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When Otto awoke to a notification about a mandatory Psy-7 meeting in the Heptadome, he knew that trouble was on the horizon. After all, they always had the same schedules. They never deviated from it unless there was something that made Compton anxious enough for even him to agree to change it, since schedule changes affected him the most. The issue was twofold: One, the notification mentioned that it was later the same day, meaning that it was likely Ford who scheduled it. Two, the group chat had been almost completely silent. No one had even mentioned a meeting to him.
If anything was enough to bother Ford and hadn't gotten them to ask him about it, then he already knew what it was about. The same thing all of them had been begging for: They wanted answers about his mental state.
He didn't want to deal with all of it. All of the softer words and the politeness and the stilted lies. He hated the idea of them making up lies to help him, especially since he focused so clearly on truths. He was a scientist, after all-- not a science experiment that needed to be poked and prodded and examined.
Even so, to not go would only invite more worries. So of course, he would go, and of course, he would invite them to visit his mind to put them at ease, after all, he had everything filed away neatly. There was no way it could go wrong.
“So, you showed up. Good to see you’re here, Otto.” Ford raised a hand to him as Otto entered, still chewing on a Psi-Pop. He gave a half-hearted smile before he settled on his cushion, looking at the others. Bob still held tight to Helmut, and Lucy was close to Ford, and Compton and Cassie were right beside each other too. He was the only one without a clear partner except himself.
Just me and my thoughts. Great. Fantastic. Love that for me.
He leaned back, trying his best to relax. He knew he couldn’t really relax, but it was better to act like he didn’t care at all. Finally, someone else spoke.
“So, uh...” Bob cleared his throat. “We’ve been talking a lot about the events of the past… I don’t know. Time period, whatever it is at this point. And… Well, we were thinking it might be best if we do checkups on each other. Because we trust each other a lot.”
Otto’s heart raced, though he couldn’t determine why that was.
Do they really trust me? Does anyone even trust me-- do I trust them? It’s been all this time that they’ve been ignoring me and pushing me away, of course I don’t completely trust them, and they’d-- They’d throw me out if they knew everything on my mind. It’s too dangerous to let them get too close to that part of things. I can’t let them get too far in my mind if they--
“And, um… Since everyone else got a check-up with Raz and when we re-joined for everyone except Compton, and he and Cassie have been going through his issues, we-- No, I was thinking that you need to let us in.” Bob looked at him, and let go of Hemut before standing up, walking to Otto. “I get it. You don’t want to let folks in. I didn’t either. But we’re stuck with it now, Mullet Man, so you’d better open up about what’s going on. Got it?”
“Geez, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you actually cared or something,” Otto shot back with a cheeky grin. Bob didn’t respond in kind, only furrowed his brows.
“...Because I do , Otto.”
“Hah. Yeah, right,” he mumbled, just soft enough that Bob couldn’t hear. “But fine. I’ve got things under control anyways, so.” He took the portal from his pocket, and tossed it in the air before it snapped to his forehead. “I expected this to come up eventually.”
The others prepared their projections, and Otto shut his eyes to better welcome them on the other side.
The museum lit up when folks arrived, copper lamps floating above them as he reclined in a comfy chair in the VIP arrival lounge. The others showed up one by one, still getting their footing on the carpeted floor in a mind, unlike where they had been for quite a while. Ford, Cassie, and Compton seemed fine-- They had been in minds just recently, so they still had their astral legs. Lucy, Bob, and Helmut, on the other hand, stumbled. Ford supported his partner, and Bob helped Helmut to get up just the same. Otto got up from his chair, folding his arms behind his back with a slight smile.
“Nice to see everyone’s here safe. Do you need the whole tour, or is this just a quick look around?”
“We’re not just here for a quick look, Otto. We’re doing an actual checkup.” Ford turned to him, close to continuing, but Otto cut him off with a loud clap.
“Tour it is!”
