Chapter 152: Operation: Make the Void Touch Grass

Grace watched Alia spin a particularly depressed-looking farmer around the tavern floor, both of them stumbling over their own feet. The farmer’s expression had upgraded from “dead inside” to “mildly confused,” which, well, Grace figured she couldn’t be too picky about progress here, so that had to count for something.

“She’s got the right idea,” Mara said, sliding a mug of something that might generously be called ale across the table. “Even if her execution is… questionable.”

Grace squinted.

“I think she just stepped on his foot.”

“Oh three times now. I’ve been counting.”

The farmer winced but kept dancing. Or swaying. It was hard to tell the difference with Alia leading.

Grace took a sip of maybe-ale and immediately regretted it.

“What is this?”

“The bartender called it ’brew.’ Yes, just brew. No other descriptors.”

“It tastes like nothing.”

“Very on brand for this place.”

Across the room, Zephyr had managed to coax a small group into what appeared to be a drinking game. The rules seemed to be “drink when you feel nothing,” which meant everyone was getting plastered at record speed.

As always, people could say what they wanted to about the Love Sisters, but their job was to make people feel good and they were showing how good they were at that.

“So,” Mara said, settling back in her chair. “The Void made you experience existential dread so intense you couldn’t move.”

“Ugh, something like that, yeah.”

“And your brilliant solution was to run away.”

Grace looked away.

“Tactical retreat. Very different.”

“Mhm.” Mara’s smile was knowing. “And now you want to ’fill the emptiness’… somehow?”

Grace slumped forward, head hitting the table with a thunk.

[Why are divine quests so vague? Would it kill Eternia to be specific? “Hey Grace, go do this exact thing at this exact place.” Simple. Clear. Doable.]

“I wish I knew the answer right away.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“I don’t want fun. I want instructions.”

Mara patted her head.

“Poor baby.”

“H-Hey! Don’t patronize me while I’m having a crisis.”

“I’m not patronizing. I’m being maternal. Very different.”

Grace lifted her head enough to glare. Mara’s smile widened.

“Alright, let’s think about this logically,” Mara said, shifting into what Grace recognized as her teaching voice. “The Void represents emptiness. The absence of feeling. What’s the opposite of that?”

“Feeling?”

“Well, of course. But, what kind of feeling?”

Grace took a moment to ponder that.

“I don’t know. Joy? Love? Rage? Indigestion?”

“Grace.”

“What? Indigestion is definitely a feeling.”

Mara sighed.

“Look around. What do you see?”

Grace looked. Alia had moved on to a new dance partner, leaving the farmer standing in the middle of the floor looking lost but significantly less dead-eyed. Zephyr’s drinking game had devolved into something involving arm wrestling and giggling. Even the bartender, Mr. “It’s Just Brew,” was watching with something approaching interest.

“They’re… less depressed?”

“Because?”

“Because Alia and Zephyr are forcing them to engage?”

“Hm… Forcing is a strong word. I’d say encouraging.” Mara leaned forward. “What are Alia and Zephyr?”

“Absolute chaos?”

“Love Sisters, Grace. They’re Love Sisters doing what Love Sisters do best.”

[Oh.]

[This is a Love quest,] Grace thought.

“Most likely, you might need to take a page out of their book to solve this problem.”

“Which means I can’t just stab the Void into submission?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“I still hate how vague this is.”

Grace watched Alia accidentally elbow someone in the face while attempting what might have been a dip. The victim seemed too surprised to be upset about it.

“So I need to… what? Make the Void feel love?”

“That’s one possibility. But maybe not love. Could be compassion. Could be anger. Could be… anything.”

Again, truly so very simple.

“Alright, alright, alright. So, how do you make nothingness feel anything?”

“Well,” Mara said thoughtfully, “you could start by figuring out what kind of emptiness it is. Not all voids are created equal.”

“What does that mean?”

“Let’s see. Is a person empty because they never had anything? Or empty because they lost something? Very different problems requiring very different solutions.”

Grace thought back to her encounter. This was clearly at least a little different given that Eternia had planted those feelings in the Void, but still, Grace tried to consider the question.

She thought about the Void’s patience. Its offer to “help” by taking her feelings away.

“It seemed… lonely isn’t the right word. But like it wanted connection. Just backwards. Connection through disconnection.”

“Hmm.” Mara drummed her fingers on the table. “And it didn’t try to kill you. Just drain you.”

“Very thoroughly.”

“But not maliciously, right?”

“Does intent matter when the result is the same?”

“I believe so. Remember, this creature was made for this. What if it quite literally doesn’t know anything other than draining?”

[That’s… actually a good point.]

“Graaaaace!” Alia crashed into their table, nearly upending the maybe-ale. “Dance with me!”

“Hold on, I’m strategizing.”

