestation of hate and violence. When friends turn against each other, when trust is broken, when the strong harm the innocent--there it is. The monster must have a physical vessel to reach its full power, and so it preys on the vulnerable. It feeds on memories and causes a death of personality. And you, Player, are the next vessel on which it has set its sight."

A deep chill ran over Player. He felt his fur standing on end.

"But why me?"

He didn't get an answer to his question, because Captain spoke up. "Hey, guys? Sorry to interrupt, but...that Novisor guy...does he have, like, minions?"

"It does..." Dr. Doktor looked with dread at the open Airship doorway, as a group of faceless ghosts appeared in its threshold.

"Everyone run!" Player yelled. They fled the scene, with Ninja lagging to the end of the line. He swiped his katana at two ghosts, swishing them away. He jammed his sword into the control panel for the door to the cockpit. It pressed shut, creating a barricade between the phantoms and his group. Dr. Doktor climbed into the pilot's seat.

"Hey! That's my chair!" Captain attempted to push him out, but he wouldn't budge.

"Captain! Let him drive." Player clenched his paws. "Where are we going?"

"Exactly where we need to."

Straight ahead of them, the red sky peeled apart to reveal a deep black portal. Nothing could be seen within, except for a massive grin of pointed teeth. The exact grin that Novisor wore at all times, only magnified a hundredfold.

"Jum-bah-LAYA!" Captain exclaimed.

"What is that?" Even Ninja seemed rattled by it.

"Aaaugh!" Player yelped. "Turn the ship around! We gotta stay away from that thing!"

Dr. Doktor didn't so much as lift a paw. The ship remained on its trajectory, straight towards that living nightmare.

"Didn't you hear me?" Player scuttled over to the pilot's seat, giving Dr. Doktor a light push. "Steer us away from that! Can't you SEE it?"

"Not to worry, Player," the doctor said, coolly as ever. "Where we're going...we don't need visors to see."

He removed his mask, revealing his visor, or rather, his lack thereof. He had a scarred depression where his eye was supposed to be. Player felt like he was going to be sick, and it wasn't because of the turbulence shaking the ship.

The Airship continued its grim course, with the mouth opening to swallow it whole. The ship and its passengers disappeared into the black abyss, and where they were going, no-one could know.

To be continued...