Brief one shot of Folly and Wallter from Roblox Regretevator hanging out with each other. Enjoy!

DING!

The painfully familiar ring of the Regretevator’s arrival awoke Folly from her light stupor. She had been pouring over her thoughts and information she had been gathering all throughout the last week. Any sort of snippet or secret that would assist her in her endeavour.

And yet, nothing. All the information she gathered, she either already knew, or deemed unnecessary. Not even scouring the dreams and nightmares of others revealed much. And those who would have the information did a bang up job at keeping her out. She was hitting dead ends at every turn, and it was starting to become an annoyance.

But still, perhaps she just needed time to refocus. Maybe tormenting some of the Regretevator’s current passengers would be just the thing she needed. A bit of despair to get the gears turning. So she decided to set out.

Folly opened her red glaring eye out to the dire landscape of the Eternal Limbo, which sat under a blood red sky and a sea of shadow surrounded a small white island. Resting in the sea was a great aspen tree, which had been cleaved by three great gashes, and its eye-shaped markings laid inert and unfocused. Folly glared at the tree with a look of hatred, and it returned that awful gaze.

Folly looked down past the tree and saw at its base, the Regretevator. The familiar structure implanted in the base of the island opened its cold metal doors and seemed to welcome her with open arms. Folly began walking over, her thick black boots making heavy footfalls in the white soil. She had on her black pants, lined with glaring red eyes, alongside her usual snow white sweater and beret. On her face lay a broken mask, with half of it peeled away to reveal that small part of her face, where her wild black hair and glaring red eye stuck out from raw shadow.

Folly reached the Regretevator and peaked inside, and was almost delighted to see who was standing there. Curled up in the corner, already realizing who was coming in, was Melanie. The small tv-headed rabbit seemed to quake in fear upon noticing Folly, and she curled up further.

“Hmmmmhm. A pleasure to see you again, rabbit.” Folly said with a chuckle, her voice echoing off the cramped walls of the strange elevator.

“...hi” Melanie could only give a slight look of fear before looking away at the wall. Folly was delighted to see her terror once more, the wounds of her previous passing still fresh in both her and Folly’s mind.

“My my, great to see you again, my friend.” said another, more mature voice. Folly could feel herself sigh as she looked over to see Wallter standing on the opposite side.

The strange man was entirely made of stone, and one of the few Regretevator guests who was taller than Folly (besides that strange dinosaur thing, which even Folly was fearful of). His face seemed drawn on, with two small eyes and a slight smile, while around his neck was a dark blue scarf, her only piece of clothing. Otherside, his entire body was just a smooth slab of concrete with some blocky arms and legs.

“Wallter.” Folly said in a greeting tone before entering the Regretevator and slowly walking over to the corner next to Wallter and opposite Melanie. Melanie still seemed to curl up further and pulled her pink hood over her head to hide as the doors to the Regretevator slid shut and began to move.

“So, still searching for that ‘solution’ I see?” Folly asked the trembling Melanie, who hardly responded with a whimper. Folly chuckled a bit.

“Well, search all you like. You’ll never find what you and your friends are looking for. It is a fruitless endeavour, and soon you will see that.” Folly goaded, a smirk behind her mask. Melanie seemed to shiver a bit, but then Folly felt a piercing gaze from the other passenger.

“My friend, must you be so.. ah… aggressive in your interactions with our fellows? She’s only going somewhere else right now.” Wallter scolded. Folly turned to face him with a bit of anger. A look that might have intimidated others meant nothing to Wallter’s cold stone visage.

“This does not concern you, Wallter. I am free to explain the circumstances that guide us here, and how they play into our roles. If she is so insistent on working with that bug and cat, then I am allowed to voice my feelings on that, am I not?” Folly retorted, crossing her arms and digging her blood red claws into her sleeves.

“That may be, but the constant voicing of feelings does nothing but reinforce the point you already made. Tell me, how many times have you barraged little Melanie here with these same words and phrases? Has the message not gotten through?” Wallter said back.

Folly thought about it. She and Melanie had crossed paths many times after her passing and revival. Every time, Folly always made sure to remind her of her place. It had been quite a lot, but what did that matter? She was still going to defy her and her employer because of a vain delusion of keeping her friends safe. What could be more naive and hopeless than that? If anything, she was sparing her from greater tragedy.

“I have given my stance, and yet she persists. Perhaps it's time I remind her of what happens when someone tries to dig too deep.” Folly said with a threatening tone as she looked over to Melanie. The young rabbit looked utterly terrified, her black eyes on her pink screen quivering in fear. But before Folly could even make a move, Wallter stepped forward into her vision.

“Folly, how could you try and do that to her? She’s not even trying to push you or get a reaction. All you’re doing is scaring her. Is that really what you want right now?” Wallter asked, disapproval on his face.

Folly wanted to scream at him that, yes, that was precisely what she wanted. Just some despair and misery to make her feel better. She was exhausted and tired from her long search, and hadn’t rested in… how long? She wasn’t sure. But in any case, she needed subsistence, and for her, that was raw despair.

