Memory Blooms

Experiment

The black inky void melted away, and you had to blink a few times to regain your bearings. Though, there wasn't much to bear, aside from the pure corrosive heat that bubbled in a pool of acidic green liquid.

Your shoes clicked against the stone floor as you took a step back, around you, stone walls surrounded the area in the shape of a large circular room, like the broken base of a large tower. Now repurposed into some kind of study, as books, desks, and shelves stacked with withering old papers now lined the cracked half-walls. Candles of varying sizes burned idly in random places.

"Heya Newbie!"

Casey waved from a portion of the wall, a book was laid out in their lap, though a bit too big for their little hands to hold comfortably. Li was leaned up against the same bit of wall, simply watching dwellers spin and twirl within the cages that hung overhead.

Two claws found their way to your shoulders, the sudden cold touch making you jump and shiver in the same breath. His whispered, haunting voice following quickly after.

"I heard you've gotten acquainted with a few of my minions. So who better to help you with your work?"

"What's the catch?" You responded at a similar volume through a smirk.

He released his grip on your shoulders, briefly smirking at you as he passed by. Flying over to gaze into bubbling acid, bits of shadow trailed behind his tail as he moved.

"Have you really so little faith in me, dear (Y/N)? Did you ever stop to think that, while my contracts are indeed difficult, they are still fair?"

"Fair enough to be possible, but never easy."

"I never said they would be."

"You don't say a lot of things."

He shifted slightly, and whatever rebuttal he had died on his tongue.

"I'll know when you're done." He turned, facing you fully with his signature neutral smile. "So try not to blow yourself up in the process!"

And with that, he was gone.

You let out a sigh, one you didn't know you had been holding, as you turned to begin the task with your designated helpers.

"Alright, so how do we make these blue potions?"

Casey made an 'I don't know' sound with a shrug. You looked at them dead in the eye.

"You...don't know?"

"We're not really supposed to know any of the Boss's secrets."

"Well then how am I supposed to...?" You looked between the two of them, absolutely lost on what to do. This was it wasn't it? The catch that you knew was going to come with this contract, one way or another. Well fine, if he wanted you to experiment.

By god were you gonna experiment.

—————————————-

"Make blue potions?" Hat kid looked up from her drawing, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm!" He hummed, still looking down at his book, the smug smile that crept onto his face obviously showing he wasn't paying much attention to the words. "Devilish little task, if I do say so myself."

"Howzat?"

He stifled a chuckle, placing his book aside. "Those 'blue potions' aren't easy to make by traditional means..."

Hattie pinched the bridge of her nose, already seeing where this was going.

"So imagine how much harder it's gonna be with no recipe!" He laughed.

"What happened to your contracts being 'fair'?" She went back to her drawing after rolling her eyes, switching her blue crayon out for a purple one.

"That's the fun part!" A contract unfurled from whatever pocket dimension he kept it in, your name signed at the bottom the most prominent thing in the paper. He pointed to the terms at the top.

"It simply says, 'try to make me some of my potions!' I don't actually care if they can't figure it out, I just wanted to see how far they'd get!"

"So it's a useless contract."

He gave an offended gasp, feigning a tone of hurt. "I wouldn't ever give a victim of mine a contract for no reason! And besides–" he bent down to meet Hat Kid on the floor, giving the rim of her hat a flick that made her flinch.

"You went through all those Death Wishes. Those didn't have much reason behind them, yet you still did them."

"You were giving out prizes! How could I not?" She rolled onto her back, looking at him upside down with a childish giggle. Snatcher rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, it's been an hour or two. Should probably go check on them, maybe they managed to disintegrate themself. Sure would make my job easier." He got up and stretched, although he had no bones to stretch. It was part force of habit, and part theatrics.

"Wait!" Hat Kid rolled back onto her stomach, frantically finishing her drawing. "Ya gotta look at my drawing first."

"What? And why would I bother–"

She cut him off by stuffing the paper in his face, too close for him to actually make out what it was until he basically had to pry her from his head. Holding her out with both claws.

"Okay okay okay! What–?"

He stared at the paper Hat Kid held proudly between her hands. It's quality was that of a child's, obviously, and he would've made fun of her for it. That is, if she had chosen a different topic for her piece.

It was a drawing of a little girl, with a purple dress and hat. Happily holding the hand of a stranger.

Well, not necessarily a stranger, but not anyone he knew. Not anymore. The purple boots, red and purple jacket, and brown hair that curled up at the edges; just looking at that person. That fool...

Hattie lowered the drawing, looking over the top at Snatcher with a lopsided smile. He knew she knew what she was doing, he knew about the storybook, he knew she knew.

"Looks great, kiddo." He sighed, reluctantly patting her head.

She scooted forward onto his lap, wrapping her tiny arms around his midriff, and as usual; he attempted to push her off, scowling and fluffing up in embarrassment all the while.

"Alright, that's enough kiddo, It's not like I'm giving you an award."

"You gonna go now?"

He nodded, picking her up and setting her down on the floor next to her pile of crayons.

"Have to, otherwise this whole Test would've been for nothing."

"Test?"

Ah nuts, he hadn't meant for that bit to be audible. Eh, she'd find out on her own sooner or later anyway. She was stubborn like that when it came to secrets, annoyingly stubborn.

"You'll figure it out, besides–" He sunk into the ground, melding with the flickering shadows of the room.

"Where's the fun in just telling?"