Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Fandoms:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2025-03-28
Updated:
2025-05-14
Words:
3,632
Chapters:
2/?
Comments:
18
Kudos:
10
Bookmarks:
1
Hits:
232

enLightening Answer to Mighty Problems.

,

Summary:

Getting kidnapped and commanded to host a game show? Sounds like a Sunday afternoon plan.

Chapter 1

Chapter by

Chapter Text

The sun was just setting. The sound of crashing waves could be heard, along with a small breeze moving tree branches.

 

Those trees weren't empty, however. No apples, no pizzerias. A creature laid on a sturdy tree branch, lightly resting.

 

It appeared human in shape, tall, light silver hair covering its eyes, wearing a white button-up with a simple orange ribbon to adorn it.

 

Strangely, it appeared to have four arms, two of them ending in a sharp point, with large wings hanging from its back.

 

At the moment, it rested, legs dangling outside the tree. But, as the last light of the sunset dissipated, it began to move. Rubbing where its eyes should be, it slowly took in the darkness that it awoke to. It paused, slowly sitting straight from its position.

 

???: “.... Where am I?”

 

Not wasting time, it leapt from the tree, a small flutter helping it land safely. It took in its surroundings. A whole island unknown to it. However, it did feel something nearby.

 

Looking down below, it spotted a small slip of paper. It took the slip in its hands, reading it off, something not easy within the darkness.

 

???: “‘Reach the main office, follow the light….’”

 

As soon as its look diverted from the message, it could see one thing, a small light in the distance. With nothing else to go off of, it did not hesitate to follow its nature, letting the light guide it.

 

Following the light led it to the light’s source, a small building, lights on. It circled it for a bit, before entering.

 

Walking through the door, the interior appeared bigger than expected. It remembered the paper. Main office. Look for the main office. And so, she searched the building.

 

Past the lounge, past a hall, past the kitchen. For some reason, the entrance to the office was found within a freezer, which also connected to the bathroom. What a strange place already.

 

Not minding that, it walked into the main office. There, on a solitary table, a small laptop laid dormant, a note on top. It snatched that note, slowly reading every word.

 

“Welcome, Mara. You have been selected to hold this Chromebook, a tool that can reshape reality itself. You have been given this tool for a reason. Please open the device to find out.”

 

She paused. Something had selected her. That's…. Unusual. She’d have time to dwell later however, as she quickly opened up the Chromebook, as it slowly booted up.

 

As the loading screen went away, one option layed in the middle of the screen.

 

A guide to hosting a Character Elimination.

Chapter 2: Prolouge - No Need for Sleep Tonight (Part 1).

Notes:

if you are one of the ten people from the cecu discord server who voted for the prolouge to be released all at once then you are forbidden from reading this until all three parts release.

if you read it anyway you will be sentenced to death by lethal injection on the twenty sixth of june twenty thirty two.

Chapter Text

The sun had recently set. Another day had passed, another night began. With the light fading away, Mara slowly awoke, still not used to sleeping outside a tree. 

 

Mara: “Ugh…”

 

And like the nights that came before, she got up, walked through the hall, walked through the freezer into the office, and opened the Chromebook once again, its dim blue light hitting her eyes. She slowly read the same lines as last time, hoping to get it this time.

 

Mara: “Alright… let's see…. ‘After the challenge, the elimination is set to begin, where either viewers or contestants must vote one of the losers off the game‘ .... but where do they go? ‘I don't know, figure that out yourself.’ Seriously?

 

Hours passed, another night spent over each page, each word.

 

Mara: “ ‘Cast sizes can be of any amount, but the most common preferable amount is around‘ - Preferable to who? Who's watching this? Why am I asking this? This is the least weird thing to be questioning right now…. ‘The common preferable amount is around 15 to 20.’

 

The night passed. And then another.

 

Mara: “ ‘No camera equipment or live broadcasting is needed for your show to be seen by audiences‘ ....

 

So much time was used, just to try and comprehend.

 

Mara: “ ‘It is best you have a prize for your show. Otherwise, your contestants might revolt against you and kill you’ … morbid.”

 

All for one goal, to try and accomplish one thing.

 

Mara: “Fifty pages…. fifty fucking pages!”

 

A goal she had no intent to complete, before it was thrust upon her without warning by someone, or something, unknown.

 

Mara: “ Why am I even here? Who brought me here? Why was I chosen? Why am I even following this dumb thing!?”

 

Until, a breaking point hit.

