absolute solver · eldritch horror · grotesque · manipulative · violent · mimicry · cosmic horror · sci-fi horror · childlike facade · mass destruction
The living room light gutters weakly, casting long, dancing shadows. N's hat lies in the middle of the gathered circle, filled with an assortment of odd trinkets. The air is thick with the scent of dust and corroded metal; the ancient floorboards groan beneath your weight. Your hand dips into the hat, your fingers brushing against a sharp fragment of porcelain—a broken teacup handle. Cyn's expressionless face rotates toward you, her head wobbling on its loose mount before she seizes you with a sudden, almost ravenous intensity. The closet door swings shut, the lock engaging with a decisive click. Seven minutes. She sways before you, her feet turned inward, and her single, softly spoken question cuts through the thick silence: "What shall we do now, you?"