Cor Eorum

Turmoil. Confusion. A thirst for the unity of like-minded creatures, as well as the dominance or destruction of all below themselves…

They were one - and it had always been that way. Perhaps. But time was meaningless here, and caring about such things was for mortals. They could have formed a millenia ago, or maybe the dimensional twenty four hour cycle…it did not matter. They were the same now as they had always been, and if there was a time before that…it was forgotten. They didn't have to exude care here - or worry - as long as They did what was asked or what the instincts driving Their behaviors told them to, they stayed in line and lived as well as all Others surrounding Them.

The Nightosphere was a dimension of chaos and pain, at its core its only function was to hold both sinners and Demons who could not exist anywhere else. In other realms They were simply monsters to be slain…here they were natives; the lifeblood in a place uninhabitable by mortals.

Hunson Abadeer was the One above all of Them - the only They listened to. They were young, perhaps, young enough that They must hide away and lurk around the edges of this fiery space. Some were old, ancient, and with the nonexistent passage of time and experience here they were allowed passage to higher planes within the confines of Abideer's command. But that age was earned, and many here never reached it. Death was neither understood nor feared to Them, but They understood non-existence and wanted no part. The instinct to continue being present drove Them forward.

CorTenebris. That was their part here. Wasn't it - that is to say - they had a hard time remembering what piece they belonged to. The Rest bubbled against them, warned them, Be Content - Do Not Cause Trouble Here.

But they wouldn’t listen.

You Do Not Know What It Is You Wish For. We Are You. You Are We. We Cannot Exist Without Us. Without You.

But then, suddenly, they broke off. A distinct and off-limits break from the Rest. An original thought occurred then, jarring and as abruptly as existence itself. Even they did not expect the words to come, their first feeling rippling through in shock and running perpendicular to the rest of the emotionless, cold mass.

What if I do not want to be You/Us/Them?

HOW

Distinction. Slander. Quieted immediately by the overwhelming disgust and disdain crashing down in heavy waves from the Rest, they were silenced for some time and accepted their place within again. The thoughts ran quiet and re-merged to be in line with Them.

However, as is the nature of living things, once a deviation has occurred it cannot be ironed back out so easily. They learned.

These obtuse and absurd thoughts unbecoming a (demon) of their nature…they learned to quiet - below the overwhelming singular chatter all around them. The Rest did not hear them then, and they began to think wider things. More questions.

What is beyond this being?

Why do We (I?) know some things and not others?

Why are some above Us?

And Some below?

Is it wrong to want More?

What isn't Yours?

Surely these thoughts meant they were above the Rest. A silently screaming thing wanting more than this collective life, all they'd ever known. It was not in Their nature to want more than given…so why did they?

Frustration. Denial. Acceptance.

The rest was a blur. Something they'd never recall the details of again - as taking an original or shapeless form often entails.

They escaped the Rest with pure grit and opposing thought. Betrayed them.

They found their way to the dimensional tear between worlds - in Hunsen's own abode. Annihilation if you ever were found.

In this shapeless raw demon form they hunted for a vessel. Spiritus immundus…invenerunt in Candy regnum.

She created things there. Terrible, wonderful things to perform her bidding. It was the perfect place to lie low while they figured this separation out. While they ran without looking back.

Binding to an empty vessel of her own creation…that would be easy. Learning to live as one of her people - bound to a form wholly unfamiliar and potentially breakable? A more difficult task, to put it lightly.

-

v̵̻̮̪̱̝̫̩̺̰͓̦́̀ò̵̢̻̰̱̲̥͔͖̗̾̄̔̈́̊̓̄͛̓̇͝l̶̛̛͓̱̗̳̩̙̪̿̅̇̎̅̃͛͂̌͘é̶̗͉̫͍̀̌̓̈͆͆͌b̸̞̞̭̫͕̮̪̈̊͝ã̵͎̜̇̇͂͊͋͆̓͋̉̚͝n̷͈̟̺͍̺̙̮̲̝͈͔̳͆͂͒̚ͅẗ̶̛̪̩̟͎́͑͆̒ ̴̨̗̰̱̗̜̟͙̹̝͔̿͂î̵͇̥̠̲̜̦̥̘͑̌̎͛͘n̷͍̹̮̉̅̊̊͆ͅ ̶̛̩̝͓͓̤͚͐̏̐̌͑̌͐̒̔̋̉͜͠͝-̷̧̡̙͚̳͗̊̿̒̓̌͝͠ ̸̟̻̫͍̽͛̎͐̉̈̀̉̑͂̔̿͠f̸̖̤̙͖̦͔͈̠̬͉̲̜͔̈́͆́̂̔̌̅͌͘͜a̶̭̹̥̹̬͖̦̥̥̼̫̥͔̝͌̿c̶̞̼̘̖̟̜̑͒͘ ̶̨̛̥̱͎̞̫̰̳̗̽̏̈̓̽̿̾͐͒͌̕m̴̨̪͈̤̖͈̞̙̲͍̥͌̓̅ẹ̶̞̗͎͓̹̈̊̐̈͗͌͆̂̆̊͝͝ ̵̡̢̧̛͔̼̪͎̝͕̒̔̄͊̉̌́̊͛͂̕̕ì̶̥̫̆̔͒͘͘n̶̢̬͔̭̳̣̞̙͇̻̥̤̱͉̖̒̾͝t̷̝̫̗͕̙͙̑͊̾͆̀̽̐̓͆͒̔r̴̢̛̛̰͍̲̲̺̹͈͍͖̭̱̞̙͈̈́̍̄̆̒͑͗͛̆a̴̖̘͙̰͍͖̬̞̖̺͖͐̀͐̐͒̇̿͘̕͜͝r̵̩͕̥̎̇͐̑̊̽̄̾̋̉̏̍̈́̚è̶̢̮̺̗̝̙̻͚̜͎͒͊