And yet, as she saw the disapproval on Wallter’s face, she felt something cold and hard light up in her chest. A feeling of… shame? Shame for what? How could she be ashamed? She wanted that despair. She needed it. She wanted to terrify Melanie, and yet, seeing Wallter’s outward distaste for it made her feel…bad?

Tch “Consider yourself lucky, rabbit. You’ve caught me on a good day.” Folly said before backing up and leaning in the corner. Wallter seemed to approve of her retreat and backed up as well while Melanie let out a big sigh of relief. As Folly saw Wallter’s normally neutral expression return, she felt that small bit of shame wash away, and be replaced with-

NO. Folly immediately shoved the feeling down into the depths of her soul. She didn’t need that kind of feeling clouding up her thoughts and emotions. Not while she was so close.

“So, where are you off to today?” Wallter asked Folly, clearly trying to just change the topic. Folly tried to search her mind for some sort of random floor so she could just brush him off, but she was having trouble recalling what the different floors were. Her mind was still conflicting over many different memories and thoughts she had gathered.

“None of your business.” she responded, trying to get him to leave her alone. But Wallter saw through the facade and could see her confusion and exhaustion.

“My friend, are you…well?” he asked. Folly looked over like it was the most ridiculous question she had ever heard in her life. And that was true, it was pretty ridiculous.

“Why does it matter? I’m not in the mood to babble with you about every minute topic just because we share the same space for a time.” Folly responded with agitation. Wallter scoffed.

“Please. You are clearly bothered at the moment. If it was for me stepping into your business earlier, I apologize.” Wallter sulked. Folly could feel that small bit of shame return like a stinging pain in her chest.

“No. It’s not that. I just…” Folly realized she had almost spoken without thinking. Why did she care about how she made Wallter feel? If anything, him being miserable would be beneficial to her. Right?

“I am fine. I assure you. Now just leave me be.” Folly answered before leaning back against the wall. Despite her words, she could feel the exhaustion catching up to her. Spending many days in a row delving into the dreams and thoughts of others was an exhausting affair, and she was not at her best at the moment.

“...but… I have been feeling tired.” Folly said with great reluctance. What was she doing? Why was she sharing this? He wasn’t going to care about that considering she had just told him off prior. So why would she-

“Oh. I see. Do you need some rest then? I’ve got a spare room at my house if you’d like. I’d imagine the ‘Eternal Limbo’ isn't exactly the most… ah.. comforting place of rest.” Wallter said.

Folly could feel her thoughts come to a screeching halt. What? Wallter was inviting her over? Even after that? Why? What could he possibly gain by this? So Folly tested the waters.

“You really expect me to believe you would let me into your abode just like that?” Folly mocked Wallter, and was surprised to see him give a sincere nod.

“Well, I don’t expect you to trust me. But you look like you need some fresh air and a fresh space. I assure you it's no trouble. If anything, it would be nice to have someone else around the house for the time being.” Wallter explained.

AHA! “So you’re inviting me over for your own sake? My, I didn’t expect you to be that desperate.” Folly retorted. She saw through Wallter. It was just another way of him coping with Mark’s absence.

“Well, I don’t deny that. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be good for you now. It can be mutually beneficial for us.” Wallter said while looking down sheepishly. Folly felt her thoughts jam up again.

Mutually beneficial. The same reason she was working with that god-awful rock. Could she trust Wallter to honor his end? No, but at the same time, she didn’t trust MR to honor his either. And strangely, she didn’t feel adverse to the idea. A night out with Wallter…

“Hmmmm. And where is this house of yours?” Folly asked. Wallter gestured to the Regretevator’s numerous buttons and the slot underneath.

“Out in Flattywood. I got a ticket right here so we can head on over now if you’d like. I don’t really have any plans today anyhow.” Wallter explained. Folly pondered this. Her search was obviously turning up nothing at the moment, and she didn’t have any arrangements or outings to attend (or anyone to attend them with really).

“...one night. Then I’m back to work. You try anything, I will make you regret it.” Folly told Wallter sternly. Wallter gave a joyous nod, although Folly could see a thin bead of sweat roll down the side of his bulbous head.

“Excellent! Let’s head over posthaste then, shall we?” Wallter said before strolling over to the elevator panel, his blocky feet making heavy thuds with each step.

Melanie stepped aside and looked absolutely relieved as Wallter pulled out a shining rainbow ticket and inserted it into the slot below the buttons. He hit one of the elevator’s buttons with a stone finger, causing it to light up, before the Regretevator came to an abrupt stop and began chugging along again.

Wallter walked back to his spot and stood near motionless while Folly began leaning against the back wall and crossing her arms. She tapped her bright red claws into her elbow as she waited for the familiar feeling of the elevator coming to a stop.

“Ummm….I…” Melanie looked like she wanted to say something, but she was having trouble finding the confidence to speak. Folly turned her crimson eye over to her with a look of expectancy as Melanie finally got the words out.