Compton sighed, but Otto lead the way, opening the doors automatically as he neared it. “Welcome to Mentallis’s Museum, everyone. I’ll be your guide, Otto Mentallis. Pretty sure you all know me by now.” He grinned. “How about we get down to it. On the left, we have the Hall of Inventions and the Mission Control. On the right, there’s Memory Lane and Founder’s Corners. And here in the center, we’ve got my personal favorite-- This, my friends, is the Idea Box.” He approached the central machine, and hit it with his elbow. After a moment, a Good Idea fluffed out, floating down into his hands. He held up the small, fluffy thought, and it stuck out its little tongue. “Ta-da!”
There was a bit of polite applause, at least.
“...No, really, you guys are allowed to ask questions. I’m not a lecturer.”
“If you sound like Crully talking about the final frontier, I’m going to sleep through it,” Lucy warned. Ford sighed, but Cassie laughed.
Otto tossed the idea onto the machine, and it flopped down, shutting its glowing eyes as the others walked off. “Alright, let’s go to the Hall of Inventions first. I think that the Founders’ Corners can wait a bit-- After all, we’ve got the real deals right here.”
“Hah. I… I guess you’re right,” Bob tried to laugh a bit. “...Otto, really, we could just look on our own. Get through it all quickly, and--” Otto interrupted before that idea could take hold.
“No, no, I like it this way. It’s fine. Besides, this way, if any of us miss something, there’s still six others who can catch it.” He managed a smile, looking between the others, making sure no one suspected a thing.
Nothing.
So you think. It could be worse. They could all know what you’re up to. They know you’re hiding something and you’re making sure that it’s all confined to places you aren’t. They could all hate you. You’re just--
“Otto? You look nervous.” Compton quietly pulled at Otto’s hand, which almost made him jump. Almost. He had it under control.
“Hm? Oh, no, no no no. Everything’s perfectly fine. I’m doing fine. Why do you ask?”
“...I just said why--”
“Anyways! Let’s move along. Hall of Inventions!” Otto quickly pushed onwards to the next exhibition, pulling the others after him. He could feel their interest waning and folding as he did so, but he knew that they were at least polite enough to not voice their thoughts about the tour.
Everyone except for Bob. Bob was the one he truly worried about here-- Everyone else would brush off warning signs or assume it was just in the pursuit of scientific progress, or at least keep their thoughts private. The faux-rivalry he had with Bob was a point of… Something. He wasn’t sure what the word was, but he knew it wasn’t good.
The Hall of Inventions was a massive, sprawling area that overtook what in the Motherlobe would be the offices for Sasha and Milla. He was pretty proud of it, for good reason-- He had worked hard on most of the things there. The Hyperhyglaciator, Burgerbot, the Thought Tuner, the Astrolathe (under a tarp now, as he tried to figure out what to do with the memories of it and how it had hurt others) the Brainframe (with a sign noting about “Heptadome Harry” and a letter of apology to Helmut, of course) and the Otto-Matic were just some of the things in there. Only a fragment of the old things he had made, both with and without help. At the very least, Ford, Lucy, Cassie, and Helmut were impressed.
Of course they’re impressed. They’ve not been around for 20 years. Bob and Compton have already seen all of this. They’re going to get distracted and see something. You’re going to be found out as a fraud and a liar and a terrible person all because of--
“And this is the newest of it all, as of now. I’m still working out the kinks in the wiring, but once it works, it’ll most likely be a hit. The goal’s to make a machine that can take care of panic attacks easier-- Keeping them locked in place so you can hit ‘em as much as you need. Only problem is that they keep teleporting out of the locks.” He laughed a bit, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“...I mean, hey, I could definitely use one then. Those things keep popping up whenever I’m just trying to enjoy some music,” Helmut noted. Thank god someone else is taking on the talking, you can’t do it at this point, it’s going to slip and you’re going to mess up and--
“Give me a few more weeks-- I’ll make sure to get you the first working prototype I can, Helmut.”
“You’re the best, man.”
“It seems like everything here is in order, at least,” Cassie pointed out. “Much better than most of us.”
Yeah, it’s because I’m shoving everything else down and hiding it. But that’s not what you’re gonna see, not now and not ever.
“I do my best to keep it tidy!” Otto grinned, and he moved his glasses slightly. “Now. Ready for the next exhibit?”
“As we’ll ever be,” Bob mumbled. Even though he knew it wasn’t meant as a jab or as something he could hear, Otto still gritted his teeth to keep his smile, and he led the way towards the next spot: Mission Control.