“Strategize while dancing!” Alia grabbed her hands, pulling. “Come on, everyone’s actually having fun! It’s weird!”

Grace let herself be dragged up.

“I don’t really dance—”

“Liar. I’ve seen you dance.”

“When?”

“Last week. You were drunk and doing something you called ’the divine wiggle.’”

“T-That was supposed to stay between us!”

“Nothing stays between us. We live together.” Alia spun her awkwardly. “Also Zephyr talked about it too.”

“She what?”

But Alia was already moving, pulling Grace into something that resembled dancing if you squinted and had very low standards. Around them, the tavern had transformed. Still beige, still bland, but filled with actual life. Laughter. Conversation. One couple was making out in a corner with the desperation of people remembering they could feel things.

[Huh.]

“Alia,” Grace said as they swayed. “You’re a genius.”

“I know! Wait, why specifically?”

“This. All of this. You filled their emptiness.”

“I did what now?”

“With passion. Connection. Desire to feel something, anything.” Grace spun Alia, mind racing. “The Void doesn’t need to be fought. It needs to be shown what it’s missing.”

Alia beamed.

“Wait… That sounds like you wanna throw a party.”

Grace stood up, muttering quietly:

“The biggest party Hollowtown has ever seen.”

“That’s a very low bar.”

“Then we’ll clear it easily.”

—

Two hours later, Grace stood on a table in the middle of the tavern, slightly tipsy and absolutely committed to her terrible idea.

“Attention!” She wobbled. Mara steadied her. “Citizens of Hollowtown! I have an announcement!”

The crowd, significantly more lively than before, turned to look.

“Tomorrow night, we’re throwing a festival!”

Confused murmurs.

“Why?” someone asked.

[….. Good question.]

“Because!” Grace spread her wings for dramatic effect, nearly knocking over a lamp. “When’s the last time this town celebrated anything?”

More murmurs. Someone said:

“Define celebrate.”

“Exactly! You’ve been living in the shadow of cosmic depression for so long you’ve forgotten how to party!”

“Is that bad?” the same someone asked.

“Yes! Very bad! Humans need joy! Laughter! Connection!” Grace was really feeling the maybe-ale now. “And if we make enough noise, maybe the Void will come see what all the fuss is about!”

“That seems dangerous,” Martha said from the doorway. Even she had ventured out, drawn by the commotion.

“Everything’s dangerous! Existing is dangerous! But we do it anyway because the alternative is… this!” Grace gestured at the beige walls. “Brew that tastes like sadness! Children who don’t play! A complete absence of anyone getting laid!”

“Grace,” Mara warned.

“I said what I said!”

Zephyr raised her mug.

“I volunteer to help with that last part!”

“See? Zephyr gets it!”

“I really don’t think—” Martha started.

“That’s the point! Stop thinking! Start feeling!” Grace nearly fell off the table. “Tomorrow night! Music! Dancing! Food that actually has flavor! And if the Void shows up, we show it what it’s missing!”

“And if it drains us all?” Martha pressed.

Grace considered this.

“Then at least we’ll go out having fun?”

Not her best motivational closer.

But Alia started clapping. Then Zephyr. Then the farmer Alia had been dancing with. Slowly, uncertainly, others joined in.

“Festival,” someone said, testing the word. “I remember festivals.”

“My grandmother used to make honey cakes,” another added.

“There was music. Real music. Not just… silence.”

The energy shifted. Grace could feel it, that spark of something in the hollow-eyed townspeople.

[This might actually work.]

“So,” Grace said, climbing carefully down from the table. “Who knows how to plan a party?”

Every hand stayed down.

“Right. Forgot where we were.” Grace looked at her team. “Guess we’re doing this ourselves.”

“I’ll handle music and entertainment,” Zephyr volunteered.

“Food and decorations,” Mara added.

“I’ll get everyone drunk!” Alia cheered.

“What else is new?” Grace muttered.

“What’s your job?” Mara asked.

Grace thought about it. “Convincing an anthropomorphic representation of nothingness to come to a party.”

“How?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

But that was tomorrow’s problem. Tonight, they had a festival to plan and a town to resurrect from emotional death.

[The Void wanted to take my feelings. Let’s see how it handles a whole town’s worth.]

“Alright!” Grace clapped her hands. “Let’s make Hollowtown remember how to live!”

The crowd dispersed with more energy than she’d seen since arriving. People actually talked to each other. Made plans. Remembered things they’d forgotten they could do.

“This is either brilliant or the worst idea you’ve ever had,” Mara said.

“Can’t it be both?”

“With you? Usually is.”

Grace grinned. Tomorrow, she’d throw a party for the void.

[How’s that for filling emptiness, Eternia?]

In her mind, she could swear she heard divine laughter.

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