“i… hope you enjoy… your night out.” Melanie said meekly before pulling her hood over her head and doing her best impression of a scared mouse. Folly just sighed and looked away. Even after everything she put her through, she couldn’t help but admire Melanie’s strength.

“...thanks.” Folly said with utmost reluctance. As she did, she felt that strange feeling once more. She could hardly recognize it, but it felt different from despair or fear or rage. It felt softer, and warmer. Whatever it was, it helped ease her exhaustion, if only a little. Folly immediately quelled it once more as she felt the elevator come to a screeching halt.

With a pleasant ding, the Regretevator opened its doors out into a sunset lit plain. Nearly perfectly flat, Folly and Wallter both stepped outside into a vast grassy plain surrounded by hills. In front of them was a brick structure that Folly knew was a popular hangout spot for Wallter, while to their right was a massive set of letters advertising the town of Flattywood. The sun was setting behind the nearby hills and cast a warm orange glow across the plains.

As Folly and Wallter stood out on the empty plains, the elevator doors slid shut and the brick structure that housed it sank into the grassy floor, leaving naught but a bare imprint behind.

“So, my friend. Shall we?” Wallter said, gesturing towards the sign. Folly gave a reluctant nod and began walking alongside him towards the town. It was tucked behind the hills that bore the sign, meaning they’d be walking for a fair bit. If Folly was less exhausted, she’d maybe be able to teleport to the town directly, but she’d have to settle with walking there for the moment.

The duo continued in an awkward silence as the only sounds to reach them was the grass crunching under their feet and the quiet whooshing of the wind. Even for a dream parasite, Folly could feel the awkwardness setting in. She was thinking of something to discuss to pass the time, but before she realized it she was at the base of the Flattywood sign.

Wallter began trudging up the hill with Folly close behind as the sun set lower and lower. As they crested the top of the hill, Folly looked down and saw Flattywood in all its familiar glory.

The town was tucked in a small valley of hill and mainly populated by basic wooden and concrete houses. Its many residents included some mannequins, a couple test dummies, a few cement creatures like Wallter, and even a single Robloxian who the town knew as “gragg”.

Wallter and Folly descended the stone stairs down to the town streets, which were populated by a few blocky cars that chugged along in the evening light. A few metal street lamps lit up the asphalt and concrete, where a couple mannequins were just hopping about on their single metal stands.

Wallter waved to a couple of the townsfolk as he and Folly walked along the sidewalk. A couple of them waved back, but a few more gave odd looks at Folly trailing behind him. She paid them no heed and simply went about her business. There was no point in giving them the satisfaction of getting her attention.

Wallter trotted along to the heart of the town, before stopping in front of a particular house. Folly stopped alongside him and looked up to see where they were.

“Ah, home sweet home.” he said. In front of them was a house that screamed Brutalism. It was a solid concrete block that was decorated with slanted pillars of stone along its walls. Between said pillars were some windows, which had their curtains blocked off, while between the two largest pillars was a set of double wooden doors. The house had a slanted roof like a bunker, and certainly looked like it could survive a missile strike.

Folly couldn’t help but admire the architecture. Clearly one of Wallter’s personal projects he always spoke highly of during their poetry readings. And Brutalism did give off vibes of conformity, loneliness, and despair. All feelings she was well acquainted with.

Wallter approached the front door, causing the automatic lights above it to turn on and bathe the sidewalk in a pale glow. Folly squinted a bit and raised up her arm to cover up the light as Wallter reached into his pocket (did he have pockets? She wasn’t sure) to pull out his keys. The wrought iron keys easily slid into the lock and with a quick turn, the door clicked and swung open.

Wallter stepped aside and held the door open as Folly took time to recover from the light outside.

“After you ma’am” Wallter said without a hint of sarcasm. Folly just did her best to ignore him and stepped inside his house. He closed and locked the door behind them before flicking the light switch. A warm orange glow bathed the interior of the house as Folly began to look around.

It was a simple affair. Directly in front of them was an iron and concrete set of stairs while to their left was a sealed off room and a massive wall that presumably housed the bathroom and bedrooms. To their right was a kitchen and small dining area, both decorated with polished granite and sparkling clean. They were standing in a small living space, with a coffee table and massive brown couch that was somehow undamaged despite Wallter’s immense weight. The lights came from hanging bulbs from the ceiling, giving the house a warm glow despite its depressing architecture.

“Feel free to make yourself comfortable. I can give you a proper tour if you’d like.” Wallter asked as he stepped out in front of her, leaving imprints behind in the deep tan carpet beneath them. Folly began taking a step forward, before she looked down and realized her shoes were filthy. Covered in muck from exploring dreams and nightmare and grass and dirt from their long walk. Wallter noticed her looking down and cleared her throat.

“If you’d like, you can take off your shoes as well. Don’t have to trudge that mess everywhere.” Wallter asked politely. Folly looked up at him.