It took over the usual spot for the Post Office, where he did his best to handle the tasks flooding in and out of his own lab. There, mental connections floated through the air, and it was all he could do to shove the less friendly ones behind the chalkboards and machinery. It took the form of both a classroom and a lab, a mix of everything he felt it needed to be at once. In the center was a table by file cabinets, where he worked through the things that were needed as soon as he can.
“...Hm. I suppose this is where most of the work gets done?” Ford asked rhetorically. Otto still answered.
“Yes, it is. Ranging from the brainstorming to the blueprinting, this is the space I tend to use for roughing out the ideas from--” he broke off as the Good Idea from earlier returned, nudging his leg. He sighed, picking it up. “...Roughing out these guys to make them into reality. Apparently, this one really wants to be made, so. I guess I have work to do after this meeting, hah.”
Bob narrowed his eyes at some of the connections as they floated around. “...Work… Friends… Risk… Machines… Inventions… Y’know, I don’t know what I was expecting.”
Yeah, you were expecting the ones behind the chalkboard. I know that. And I know better.
“I’m keeping things neat and tidy.” He grinned as he tossed the Idea into a small pen for them, still pushing the thought to the back of his mind. “So! Let’s continue the tour, shall we?”
“...I’ll catch up in a bit, Otto. I’m just going to take a look around here.” Cassie smiled, but his heart rushed.
No, no, Cassie, I can’t keep everything together if not everyone’s together-- We can’t split the group, we can’t split up--
“Otto?” Ford’s voice interrupted. “You’re shaking.”
“It’s fine! Of course. Just make sure you catch up soon. This place gets like a maze when I’m not leading the way. It’s-- It’s completely natural, don’t worry, I just don’t want you to stumble into somewhere you shouldn’t be.”
There was a moment of silence, and Otto could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he smiled, his face strained and his eyes darting from person to person. Cassie shrugged.
“Alright. I just wanted to take a few notes about the backrooms.”
“W-we’ll get to that at the end of the tour!”
“...You’re hiding something, Otto,” Ford muttered. Otto could feel his heart racing, and Ford stepped closer, looking at him. He stared back at him, keeping his mouth tightly closed and in a simple smile. Neither broke eye contact, just stood there.
“So what if I am? You were hiding a lot of things from me too.”
“He’s got a point, Ford. Leave him alone. We’re… we’re all still hiding a bit of stuff--” Bob tried. Otto blinked, and started walking.
“Ol’ Man Cactus is right. Let’s continue the tour. I’m going to show everything I can, and then we can talk.”
“You can’t just walk off!” Ford exclaimed, even though Otto was doing just that. Helmut took Bob’s hand, following after Otto, as Compton stuck by Cassie and Lucy pulled her boyfriend with her.
“Memory Lane’s up next, everyone. Buckle up, this is going to be a quick one. I don’t dwell as much here, but there’s a few things to look through, so keep an eye out.” He stuffed his hands back into his pockets as he walked backwards, guiding the way through. Two missing people. He felt incredibly sick at the thought of what they’d find, so he kept his mind split, trying to keep an eye on the others while still focusing on what he was doing.
Multi-tasking, after all, was one of his best skills. He could do it. He had to do it. He hated to imagine them being hurt because he couldn’t think of both ends of the group at the same time.
Everyone fanned out across the room, giving him time to focus on the other end. They had things here to focus on-- The memory reels of the Psychonauts’ history, the time he and Ford spent in college classrooms theorizing and experimenting with everything. So much was still under re-construction, learning to handle the past and the new direction of history. The edits were still messy as he returned Lucy to the narrative, but he was focusing on the other half at the same time.
The backrooms. The places he had shoved the less-appealing connections. He was sure that the duo wouldn’t pay as much attention to what was coiled up like snakes in the air. At least, he hoped they wouldn’t. He didn’t have anywhere else he could shove them to hide them more from the others. He didn’t know what he could do to keep them hidden if he couldn’t count on them to be where he expected.
“I remember this one,” Ford chuckled. “The whole pollen thing…”
“Ugh. Let me forget that one ever happened, please,” Bob groaned.
“And those stupid disposable cameras! Otto, do you still have any of those?”
