This is madness! Madness? This. Is. REALITY! (Private Lani, Rackie)

So, due to her obvious miscalculation we've crashed into an empty space. It was...Well... Emptiness- white as an empty page. I looked around, adjusting my glasses. Nothingness. No gravity, no air, no space. Only white color. I tried to find MerryLynn in this... nothingness. "Merry?!
You there? What is this place?!" I shouted.

"So, I miiiiiiiiiiiiight have landed us in a text box? Or... a non-existent forum page...?" Honestly, I wasn't even sure where I was. At all. I couldn't see my hands in front of my face. That was probably a bad sign. "So, uh... it's all white, so on the plus side, we don't appear to be in the deep or dark web... or a red room... so.... maybe next time someone else should math."

I shivered when she mentioned dark, deep web or the infamous red room. If we survive this shit I'm going to make you learn math! " I shouted, trying to instinctively cross my arms. How did she manage do move around the site up until now? I sighed. "Don't worry,
I'll just teleport myself to you and we can get out of here!" I told her. Then...I realized... To teleport I must know where she is first. "Shit..." I muttered.

OOC: "Don't worry loves, cavalry's here!"

IIC: Quit your bullshit, Rackie and do something

OOC: "Of course, we're working on this! Lani, we'll have to pull these two out before the site eats them"

ooc:

OC's aren't for noms! D:

ic:

...Some cavalry. At any rate, I am now acutely away of what it feels like to be dragged and dropped by a cursor. I can't say that was exactly a fun experience, but I suppose that there are far more unpleasant ones. Crash landing into my companion, I found that we'd been transported to an actual, proper thread, and one with nearly a year under it's belt. SERP was funny like that; we had threads that, while years running, only spanned about the course of a day. This thread was like that. I knew the title, and I could see the timestamp that marked the server's record of it's creation.
"Well... this ought to be fun..."

Thread One: "Aurora and Aurora, The Angel and the Devil" (Active)

Z:2@#$--3 PP~!#M
Somewhere in Death City

OOC: Here ya go... Uh... The time stamp started glitching out. Gimme a mo!

Code:

Rackie.OS timestampapp.exe
Time Stamp:
2:23 PM...
Death City...[]

You're good to go!

IC: So, darkness, our creators have saved us. I closed my eyes, waiting for what was waiting for me. Suddenly I felt that I'm flying. The flight wasn't long though. I've fallen into the ... water? Opening my eyes I got up and looked around. We are back in Death City! Yay! However, for some reason, I landed in a fountain... Aurora and Aurora thread huh? So both Auroras, Yurio and Glyndwr should be here soon. We don't have much time. I quickly spotted my companion. After leaving the fountain I approached her, wet. I needed to dry myself quick! With the sun above our heads, it'd only be a matter of time. "So...Uh... We're safe now..." I commented, hoping she didn't notice where I had landed.

Just how I'd managed it, I wasn't entirely sure, but somehow, I'd landed on my head, neck bent and body bent over me. It's a good thing this thread was largely an empty one, at least for a few more minutes; stupid dress and it's not moving! I mean, technically the main body of the suit is like a gymnastics uniform with the skirt attached to it, making it a glorified swimsuit but... my butt! It's still mine. I still don't want the world to see it~ D: Righting myself, I shake my head, fixing my hat as Luey comes over. This is some progress, I suppose, but the next step is to figure out what we're supposed to do he-

....wait, is there an issue with timelines, already? Should we really be moving around here? I look to Raccoon, hoping he won't suddenly deform just because he's out of his own line. Let's hope not.

"Safe? Maybe. The timing of this thread is... arguable compared to others. It's been going on for close to a year, now..."

I adjusted my glasses, making sure nothing had happened to MerryLynn because of our emergency escape. Everything seemed fine with her and her body. Oh, now that I started thinking about it: Clowns usually don't look very human. She did. I guess she's just different- or perhaps her strand created such body for her. I was curious slightly about her normal clown form- if she had such. I mean, it's not like I cared about her looks! Uh-uh...I should probably stop such thoughts. Anyway! All I care about is her personality and the fact she understands me..! I said I should stop with such thoughts! I am not supposed to think in such way about my friend! Good thing I didn't get a blush from my thoughts. Anyway, I made sure everything was okay with my clothes and that I didn't have any wounds. Everything seemed fine. I guess I don't belong to any timeline, for now. I... feel free!
"It's strange how for our creators' threads can go on for years but we don't even notice it nor feel it." I said, looking around. "So... Hm... I guess the main characters from this thread should appear soon. I'm curious whether that thing we're looking for is even here!" I smiled, even though I knew the situation was serious- grave even- I couldn't help but smile. I was free, my first and only friend was here with me and we were saving our thread from falling apart! I felt like a damned superhero!