“What? You’re afraid of having a filthy home, despite being the only one living here at the moment?” Folly jeered. Wallter just gave a light chuckle.

“Well when you put it like that, maybe it is strange. But it’s as they say. A clean home means a clean heart, or something like that.” Wallter explained. Despite him walking the same path as her, his cement feet were still shining and untarnished. How on earth did he manage that?

In any case, Folly was opening up to the idea. She wasn’t always the biggest fan of wearing her shoes for long periods of time, but she only took them off in private usually. Was she really going to do it now just because someone asked?

Folly felt a slight cramp in her foot that seemed to be her body’s response, so she sighed and began to focus. Her shoes were immaterial and could be resummoned as will, but for now she needed them gone.

In an instant, her massive boots and the grime that coated them seemed to almost dissolve into air. In their place was a set of large black and red furred claws, which slowly unfurled. Folly felt herself rise into the air ever so slightly as she was finally able to stand in her proper stance once more.

The feeling of her bare paws being on the carpet was… very pleasant to say the least. She was so used to constantly having her feet cramped in her boots, that to finally just let them out was relieving beyond words. She couldn’t help but knead her toes and soles into the floor ever so slightly to get some feeling back into them.

She had almost gotten lost in the feeling until she realized Wallter was looking at her with a smile. Folly immediately remembered where she was and stood up straight.

“What are you looking at? Don’t gawk at me like some drooling lover.” Folly said, crossing her arms. Wallter seemed to realize he was staring and immediately regained his composure.

“Ah my apologies! I’ve just… never known you had… those.” Wallter said, gesturing to Folly’s paws. She could feel her face slightly light up from embarrassment and debated putting her shoes back on.

“BUT I don’t mean that as a bad thing! They just caught me off guard is all. They’re kind of…cute” Wallter said. Folly did feel a little better, but she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She was the big boogeyman of the Regretevator, a scourge upon the waking and resting, now being seen as cute because of her paws. She always tried to keep them hidden for that exact reason. Well, there was no point in trying to hide them now, so she decided to save face.

“Tell anyone of this, and I will crush your drinks and bury Mark in them.” Folly said sternly. Wallter gave a nervous nod, but in his eyes, Folly saw that he could tell she was putting up a facade. In truth, the thought of Wallter viewing her as cute did bring her some comfort. That strange feeling returned, and a little bit more of her exhaustion waned. What was this strange man doing that was making her feel like this?

“Feel free to hang up your hat as well.” Wallter said to change the subject, gesturing to a nearby hat rack. Folly looked over to it and saw it was bare, save for a single cowboy hat hanging from the top peg. A tragic sight to say the least. She instinctively reached for her white beret to remove it and felt it not remove itself an inch from her hair.

“Ah, but you said you can’t take off your hat, right?” Wallter asked. Folly looked over at him with a look that conveyed quite plainly “Yeah I told you already and you forgot”.

“This thing is a shackle. A part of me I would be much rather without. There is no way I would be able to simply-” as she said that, she felt a strange feeling from her beret. In an instant, it felt looser than it had been. Folly’s eyebrow shot up and she tugged on it experimentally, realizing it wasn’t stuck on her hair anymore.

Folly, for the first time in as long as she could remember, pulled her hat off her head. Her black locks of hair swirled out from underneath and seemed to savor their freedom, beginning to ebb and slither against the back of her neck and sweater. And from underneath, emerged her ears, two long catlike triangle shaped ears that had long been hidden.

Folly looked down at her beret and tossed it over in her hands. It was still snow white, completely untouched by the grime and filth of her malice and recent walk. She rubbed her crimson and black claws across its surface, feeling the soft wool underneath. A gift from…him.

Folly walked over to the hatrack and put it on one of the pegs, letting it come to rest. Her paws made soft thumps along the ground as she walked away from her beret, surprised to not feel it chained to her form like usual. It was odd. She had never been able to remove it. Never. Yet now, being here with Wallter, she had been able to. Just what was this power?

As she walked away from the hatrack, she felt the same looseness in her sweater as well. Her sweater always felt constraining and hard to take off, but now it felt looser, like it could be easily removed. She could feel her fur and body brushing up underneath it.

“Now then, I’ll get dinner ready. You can go ahead and freshen up in the bathroom upstairs if you’d like.” Wallter said. Folly looked over at him.

“What. Do you think I need it?” Folly asked. Wallter seemed to immediately get nervous.

“Oh no not at all. Just… I find it tends to help one relax. You still seem so tense. You don’t have to be worried.” Wallter explained. Folly scoffed.

“We’ll see.” she said, as she began to walk towards the stairs. She ascended the concrete and metal steps up to the second floor as Wallter made his way to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner.

Folly reached the second floor, which was a bit dimmer then the first owing to its distance from the hanging lights. She walked across the cool stone floor to the bathroom she saw at the end of the hall. Once she was inside, she clicked on the light, bathing it in shades of orange.