“No. I think they got blown up with everything else.” He shrugged. “Or maybe just destroyed by one of the hundreds of things we did.”
“You’ve got a point there,” Ford admitted. “Still. It’d be a great thing to keep for now. Show folks how far we’ve come, what the gulch was like before--”
“I’ll try to find one, then, but. No promises.” Otto shrugged, barely keeping his voice from being terse. He could still feel their eyes. Twelve eyes. He was used to more, so how come theirs hurt more? How come they were heavier than any board room he had ever presented to, any classroom or any new crop of recruits?
Yet again, something nudged against his leg. He looked down, finding the same Good Idea yet again. It was starting to get on his nerves, with how it wouldn’t leave him alone. It was always right there. He stared at it, wondering what it even wanted. It whimpered slightly, and he picked it up, looking it over.
“What do you want from me?” he muttered. “Is this a game to you? Some bad idea in disguise?”
The others didn’t even seem to notice him glaring it down, trying to figure out what the fluffy little thing was doing. Usually, they’d stay put and wait for him to come back to deal with them or sort them out. The really ornery ones were usually either bad ideas in disguise or something too important to let go. Finally, he sighed loudly.
“Alright, seems we’re cutting the tour short. This little furball has something it wants us to see. And apparently, it’s not taking “no” for an answer. Let’s grab Cassie and Compton and let the little thing go.”
You had better be good, or I’m going to blast you.
It bounded back towards the lobby, leading them in the right direction to grab the others, and he impatiently waited for them to leave the back rooms before allowing the idea to rush off again. It didn’t seem to be in a hurry, but when it got started, there was no way to stop it. Luckily for Otto, it didn’t head towards the back rooms, but it also didn’t lead towards the Founder’s Corner like he almost expected it to. Instead, it headed for the doors to outside, sitting dutifully nearby as it waited for them to join it.
“...Seems locked up pretty tight,” Helmut mumbled.
“Not actually. It’s just a key-code and a thinkerprint. I don’t trust people to not get my thinkerprint if something happens, so I much prefer to add key codes as well.” He hummed slightly as his hands danced across the keys-- 636825547. Even if it was just his last name if he typed it in on a phone, it was safer than anything else he could think of. Keys were easily conjured in a mind, and it wasn’t impossible that most other codes would be cracked one way or another. This way, it would be safe.
It opened up under his direction, revealing where the Motherlobe of his own invention was: Green Needle Gulch, right at the Heptadome. He smiled brightly.
“Well, I would’ve planned this for a grand finale since Cassie and Compton already checked the back rooms, but I suppose that we can skip Founder’s Corner for this. Ta-da?”
“Wow,” Helmut breathed. “Bobby, look at the Feel Mobile--”
“Yep.” Bob laughed, and he let Helmut pull him towards the construct. Otto naturally followed close behind, the Good Idea dogging his footsteps, and the rest came after a moment.
The Feel Mobile had been revamped over time, but it never lost its usual sheen and silly aesthetic. The van had lots of love poured in, and it was clear Otto had let it stay mostly as he remembered. Helmut hugged the car, making Bob laugh a little, though it was clearly a loving laugh. Otto cleared his throat as he opened the back doors, revealing a small space he had made inside. Just like the doors that took someone to completely other places in Cassie’s mind, he had created a way to enter a replica of part of their mind.
“I think this might be more what you’re looking for.”
“Yo!” Helmut cheered, and he stuck his head in. “Backstage-- Nice, nice. I’ll take a quick look. Bobby, you with me?”
“I’m always with you, Psi-king.”
“Ugh, come on. You two are so sappy, one of us is going to get stuck in the syrup.” Otto rolled his eyes as they hopped into the van, sliding into the backstage of Helmut’s mind.
It was merely a diorama, nothing real, but he had done his best with the pictures that Raz had snapped on his journey. Bright colors, scenery that reminded him of a book instead of reality. For him, the place was overwhelming. For Helmut and Bob, it was a memory of a place they used to love. The two walked around, growing more distant, and Otto turned to the others.
“I did my best to replicate a section of Helmut’s mind in here. On the same note, everyone else’s should be in their own houses, sanctuaries, or otherwise. Except yours, Ford. I… Couldn’t figure out how to represent that place.”