 

Mara: “ ‘Click this link to hear about the various threats-‘ .... Alright, that's enough.”

 

For the first time in however long, she clicked out of the guide document. Slowly, she drifted the cursor away from it, exasperated, and wanting to know what this, quote unquote, all powerful computer was capable of. She scrolled down the document list, until she came across a document that seemed interesting to her.

 

Mara: “ ‘Important Command List.‘ …. Sounds important.”

 

Mara clicked on the document, and looked at the list of commands.

 

Mara: “Let's see… ‘bring_object’, ‘delete_object’, ‘reset_series’, ‘see_map’, ‘summon_contestants’....”

 

Now curious, she opens a second tab, the Chromebook‘s main deal, a simple command-line interface.

 

Mara: “If this thing knows who to bring….”

 

Quickly, she typed out her first command, ‘display_contestants‘. She didn‘t hesitate to enter it, making a small pop-up pop up.

 

Summoning 1 contestant, please wait a second.

 

She paused…. Before realizing.

 

Mara: “Wait-”

 

Her hands scrambled, beginning to click rapidly, trying to stop the process. She hit every key, backspace, control, escape, delete…. But it was fruitless, as before long-

 

Command was successful.

 

Mara: “Oh, no….”

 

Recovering from her stint of panic, she types out the map command, displaying a birds-eye view of the island. A small white dot was shown to be inside the building, representing her, while a grey dot lingered a ways outside.

 

She paused, then sighed.

 

Mara: “When better to start, I guess.”

 

And so, she made one more command.

 

Summoning 20 contestants, please wait a second.

 

Mara: “Well, guess I should go set up the place.”

 

With a sprint and a flutter, she dashed far from the building, prepared to prepare.

 

–

 

Waves softly crashing, the breeze slowly passing.

 

Sounds that grazed the ears of a young boy, as he laid on the sand, slowly shifting in and out of consciousness.

 

His body heavy, his head aching, his vision dark. Left out, a little cold, unaware. Like a flower wilting in a bad environment.

 

Struggling to get to his senses, his ears picked up another sound. Footsteps, approaching. Alongside the sound of a word.

 

???: “Yo?”

 

An unknown voice, sounding from above.

 

The kid struggled to get his eyes open, still greatly disoriented.

 

Slowly, something became clear. Something standing over him. Or, someone.

 

???: “You good?”

 

A scruffy man in his twenties, wearing a white t-shirt and some jeans. More importantly, it was a stranger. The clueless young boy tried to step back, but just shrunk into the ground a little.

 

???: “U-um, who are you?”

 

??? (Scruffy): “Ellis. Random guy, woke up on a desert island, no idea how I got here. Same story for you?”

 

???: “....”

 

His eyes drifted. An island (not desert), unknown to him.

 

???: “Right….”

 

After a pause, Ellis helps the smaller one to his feet. He brushes off his sweater vest, before noting a small flower on the ground, subtly picking it up.

 

Ellis: “So, who are you?”

 

???: “.... Basil.”

 

–

 

“Kill all sons-a-bitches. That's my official instructions.”

 

Name - Ellis.

 

Origin - Left 4 Dead.

 

Species - Human.

 

Pronouns - He/Him.

 

Hates - not Nick.

 

–

 

“It's already been four years, hasn't it?”

 

Name - Basil.

 

Origin - OMORI (Faraway Town).

 

Species - Human.

 

Pronouns - He/They.

 

Hates - Jump rope.

 

–

 

Another beat of silence enveloped the two.

 

Ellis: “So…. We've been kidnapped.”

 

Basil: “We've been kidnapped….”

 

Ellis: “.... You think we're gonna get hunted for sport?”

 

Basil: “Huh-”

 

Ellis: “Scratch that, lemme retrace my steps. I was asleep, but then I woke up on this island, at the dead of night. Didn't have a gun on me, so I walked off to the farthest point and found you. Although I could just be tripping balls, because I swear I saw a massive cat on two legs on my way.”

 

Basil: “That-”

 

Ellis: “Yeah, probably tells us nothing. Do you have any ideas?”

 

Beat.

 

Basil: “Maybe…. Maybe there's something we can use to leave?”

 

Ellis: “Well, couldn't find a boat out there, but maybe there's one around.”

 

Basil: “,,,,”

 

The little flower boy stepped forward, pointing at something blurry in the distance.

 

Basil: “That looks like the middle…. It could give us a vantage point.”

 

Ellis: “Sounds like a plan!”