The bathroom was a simple affair, with a toilet, sink, mirror, and bath with a curtain. The walls were cool granite tiling and some rugs lined the floor. It felt cozy despite its somewhat small size. Luckily, small for Wallter’s size meant rather normal sized for Folly.

Folly looked up at the mirror and was surprised to see how different she looked without her beret. Her hair was wild and untamed, but she was fond of it like that. Her ears twitched and flicked to every sound and noise. Her mask still covered her face, and curiosity got the better of her. She tried to reach to take it off, but it was still firmly stuck on. She let out a sigh. Maybe she wasn’t there just yet. But how could she get there is the question.

Folly turned on the sink and pooled some of the water into her cupped hands. She gently splashed her face to ease her exhaustion. It didn’t help much, so she looked over at the bath. When was the last time she bathed? She didn’t need to, but then again, she didn’t need to come here either.

Folly felt the tiredness set in once more and realized maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. So she went over to the bath and crouched down next to it. She reached in and turned the silver valve, causing the water to pour out. She pulled back her arm and rolled up her sleeves, revealing her toned, black furred forearms, before testing the water to make sure it was warm enough.

Once it was, Folly reached down and plugged up the drain before drawing her arm back. It was drenched in water and slightly hissed from the sensation, but a quick dry with a nearby towel made it all dry and fluffy.

As she finished drying, she felt an acute soreness as something slithered underneath her sweater. She felt a limb she tried to keep hidden begin to move and regain feeling. It seems letting herself relax had given her body a chance to catch up. No point in hiding it now.

She pulled up her sweater’s back slightly and out came a long, catlike tail. It’s puffy black and crimson fur slithered and whooshed in its newfound freedom. Folly preferred to keep it away from prying eyes, but now that she had a chance to rest, letting her tail out wouldn’t be a bad idea.

A knock at the door caused her to perk up a little bit. She walked over to the door and gently opened it. There was Wallter standing right outside, holding some folded up clothes and his familiar smile on his face.

“Ah hello. I figured you’d want to change your outfit as well. So here.” Wallter said. He passed over the outfit he had picked for her, being a t-shirt and some shorts. Folly couldn't help but look down at the outfit with disgust.

“Have you no sense of taste? These will not do.” Folly said bluntly. Wallter looked a bit sad until Folly just gestured to her current outfit.

“Here. You can take this and wash it real quick if you’re so concerned for my well being. Hold on a moment” Folly explained. Wallter nodded and stepped back, but his eyes caught the flick of her tail behind her.

“Ah… you have a tail?” he asked. Folly looked back and saw it at the edge of her vision, causing her to quickly hide it from sight.

“Give me some privacy.” she said with a dangerous edge to her voice. Wallter nodded and backed up as Folly closed the door. She looked at her tail the same way you’d look at a disobedient child before turning back to the bath.

After double and triple checking to make sure the bathroom door was locked (she doubted Wallter would be so perverted, but believed he’d be so clueless as to not knock), Folly slowly removed her sweater. Her belly and chest were coated in a thick coat of black fur, obscuring most of the details of her body. Only some vague muscles, a little bit of chubbiness, and her scars were visible in the darkness. Folly looked down at her scar, a nasty triple gash of crimson that had resided there for much of her life. A grim reminder of what she had become.

Folly felt that all too painful hatred boiling in her bosom again, before it quickly subsided. She couldn’t let herself get burdened by such thoughts for the moment. Not while she was here with him… With him?

Calm yourself. Don’t get too attached. This is just a formality. Nothing more. Nothing less. Folly buried her thoughts and took off her sweatpants, making sure to slip her tail through its hole. Now fully nude, Folly plodded over to the door and gently knocked on it. She heard footsteps outside as Wallter approached the door once more. She gently undid the lock and held her clothes out through the small crack in the door.

“You can wash these. Then set them outside the door once they’re done.” Folly knew Wallter had a Hyper Washer Dryer Machine (a gift from Mark that he often gawked about how well it cleaned his scarves), so her clothes would be clean and dry in less than 5 minutes.

“Of course. And your hat as well?” Wallter asked as he took her clothes from her grasp. Folly pondered this before nodding, not realizing Wallter couldn’t see anything besides her arm.

“If you wish to, I won’t stop you.” she said. Wallter nodded (even though she couldn’t see him) and walked away to retrieve her hat and wash them while Folly closed and locked the door once more.

A thin layer of steam filled the bathroom as Folly realized the bath was almost full. She walked over to the faucet and closed it, causing a deep silence to fall upon the small bathroom with the only disruption being Folly’s footsteps. She hoisted her large black furry form into the bath and was satisfied to feel the warm water upon her bare flesh. She sank into the waters until it took up her entire lower body and most of her upper half, leaving just her shoulders and head exposed.

Folly sat there for a long time, just basking in the waters. How long had it been since she bathed? Has she ever bathed? She had no need for it given her ethereal nature, but the sensation was most pleasant. It felt like being wrapped in a warm tide of leaves, fallen from the aspens as she walked through the forests.