“How did you find out--”
“I gave the kid an Otto-Shot. He’s got some taste for pictures. But I had to assume a lot of the gaps, of course.”
“...Oh no,” Compton quietly breathed, his face paling. “...You saw--”
“Yeah. But we don’t need to go there, if you don’t want. I tried to keep it more to the, ah… Post-insanity segment.”
“...no giant goat puppets?”
“No giant goat puppets, I promise.”
“...Should I ask?” Cassie asked, quietly. Compton shook his head frantically, and she nodded. “Alright. I won’t.” She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Ford hung back, looking around with Lucy, and took her hand, clearly deep in thought. Otto almost thought of asking what was on his mind, but he knew better. Ford was clearly in one of his moods, and knowing him, he was already talking to Lucy.
Isn’t it obvious? Everyone else is fine without you. You’re not needed. You’re just the seventh wheel on a six-wheeler. The spare. You’re just the person they care about because you’re useful to them. You’re going to let them down and then they’ll abandon you and they’ll never even--
The Good Idea nudged his foot, and he picked it up once more. “...Usually, there’d be automatons of you lot here too. They’re just getting repaired right now-- I have a lot of things that need a bit of work, but I haven’t had time to come out here as much since things got hectic.” He shrugged. “That’s life.”
More like that’s you failing to get your crud together, Mentallis!
“I’d love to see them when they’re fixed. It could be good for understanding multiple perspectives,” Cassie noted. “Of course, only if you’re okay with showing us.”
“Of course I am. They’re just mental figures, nothing major.” He looked over at the lovebirds, and relaxed when they returned to the others, still holding hands.
“Alright, heh. That… That was lovely. Thank you, Otto,” Bob managed to say, even though his face was redder than Helmut’s hair. He patted Bob’s back in return.
“Say no more, my prickly friend.”
“Alright, then I won’t.” Bob grinned, and Helmut laughed a bit.
“Nothing’s strange there. Where to next?”
“We could stop by Cassie’s tower, or check out the rest of the gulch outside. There’s still Lucy’s house, Compton’s menagerie, and Bob’s greenhouse as well.”
“Nothing for you or Ford?” Helmut asked.
“It’s already my mind-- Everything’s about me here.” Otto led the way towards the tower, the next nearest spot. “And Ford’s… I need to fix the treehouse before I can include anything from his mind, for one. Old thing fell apart. Adding that to the to-do list right now…” He shifted his glasses, and opened the door for Cassie’s mind. It was a simple place, with a large vertical aspect. The main room of the library.
“Oh, wow,” she breathed. “It’s just like I remember.”
“I do my best.” Otto stepped back. “It might be better if we start hurrying up the tour a little. Hate to rush us, but I’ve got a lot of work I should get to.”
“It’s alright, Otto. I understand where you’re coming from there.” Cassie entered her home, looking around at the library. Compton tailed behind her, leaving him with the two couples.
…I don’t belong here. I don’t know if I ever will.
Otto wasn’t one for romance anymore. He had been, once. Now, he wasn’t entirely sure if it was romance or just the need for a companion, someone to be close to.
“So, Helmut, what was your mind like, really? It’s been ages,” Lucy asked, interrupting the quiet. Helmut chuckled.
“Getting the band back together, mostly. I was a bit of a scatterbrain, so I had to get your grandson to help me out with all that. Everyone was a bit… Well, overdramatic at times.”
“Coming from you?” Bob joked. Helmut and Lucy laughed, at least, but Ford kept his eyes on Otto, clearly too deep in thought to really see or hear.
He’s going to figure out what’s wrong. He’s going to see through you. You need to get him out of here. You can’t let him see you fall apart. It’s going to ruin everything he’s going to hate you YOU NEED HIM OUT!
Cassie interrupted the screaming voice in Otto’s head as she returned. “Booley and I took a look around. Everything seems perfectly fine in that part as well. It looks lovely, by the way. Might need some more organization, but I suppose it was a bit disorganized earlier anyways.”
“Hah, yeah, I’ll clean it up when I can. Fix the issues, all that.” Otto smiled a tight-lipped smile, and he started walking. “So, Lucy’s house next, or should we go for Compton’s and then Bob’s?”