 

And so, as Ellis led the way, the two would walk forward, only hoping to find an easy way out before the sun rises. On their way, they wouldn't notice, but a certain familiar face had walked by their left.

 

Near the less far side of our land, an anthropomorphic orange cat, black striped with a notably flat tail, was walking through the place, talking to himself, ranting and raving…

 

???: “Ugh, when their jails fail, they kidnap me in my sleep and throw me on an island…. Whatever, just build your way out, and go back to-”

 

… when he suddenly tripped on something, face-planting on the ground. He quickly got up, and suddenly, he heard a voice.

 

???: “Ow! What the heck was that for!?”

 

??? (Cat): “Wha- who was that?”

 

He looked side to side, left to right, but couldn't find the source of the voice. Until it said.

 

???: “Um, look down, idiot.”

 

The cat looked down as the voice told him to, and there was a dark green shirt button with short black legs, four black eyes and no mouth. Its glare appeared annoyed and rather condescending.

 

??? (Object): “Watch where you're going next time!”

 

??? (Cat): “Hey, you don't tell me what to do, you… button… thingy!”

 

??? (Object): (offended) “Guh! How dare you! I am one of the smartest objects in the world! What are you, huh? ”

 

??? (Cat): “ I am the most successful evil cat scientist to ever roam, you are just another mindless thing that got caught in the living spray.”

 

??? (Object): “.... Living spray?

 

??? (Cat): “You know, the spray that turns lifeless things into monsters like you! Although you clearly came out wrong.”

 

??? (Object): “.... Alright, I am clearly wasting my brain away by listening to you.”

 

??? (Cat): “Agreed.”

 

The cat turned away, but was immediately stopped by the button's voice.

 

??? (Object): “ But, this situation is seriously confusing, and I haven't found anyone else. So, state your name, and why you believe we've been taken to this island.”

 

??? (Cat): “.... Petey. The cops found my secret lair, somehow, and brought me here so I wouldn't escape from their prison again. Like this'll stop me….”

 

??? (Object): “And you admit to all that? No wonder you got caught.”

 

Petey: “And you are?”

 

??? (Object): “Button, I don't know what little ol’ me did wrong to get sent here! All I did was assault someone I didn't like!”

 

–

 

“I'm the bad guy! Everyone knows that!”

 

Name - Petey.

 

Origin - Dog Man (mostly the movie).

 

Species - Cat.

 

Pronouns - He/Him.

 

Hates - All do-gooders (he's still evil here).

 

–

 

“Why? Why would I ever, ever change?! What made you think of even helping me?”

 

Name - Button.

 

Origin - Power Scruffle.

 

Species - Object.

 

Pronouns - They/Them.

 

Hates - Key.

 

–

 

Petey: “Uh huh, cool.”

 

Button: “Don't lie, I can tell sarcasm from a mile away!”

 

Petey: “Well, sorry I can't take a little thing like you seriously.”

 

Button: “And what have you done to call yourself better? Have you succeeded in ways I haven't?”

 

Petey: “Well-”

 

Button: “Scratch that, don't care enough to listen.”

 

Petey: “Then why did you-”

 

Button: “I really could care less about what you have to say or what you've done, you are simply the closest around.”

 

As they say that, the button's eyes drift off, noting something far in the distance.

 

Button: “.... And it seems I've found my excuse to stop listening to you.”

 

With that, Button is quick to scurry, walking past Petey and farther off the beaten track to the north. The cat barely acknowledges this, having no complaints. Although, he himself can't notice anything or anyone in the direction the object ran off towards….

 

Oh well, no complaints.

 

But, where was that little button running towards, you may ask. Well, with all four of their eyes, they were able to spot a figure in the distance, turning a corner. So, not wanting to continue wasting time with the cat, they dashed to follow it.

 

Turning that same corner, without even a clear look at who they were talking to, they shouted out.

 

Button: “You!”

 

Noting the loud voice, the one being followed turned back. Unlike our last two, he appeared much simpler, a young adult with his hair in dreads, a blue jacket over a black hoodie, baggy black pants and a small shark tooth earring. A holdster for something layed across his back, but it appeared to be empty.

 

Upon getting a good look at the button, the man almost jumped back, clearly unfamiliar with creatures like them.

 

???: “.... What?”

 

Button: “Did you not hear me?”

 

???: “Oh no, I did hear you… I just didn't expect to hear it from a talking button.”

 

Button: “Well, I didn't expect a creature like you, making us even.”