This feeling of warmth and almost childlike joy she felt caused something to change in Folly. She suddenly felt a strange jolt upon her face, and a slight looseness. She froze on the spot and slowly reached up her hand to her mask, feeling the water drip down her body. She gently grasped the edge of it and pulled ever so slightly, feeling it separate from her face.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Folly took off her mask.

She put it on the side of the bath, its white almost porcelain gaze turned towards her, as she looked down at her reflection in the water.

Her face was sunken in deep darkness, as to be expected, with her red and yellow eyes shining in the darkness. She had her small nose as usual, but underneath it were two massive fangs protruding from her mouth, a sign of her corruption and malice. She opened her mouth and saw several rows upon rows of red teeth, all at the edge of a spiraling abyss deep within her throat.

Folly closed her mouth and stared deep into her reflection. She remembered how it had been before, when she could still take off her mask. Her fur white as snow, her eyes and body glittering with gold. Now, she was nothing more than a shadow of her former self.

Folly felt something at the edge of her vision and looked to see a crimson tear of pure malice. The sight of it was revolting, and she quickly wiped it away and sighed. There was no point in getting caught up in what had happened. The past was in the past. And nothing would change that.

Folly looked over at Wallter’s various shampoos and body washes (why he needed them she was unsure), and began to clean herself off. The dream muck she had accrued from her travels fell off her body and into the tub, where it dissipated into pure shadow. The shampoo and wash both had a pleasant earthy smell to them, although Folly wasn’t super enthusiastic about smelling like Wallter.

Once she was nice and clean, she got up and unplugged the drain, causing the now filthy water to drain away. Folly stepped out of the tub, her body dripping with water, before she grabbed a nearby white towel and dried herself off. She rubbed her face and body thoroughly until she pulled the towel away and realized she was all puffy now, not too dissimilar to Bive. Folly found it a little comical, but would never say it aloud of course. She didn’t need that paranoid annoyance on her case about it.

Folly picked up her mask and put it back on before wrapping the towel around herself to help her warm up from the now cold water. Once it was secured, she gently unlocked and opened the door to the bathroom and stepped outside. She could hear the washing machine running downstairs as her clothes were cleaned, so she walked over to the open door which she knew was the guest room from all of Wallter’s talks about his house.

The room was another simple affair, with an olive green bed, a similarly green chair, a lamp, and a small window, illuminating the sunset sky outside. Folly sat down on the bed which sank under her weight and she felt the covers with her claws. So smooth and silky, a sharp contrast from the dirt she laid upon in the Eternal Limbo.

“Uhhhhhhhh…” Folly froze on the spot and looked over to realize Wallter was standing at the door holding her clothes. She had forgotten to close the door. He was just standing there, his expression frozen into one of sheer confusion.

Folly kept her eye on him as she got up, walked over, grabbed her clothes, and then gently closed the door between them. She mentally cursed herself for her foolishness. She’s letting herself get too comfortable. She can’t forget her mission. And yet, she was drawn towards this sense of comfort with every minute she spent here.

Folly looked down at her outfit, freshly cleaned and free from her body. It felt surreal. She thought she’d never be rid of her attire, yet being around Wallter had freed her from her shackles for the time being. Wallter had called it a mutually beneficial outing. It seems he had been right about that.

Folly took off her towel and quickly donned her clothes once more, feeling comfort from their warm and clean cloth. She was happy to be back in her clothes once more, although she still decided to forgo her hat for the time being. However, she realised her sweater felt pretty hot given the extra warmth and Wallter having the heater turned on, and couldn’t help but debate if she should just put on that t-shirt Wallter recommended.

As she thought about it, something peculiar happened. The sleeves of her sweater seemed to unravel and fade into nothingness, leaving just her arms exposed. Folly looked down in utter surprise.

“...what?” was all she could muster. Her sweater was normally immune to her shapeshifting powers, yet here, it had changed without a second thought. Folly looked down at the absent sleeves, and thought about them once more. In an instant, they reappeared as if they had never been gone. It was almost like her sweater was becoming more like her. Or could it be that she was becoming more like it?

In any case, Folly willed it once more and the sleeves were gone, exposing her arms once more and helping to ease the heat. She’ll be honest, she wasn’t used to feeling this free with her attire, and had to take a moment to collect herself before she opened the door once more.

Folly walked downstairs to a pleasant smell from the kitchen. It seems Wallter had been busy cooking dinner, and as Folly descended the steps once more, she saw him pulling something out of the oven. He heard her footfalls as she descended the steps and looked over to her with a pleasant smile.

“Ah! My friend, I have just finished making a lovely basil and tomato meatloaf. If you’d like, you may partake with me. Or ah… do you eat?” Wallter asked, as he held the ceramic cooking dish with the steaming loaf (without oven mitts as well).

“I don’t need to eat, but… I may as well try it.” Folly said. She walked over to the kitchen to get a better smell of the meatloaf. It was the most exquisite smell (at least as exquisite as a meatloaf could smell), and Folly did her best to not betray her own desire to try it. She didn’t need to eat, but she could still feel that desire to eat something delicious.

