The Roach

I became aware very quickly, aware that something was different this time.

The dream was... more subdued, the menagerie of tumultuous color still in view but further away, a clear space of a yard or two in all directions from myself.

'This is new' I said, my mental voice echoing strangely in the empty void around me.

I called up my menu and to my mild surprise, it displayed something also new, just below my usual readings.

{familiars}

I still had a perk to pick from my recent leveling but I decided to forgo that for now.

I wanted to see what the familiar menu had in store for me, flicking my antennae down I selected familiars and was met with a stat screen.

Lescar Gestalt (Homo sapien)

Level 1

Female

age 13 years and 11 months

MIND 0048

BODY 0055

SOUL 0327

Lescar's stats had risen slightly and she now actually possessed a level, which was good I suppose, she was my familiar after all.

I looked a little further down the familiar menu and found something important looking.

Connection - weak (@#%@@# must reinforce)

{Reinforce}

I paused, this didn't sound good, if my connection to Lescar was weak then there was a possibility that her binding might break and I would be back where I started with nothing to show for it.

That would be unacceptable.

I looked hard at the slowly blinking display, gradually spinning out a plan, one with practically no actual evidence to support it, only a hunch.

This could be a terrible idea, but I had a good feeling about this, I felt as if this was the natural course of things as if I had seen this before.

It was queer* that this felt so, but it still felt right.

I reached out and pressed down on reinforce and felt something being pulled up toward me, the color being pushed aside as it surfaced beside me, rainbow hues still dripping, flowing freely down its spherical sides.

Then the color washed away and Lescar was revealed.

She looked, Radiant? as in her whole body was glowing gently, the generated light being a warm green that tasted like mint, yes I could taste the light, something I didn't think I would ever experience in my life.

Strange photoreceptive gustatory perception aside, Lescar appeared, for the most part, the same.

She was asleep or unconscious, her head tilted slightly to one side, her shoulder-length hair drifting around her, reflecting some of the lights emitting from the distant colors.

Frankly, she looked much more attractive and pretty like this, especially since the dirt that coated her was not here with her.

An inutile observation, one that bared little importance for what I was about to attempt.

I drifted toward the levitating Lescar, a grasping claw reaching forward prompting a response from the dormant Lescar.

Lescar cringed, her limbs being drawn up into the fetal position but didn't wake, her eyes remaining firmly shut, but her brows twitched and furrowed as if she felt me approaching.

Interesting, but again irrelevant.

I reached for Lescar's hands with my own clawed ones (in here I can have hands), prising them open and facing the flat of my palms against hers.

Lescar's face tightened, but again she did not wake.

With my second pair of limbs, I reached forward and gently seized her head, bringing it down to my spiritual or perhaps mental core, in a sort of impromptu bear hug.

I stared down at the unconscious Lescar in my arms, hesitating.

If this went poorly my instincts told me things would end very poorly indeed for me.

But they also told me that this was an opportunity, one I couldn't miss.

'Here goes nothing' I clacked anxiously.

With careful movements, I pushed the flat of my head against Lescar's face.

Then I was falling, falling deep into uncharted territory.

A part of Lescar

It entered the hostile mind, falling through turbulent surface emotions, tumbling through recent memories, sinking deeper into the depths of the ocean like ego.

It was an unwelcome visitor, an invader.

It wasn't supposed to be here.

The subconscious mind automatically moved to defend itself, disguising its most critical elements, building walls, and defenses around the most central part of Its being, Its pinnacle of existence, its Identity, Its sense of self.

Lescar.

It would protect herself however necessary even if it cost precious memories and experiences.

The intruder could not be allowed to win, if it won then Lescar would cease to be, replaced with whatever twisted designs the invader desired.

The subconscious mind of Lescar felt every probing tendril of thought, of alien intent.

The invader was searching, tunneling, looking for something.

The subconscious felt it pulse, sending out Inquiring thoughts, the intent it was signaling ringing unnaturally loud, a constant scuttling rustling in its projection.

"WHERE ARE YOU? I WISH TO TALK."

The subconscious didn't respond and bunkered down, tightening its defenses

"I WISH TO TALK, COME OUT I INTEND NO HARM."

The subconscious ignored the foreign creature's words, it was trying to trick them, the subconscious mind knew it.

