⛌ bluff ⛌

[SHIVERS]

The toolbox could come in handy, or maybe the battery pack and radio instead,
but ultimately you want to save what you've got.
The speakers would, theoretically, let you actually speak out loud, which would be a godsend right about now.
And the stylus would allow you to use your phone yourself, without needing anyone else's help.

Both seem too good to pass up.

Given you received three coupons today, it's fairly safe to assume you'll receive the same amount tomorrow,
so you could get it then, regardless.








You consider stealing them.

The items here very likely are not anything the store cares about;
they're essentially giving them away for free.
Not to mention,
it's a chain corner store,
who cares what they Do and Don't want taken?



But


getting caught would be humiliating.

You aren't risking that.









You could ask Mikki.
If everyone gets these coupons every morning, they might have some leftover.

You really
really
don't want to bother them again.

But
hopefully it's the last time you'll need to.




You peek around the aisle at the corvice,
watching as they pull several chilled drinks off the shelf.

Sports drinks, from the looks of it; all of them bright red or pink.

ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"PSST."*
ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"MIKKI."*

They only notice when they turn around, drinks bundled in both arms.

ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"DO YOU HAVE YOUR COUPONS?"*
ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"THE ONES FOR HERE. THE POINTS."*

"Nah.
Pretty sure the lady at the front desk stopped giving 'em to me.
She was refilling the snacks in the vending machine and saw me toss 'em.
Got the other ones still, but those're for me."
The bug walks by, idly glancing at the little point display.
"What d'you want with that junk, anyway?"

ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"...I CAN'T USE MY PHONE ANYMORE. IT HAS A TOUCHSCREEN."*
ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"SO THE STYLUS WOULD BE HELPFUL."*
ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"AND I WAS THINKING THE SPEAKERS MIGHT HELP ME TALK OUT LOUD."*

"Huh...




 . . .




Welp.
Wish you luck with that.
You comin' up to check out?
Last chance."



They don't wait for an answer from you,
already on their way to the front.


















You




don't know what to do.











Even through the filter of this new body
you find yourself properly panicking,

wracked with indecision.













You find your legs moving.


Some portion of you apparently making the decision for you.











Peeking around the front aisle,
you watch as Mikki dumps all their various items across the counter.

There's a delay before the person starts scanning.

"This everything?"
"Pack of Southfields."






Your fans spin faster

as you make your way up beside them.






The cashier-



You recognize the cashier.
The person staying in the cabin adjoined with yours.

A brown raccoon with yellow-orange eyes.




The one you accidentally pointed your camera at.










Luckily for you,
they aren't looking in your direction, for the moment,
too busy scanning and bagging all of Mikki's items.

You debate whether or not to sneak away.










You can't decide.
You can barely process your own thoughts.





The cashier slides the bag over.
Mikki already has their card out.

"That'll be--"

They flinch and back up a step,
bumping into a case full of cigarettes and lottery tickets,
causing it to rattle.

The cashier's face runs through a plethora of emotions,
but seems to settle on 'apprehension' as best as you can tell.





"...Masks aren't allowed in here.
Take that off or get out."

You're too afraid to move.



You wish you weren't here.



"Nah, not a mask."
Mikki swipes their card.
There's the tiniest of smiles on their face,
apparently deriving some amount of enjoyment from the whole predicament.

They reach a claw up and knock on the side of your monitor.
"This is Arcana.
It's a computer."
The cashier eyes you carefully.
"...Construct?"
"Computer."





You still can't move.

"...Arc.
Bud.
You're freaking them out;
don't be weird, say hi."


ARC:\SPEECH " . . . "
ARC:\SPEECH "...HEL LO. ? ."
ARC:\SPEECH "S ORRY."

"Hear that buzzing? Means it's talking.
Look at the screen."

They do so, directing the occasional wary glance at Mikki.





"There, see?" Mikki puts a claw on your shoulder, hanging off of you.
"Friendly computer."

You can hear just how loudly your fans are running.






You are probably going to die.
You are probably dying.

Your processor must be melting.





The cashier glances between you and the bug as Mikki types in their pin number.

Their demeanor is surprisingly calm after the initial shock.
Or perhaps they only don't want to Look worried.

"...If you two are pulling some shit, and you screw with me,
it won't go well for you.
I've got a gun back here."

You are going to get Shot and then die.

"Cool.
Good for you.
Anyway, d'you know anything about the weird museum thing around the corner?

You know,
the one with all the stairs and the big white room.
That place."
"...It's nothing like that, but I know the museum.
It's a shitty tourist trap.
What of it?"
"Well,
Arcana went the other night
and came back like This."
They gesture to you.



You pull back some, more self-conscious than ever.



ARC:\SPEECH "IT-"
ARC:\SPEECH "I"

"...Like what?"
"A computer."
"What abou--" "As in it wasn't before.
Was an amer-
It was a Normal... species. Whatever.
Point is, it got turned into a computer."





The raccoon looks at you both

as if you'd just told the worst joke they'd ever heard.





ARC:\SPEECH "I'M-"
ARC:\SPEECH "I'M SORRY ABOUT THIS."
ARC:\SPEECH "WE'LL- I CAN- I'M LEAVING. I CAN--"

Neither party looks at your screen.
The conversation continues around you.

