(lol no worries fam, I've been there xD)
"Not much," Oscar replied, gliding deeper into the tiny town. As he looked around, he couldn't resist reaching out his senses in search of other Erased Ones, but to his disappointment, there was nothing to be found yet. Perhaps, he thought, the Level Five was cloaking its energy somehow so that it would be harder to find. He would do the same if he knew how.
After a minute, he moved on to more important things. "Well, do you want to look around a bit first, or can we go straight to the ice cream? I'm good either way."
"Uhh…Ice cream," She said, pausing to think over the possibilities. Yes, they needed to start searching for the Level Five, but she was hungry, and ice cream sounded very good. Honor nodded to herself at the decision. As she looked around the town, it seemed like searching could wait, they would need to look for somewhere to stay as well, and it made no sense make two trips around town.
"Do you know where the ice cream place is? Or should I look it up?"
"I know where it is," Oscar replied confidently, already signaling to turn right onto a smaller road. "And Honor, if it costs a lot to get us both in, I'll owe you, okay?" He spoke firmly. "I'm making money now, I just haven't got it yet. And this is just for fun, so it's not fair if you have to pay for all of it. Deal?"
Honor frowned slightly but nodded, seeing as it was fair for him to pay his share. She didn't like the idea of making her guest pay, but he seemed to want to spend his new money on something. "If you're sure you want to pay for part of it," She replied, watching out the window as they turned, "If we find an ATM somewhere, I can withdraw your money from my account, that way you can have it whenever you want. It's your money after all, we just put it in my account to make it easy for your paintings to be paid for."
Oscar smiled. "I'd like that." Seeing a sign up ahead, he turned onto the road it pointed to and found himself in a parking lot. "Well, I think this is the place."
The building was large and rather unassuming from the outside, except for the large, colorful lettering over the doors which advertised the ice cream brand. Since it was a nice, warm day, there was a small line of people waiting to be let inside for a tour. A few families that had already gone through were playing in an ice cream-themed playground off to one side. The atmosphere of the place was calm and cheerful, if a bit mundane.
Oscar, for his part, looked fairly excited to be there as he hopped out of the truck. "Looks like they're open. Coming, Honor?"
Honor studied the building as Oscar parked, a soft smile on her face at his excitement. She nodded in response, getting out of the truck and making sure she had both her phone and wallet. "Make sure you lock the truck," She added as she walked to his side, looking over the building once more. Nothing suspicious stood out to her, no sign of anyone chasing them or any agents looking for Oscar here. It looked happy and calm, and she was ready for something calming like this.
(They better enjoy it while they can… laughs in evil plan )
Oscar obligingly double-checked that the truck was locked, then started off towards the entrance to the building. By the time they got there, the tour guide was busy counting heads and announced that they had enough people to go inside.
"Everyone stay together and please don't touch any machinery with a red warning label on it. There will be a booth at the end of the tour where you can taste-test our upcoming flavors and vote on your favorite." Spotting Honor and Oscar, he gave them a cheerful grin. "Afternoon. You're just in time. It's four dollars per person for the full tour."
(Sorry for the wait and the overall length of the response…life is…interesting)
Honor smiled at the tour guide, looking over to Oscar and pulling out her wallet. "I suppose we should do the tour, right?" She pulled out enough to cover the costs, but didn't hand it over just yet, waiting for Oscar's reaction. The tour sounded quite fun to her, but then again, if he just wanted to taste ice cream, she could save her money and they could simply go and taste the ice cream.
(no worries at all fam, hope you're doing ok!)
Oscar gave her a nod—the tour sounded very exciting to him. He kept a slight distance between himself and the rest of the group, as if worried that one of them would realize he wasn't human, but otherwise he seemed relaxed. "Let's do it."
(I think I'll have a timeskip for most of the actual tour if that's all right with you. The only time I've been to an ice cream factory was the time I felt too carsick to go inside, so I have no idea what they're like x'D )
(That's totally fine lol! I can't say I have any experience inside an ice cream factory either)
Honor returned his nod, handing over the money before she casually joined the rest of the group that was going to go in. Like Oscar, she seemed excited, though all that was visible of that excitement was her smile, and the bit of bounce that appeared in her step. She had never been inside a factory like this, and it seemed interesting, plus, ice cream was a bonus.