The subconscious continued to watch the Invader closely, it couldn't perceive the invader's form, only able to register the concept of many limbs, jaws and eyes in a sort of shifting mass that hurt the subconscious to observe.

It was then that subconsciousness realized that it couldn't hide, just having the intruder so deep into Its mind space was already having negative results on its state of self.

It wouldn't be possible to watch this invader for long, the invader had to be repulsed soon, its current defenses were useless against the creatures powerful presence, the psychic emissions degrading the mental structures steadily.

The subconscious had no options, it had to directly engage the invader or risk becoming dysfunctional in the passing thoughts and presence of the intruder.

Throwing everything it had at the intruder the subconsciousness preemptively engaged.

The sense of self that it protected was one of its few treasures it would never give up.

Gathering the entirety of Its self and being, that of even its unconscious half it lashed out at the invader, using every last shred of its will, the attack shone forth, taking the form of a brilliantly shining blade.

The amorphous suggestion of arms, legs, and insectoid mouths, grew out an enormous pair of three-pronged talons catching the blade just short of its formless body.

The blade dug deep into the projected arm and the subconscious felt the slightest tremors of pain emanating from the disjointed invader.

"THAT HURT LITTLE GIRL I WILL REMEMBER THAT AFTER WE FINISH UP HERE."

The attack, seemingly ineffectual overall, the subconscious mind knew fear, this invader could be nothing but the devil itself.

It couldn't win this fight, it had to figure something else out.

Perhaps compromise was the only way.

The Roach

"That hurt little girl I will remember that after we finish up here."

I flexed my sore arm, it was ruined, carved up, broken.

I didn't think the little girl had it in her but she could pack a real punch.

'That's what I get for underestimating her again' I grumbled making sure to keep these thoughts to myself, shunting the useless limb back and forth.

I couldn't use it anymore, so I let it fade into dust and grew a new one, dream space was convenient.

I raised my new arm ready to fend off another attack, but it didn't look like another was coming.

Lescar or maybe her subconsciousness wasn't attacking anymore, allowing me to get a good look at it.

It looked somewhat like the glowy Lescar I saw back in the level dream, but even more glowy and made out of moving images?

The images looked like old recordings and some were even faded or even monochrome, she or the Lescar aspect in front of me, resembled videos strapped together by light in the silhouette of a person.

A representation of her as a whole? or something like that.

Either way, the thing before me was critically important, and I had to play my cards carefully if I were to succeed.

"Not going to keep attacking?" I waved, flicking an antenna at the still projection in front of me.

"There would be no point" the projection whispered, its voice reminding me of flute pipes "You are so much stronger than us"

"Us?" I enquired

The projected Lescar tilted its head "What you see before you is only a part of Lescar, she is the conscious and this one, the projection pointed to itself "The subconscious."

'Well that's something of note' I nodded keeping the words to myself 'I guess I got it wrong earlier'.

Putting a tiny bit of threat into my words I spoke, "Ahhh... well then since you seem to know the difference in strength between us, it would be in your best interests to listen closely to what I have to say, Yes?"

The projection nodded slowly but kept looking away from me, it seemed afraid of me, which could be a good thing if handled correctly.

This situation was rough but still much better than I had thought it might end like, I had envisioned hallucinations and stretching never-ending hallways and other such tropes that happened in movies, but it seemed reality for once, was actually easier than that.

The timid girl projection before me was vulnerable and likely naive even if jaded for her age, I just had to play my cards the right way.

I brought what little info I had gleaned from my brief time in Lescar's mind to the forefront of my thoughts.

In the short time I was here before meeting the projection, I managed to peruse a few of the more recent memories, memories on how Lescar had been betrayed, mistreated and abused, useful tools perhaps in the discussion to come.

I had even managed to ascertain one more thing before the manifestation before me, stole it away.

Lescar had a dear beloved brother, and she was looking for him, desperately.

That was very useful information, I was certain I could use it.

I just had to sell my offer to her the right way, dress it up so to speak.

That would be easy, I remembered doing door to door sales and being good at it.

The projection was listening if hesitantly and it was showtime.

'Time to sell it hard' I clacked to myself.