"What are we even looking for?" I ask, rubbing my neck. I'm smiling at him, happy to see him happy. It was a nice feeling, not only to possess happiness but to be sharing it with another. For all that I knew, all of the who that I knew, I had never really interacted with anyone until our thread. It was weird, nice even, and I wanted more of it. However, most.... most people would unravel in the world that I lived in, the way that I lived in it. It was bittersweet, but... at least he could join me. That was more than a small comfort. Letting the thoughts ricochet through my head like a renegade bouncy ball, I bound over to him, straightening his clothes before making a small hop. Making a mountain of a molehill, I turn the little movement into a lot, floating in place and crossing my legs.

OOC: "Alright, my lovely two, you're looking for an anomaly. Anomalies are things that aren't supposed to be in a thread you're in... or are behaving incorrectly. Good luck!"

IC:
"Thanks for the explanation, Rackie! I guess..." I told my creator, crossing my arms and looking around. I still wasn't sure what to do. Think, think, think! I tapped my forehead with my finger trying to force myself to think harder. "I guess... We should just carefully follow the main characters of this thread in order to find that anomaly." I said. About the main characters: I looked at the fountain I landed in, only to noticed that Aurora Foster was already sitting on a bench next to it.

"So, it's a giant "spot the difference" puzzle." I say. I'm not amused; the fate of the world is left to the hands of-

"It's a giant "spot the difference" puzzle!" I say, louder, now, my eyes wide. I do a flip in the air, holding my feet as I do so, increasingly amused. Once I'm upright again, I summon my tablet once more, brining up the thread for myself and studying what should be happening, right now.

Of course! Merry was absolutely right! Spot the difference! Such difference can be so obvious, yet so easy to miss when under stress. "So... Our anomaly is "hiding" in the story of this thread... Wait... If this thread is almost a year old, then spotting the difference could take forever!" I said, trying to think of a faster solution. I guess there is none.
All I have to do is to watch Aurora...I mean... Aurora Foster... Not Skye... Because Foster is actually my classmate... Shit.. What if she can see me? I hope she can't. Oh, alright, so Aurora Skye has already approached Aurora Foster. A conversation between the two started.

"Seven pages," I murmur, more to myself than to him. I allow myself to land, looking down at myself before sighing heavily. As comfortable as my attire makes me, I have to forsake it in order to blend in. Closing my eyes, I spin my finger, bending the reality around myself. As I did, my clothes shifted and changed, replacing themselves with something better suited for blending into the city. I couldn't be myself, not now. To survive, I had to make like I was someone else.

ooc:

I observed her transformation, filled with curiosity and surprise. After the process was over, I crossed my arms on my chest and looked at her closely. "To be honest I like your previous form better." I commented with honesty. I quickly realized my words could make her think I'm too attached to the way she looks/looked. With a blush, I started moving my arms nervously as I said- "N-not that it matters though! You're still the same MerryLynn I like!" I tried to not stutter or sound nervous and embarrassed. I failed at both

My brow raised, my eyes locking onto him as he dug himself deeper and deeper into his little hole. "You like my appearance...?" I teased, leaning towards him, hands behind my back and face approaching his. My nose was nearly against his when I spoke again. "I'd almost think that you were developing a crush on me~"

I blushed even more, now looking away. "S-stop saying silly things..." I murmured, puffing my cheeks. "I'm just being honest with you...T-That's all!" I added, still avoiding her eyes. Rackie...Have you changed anything in my CS without my permission? You probably have.

I tilt my head to the side, moving to follow his face with my own, "So, you don't have a crush on me...?" I asked, innocent, wide-eyed and pouting. He was pinned into this line of questioning, and I wasn't about to let him escape it.

What was with this question?! I didn't know myself, damnit! I'm sure it was my creator who started messing with my character sheet and broke something in my personality! She would not believe me though...I think? There's no hurt in trying. "S-Stop with the silly questions, Merry! I'm sure Rackie's playing with my character sheet to torment me for his own amusement!" I replied, really hoping she'd believe me. My face was red from my blush and I wanted to dig myself a grave and immediately jump into it

I... didn't intend to pout quite as much as I started to. Looking down, I began to submit to his responses. Really, what good would it do, anyway? Blushing or not, even if he did have any interest in me it didn't appear to be something that he wanted to possess. "Oh..." I didn't realize I'd said it but I must have. Losing the energy I had before, I set about reading through the thread, walking off to follow the misfit gang of magic users.