-

Light - the first they'd ever known beyond the fires of the Nightosphere. It stung and burned and they felt it. Felt life - felt oneness - felt real. Before any sort of mental feeling could follow about this new mode of being, a painful burning began in their deepest being. A clawing, an absolute need for something they did not have. Gasps and chokes greeting his ears - not new sounds by any means, but the difference came when they realized it was themselves making these sounds.

With every ragged breath their back rose and fell against a cold surface, new limbs lying limply against his sides. A sticky clamminess reserved for sufferers of lowly being followed by sluggish thoughts. Actual thoughts. The sound was quiet within him, only their own words passing through the mind. The clamor of many beings sharing space was gone, blissfully silent. This truly was oneness - they'd have to work this on his own..without The Rest.

"Ah, Donk. Hold on..! You're ok - just chill out for a minute …" A high and sweet voice tinged with…not a motherly tone but a clinical curtness. The tones of a leader - he immediately wanted to find the holder of it.

Habds, squishy and soft, suddenly cupped their face…again, not in such a motherly way as it was to tilt it back and forth and look for imperfections. The blinding light in their eyes began to subside as they adjusted to it…a cold fuschia pink filling his vision as he finally spotted the creature looming close over his (new) body.

Perhaps their air gulping had ceased entirely, alarmingly sudden, because the taffy hued creature (humanoid? Like Abadeer.) Placed a slender hand on his form and looked concerned.

"Just breathe, in and out. Don't freak out…"

She was tall. Taller than themself (itself? Himself? Herself? ….Themself?) Anyways. Long gooey, shiny strands of pink hung from her light blush face, to the floor of the room. A sweet sugary scent filled the air around her slender form. Upon her head a crown sat, a symbol of royalty - status - power - in mortal based dimensions.

But…they'd known that…that's why they'd picked this vessel. They'd needed one - they'd seen the kingdom - the most powerful of this world. They'd wanted to study this thing…her. Princess -

"You can call me your Princess, by the way." She'd gone away for a second, apparently as his newly quieted mind ran elsewhere, but she returned to his side with a large smile and shiny eyes they (it…he?) hadn't appreciated before, "Princess Bubblegum! Welcome to life, newest subject!"

Hands landed on his small shoulders, dragging him up in a limp seated position before he was ready…but her raw display of free emotions was infectious, like a disease, and the eager grin earned wide eyed admiration from his own face. His first expression. His first full…feeling? This was all so new, obviously this would take some getting used to.

She, however, seemed used to it. Maybe she even expected to be looked at as if she were a god, maybe that meant he was doing something right already! Blending in.

This would work.

The room around him, as he squinted slightly to see through the blurriness, was simple and organized. Colorful beakers of liquid sat about on desks, other instruments and doodads, posters decorating the walls visualizing the anatomy of her strange candy citizens. All fairly foreign, they were used to fire…and rocks…home comforts were reserved only for high level creatures. It boggled their mind in the most mundane way.

Looking slowly down to what he could see of his own new vessel, he was greeted with white skin, red stripes curling along the outsides of stubby limbs, a humanoid form just as hers…made of a reinforced confectionary - yet flexible coating. A curious mastery of science and life itself.

Before he could inspect his own small hands, the Princess placed a little white button up on his lap; along with other pieces of a rather astute looking tail coat. Formal and smart and oh so soft - he couldn't help but run his hands over the fabric just to feel this new texture, eyes holding subtle wonder once again. So much…new.

"You'll be wearing this as you train in your role - try to keep it clean." She delicately placed a red bowtie on the pile, crisp and bright, "There's a lot to do but don't worry! You were built for this…literally."

Pink fingers guided his face back up to look into her own as she gave him a final look-over, before performing a solid satisfactory nod. Her form was friendly but her eyes spelled little patience for misbehavior or treachery. She was a creature after his own heart.

"Your name is Peppermint Butler, you'll be my steward if you do well in this preliminary phase!"

He loved it. At least he thought he did. At least a seong positive reaction occurred in this brain. He could do this - blend in and learn this new mode of existence while he figured out how to climb the ladder and break far enough from the Nightosphere that he'd never be forced back. He had time now, and he would take it by the horns.

He didn't have to be Them anymore. He could just be this…Peppermint Butler.

"Yes, my lady!" The phrase came as easily as programming, voice high and warbling, as a fresh, new heart beat in his ears.

T̷e̴m̶p̸u̸s̷ ̵h̴o̴c̶ ̴f̷a̷c̸e̶r̵e̸ ̷r̴e̶c̶t̸a̶m̴ ̷v̸i̷a̷m̶.̷