Speaking loudly and forcefully I addressed the projection of Lescar,

"Tell me subconscious of Lescar do you and your other half eat regularly?"

The projection looked confused momentarily but responded quickly.

"No?"

"Do you get to sleep in a comfortable bed?"

"No," the projection said still confused.

"Do you get to sleep knowing that you will awake the next day still possessing your life?"

"No," the projection said hands beginning to curl into fists.

Do others respect and treat you like another human being?

"No," the projections eyes narrowed at this and a touch of anger sparked in its eyes

Do you have people you can truly count on, people who watch your back?

"Ye- No, no..."

The projections head now was turned downward to stare at the endless dark below us, her fists clenched, I was getting to her.

"No.... so many no's." I shook my head sadly letting a dramatic pause speak of my sadness and also forcing a little to emanate from myself just in case.

The projection bit its lips, fists clenched before it.

"That is truly unfortunate and yet fortunate as now you have met me," The projection blinked flickering for a second as my voice turned soft.

Smiling to my self, confidently, I began my pitch to the disquieted Lescar aspect.

"You are like me, vermin, scum, unwanted, considered little more than garbage by those around you, being nothing more than a pestilence in their eyes."

The projection was entirely silent her head before downturned, was now facing me directly her eyes staring hard at me.

"And what... what do you mean to say by that?" the projection asked apprehensively

My grin grew even wider, I had her, it was time to deploy the hook.

Keeping my voice smooth and steady I spoke, "Why it is quite simple, join me and together we will take this world by storm."

I heard the projection gasp than saw her goggle before her flickering eyes turned thoughtful.

I snickered my plan running smoothly so far.

"I will offer you my power and in return, you will become my mouthpiece and subordinate."

I had come to a realization some time ago, an obvious thing considering what I had already observed, but something I failed to recognize earlier, every creature I had analyzed so far had N/A instead of levels and Lescar now that she was my familiar, had a single level, that insinuated that, she much like myself could now level up.

This meant I would probably be able to claim that due to my power she was growing stronger, a useful coincidence.

The projection furrowed her brows slightly at the word 'subordinate' but kept listening without interrupting.

I continued my motivational speech aiming to sweeten the deal.

"As a ruler, no Queen! no one could deny you food, no one could deny you a soft bed.

I lifted my many hands theatrically and called out grandly.

"They would respect you, worship you, and if not, then they would dread your arrival, fear your wrath."

"You would have armies at your beck and call, legions of servants and not just that you would always have someone guarding your back."

Lescar's projection looked like she was almost fully convinced but still held onto a few concerns "Could we- could we really do that?"

"Of course," I said without hesitation and wanting to seal the deal added slyly "and while we do it we might even find your brother."

Lescar's projection was staring wide-eyed at me, her mouth slightly open.

"All you have to do is accept me as your master, your boss then I shall give all I have promised."

As I told Lescars projection this I dwelt briefly on my own reasons for saying what I had, in the past I had intended to merely survive in this world for a time, but after some long days in the sewers with little to do and plenty of death, a silly thought came over me, 'might as well try my luck at world domination or maybe just a country if that's too much work.'

That silly thought had stuck with me for a long time, and overtime as I grew stronger, I realized it might be possible, every day I got faster, stronger and progressed just that bit further.

I had torn a large portion of territory from the big rats in the sewers, who was to say I couldn't do the same up on the surface to some squishy humans.

But for such a plan to be at all feasible, I needed the cooperation of a squishy human.

Lescar wouldn't be my first pick (probably) if I had a choice, but in a way she was also ideal, she was alone, weak, and a nobody by the standards I had gleaned from her mind, perfect for molding with lots of room for growth and oh so easily tempted by my honest offer of power.

The weak always sought power and I could give it to her.

"So what will it be little girl? will you join me and rise through the ranks? or stay in the gutter and rot? I will not force you, you have my word."

There was no need for force, I knew I had her the moment she locked eyes with me after hearing about her brother.

A spiny arm extended, I offered my hand, ready to seal the deal.

The subconscious of Lescar, after a moment of indecisiveness, reached out to tentatively touch my clawed hand her hand soft to my touch.

"Goooood..." I laughed " now we can begin."

Cackling and clicking the whole time, I let instinct guide me, enveloping the startled projection, swallowing her in my embrace.