The tour turned out to be fascinating. The guide showed them through the chilly building on elevated walkways, pointing out the names and jobs of the various machines below them. They watched ice cream get mixed, flavored, and packaged in colorful containers, going all the way through the process until they reached the freezers where the finished products waited to be shipped. The entire time, the guide was supplying interesting facts, skillfully cracking jokes, and answering questions, having clearly done this countless times. At the end of the tour, he left them in the care of two women who ran the taste-testing booth, and trotted off to collect his next group.
"That was so cool," Oscar said to Honor, unable to resist trying out every flavor at the booth. "I don't know who figured out how to build all those machines and stuff, but they were really smart. What's your favorite flavor? Mine's the chocolate-caramel, I think."
Honor was smiling as the tour ended, amazed and impressed by the entire thing. She had quite enjoyed listening to the guide answering questions and showing them about, but by the end, she was more than ready to sample ice cream. "That was really cool, I do have to agree. I don't think I could ever design those machines." She stayed by Oscar as he sampled everything, laughing gently, "I have to go with chocolate mint, or the raspberry…both are really good.
"Those are good too," Oscar agreed. It really was amazing to him how the sweeter, more sugary foods actually satisfied his hunger, even if he only ate a fraction of a normal meal's worth. He finished taste-testing everything and was about to follow the crowd away towards the exit, but paused to hover by the booth for a minute. "Do you want any more, Honor? We could always take some for the road."
She shook her head, finishing off the last of her sample. Honor smiled, "As much as I would love to bring some with us, I don't think we have a place to keep it while we travel, or until we get to a hotel." Bringing ice cream with would be a smart solution to Oscar's seeming unending appetite, but it would be extremely hard to keep, no matter how much would like to bring it with.
Oscar shrugged understandingly. "Okay. I'm ready to go then." Leading the way back outside, he looked around for their truck and started walking towards it. By now, it was past noon, and the sun was just starting to descend towards the tops of the trees and nearby buildings. "So, do we find a hotel first, or do you think we should drive around a little and see if we can figure out where the Level Five lives? I don't mind driving again."
"I say we should find a hotel, at least then we have somewhere that we know we can go to at the end of the day," She suggested, a new bounce in her step. A walk, and ice cream were both things she needed after sitting in her truck for so long. "If we stop at a hotel, we can take a few minutes of a break too." Honor headed towards her truck as well, looking to Oscar, "But since you're driving, you can decide. I would think you would know what would be better. Is a Level Five going to be more active right now, or is it ok to postpone our search for a little bit."
Oscar frowned. "I think it's okay if we find a hotel first," he replied. "I doubt the Level Five will go anywhere." In all honesty it was a total guess, but he was tired of constantly saying he didn't know. Getting into the driver's seat, he waited until Honor was in the truck safely, then started the engine and steered them out of the parking lot.
"I'll go back to the main street," he said distractedly. The ice cream had left his senses buzzing. "There should be a hotel close by–this town isn't very big."
The glaring afternoon sunlight was making him feel a bit strange. He rolled down his window and tried to get some air, wishing he could take the itchy bandages off his head.
(bump? :) No rush, just making sure you're doing good)
(all I have to say is sorry..my mental health is going to trash right now)
Honor nodded, settling back in her seat with a tiny smile. The ice cream was providing her with a small but much needed sugar rush, and she was reveling in all of it. "I'll keep an eye out for a hotel," She said, rolling her own window down as well. It was a warm day after all, and the fresh air felt good as they drove down the road.
True to her word, she kept looking for a hotel, finally spotting a tiny little motel tucked away. Her eyes almost passed over it before she noticed it, pointing towards it. "What about there? Unless you want to look for somewhere else?"
(Aw no I'm sorry, that sounds like a rough time :( You take good care of yourself fam, I can definitely wait if you need time off.)
"Um…."
Oscar barely heard her. He was driving with both hands on the wheel, leaning forward, wondering why he felt like something was about to happen. It wasn't just the sugar or the summer heat—a new irritation was demanding his attention, on a deeper level. It made him feel confused and urgent all at once.
"Honor," he mumbled, stepping on the brakes. "I think I need to switch places with y–"
And then he focused on it. Something was nearby, fuzzy and alien and maddeningly familiar at the edge of his senses. It made all other things seem very unimportant all of a sudden.
