Lavender Snow

Trance

Note, note, the note, Technostory, note, prophecy, note, bridge, what, prophecy, story, void, note, Techno, the note, tell them, edge

Ranboo pressed his hands against his ears. "N-no, not here again, not here. . ."

The crowd seemed larger and louder than before, as if more of the shadowy figures had appeared to listen to Techno's story. It wasn't that Ranboo could see them, hidden in the darkness, but he could sense them nonetheless, could feel that there was something there where there should be empty silence.

"Why am I here?" Ranboo asked the lime smile on the wall. "I was just listening to Techno."

"I didn't like where the story was headed," Dream said simply. "I'll bring you back soon."

Ranboo shoved his shaking hands into his armpits and turned away, squinting to try and make out one of the figure's faces. "Who are they?"

The smile began to fade. "I'll tell you later."

Ranboo sighed and closed his eyes. A minute later, the darkness enveloped him.

❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

"—m fine."

Ranboo blinked back to reality, eyes focusing on the brown carpet. What was happening, again?

A door slammed upstairs, and Phil sighed. "Do you want me to go talk to him?"

"I think it's better to give him some space," Kristin said. "And that goes for Techno, too. Let them have a moment to think."

Tommy folded his arms. "So what do we do now?"

Phil scooched closer to Kristin and put his arm around her. "What do you boys want to do? Ranboo, want to watch a movie? Explore outside? Our world is pretty different from yours."

What's a movie? Ranboo smiled under the pressure of having to figure out the right answer. It took him a moment, and then he remembered he didn't have to have permission to talk. "U-um, anything's fine, I don't really care. . ."

Tommy jumped up from the couch suddenly, making Ranboo flinch. "Oh! How about we cook something? Let me tell you, Ranboo, the food here is so poggers."

"What does that mean?" Kristin asked, bewildered. "Poggers?"

"It's a word from our world, it means epic or cool." Tommy hesitated. "I think. Something like that."

Ranboo smiled and made a series of clicking noises with his tongue. Poggers.

Tommy laughed. "Holy fuck! I forgot about that!"

"Forgot about what?"

✿

Pog, poggers, pog, pogchamp, pog, what, pog

Ranboo shook his head, confused. He was suddenly in a dark room, surrounded by a crowd of shadowed people chanting pog over and over again.

"H-hello?" He said, turning slowly in a circle. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Why does this feel familiar?

A headache flashed behind Ranboo's eyes, and he hissed, blinking—

❀

"—anboo?"

Tommy had a hand on his arm— why does it feel like that— and was peering up at his face, concerned.

"You alright, mate?" Phil said. "You zoned out for a minute."

Ranboo rubbed his temples. "Uh— yeah, I'm fine. Um, what were we talking about?"

"The tapping language," Tommy said cheerfully. "Phil and Kristin don't get it."