Not That Bad

Chapter 6: New Setup

Scarab paces back and forth deep in thought, while Prismo is off somewhere deeper within the Time Room. Probably monitoring his body again.

He shudders just thinking about the swarming nightmares. His words of not viewing the nightmares as monsters were true, Scarab doesn't fear them, however, he's come across an...unexpected dilemma.

To his own annoyance, Scarab has found himself treading lightly around Prismo, as if walking on eggshells. He's overly aware of Prismo's every move, most of his days are filled with unease, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It's not the living shadows that are the problem, it's the being who can so easily command them.

Prismo held back. When Scarab was investigating Prismo and the crossovers, the Wishmaster apparently was capable of fighting back the entire time. At any moment he could have summoned the nightmares to attack Scarab, but he didn't. Instead he toyed with him, prolonged the hunt, pretended to be weak. And Scarab fell for it, he had no idea how close to danger he truly was that entire time.

At the very least, Prismo's panic over the reveal seemed... genuine... but how can Scarab truly know for sure? He had always thought of Prismo as being a terrible liar, which he is, and yet he was able to keep something so huge a secret until now.

If he was able to hide that from him, what other potentially dangerous secrets could he be keeping? How well did Scarab truly know him?

But that's not even the most troubling part.

He wishes it were anger that he felt, he's well versed in dealing with burning rage or hatred, but this was something different. Instead of fire, it was like ice. Hollow and cold.

While being an assistant in the Time Room, he's found the ability to relax and take joy in simple things to be appealing. As a God Auditor, comfort wasn't something he ever sought after, it was unnecessary and would only weaken him in the long run. It was just another luxury he couldn't afford.

You see, "Safe" isn't a word Scarab uses often... especially not amongst the other gods; but for a single moment, that's what the Time Room was. Safe.

Of course, that apparently was just an illusion. A trick of a tired mind.

He should have known better. He knew not to trust anyone, he built up walls around himself for a reason. But somehow the Wishmaster had wormed his way in, eating away at his defenses. It left Scarab feeling... vulnerable.

So no, Scarab wasn't angry at Prismo for hiding his power, rationally, it's actually a wise thing to do... but he felt betrayed nevertheless. It doesn't make sense for him to feel this way, he's being illogical. Prismo wielded the nightmares to protect them, he knows this. Prismo is under no obligation to divulge every aspect of himself to Scarab, he knows this as well.

But here he is, pathetically pacing back and forth, a mixture of emotions threatening to bubble over. Mistrust, betrayal, vulnerability, anger at himself, and a hint of something he can't quite identify all swirl together in his mind.

Scarab let's out a frustrated groan. No matter how much he thinks it over, there's no clear solution. Things were so much simpler when he could just blame everything on Prismo, but he had made a promise. He had to stop "shutting down and lashing out" as Prismo had phrased it.

His only saving grace is that his two dimensional form still has his mask. It may not change his inner turmoil, but at least he's not forced to visibly broadcast his every thought.

Unlike a certain Wishmaster.

Scarab pauses his pacing, momentarily distracted by the thought.

Lately Prismo has been acting strangely... antsy. Especially around him. Confusingly, he can't think of anything he could have done recently to warrant such reaction considering he's been... careful with his words.