You stare at the eldrich horror in front of you, memories reviving themselves from a barrier of fog within your mind. The thoughts are faded and distant like a toy left in the sun for countless hours, but there, barely close enough for you to grasp at. It's uncomfortably silent in the office before you speak.
"You've finally come back to claim me officially, haven't you?" you ask, and you can't keep the disdain from your tone if you tried. "You know, you're an asshole. You waltz into my life as a toddler, you somehow manage to do so many things I never thought were possible, and you fucking left."
"(Y/N), maybe don't-" Frowny starts, and your lips tug into a sneer.
"You broke my mother's mind, you left me in a hell with no other way out but death, and now, when it's suddenly convenient, you have me kidnapped and decide to see if I'll be of use to you?!"
It's silent once more before you hear Slenderman speak.
I did not expect for you to greet me with open arms. I knew you wouldn't. I will forgive this transgression-
"THERE IS NO FUCKING TRANSGRESSION IF I'M NOT UNDER YOUR FUCKING OATH!"
The entity seems tired. I made a mistake, I am aware of that. The younger two would not be safe if you were to return. At this point, it's perhaps sure that you will die if you return to your mother's house. If not by her hand, then by your own.
You glare at him, knowing full well he can tell what you're thinking and whose fault is that?
You remember your hallucination back in the woods, and you uncross your arms as your thoughts put together what's happening, and the snarl drops from your face. Briars, flames, static familiar and yet so foreign. Unfortunately, it all makes sense.
"What do you need me for, Slenderman?" you prompt, staring intensely. You want to see if he will be truthful, or if he will be evasive as he always is. You don't miss how the three Proxys tense around you, and you don't miss the almost-sigh coming from the Slenderman.
There's a threat, a darkness that's been growing. I need your abilities, your unique connection to the other side, to help us stop it.
"Help, how? Make me a Proxy like you promised to do back when I was a child?" The silence is answer enough and you throw up your hands in exasperation. The movement sets off several tics and you curse at the annoyance before turning back to Slenderman. "That's actually your plan? I mean, I knew you created child soldiers but wow. I'll fend for myself; if I need your stupid oath I'll take it. Otherwise, leave me alone."
"With the oath, you'll-"
"Have immortality to a certain degree? I know. Stop the stupid illness? Yup. I know what the oath is, I know what it does," you roll your eyes. You're not stupid, but the fact that they keep treating you as something that can't keep up makes you laugh. "It also puts a limit on how much free will I have and allows us to be puppeteered to a degree. You quite literally swear yourself to an entity, cursing yourself to be something not quite human, but not quite demon either. Forbidden from lying to him, disconnecting you forcefully from your old life. I know the oath, but I refuse to speak it."
Slenderman seems defeated but nods, conceding to your answer and stance. Would you like your mask and name back?
You regard him for a minute before shaking your head. "Keep the mask, but I'll use the name."
Very well. Welcome to the ranks, Inverse.
You bow your head at that. You used to dream about being a Proxy, an escape that no other option could offer. But now that you're older, you're able to see through the veils of fantasies. You'd be jumping from one burner to another. You aren't pleased with this, as you hadn't been told why or what you're really here for. Just that they need your skills.
"One thing," you speak up. "I'm only helping because I feel like it. But on my terms. Not yours. No oath until I want it, no trying to trick me into it. And this time, you owe me an explanation for everything you put me through."
Slenderman says nothing, and you don't particularly care if he's accepting what you said or not. With a nod, you simply turn and walk out of his office. You get partially down the hallway when you hear someone jogging after you. You stop and turn, watching. It's just Toby. You let him catch up to you before turning and starting to walk again.
"What- What are you doing?" Toby asks after a long moment of just walking next to you as you walk down the hall.
"Exploring. I'm curious," you answer shortly. Your head shakes side to side quickly for a short moment before it stops and you just continue. You catch Toby's head jerking a little out of the corner of your eye, and you have to suppress another tic of your own. It always happens - when you're near someone else who has tics, they more or less ping-pong back and forth, echoing off of each other.
"That's not a good idea," Toby says flatly. You don't listen and just continue walking. There's something in your mind, another one of those sun-bleached, foggy memories that has your feet following a path that you no longer know. "I'm serious, (Y/N). It's not a good idea to explore the mansion."
"Why not?" you question as you reach another set of stairs. It's much less fancy than the main set that leads downstairs. As your foot hits the first step, you feel someone grab your wrist. You yank your arm free and whip around, barely stopping yourself from kicking out. "Don't grab me," you tell Toby, trying your damned best to not snap at him. He just stares.
"You have to have a reason for wanting to explore. Any normal person would listen to hearing it's not- not a good idea," Toby says to you. You stare back. His amber goggles are cool, admittedly. And his mouth guard.
"I don't think I really fall under what constitutes as normal," you say after a long moment, voice vaguely amused but mostly flat. Toby gives you an unimpressed look.
"You know what I mean. Why are you so set on exploring the mansion, especially by yourself?"
"I don't know," you admit, peering up the stairs again. It's darker up there, like the lights are either off, or they're broken altogether. You want to keep moving, you itch to explore every inch possible of this mansion and learn it well. "My body remembers a path that my mind doesn't. I don't know," you say honestly. Toby sighs behind you.
"If you're so determined, I'll go with you. I can't let the, the newest Proxy get killed on their first day," he says, huffing. You grin when you hear that. Perfect.
[HEY! Author's note! My apologies for disappearing for so long! Life got pretty crazy, complete honesty, and I lost track of how long it's been since I've written. I broke my hand, I graduated high school and have a full-time job now, my grandma's been in and out of the hospital; just a bunch of things. I'll write when I can, and am so sorry if there are gaps! Interaction definitely helps to remind and encourage me to write so if you so choose, please at least vote if not comment! I hope everyone that reads this has a pleasant time of day wherever you are! :) ]
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Lost | Creepypasta Gender-Neutral Reader Insert
Fanfiction(Y/N) doesn't have the best home life. Abusive mother, a father they only see every two weeks. Bullies at school, a hoarder home, and two younger siblings they need to take care of. What happens when they stumble into something they shouldn't hav...
