virtual world || chapter 6.5 [HARPS' AU NOT MY AU]

Instructions

[ Chapter 6.5 – part 1 ] [ right after chapter 6 ] Stellar walked down the hallway, holding her cloak tighter. Her little star antennae glowed softly, but she still felt nervous. She needed to find Bassie. She wanted to ask if Bassie could help her get supplies… the normal kind. Not the scary kind. “Bassie?” she called, but kind of quietly. No answer. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the Easter floor button. When the doors opened, everything smelled sweet, but the air felt… weird. Like something bad happened. Stellar’s slippers made soft little taps as she walked. “Bassie…?” she tried again. Still nothing. She walked a bit further, and then she heard voices. One sounded scared. The other sounded way too cheerful. Then she heard it: “Aw, how chivalric.” Stellar froze. That didn’t sound friendly at all. She slowly peeked around the corner. And her whole body went cold. Bassie was on the ground. Stellar stared at the horror— she didn’t want to — but she could tell Bassie had been attacked really badly. Her dress was ripped, her handles messy, and she wasn’t moving at all. It looked like something strong had hurt her… a lot. Stellar’s eyes filled with tears instantly. “B‑Bassie…?” she whispered, her voice shaking. No response. She covered her mouth with both hands so she wouldn’t scream. Her whole body trembled. She wanted to run to Bassie, but the scary voice she heard earlier was still close by. Stellar backed up slowly, her antennae dimming. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she whispered, crying quietly. Then she turned and ran back toward the elevator, as fast as she could without making noise. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. She didn’t look back. She couldn’t. [ Chapter 6.5 – part two ] [Stellar, right after she runs from the Easter floor] Stellar finally reached the elevator and pressed the button over and over, her hands shaking. When the doors closed, she slid down the wall and hugged her knees. Her antennae were dim, and she kept wiping her eyes with her magic thing. She couldn’t stop thinking about Bassie. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want it to be real. When the doors opened again, Stellar stepped out slowly. She tried to calm down, but her heart still felt like it was beating too fast. She walked a few steps— “Hi there!” Stellar jumped a little. Bobette was standing right in front of her, smiling way too big. “Oh— um… h‑hi…” Stellar whispered, pulling her cloak around herself. “You look tired!” Bobette said cheerfully. “Want some hot cocoa?” Stellar froze for a second. The voice…the ‘Aw, how chivalric.’ voice. It was….similar. Stellar started wondering. *What if...Bobette did it all..?She didn’t want Bobette to know she was suspicious of her, so Stellar shut her mouth. She nodded. “O‑Okay…” Bobette handed her a mug. The steam curled up in little swirls. It looked normal… but when Stellar lifted it closer, the smell hit her. It smelled wrong. Sweet, but… not the right kind of sweet. Like something pretending to be cocoa. Stellar’s stomach twisted. She pretended to take a sip, tilting the cup just enough so it looked real. She even made a tiny “mm” sound so Bobette wouldn’t notice. Bobette smiled. “Good, right?” “Y‑Yeah…” Stellar said quietly. Bobette leaned a little closer. “You know… you shouldn’t wander around alone. It’s dangerous.” Stellar swallowed hard. “O‑Oh… okay…” Bobette’s smile didn’t move. It just stayed there, too perfect. “You didn’t see anything strange on the Easter floor, did you?” she asked suddenly. Stellar’s heart dropped. She shook her head fast. “N‑No! I was just… looking for Bassie…” Bobette tilted her head. “Oh? Why?” “I… I needed help getting supplies…” Stellar whispered. Bobette nodded slowly, still smiling. “Well, if you see Bassie… tell her I want to talk to her.” Stellar’s hands tightened around the mug. She didn’t say anything. Bobette stepped back. “Enjoy your cocoa!” Stellar nodded again, pretending to drink it one more time. As soon as Bobette turned the corner, Stellar dumped the cocoa into a nearby plant and ran. She didn’t know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away. And she had to warn someone. Before Bobette found out she lied.