"...This is a prank."
"Not a prank, it-" "A very stupid prank."
"Promise you it's-" "Do you know when I started work today?
How early I-" "I get it, I get it.
Chill.
Believe me, don't believe me-" "Why would I believe you?"
"-But!" They raise a claw.
"But.
You can always go by and check for yourself."

ARC:\SPEECH "/DON'T/ TELL THEM TO DO THAT!"
ARC:\SPEECH "MIKKI, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPP-"

"I've already been there.
More than once.
I don't need to go back."
"How long ago?
It might be Different now.
So,
IF you go back-"

ARC:\SPEECH "YOU SHOULDN'T GO."
ARC:\SPEECH "DON'T-"

"-and something Bad happens,
you can find me at cabin 11.
And Arcana here is at..."

You move for the exit.

"...which cabin were y-

Arcana?"



You push through the door, walking outside.






















You take many aimless steps,
ending up back around the side of the building, near the fountain.





You sit on the fountain's edge, facing towards the solid wall of the mini mart.












You don't bother to worry about what would happen if you fell in.
































Mikki emerges.

You aren't sure how much time had passed since you exited the mart.



"Hey."
They pull out a cigarette and put it in their mouth.
Instinctively, they shield it from the wind as they flick the lighter.

Once.

Twice.

It lights.

"You uh... good?
Somethin' happen?"

Mikki draws in smoke.
They finally look at your screen.










You must've cleared it already.

You don't remember doing so.






ARC:\SPEECH " . . . "
ARC:\SPEECH "I DON'T KNOW.
ARC:\SPEECH "IT DOESN'T MATTER."

You could say more.

You don't want to.
You don't exactly feel present.

ARC:\SPEECH "...WHY DID YOU TELL THEM TO GO TO THE MUSEUM?"
ARC:\SPEECH "YOU KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN."




The bug blows smoke away from you,
but it drifts to you regardless, thanks to the wind.

You can't smell it.
You can't smell anything.





They hold their cigarette between their claws.
"If they get turned into something, I tell 'em how to fix it.
Or you tell 'em.
Either way, they fix it. No big deal.
They're the only other person besides me, that we know of, that saw You.
That's gotta mean Something.

It's like uhhh...
bigger sample size, right?
To help you figure this all out."

ARC:\SPEECH "...WHAT IF IT DOESN'T WORK?"
ARC:\SPEECH "WHAT IF THEY DON'T CHANGE BACK?"
ARC:\SPEECH "WHAT IF /I/ DON'T?"

"Why wouldn't you?
I'm sure you will,
and they would, too--"

ARC:\SPEECH "BUT WE DON'T ///KNOW/// THAT!"
ARC:\SPEECH "NOT FOR SURE."





Mikki puts their thumb and palm against their snout,
looking at the ground, thinking.




"...well.



Was just trying to help w-







...yeah.

Yeah maybe not my best idea.
I'll swing by after I finish this and tell 'em not to go.
No sweat."



ARC:\SPEECH "...I GUESS."
ARC:\SPEECH "JUST DON'T... BOTHER THEM MUCH."
ARC:\SPEECH "THEY SEEMED PISSED OFF."

"Who's bothering?
They're fine. Not gonna die."

ARC:\SPEECH "...AND-!"
ARC:\SPEECH "DON'T TELL THEM WHAT CABIN I'M IN! PLEASE."

Their eyes narrow, head tilting to the side as they look at you.
"Wwwwhy?"



ARC:\SPEECH "THEY-"
ARC:\SPEECH "THEY'RE... IN THE CABIN RIGHT NEXT TO MINE."
ARC:\SPEECH "AND I DON'T WANT TO CREEP THEM OUT."
ARC:\SPEECH "I DON'T KNOW."
ARC:\SPEECH "I DON'T WANT THEM TO FIND OUT 'BY THE WAY, THE SCARY COMPUTER MONSTER?'"
ARC:\SPEECH "'YES THAT ONE. IT LIVES RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.'"
ARC:\SPEECH "I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANYTHING WORSE."

"Why would you make anything worse?"

ARC:\SPEECH "I'M-"
ARC:\SPEECH "LOOK AT ME."

"...What's your point?"

ARC:\SPEECH "I'M SCARY!"



Mikki blows out more smoke.

"Uh-huh."

They reach over and tap your screen with a claw.

"Reeeaaaal scary."

ARC:\SPEECH "I SCARED THEM EARLIER."

"They got over it in... what, ten seconds?
Thirty?"

ARC:\SPEECH "I'M JUST-"
ARC:\SPEECH "...I'M GOOD AT IT. MAKING THINGS WORSE."



"Uh-huh.

Well, whatever.
You goin' in There now?"
Mikki nods past you.


You turn to look at what they're looking at.







The museum.


"No way in hell I'm goin' in again.
But if you go, I can wait out here.
...Little while, anyway.

If you finish quick we can touch base.

You wanna stop being a computer, right?"



They gesture to the strange, wooden building.



"Now's your chance."