"Nevermind," he said, and took a sharp right turn down a side street. "The thing is back, Honor. From the hotel this morning. I can feel it, I have to go see what it is. We have to hurry. It could be the Level Five." He didn't care if it wasn't. He only wanted to see it right now.
(I'm back for now I think :) )
Honor glanced over at him, seeming hopeful about the hotel she had pointed out before she saw how focused he looked. Instantly, concern crossed her face and she looked around, wondering what had caught his attention.
"Uh…sure," She started, frowning while she went to unbuckle her seatbelt.
This definitely wasn't the usual Oscar, and she was growing more concerned as he continued driving. He seemed, distracted, like he was focusing on something other than the road as he drove. "What thing are you talking about?" She asked gently, looking around out the windows quickly, "What thing is back?"
(It's good to hear from ya fam :) Fair warning, cosmic horror imagery coming soon lol)
"The feeling….from this morning. I could feel it or hear it or something, I dunno." Oscar didn't want to spend time explaining. "I think I scared you then, but don't be scared—I just have to find out what's—what it is."
They reached a road that crossed some empty railroad tracks, then led to a gravel lot behind some large structures meant for processing grain. Ignoring the likelihood that this was private property, Oscar drove to the lot and parked the truck, then sprung out of it, looking around intently. The shadows were long and dusky by now, so he didn't see anything yet, but now that he was in the open air he realized he could smell something. It was like ice cream and cantaloupes and honey all at once.
"Can you smell that?" he asked, his eyes wide. Once again, his forehead was starting to bleed, but he hadn't noticed.
(Oooo I do enjoy some cosmic horror imagery)
Honor nodded slowly if only to make him think she wasn't as scared. In reality, though, she was getting more scared and nervous the longer Oscar started to talk about looking for the thing. She didn't let her worry keep her frozen in her seat though. Honor got out of the truck as it parked, walking to his side as she looked around. "I don't smell anything.." She started, taking a breath in. All she could smell was the summer air, mixed with a hint of sticky ice cream sweetness she figured came from the ice cream factory. Nothing out of the ordinary, and definitely not whatever Oscar could smell.
(Im glad ^^
Unfortunately, im gonna have to take a while before i reply to this. I just got some bad news and i think ill have to step away from stuff until i figure things out. Sorry fam, hope to talk again soon hugs)
(Totally ok bro, I understand completely. :) take all the time you need and don’t feel pressured to reply. Also, I’m always here to talk/vent if you need)
(Thank-you, I really appreciate that <3 )
(Heya, just letting you know I'm still alive. I'm not quite ready yet to start this up again, but I'm getting there and I hope you're doing well <3 )
(Ok! I'm glad to know that you're still around :) I'm not quite back to full capacity yet, but I'm slowly getting there <3 hope you're doing as good as you can!)
(Yeah, I'm hanging in there. I wish you luck getting back into the swing of things on your end as well :) )
(Okay. I think I'm ready to get back into this now. Thanks for your patience ^^ I hope you're doing well these days)
Honor nodded slowly if only to make him think she wasn't as scared. In reality, though, she was getting more scared and nervous the longer Oscar started to talk about looking for the thing. She didn't let her worry keep her frozen in her seat though. Honor got out of the truck as it parked, walking to his side as she looked around. "I don't smell anything.." She started, taking a breath in. All she could smell was the summer air, mixed with a hint of sticky ice cream sweetness she figured came from the ice cream factory. Nothing out of the ordinary, and definitely not whatever Oscar could smell.
Oscar took several deep breaths, trying to pinpoint the source of the aroma. He realized he was hungry again, as if he'd just laid eyes on a delicious banquet of food. Whatever was here, it was infinitely better than candy or fruit. He knew that without a doubt.
"This way," he said, striking off towards a large silo several yards away. It was surrounded by sheds and empty semi trucks, and a small door sat at its base with a yellow warning label on it. Oscar ignored the obvious risk of getting close, beelining straight for the door. "It's in there." As he went, he impatiently tugged off the bandages on his head–they'd felt unbearably tight and itchy all of a sudden. Blood flowed freely from his injury and dripped off the tip of his nose, but he didn't seem to notice. "I'll be right back, I have to go see what it is."
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