OOC: What have you done, you idiot? You've hurt her feelings!
IC: Oh, now you've decided to show up! What have you done to my character sheet?!
OOC: Oh, you know, I've just added a line to an empty section.
IC: What section?
OOC: Our favorite one. You might not realize it yet, but you will soon realize that it's true. Good luck. Oh, and after you two find the anomaly here, please visit the staff HQ. Buhbye!
IC: Wait, what do you..? You don't mean that... Shit!
My face turned pale and eyes widened. I'm such an idiot! Damnit! Shit! I hate myself! It wasn't him who changed something! I changed! How could I be that blind?! She was right and I was too cowardly to admit it! Someone slap me in the face for my stupidity!
I quickly followed Merry, praying to every God I knew about to get forgiveness from her.
Walking beside her, I started staring at the ground, too ashamed of myself to look at the the clown.
I couldn't stop thinking about my previous inability to see and accept my own feelings. I grabbed my clothes near my heart and bit my lip.

His presence was perhaps the only thing that I was aware of outside of the little game that we were working with. Every now and again I'd direct my attention back to the thread, read through a handful or two of posts, and then watch around us for anything that seemed out of place. It was slow going, but important, nonetheless. Besides, it got my mind off of things.

I looked up for a second, trying to get enough confidence to apologize for my stupidity. Just as I was about to open my mouth, I saw her. Aurora Foster from before her tragic accident. I started looking for our current Aurora, with a sign of panic in my movement. Both Auroras and now Glyndwr and Yurio are standing next to the fountain. Good. They're too focused on their conversation to notice the anomaly. "Merry, we've found it." I told my-... Alright! Enough of my cowardice! I told my crush! Ha! I've just admitted it! Now...I'll have to find enough courage in me to confess my feelings to her... Hah, this almost feels like taken from some sort of a cheap romance anime...
Anyways, I've started approaching the anomaly slowly. Her body was glitching out, shifting unnaturally. She was a bit like a hologram from some Sci-Fi movie.

He'd noticed the difference before me. I bit my lip; it was a blow to my pride, yes, but besides that, it was a risky endeavor to try to... were we supposed to catch these? No one had notified us of how we were supposed to do that, and I was pretty sure that he was not supposed to touch them. Dismissing my tablet again, I made my way over to where he had gone. "Be careful." I said, moving to reach out to the image. Maybe...

The fake Aurora suddenly turned around to face us and oh lord, I really regret she did that! Her eyes were black as the void and as dead as it, the black blood was dripping from her eye sockets. Her face was shifting, losing it's shape. The anomaly started growling like a zombie. "M-Merry...Stay away from this thing..." I told her as I've carefully lifted the Soul Protection and summoned my phantom katana. Would killing this abomination even work?! Think, Raccoon, think!

I'd mentioned my lack of fear already, right? The funny thing about clowns is that we don't particularly need to worry about self-preservation. We heal. We revive. And the clearest source of my madness that could be found was already here. That's what made clowns terrifying. Under the right conditions, there was no killing us, and even then, we aren't guaranteed to stay dead. Thus, fear is relatively pointless to us. We can come back. Besides, if this thing was an anomaly created by the bleeding of the Real World into SERP then what would happen if...

I reached a hand out, grasping the creature by the wrist even as I worked to summon a sort of armor to cover me --- a contingency plan, you might say. It's some kind of Madness... It hurt, and I was scared, not because of what was before me but what was inside of me, just as before. I felt myself shift, felt the change take over part of me. I could feel the way it crawled through my body, could feel it engulf my eye as part of me felt so completely grounded that it was like I may never fly. It added a weight to me, a firmness, a sort of inescapable cage that was trying to chain me to a form I would not take. But here, like this, I was and who I was trying to be, on the borderline of Fantasy and Reality.

More than scared about what was going on, I was worried about MerryLynn, especially when the shift started to happen. I imagine it was not pleasant for her at all. I instinctively put my hand on her shoulder. Soul Resonance is not an option- Clowns don't have souls. Or, at least, not in a standard meaning of that word. I mean, they have these strange marbles-things, right? They also won't die as easily. Yet, I couldn't stop worrying about her. I tried to amplify her strength by touching her and whatever MerryLynn was doing, it was clearly working; the anomaly started losing its form, shape, slowly turning into a transparent ghostly silhouette. Almost there.... Almost there...
I gripped Merry's shoulder tightly, trying to provide her with enough power to get rid of the anomaly.

OOC: You can do it!
IC:
The anomaly slowly dematerialized. Poof and it was gone. Nothing of it remained. I sighed quietly in relief and looked towards the real Aurora. Our eyes met and I casually waved my hand at her. Aurora Foster only nodded slightly and returned her attention to Aurora Skye.
I sighed in relief one more time and looked at Merry. "You...You did it..." I said, feeling the adrenaline flowing through my veins. I calmed down quickly and put my hand on my chest. "I started worrying about you when you touched that anomaly... " I told her with honesty. However "worrying" was an understatement. I was extremely worried!