“Excellent. Feel free to grab a drink from the fridge. I’ve got plenty to spare.” Wallter said as he brought the loaf over to the table and began walking towards his cabinets. Folly nodded and walked over to the fridge, where she opened the door and peeked inside.

It was stuffed to the brim with Grey Stuff ™, that awful drink that Wallter favored. Folly was 99% sure it was no different than drinking raw cement, but somehow Wallter had a taste for it. And knowing what Folly knew, his continued drinking of it wasn’t doing his brain any favors. But she wasn’t about to tell him that. Or… should she?

Folly pushed away the thought. She can’t let herself be too vulnerable. Just because her being here was helping her reconnect with her old self isn’t reason enough to… ok maybe that would be a good reason. She didn’t know what to think.

“Mmmmm. If you don’t want Grey Stuff I have some Bloxy Cola in the back as well.” Wallter said, which snapped Folly out of her trance. She looked in the back of the fridge and sure enough, that damnable smiling man in the hard hat was staring at her from the back. The soda with all the flatness of raw corn syrup, yet it was better than nothing.

Folly grabbed the soda, making sure to keep her tail in check (she wasn’t used to having it out) and closed the fridge. She popped open the tab on top and took a sip through the small gap below her mask, feeling the familiar cold taste roll down the back of her throat. She sighed a bit and looked over at Wallter, who was looking at her while holding some plates and utensils. He looked at her with a gaze of pleasure, and maybe mild surprise.

“...don’t look at me like that.” she said, although with much less vitriol than earlier. Wallter just smiled and went back to setting the table, as Folly went to take a seat. The table was situated next to a glass window where they saw the sun almost fully set over the horizon. The smooth wooden chairs felt lovely as Folly got situated while Wallter set out the plates and utensils before cutting out a slab of the meatloaf. He placed it on Folly’s plate before grabbing a slab for himself and slapping it onto his plate.

“Well now, be sure to enjoy it.” Wallter said politely, as he picked up his fork and began to eat. Folly picked up the fork, regarding her reflection in its shining metal, and stabbed it into the meat. The tomato sauce and basil on top sunk into the freshly created holes as Folly peeled away a chunk of the meat and sniffed it. It smelled divine (or at east as divine as meatloaf could smell). Folly opened up her mouth under her mask and took a bite of the meatloaf.

The flavor was amazing, and the sauce just made it taste even better. Folly lamented the fact that she couldn’t feel true hunger, because it would only make this slab of meat taste even better. She savored the bite before digging in proper, much to Wallter’s enjoyment.

“I’m glad my meatloaf is to your liking.” Wallter said. Folly stopped and looked up at him gazing at her eating. She scoffed a little bit before digging her fork in again.

“It’s good.” she said plainly, not having the heart to try and make it out as if she disliked it. Mere hours before she had been starving for some raw, unfiltered malice, but now here she was, enjoying a meal with someone she considered a friend. The thoughts and feelings it gave her were confusing, yet all the more familiar.

Before long, Folly had cleared her plate, and she felt satisfied with the warm meal entering the spiraling abyss that was her stomach. Wallter had hardly finished his own meatloaf and Folly realized she must have looked like a wild animal with how fast she had devoured her plate. A bit of shame resurfaced, but less harsh then the pangs she felt before.

“So, my friend, about young Melanie…” Wallter said with a hint of caution. Folly felt her heart harden at the mention of that rabbit. The little menace who was snooping where she didn’t belong, so Folly had to teach her a lesson. She felt her usual demeanour return and her eye narrowed.

“What about her?” she said with a dangerous edge, which urged Wallter to not press further. Wallter cleared his throat and continued.

“You and her seem to have a… ah… complicated relationship. She tells me you’re more dangerous then you make yourself out to be, and you and her always seem at odds when you meet.” Wallter pointed out. Folly cursed his continued curiosity, and shot him a venomous look in a futile attempt to get him to stop.

“Is there a reason for that? I know you and that… rock have some sort of deal, but what would she have to do with it?” Wallter finally asked. Folly realized she wasn’t going to be able to dodge this question, so she sighed.

“She dug in the wrong hole. She sought out information that should have stayed between me and the rock. I had to… deter her from further attempts in the future. I suppose had it not been for her nature and her infernal friend, she’d still be gone.” Folly confessed. Wallter seemed to look over with disappointment, which felt like a seering pit upon Folly’s mask.

“You hurt her, didn’t you?” he asked. Folly played with her fork on the plate, trying to put the words together. Usually so eloquent and good at deflection, she couldn’t muster up an excuse.

“...killed would be more accurate. A message to that cat and bug and anyone else bold enough to try to stay away from our plans.” Folly admitted. Wallter’s expression was hard to read. It was a mix of anger, disappointment, sadness, and maybe some grief. He didn’t seem to be any of those however, and just watched Folly as if waiting for an answer.