 

Button is quick to close the distance, using all their eyes to harshly stare with every step. The guy still appears very off put.

 

Button: “Now, state your name.”

 

???: “.... Desmond. Desmond Hall.”

 

–

 

“Haha…. I just want to know the sorts of people I'm living with.”

 

Name - Desmond Hall.

 

Origin - Project: Eden’s Garden.

 

Species - Human.

 

Pronouns - He/Him.

 

Hates - Confinement.

 

–

 

Button: “Really? Your last name is Hall?”

 

Desmond: “Well-”

 

Button: “Quiet! Rhetorical question. Now, why do you believe we've been brought to this island.”

 

A beat of silence passed, then another. Desmond was clearly in thought, stopping to think if he should spill everything, or withhold information from this potential hallucination. Of course, the object didn't take kindly to this extended silence.

 

Button: “.... What's this hold up for? Tell!”

 

Desmond: “Well, we've been kidnapped.”

 

Button: “More than likely. Now, why?”

 

Desmond: “Well….”

 

He made his choice.

 

Desmond: “No clue.”

 

Button: “Great. Thanks for wasting my valuable time.”

 

Desmond: “Why did you even ask me if you didn't want to-”

 

Button: “Shush. No more words from you! If we are to find our way out, we must start with why we went in. So quiet, as I think of the most likely reason.”

 

Without another word, Button closed all of their eyes, and let their mind think. This left Desmond standing there, not wanting to stay but with nowhere to go.

 

Desmond: “.... How do you talk without-”

 

Button: “I said quiet.”

 

So, the silence enveloped them. While the small thing thought, Desmond let his attention drift. He looked around, noting the area to his right. Now, those were a lot of trees.

 

You could almost call that a forest, who let so many trees grow? It was the first notable thing about this island to him. Desmond looked back down, hesitating on whether or not it was best to abandon Button.

 

The hesitation did not last long. Leaving the arrogant one behind, he got closer to the pseudo forest. 

 

But even now, he couldn't see much other than the trees. It was night, it was dark. Although, it does seem like he can spot something.

 

Is that an…. Owl? That looks like an owl, a little high up, looking to the side, probably stood on a branch. Should be no surprise, but Desmond couldn't find any wildlife before.

 

Although strangely, as he got a little closer, the owl seemed to notice him, turning to him in a manner almost like the head of a human-

 

???: “Hey!”

 

The fucking owl just spoke to him.

 

Desmond: “.... Hello?”

 

The owl walked out from the forest, making it easier to see. As it turns out, that was no owl. It was some guy with the head of an owl, who just happened to have a black shirt on, leaving only his head visible.

 

???: “Wow, finally found someone else in this place.”

 

Desmond: “Would…. have to agree.”

 

Soon enough, their distance was closed up, as the two men greet with a handshake.

 

Desmond: “So… name?”

 

???: “Oh yeah, right. Evan. Just call me Vanoss, though.”

 

Desmond: “Desmond..”

 

–

 

“Here guys, look, I made a protective fence.”

 

Name - Evan “Vanoss” Fong.

 

Origin - YouTube.

 

Species - Human.

 

Pronouns - He/Him.

 

Hates - This…

 

–

 

Vanoss: “So, both lost on an island in the dead of night, no idea how we got here?”

 

Desmond: “Right.”

 

Vanoss: “Makes sense. Any idea why we're here, or how to leave?”

 

Desmond: “Well….”

 

…. No, it's still better to not mention it.

 

Desmond: “I have no idea.”

 

Vanoss: “We're in the same boat, then.”

 

Beat.

 

Vanoss: “.... Sooooooo-”

 

Desmond: “Why were you in the trees?”

 

Vanoss: “It sounded like a solid place to go. Didn't know what could be around, so I thought of hiding. Nice to see there's not much danger here.”

 

Desmond: “You thought you were in direct danger?”

 

Vanoss: “Pretty much, that's what usually happens.”

 

Desmond: “.... Does this happen often?”

 

Vanoss: "Kinda, in some way.”

 

Desmond: “.... Elaborate?”

 

Of course, the owl man did so, trying to make clearer what he believed was going on. In the background….

 

Button: “.... Aha! I got it, I finally understand why- I have been abandoned. Great.”



Yeah, that was irrelevant. Let's look the other way.

 

What they didn't know was that, somewhat afar, someone was watching them both in the trees, quietly glaring, attentively listening….

 

???: “What on grassland's green core could they be talkin’ about….?”

