⛌ bluff ⛌

[SHIVERS]

Well.

Either you don't actually look like this and you're hallucinating.
In which case this should go
okay?

Or, you do look like this,
and hopefully you don't look too offputting.





It should be fine.














You wind through the tables towards the bar.



"EXCU--"






You

didn't speak.



Not out loud, anyway.
Though, a faint buzzing noise came out with every character you 'spoke.'









There's something fuzzy in your vision.


It takes a little while to focus on it.










You can see

your screen

displayed alongside your normal sight;
almost like an overlay, but something more

instinctive.





It reads:



DATA LOADED.
TRANSFER COMPLETE.
DRIVE "ARC:" INITIALIZED.


ARC:\SPEECH "EXCU--"

ARC:\

There's a blinking cursor at the end of the text.







ARC:\TR_TH *FUCK*

You stop dead in your tracks.

The buzzing noise is fainter this time,
but even keeping a train of thought seems to project it onto your screen.

ARC:\TR_TH *OH GOD WHAT DO I-*
ARC:\TR_TH *SHUT UP SHUTUP SHHH DONT THINK SO MUCH*

All composure is lost.




"Come again?"




Your back arches on its own, standing at attention.




ARC:\SPEECH "SORRY!"
ARC:\SPEECH "VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT."
ARC:\SPEECH "I AM STILL GETTING USED TO THIS."
ARC:\SPEECH "HAHA  HA."
ARC:\SPEECH "ANYWAY, I AM-"
ARC:\SPEECH "NEW, HERE. COULD I ASK YOU SOME THINGS."


"Shoot."


You realize that
the bartender still isn't looking up at you.




ARC:\TR_TH *WAIT*
ARC:\TR_TH *CAN THEY HEAR ME?*
ARC:\TR_TH *CAN THEY HEAR /THIS/?*
ARC:\TR_TH *TESTING. TESTING. HAVING VOICE PROBLEMS. CAN YOU HEAR ME?*

The beatfox quietly wipes down another portion of the bar.

ARC:\SPEECH "UH."
ARC:\SPEECH "QUESTIONS. SORRY, KIND OF RATTLED RIGHT NOW."

"You're good, just ask."

ARC:\TR_TH *OKAY I'M*
ARC:\TR_TH *PROPERLY AUDIBLE WHEN I TALK, BUT NOT WHEN THINKING.*
ARC:\TR_TH *VERY VERY GOOD TO KNOW.*
ARC:\TR_TH *MAYBE THAT MEANS I DON'T ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE THIS?*
ARC:\TR_TH *I SHOULD ASK ABOUT THAT. WHAT I LOOK LIKE*
ARC:\TR_TH *WHAT'S A WAY TO DO THAT COVERTLY...?*








ARC:\SPEECH "...WOULD YOU SAY THAT I LOOK LIKE A POCKITT?"

ARC:\SPEECH "I'M NOT ONE, BUT I HAD SOMEONE EARLIER TODAY CONFUSE ME FOR ONE."
ARC:\SPEECH "PERSONALLY, I CAN'T SEE IT, BUT I'D LIKE A SECOND OPINION."
ARC:\SPEECH "I'VE JUST BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT."
ARC:\SPEECH "I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE KANGAROOS, TOO, BUT..."
ARC:\SPEECH "SURELY THE RESEMBLANCE ISN'T THAT STRONG."
ARC:\SPEECH "WE'RE PRETTY DIFFERENT SPECIES, I'D SAY."


The beatfox glances up at you for the first time,
studying you.








Your body feels restless, filled with energy.
Practically electric.

Likely some odd form of mechanical anxiety.

You don't like it.










"...Kinda.
There's some resemblance, but your eyes are different-"

ARC:\TR_TH *I STILL HAVE EYES!!*

"-and you're taller than a lot of pockitts I've seen.
Different shapes, too.
...Plus, there's that thing around your neck."

ARC:\TR_TH *I'M NORMAL! I LOOK NOR-*


ARC:\TR_TH *WHAT*


ARC:\SPEECH " . . . "
ARC:\SPEECH "...WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE?"

"Tattoo, maybe. Dunno."



You didn't have that before.


ARC:\SPEECH "IS IT, LIKE-"
ARC:\SPEECH "DOES IT LOOK--"

"Buddy, what is this?
You just fishin' for compliments?"

You wave your plastic claws.

ARC:\SPEECH "SORRY! SORRY."
ARC:\SPEECH "HAVING... A WEIRD NIGHT, IS ALL."
ARC:\TR_TH *HOW DO I PUT THIS*
ARC:\SPEECH "I THINK I... HIT MY HEAD, A LITTLE BIT AGO."
ARC:\SPEECH "WHEN I CHECKED IN EARLIER TODAY, THE PERSON WHO CHECKED ME IN-"

"Olive."

ARC:\SPEECH "IS THAT HER NAME?"

"You're at the cabins?"

You nod.

"Then yeah, would've been her."

ARC:\SPEECH "WELL.
ARC:\SPEECH "OLIVE MENTIONED... SOMETHING ABOUT BEING THE CLOSEST THING TO A DOCTOR NEARBY."
ARC:\SPEECH "...I THINK I HIT MY HEAD PRETTY BAD."

"Don't look it, but I'll take your word for it."

ARC:\SPEECH "EITHER WAY, I'D LIKE TO CHECK IN WITH HER."

"Is it an emergency?"

ARC:\SPEECH "UH"





ARC:\SPEECH "I DON'T"





ARC:\SPEECH "THINK SO?"


They raise an eyebrow.

"Then you can wait 'til she opens the front desk in the morning.






...How'd you hit your head?"