“...Oh. Oh god.” Bob’s face paled as he realized what that meant. “We-- We can avoid my part. Please.”
“It can’t be too bad. I promise, it’s alright--” Lucy started.
“No, it is. It really is that bad.” He admitted. “Otto, please tell me it doesn’t smell like alcohol.”
“...”
“F-ck,” Bob muttered. “It smells like booze. Can… Can we not go there today?”
“...Alright,” Ford relented. “Let’s see Compton’s spot in the gulch, and then we can break for the day.”
The group made their way past the Heptadome and past Lucy’s house to reach the final spot: Compton’s Menagerie. Where it was usually open to the outside air, now it had an isolation chamber in the middle. Otto led straight to it, stepping inside and onto a stage for a show.
“Ta-da. Last stop for the tour. We’ll head back outside beforehand-- These dioramas are… A little bit fragile, after all. I’m guessing how they look off of pictures.” He looked around. Nothing of note. He kept these spots free of trouble, at least-- Even Lucy’s and Bob’s, even though they were the two he had the most mixed feelings about. They were almost through. They were almost out. Otto was exhausted from his show already, but he kept his smile on, kept his energy up for them. With everyone else inside, the looking around went much quicker-- Glancing in every little spot, making sure there were no enemies or problems, and getting out.
They were out before long.
“So, that was the tour!” Otto cheerfully exclaimed. “I’d offer you all a trip to the gift shop, but I haven’t got one, heh.”
“Overall… Looks pretty put together to me,” Ford admitted. “Better than I expected, with the stress you’ve been under.” He glanced at Otto, and he patted the Good Idea still cradled in his arms, smiling slightly.
“I’ve done my best to keep this place neat, at least.”
“I agree. It looks like things are mostly kept together here,” Cassie added.
“And thanks for the Feel Mobile being here. It’s great seeing it like that again!” Helmut grinned. Bob chuckled.
“...Yeah, I’m with everyone else. Things… Mostly look alright.”
“Thank you, everyone.”
They think I’m holding it together. Because I am. Everything’s fine. Everything’s completely fine. Everything’s fine everything’s fine everything’s fine--
“Is it raining?” Lucy asked, her voice cutting into Otto’s thoughts. Everyone looked around, and the distinct sound of thunder started.
“Oh, that? That’s likely a brainstorm. There’ll be some bad ideas around, so be careful. Watch your step as we get back to the museum.” He started to walk towards the Heptadome when something snagged on his ankle, stopping him in his tracks.
“...That’s not a bad idea--” Compton started. Otto interrupted, speaking loudly.
“Everyone, we’re cutting the tour. Get out now. Get your smelling salts and get out.”
“Otto--” Bob started, as Ford opened his mouth to argue and Cassie reached out to help him. He managed to force them out nonetheless, staring at the tendril around his ankle. He knew that familiar purple that curled around him.
A nightmare.
Before he could blast it away, it pulled him into its maw, taking him with it.
Then, there was nothing.
Ford was the first to regain his senses when they were thrown out, though he had to blink a moment to truly see straight again. The others groaned, grumbled, complained a bit, but Otto didn’t even stir.
He kept his arms tightly around his knees, his whole body trembling. His eyes were tightly shut, and static came off of him in droves.
“Otto--” Ford tried, but he wasn’t responding. Not even a flicker of recognition. He stepped closer, reaching out to try to reassure him, to return to his mind and to help him fight off whatever he was dealing with. Just as he started to prepare to project once more, a noise stopped him.
“Crully, get back!” Lucy warned him. He turned away just in time.
The psi-portal exploded .
Fragments of psitanium-laced wood pierced through the air, jabbing into Ford’s clothes and barely avoiding his face thanks to Lucy’s cry. The force of the blast pushed him off balance, but Otto was thrown into the wall, where he lay limply, still staticky and shivering. They couldn’t get close enough to get him out of the Heptadome, nor to try to help in any other way. Even so, Compton quietly pulled out his own psi-portal.
“...We can’t just leave him like this,” he said. The others looked among themselves, then nodded.
“Let’s go help Otto,” Helmut added. “For real this time.”