AU: Mesmeric Leader

Context: Hypno checking in on his ̶v̶̶i̶̶c̶̶t̶̶i̶̶m̶̶s̶ guests while they sleep. Although he's having a bit more trouble with one of them...

Warning: Slight body horror/gore(?), I don't really know what it counts as but it looks and probably is painful.

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[3rd Person POV]

A cave, lit by glowing lichen and odd lanterns, covered in cushiony moss ranging in variations of red and magenta. Not a single jagged edge or uncomfortable spot of rock anywhere in reach. It was almost like the cave was padded. Strange flecks of something floated in the air.

A formal figure teleported in, completely silent. With a warm and joyous smile he walked through the winding, twisting cave, reaching his destination soon enough; the heart of his operation.

It was just like the entrance, every surface covered in the thick pillow-like moss, lanterns and lichen lighting up the area, the tiny bits of crimson and deep pink drifting through the air. However, there was a jarring difference:

All of the people.

So many people leaning against the walls, lying on the ground, tucked away on ledges, or even stuck to the walls themselves, all covered in reddish pink lichen like it were spiders' webbed cocoons, more strings of it wrapped around their arms and legs to bind them. The people confined in the silken moss were of every Chromatic color... except red. The regal captor only cared about the threats to the Red Steves being kept here, not the very same ones he was trying to protect.

Despite their situation, the captive Steves were not scared, or even awake for that matter. All of them were deep asleep, not a single of the slightest movement among them except for their soft, steady breaths. No emotion showed on their faces, only peaceful indifference as they dream. The noise of just their quiet breathing made an eerie ambience to the cave, like quiet, whooshing whispers coming from all around.

He made his way further and further into the cave, passing by numerous other sleeping individuals as he walked over the velvety moss covering everything. More winding natural halls and convoluted passages, descending and turning and looping around. Eventually, he reaches a section of the expanse cave where the moss grows even thicker and more dense. Familiar vines cover the ceiling and crawl along the upper portion of the walls. The levitating flecks are as plentiful as falling snow.

Finally, he reaches an end. An opening like a doorway covered in the vines, all he does is walk near them and they recede, moving back over the opening as he walks by them. Inside is a fairly small room, just as moss-covered as this dense section of the cave, the centerpiece of it a tangle of vines that resembles a tree, the thicker, root-like ends of the vines coming from the ground and thinning out as they reach the ceiling and spread out like limbs.

And secured to the tree by vines wrapping around his body, wrapped in the thick moss, is a familiar figure in a green hoodie that clashed against the reddish hues around him. Sabre.

His captor crouches down, one hand resting on his knee while the he uses the other to stabilize himself as he knelt, the dense moss against his hand extremely soft to the touch. Observing a little closer, he sees some of the moss has grown on the tree to surround him, especially his head, which rests on a bundle of the growing moss as if it was a pillow. The strange moss also uses this to bind him to the tree more securely, connecting to the moss that's already encasing him. Since his blindfold is gone, he can see Sabre's eyes twitching erratically underneath his eyelids as he slept, no doubt still dreaming. The figure hummed, and stood up.

Sabre had proven to be more trouble than the rest of the people there, even while unconscious. He always stirred in his sleep, mumbling and murmuring, which always shocked the odd entity when he did, for a moment thinking that his prisoner was waking up, especially when he'd go to check on him and he'd be in a completely different position. He knew it was impossible for any of his little guests to awaken, especially that one, he made sure of that. Perhaps it was just because he wasn't a Steve, and that extended to the way he slept being different as well. It won't matter even if that isn't the case, though. As long as he's still breathing the spores, he'll be too weak to escape from his soft bindings, and the mysterious keeper will just put him to sleep again.

Although, there might be another reason he moves in his sleep. Leaning over slightly to see Sabre's right side, the strange being checks on his Darkness-infected arm. The vines had taken a strong dislike to the Darkness, wrapping around it as soon as Sabre was placed in the cave. The next time he went to check on it, the vines had dug into the infected arm.

He could see where the vines entered, as the arm was still exposed, untouched by the moss. They went inside it like wires, the area around the entry points turning slightly red. It was also noticed that the veins nearby became a bright crimson, and both changes also had accents of a grungy magenta hue. Despite how painful it must be, however, Sabre never made any pained expression or noise. He must not be able to feel it while he's sleeping so deeply.

The being reached out a gnarled hand to- Wait. Gnarled?

Oh. He seemed to have lost focus for a moment.

In a blink, his hand returns to rose red skin, and covered in gold jewelry. Pristine, just as he should be.

That's probably enough observation for now.

Turning, the stranger walks out of the room, the vines at the entrance once again receding for him. As he leaves, he takes one final glance at his most dangerous captive, then walks away as he makes a plan on who to bring to the grotto next. Perhaps people that are close to the towns and villages he's recently visited.

...Or perhaps someone that might try to find his most difficult guest.