the evening of cacaos return (the day after the rain, before the grove)

[purevanillacookie]

[ Once he's healed and calm enough, he will write in the notebook, his usual elegant script shorter and neater. ]

Hello, my friends. I regret to write you that it seems the beast that lurks in the woods has received a name. I do not know how, only that he has, and it has strengthened him. Please keep yourselves safe, and ward your minds as you sleep if you can, as he will strike there as he desires in an attempt to force you to say his new name.

He can and will hurt those around you to force you to submit.

If you do find yourself in a mental confrontation with him, please simply do your best to flee. He is powerful and while he can bleed, he can be hurt, I don't wish any of you to be injured in the process.

[ Telling them it can be hurt might make some of them foolish, but it's a hope they need. The Creature can be injured. ]

Please, stay safe.

- Pure Vanilla Cookie

Comments

[ghostharasser]

[WELL THAT'S ALARMING. FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. if he is fucking around in dreams... ah, he needs to make better progress on his work it looks like-]

[But most importantly:]

Hey, thanks for the heads up, but are you okay? Did he hurt you? Do you need anything, man?

[purevanillacookie]

[ He is not! Haha! ]

He did, but I am healed, and am as well as I can be. I am thankful the injuries were not grievous.

[ghostharasser]

[His uncle is a professional conman, he knows when he smells bullshit. Dipper gracefully does not call him out in public.]

Right. Hey, so, I was experimenting with some of the fruit fauna here on the beach and came up with a new recipe. They're kind of like stuffed fruit turnovers, and I have a few two many left over from test batches, sssoo...

[Let him come over and feed you, peepaw.]

[purevanillacookie]

[ For a moment Vanilla pauses - this sounds like something he'd pull - but the desire makes him smile. Sweet boy. ]

Of course, my dear, I would never turn down a taste test of some food! I am sure they're wonderful!

[diplomaticimmewnity]

Pardon, but what??? How had he gotten a name? Did he tell you anything else?

Apologies. I understand you're probably going through it right now, considering you've made this discovery. I would like to speak to you at length when we can, however, so I can get these details down. After you've rested.

[purevanillacookie]

I- I am well enough rested, you may come over whenever you like, the Cabana I am staying at is quite obvious. It, ah, it smells very much like a bakery.

[ Fel bakes. PV stress bakes. Plus just cookies... ]

[amethystic]

i hate to say it but someone had to have done it. ourania said they scrubbed all record of his name from history.

[purevanillacookie]

Yes. I did not wish to think it, I could not imagine any of us here desiring to name him, yet only upon willingly giving a name does it attach power.

... And I must speak with you, sweetheart, if you have time?

[amethystic]

you know where to find me.

( because aside from going to cry on mizuki, she has been home. )

[purevanillacookie]

[ He does. And he will track her down, lift her up like one would simply lift up a cat, then sit and snuggle her in against him tightly. ]

... Is your neck all right?

[mermaidcursed]

WHAT

[purevanillacookie]

[ Nene. Instantly Vanilla frets. ]

My dear, are you holding up all right?

I am afraid it's true, someone has named it.

[mermaidcursed]

whoever did this had better hope i never find them.

[purevanillacookie]

I am hoping it was done under misguidance and not a willful act to harm us. A misguided person can be helped, even if they hide in shame. I cannot believe any here would be willful in naming the creature, knowing what it does.

[cryopathy]

[............. SUPER!]

Any chance we can negate the efforts of whichever moron did this by using names like Putrid Cunt, Whiny Little Bitch, et cetera?

[purevanillacookie]

Perhaps, though do make sure to never call it the same swear twice!

I am hoping the original namer and myself are the only two who have said it. So long as the rest continue to skirt it and ah deride it, it might offset things.

[cryopathy]

Drat. What if I was already attached to "Whiny Little Bitch?"

Oh, well!

You said it forced you to speak its name in your dream, specifically?

[purevanillacookie]

I am sure you can come up with charming derivatives!

Yes, unfortunately. It told me it's name and demanded I speak it. When I refused to do so even under duress of it hurting me, it changed it's tactic and aimed for one of my children.

I could not let her be harmed...

[mooninthewater]

Are you okay, Mr. Pure Vanilla? He didn't try to corrupt you, did he?

[purevanillacookie]

Ah no, it seems he wasn't too interested in corrupting me.

[ At least, it sure didn't feel like it. ]

[mooninthewater]

Are you positive? Maybe Zahliya and I should come visit you, just to be sure...

[purevanillacookie]

[ Touches his throat.... ]

It may be best, yes, actually. Though I do not see any flowers, the wounds healed black, and I am unsure if the corruption may show in other manners.

[ephemeralflow]

Still trying to keep everyone safe, I see! How boring.

[Hello PV, did you want to be jumpscared by unfamiliar handwriting today? It's in script as well, almost uncannily evenly spaced, with little hooks or arrows left on the ends of letters.]

I suppose such a beast is one reason we are supposed to avoid the forest? There doesn't seem to be much point to doing so if it might attack minds regardless.

[purevanillacookie]

[ He's seen the writing briefly, with the equations and formulas he couldn't follow. Time magic was never something he was interested in. But he still doesn't know who they are. ]

Ah, have we met?

[ The wording says familiarity. ]

Unfortunately, yes. This beast is the false god that delights in tormenting us. It was without a name and weakened because of it. Yet now with a name, it seems more powerful, enough to stretch across the mindscape.

[ephemeralflow]

We have not.

[Yep, she's just gonna leave him hanging on that one!]

Ah, so it is THAT beast! The one who has made such a mess of time. I see.

And you imply that someone would have had to name it. I don't suppose you've an inkling of who?

[Yeah she's VERY interested now. One of the first things she decided upon arriving here was that whatever had so badly distorted time had a lot to answer for. If the local fabric of time wasn't in such a state and interfering with her chronokinesis, Timekeeper would merely have rewound time to before it received its name - repeatedly perhaps, both to aggravate the beast and help identify the culprit. But alas...]