ARC:\TR_TH *UH*

ARC:\SPEECH "FELL."
ARC:\SPEECH "...C... COMING OUT OF THE MUSEUM."
ARC:\SPEECH "HIT MY HEAD ON THE FOUNTAIN, I THINK. MUST HAVE."

"Must have?"

ARC:\SPEECH "JUST. YOU KNOW, SYMPTOMS. AND I DID FALL."
ARC:\SPEECH "...I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT ELSE COULD'VE HAPPENED."

"What symptoms?"

ARC:\SPEECH "I-"
ARC:\SPEECH "THEY'RE-"
ARC:\SPEECH "I'M NOT REALLY... SURE HOW TO DESCRIBE THEM. WELL."





The bartender looks you up and down.







That restlessness hits you hard.
Your claws are twitching.



ARC:\TR_TH *I NEED TO. LEAVE*
ARC:\TR_TH *I WANT TO LEAVE I WANT TO LEAVE*

You brace yourself on one of the barstools, feeling heat in your chest.

"...Tell you what:
I'm gonna stay in here another... half an hour.
If you change your mind and wanna call an ambulance--"

ARC:\SPEECH "NO! NO, I MEAN-"
ARC:\SPEECH "SORRY. I'M FINE! IS WHAT I-"
ARC:\SPEECH "LIKE, IT-"
ARC:\SPEECH "THERE- THE-"

"-Your facial expression hasn't changed since you came in,
and you're talkin' funny. Kinda monotone."

ARC:\TR_TH *I AM?! OH GOD*

"You could have a concussion.



So maybe take a sec and think about--"

ARC:\SPEECH "DIDN'T REALIZE! SORRY ABOUT THAT."

You start backing up towards the door.

ARC:\SPEECH "I THINK I'M JUST"
ARC:\SPEECH "VERY VERY TIRED. HAHA."
ARC:\SPEECH "I THINK AFTER SOME SLEEP I'LL SEE HOW I FEEL AND IF IT'S BAD I'LL TALK TO..."
ARC:\SPEECH " . . . "

"...Olive."

ARC:\SPEECH "OLIVE! I'LL TALK TO HER."
ARC:\SPEECH "THANK YOU SOMUCH 4YOURHELP AND SORRY FOR THE TROUBLE-"

"Hey--"

ARC:\SPEECH "HAVE A GOOD NIGHT!"



You accidentally slam your hip into the door as you hastily push through it,
ending up outside.




























Your claws reach up

holding the sides of your monitor head.







ARC:\TR_TH *IT ISNT REAL*
ARC:\TR_TH *IT ISNT REAL*

ARC:\TR_TH *GET A FUCKING GRIP ALREADY*


You smack the side of the monitor,
hearing the CLUNK every time.



It hurts.
And it all still feels real.

ARC:\TR_TH *WHY DO I STILL FEEL IT*

ARC:\TR_TH *WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME*









Nothing you try makes it go away.






A thorough look at yourself will probably help.
You can probably find a way to prove to yourself that it isn't real.
Then, it'll
hopefully go away?

If not, you can check in with the person in cabin #8.
If they were there, maybe they stumbled into what you did, too.

Maybe you were drugged?
That could be it.
You'd like to check regardless.









You walk back across the street,
not checking for cars this time.








The campfire catches your eye.




You spot someone sitting on a log next to it.






ARC:\TR_TH *NO WAY IN HELL IM TRYING UNNECESSARY SOCIAL CONTACT AGAIN*
ARC:\TR_TH *APPARENTLY MY FACE IS BARELY MOVING ANYMORE AND MY VOICE IS WEIRD*
ARC:\TR_TH *WEIRD/ER/ THAN BEFORE, AT LEAST*
ARC:\TR_TH *THE LESS I OPEN MY MOUTH THE BETTER*


You deliberately walk far to the south,
looping around the back of your cabin to make it to the front.

It looks like the person at the campfire is still there,
though you can only really see their silhouette.





ARC:\TR_TH *GOOD*

ARC:\TR_TH *ALMOST INSIDE*






You fish your key out of your pocket and jam it into the lock.











It's dark.











You miss, and drop your keys.




ARC:\TR_TH *AUGH*



You reach down to get them,
forgetting how large your head is now; it bangs into your door.





You end up sitting on your butt on the steps outside your door,
rubbing your somehow-sore monitor.













ARC:\TR_TH *FIGURES*



ARC:\TR_TH *KILL ME*












You scoop up your keys.


"Hoooooly shit.
Look at You."

ARC:\SPEECH "WHU H"


Your head swivels upward,
meeting the eyes of a corvice - some sort of insect morph - standing over you.

"Is that really Real?"

They reach out and tap your screen,
causing you to pull your head back.

"Oh my GOD, it is."



ARC:\SPEECH "YOU CAN SEE TH-"
ARC:\SPEECH "WHA T"

"You're like
buzzing.

You bust your head when you bumped it?
I'd fix you but I'm nnnot good with computers."

They lean in and squint at your screen.





ARC:\TR_TH *DONT LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT*


ARC:\TR_TH *THERES NO WAY THEYRE SEEING IT*

ARC:\TR_TH *IT ISNT REAL*
ARC:\TR_TH *IT ISNT REAL*







Their face lights up.

"THAT'S how you talk now?

That's so Fucked."



The bug laughs -
a little too loudly -
and slumps down roughly onto the steps next to you.






They pull a bottle of cheap-looking alcohol from their pocket
and take a swig.


"Definitely
real, just between us.
You're lucky that's all you got."

They flop onto their back, laying across the steps.



"Welp!
Wasn't just me; thank fuck, honestly.

And hey
not just You! Either!
You got-"

They gesture to themself.

"-me!
This asshole!
Who's currently veeery, very drunk."

The bug laughs.

"Sorry 'bout that.
Not much else to do!
We're pretty screwed, so it's like..." They tip the bottle up. "-might as well."