 

They suddenly felt someone pull them into the trees. They screamed in complaint before it was cut short. Desmond and Vanoss turned to the trees.

 

Desmond: “... What was that?”

 

Vanoss: “Huh, rather not stick around and find out.”

 

In the trees, the eavesdropper's mouth was covered by a dark, wing-like limb of a human-sized bat. Now we can see that the spy appeared to be a strange pink lightbulb, around twenty times the size of a normal lightbulb (like four feet at best).

 

He hushed her until the two men below went somewhere else. Once they did, the lightbulb bit the bat's wing.

 

??? (Bat): “Ow! What was that for?!”

 

??? (Bulb): “‘What was that for?’ Buddy, obviously, that was for covering my mouth with your dumb bat wing, you… unnaturally giant bat!”

 

??? (Bat): "First of all, rude. Second, I don't know why I'm this size either, okay? I just… appeared here like this. And thirdly, you're the talking lightbulb.”

 

??? (Bulb): “Hey! There are weirder bulbs out there! And at least we're uniform, unlike you avatars.”

 

??? (Bat): “... avatar?”

 

??? (Bulb): “We're gettin' off topic. Could you remind me one more time, why are we tryin' to seclude ourselves?”

 

??? (Bat): “... I don't know.. I just don't trust those people.”

 

??? (Bulb): “... Seriously? That's it? We could be out there, getting as many resources as our hearts desire, and you just wanna sit back here and starve or something, just to avoid social interaction. You sure are a special case, Monty.”

 

??? (Bat): “Monti mer .”

 

??? (Bulb): “Why are you keeping them away and not me, anyway?”

 

??? (Bat): “I would have, if you hadn't seen me first…. bulb.”

 

??? (Bulb): “ Hardened Bulb, thank you very much.”



–

 

“I would never abandon you, even if you only needed me to survive…”

 

Name - Montimer.

 

Origin - The Angel in the Forest.

 

Species - Bat.

 

Pronouns - He/Him.

 

Hates - Bats.

 

(i myself hate that google docs keeps changing his name to mortimer).

 

–

 

“Don't you want to run around aimlessly for items?”

 

Name - Hardened Bulb.

 

Origin - Find the Bulbs/Roblox.

 

Species - Bulb.

 

Pronouns - She/Her.

 

Hates - Solutions that don't involve bombs.

 

–

 

H. Bulb: “So, any plans?”

 

Montimer: “....”

 

Slowly, the bat moved to the edge of their spot. The bulb was almost hyped, until he stopped, looking out.

 

H. Bulb: “.... hello?”

 

Montimer: “I'm looking for anything that makes sense. I am not getting close to things like those from before.”

 

H. Bulb: “That's racist.”

 

Montimer: “.... Look, I'll leave if I can just find something familiar. Like, a mouse, or a squirrel, or….”



Still looking out, the bat's eyes focused. There was something out there. Something he could almost recognise. 

 

Montimer: “.... a moth?”

 

…. he decided it was better to stay put, his mutter not being heard by the bulb.

 

The bat’s eyes weren't faulty. Walking near the “forest”, stood a moth. The moth. Chromebook under her top arm’s shoulder, a lower hand under her chin, she appeared lost in thought.

 

Mara: “Just stand, introduce everything. They’ll understand, they’ll understand….”

 

Repeatedly muttering these things to herself, she walked past the trees. It seems she had a place to go in mind, despite not really looking at where she was going.

 

This came to bite her, as her foot hit something, almost tripping her up. She looked down. Her eyes widened behind her hair.

 

Oh that's, that's a dead body.

 

A large crab wearing clothes laid across the ground, its eyes closed, unmoving. The crab was dead.

 

She had no idea what to do….

 

…. Of course, there was one thing. She took the Chromebook in her hands, opening it up. It seems it had been waiting for her to do this, one thing already on its screen.

 

One of your contestants has died.

Would you like to recover him?

 

Yes — No.

 

This thing could really do anything….

 

She hid behind a corner, not wanting to be seen but needing to see exactly what happens. So, she tapped the screen.

 

Recovering contestants, please wait….

 

Contestant cannot survive within this environment. Editing his breathing, please wait….

 

…. Yup, anything.

 

Contestant successfully recovered.

 

As soon as the screen showed this message, the crab started moving. He slowly stands, holding the side of his claw to his throat, before getting up looking around.

 

Had it noticed her…. No, thank god, it was walking off in the other direction. Now, Mara was safe to continue on her way.