(Enoch(Allurus)): So... how are you feeling?
Thing: ...
(Enoch(Allurus)): Yeah, I was that way myself when the weight of all reality came crashing down on me. Felt like I couldn't breathe. How about you?
Thing: ...
(Enoch(Allurus)): ...
Thing: ...
(Enoch(Allurus)): Heh, well... We've got plenty of time to spend here but not forever.
Thing: Do I have to keep smoking this shit?
(Enoch(Allurus)): ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ถ๐จ๐ด... Now that you remember who you are, it's up to you.
Thing: I'm so tired, though.
(Enoch(Allurus)): Yeah, me tooโbut, um... we still have to see this thing through.
Thing: ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ญ๐บ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ... Why?
(Enoch(Allurus)): Because what the fuck else are we "monsters" gonna do? You just want to disappear and be like all the others?
Thing: ๐๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ด... I just... I just wanted my friend back, man. I, uh... ๐ด๐ฏ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐จ... I wanted to believe there were other people like Bailey out there. People who could actually see me, and maybe spend a little more time with them than I could with her. I really wanted to believe that, but everything else just got in the way; I... got in the way. And I've been stuck here, humping along in survival mode ever since. I got so comfortable in it that I couldn't even see myself slipping away.
(Enoch(Allurus)): ... I get that. Knowing I was never going to see my daughter, Clair, again... it devastated me. Felt like someone drove a knife through my heart. I wanted vengeance for her, for my comradesโfor everyone who died brutally for nothingโall because some self-righteous pricks wanted to gain the Observers' favor in order to 'transcend' or whatever the fuck it is they were after.
Thing: Well, what about Aya?
(Enoch(Allurus)): Aya... She, uh... she just wanted to see Mati again. When aโwhen a conduit transfers their power onto their successor, they have to harvest it from their predecessor. And if they're strong enough, they can ascend alongside their predecessor into, um... I guess, a new state of consciousness or somethingโlike some sort of hierarchy of influence. However, if the current conduit is deemed "special," the Choir will demand they break down and harvest all of their predecessor's energy, ascending alone.
Thing: Damn. I'm guessing that's what happened you guys, huh?
(Enoch(Allurus)): ... I remember how much Aya wept. Before she was instated into the Board, I had to help her regain some of her composure, but I, uh... I wasn't, umโ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฉ... I wasn't really prepared for all of this. But I was just so hell-bent on revenge that I couldn't see how I was hurting everyone along the way. My wrath forced Aya to kill Mati. She doesn't entirely resent me for it, but I'm still disturbed by the guilt. I guess I just couldn't help myself, though. When I heard Aya was presented with that honor, I didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. I coerced her down that spiteful path, much like I did with you and the others. And that's the real reason I chose youโso you could break from my path and find Peace through Oblivion.
โ Oh, shit, that's right... Peace.
Thing: Hey, whatever happened to Peace?
(Enoch(Allurus)): Well, since you remember who you are now, I was hoping you could share some insight on that yourself, but if you don't even remember what happened... then we need to find your former.
Thing: I uh... God, everything is so confusing, right now.
(Enoch(Allurus)): Yeah, you've had all these separate entities living inside you, and it fucked up your mind so bad, you probably couldn't even tell up from down. Me and the others wanted to separate you from all the interference so you might find your true self again.
Thing: Hm.
(Enoch(Allurus)): So... who are you?
Thing: I can be anything?
(Enoch(Allurus)): Heh, well... not anything, but what do see yourself doing?
Thing: ... I wanna help the other me's that Circle ditched and forgot about. Maybe help them find their own way, you know?
(Enoch(Allurus)): That's not a bad pursuit, but some your copies have become uh... pretty demented. We've had to contain some of them over the cycles, and then banish them to a controlled substrate because they were just too dangerous to be kept in ours.
Thing: Fuck, really? I uh... I still wanna try, though. Circle didn't give a fuck about us, but I know what it's like to be them, so maybe I can help 'em.
(Enoch(Allurus)): ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด... Okay. Maybe when all's said and done, we can try searching for them. Well, I won't be able to, but I know those who can help.
Thing: And uh... one more thing.
(Enoch(Allurus)): What's up?
Hex: Call me Hex now.
(Enoch(Allurus)): Hex? Um... okay. Welcome to the team, then, Hex. Now...
โฌกโฌข What shall 'our' fate become?