“So… what? You want me to beg for forgiveness from her? Grovel on my knees and ask her to forgive me for tearing her head off. Is that what this is?” she said with frustration. Why was Wallter asking her all of this? She had been enjoying her time for quite a while, but now he was ruining it.

Wallter got up from his chair and walked over next to her before sitting down. He let out a heavy sigh and just looked over to her.

“Do you… feel guilty for it?” he asked. Folly didn’t like that question. Why did she have to confront her own guilt? What guilt? She killed her because she was getting too close. There was no malice or guilt to be felt. There was none… There couldn’t be any.

“...” Folly couldn’t answer. Did she feel guilty? The blood was of course on her hands, but the act was of her own will. Something she took pride in. To take a life with her own will is one thing, but a life as innocent as Melanie’s, who just wanted to help her friends. There was this nuance that she couldn’t overcome.

“Listen, this isn’t to force you to seek forgiveness, or to demonize you. I just want to know how you feel about this. To hear both sides is important to figuring out who the blame lies with.” Wallter prodded. Folly just sighed again and dropped her fork, before gently grabbing her mask and pulling it off. Wallter was shocked to see her true face as she looked down at her plate, finally letting her guard down.

“I do, in some small way. The fault lies not with her, but me. I killed her with my bare hands because she got too close to the truth. Do I regret my actions? I wouldn’t say so. But… it was still not my only option for dealing with her. But it was the one I chose.” Folly admitted. She felt a weight lift off her chest after confessing to it, and she saw Wallter’s expression lighten up as well.

“I see. My friend, you don’t need to hide such things from me or any of us. We are all bound by this strange elevator, and of course we will conflict or have struggles over who is right or how we can deal with our situation. The least we can do is be honest with each other, and ensure we don’t come to blows over such trivial matters as snooping.” Wallter said. Folly almost laughed at his naivety. How little he knew about their ordeal, and how sickeningly optimistic for him to believe they can all exist in peace.

And yet, the idea wasn’t completely adverse to the idea. To open up and be honest with everyone, not having to hide behind her mask, like she was now. Yet as the idea seemed more appealing, she felt a pain from her stomach as her scars of malice flared up. A message to not kid herself. To not let her guard down, ever.

Folly gently rubbed her belly to soothe the pain. Wallter looked down and saw, through a small gap between her pants and sweater, the burning red scars, which seemed to sear from the very touch. Folly saw him looking and quickly covered them up with her sweater.

“I can’t trust or be open to any of you. Not ever. My burdens and my thoughts are my own, and will remain as such. The last time I trusted another…” she started, before stopping herself. No, he could never understand.

“...they ended up betraying you.” Wallter said with sadness. Folly looked over and saw him with a frown, staring down at the wooden table as he dragged his finger across it. Wallter and Mark. Separated over differences as trivial as building materials. Yet the emotions and feelings behind it couldn’t be any more poignant. Maybe… he could understand a bit of her burden.

“Hmmmm. You mentioned in our talks you have a gallery. May I see it?” Folly asked. Wallter’s expression seemed to shift instantly, picking up the cue that she wanted to move on, and he quickly got up.

“Ah yes! I’ve been wanting to show it to you. I recently purchased a fine sculpture and you can admire it alongside me.” Wallter said as Folly got up from her seat and took her mask before placing it back upon her face. The duo set off for the side room underneath the stairs and entered it together.

It was a room with a massive window facing out towards the hills around Flattywood, barely illuminated by the fleeting crimson pink light of the setting sun. Wallter clicked on the lights and revealed several chairs, a few abstract art pieces, a black grand piano, and the new stone sculpture, being a hand grasping an apple from a floating branch.

Wallter and Folly spent some time together, discussing the fine arts and the nature of Brutalist architecture (something Wallter was greatly enthusiastic about). Folly ended up looking over the art pieces as Wallter ended up playing his piano, performing Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” with an expert’s skill. Then as the moon rose on high, they both ended up reading together by the window in utter silence. It was a lovely night.

Eventually, midnight was fast approaching and Folly felt her exhaustion catching up with her and bid Wallter goodnight. She headed up to her room and closed the door gently as Wallter turned off all the lights and cleaned up the downstairs.

Folly sighed and set her mask down once more besides her hat, realizing this would be the first time in as long as she could remember she would be able to sleep without it. As she did however, she noticed something peculiar about her fingers.

They were normally bathed in crimson red, but her fingers and nails now had a tint of gold to them, which seemed to sparkle in contrast to her red and black. Folly rubbed the gold and was taken aback by its appearance. She looked down at her paws and saw the same gold at the tips of her toes, sparkling in the darkness.

“...this is new.” she said to herself. This was not normal by any stretch of the means. She had an idea what was causing this change, but no solid evidence yet. She would need to do further research. But for now, she had to rest.

Folly got into the bed, buried herself in the covers, and turned up to face the ceiling. She buried her head in her pillow, closed her eyes, and felt herself drift off to a true, proper sleep.

For the first time in a long time, Folly slept a dreamless sleep.