Prompted by Jack's response, the gent, but slumped slimes turned to walk away. Jack stood at the edge of the brick way suspended in the sky between the domed buildings, watching as the figures were retreating. Jack's temper cooled somewhat now that he got a different response.

The female dress slimed turned again, it's bobbling skull submerged in its viscous honey jam-like body tilted as if to watch Jack.

"The Pallid mask draws the map to Carcosa... The King has been expecting you..." The slime woman slunk back to its path.

Jack shrugged, as he decided to follow behind. The slime woman and Jack caught up to the other two proceeding honey made men to lurch about the brick road as it descended down to the lower levels, as other roads intersected and looped back.

Down they continued into the heart of this mustard-colored city, following a road that Jack swore he saw before...

Bored for a time of just following the three slime things, Jack, of course, looked over the city. It was filled with many many yellow slime-like peoples of various shapes and sizes. They wandered from building to building as if living some vain of life.

The sky became dimmer in its yellow folds as if the curtain was being drawn for the play's next scene, Jack even felt that maybe canary sounds that whistled through the buildings as the wind blew brought on a change of pace.

Finally, in what Jack felt was the center of this sparling cityscape of various yellow hues, did the slimes lead to a large Greek-style theatre built into the stone ways that lead down to the stage.

Jack walked to the edge to see the stage. On the stage was a large group of birch trees, that he only knew were because of the sign on the stage that said...

"Fall of the Birch."

This grouping of five trees were covered in a thick matte of yellow lichen that produced a bubbling and popping blond jelly that oozed until it dripped to the floor of the stage, leaving behind thin strings along the branches connected to the floor.

It was at this time, that over in the stands to the left of the stage did a voice rise, "You made it just in time for my favorite part. Come have a seat."

Jack looked to the voice to see a hooded yellow figure in the seats. It was leaned back in its seat, and with a hood, no face was shown. In fact, it appeared as there was no face at all, as if the hood was held up by nothing. Above the hood, covered it was a yellow crown made of brass that oxidized at the edges to finally show a color of teal that was thankfully not yellow.

The last artifact of this yellow hooded being was a large necklace that was worn on the outside of the robes. Jack floated over to the figure, as he stood next to him to see some type of strange rune on it. Like a question mark had sex with the roman letter "Y" and then found out they were related at a later date... This was the child of that union... A grotesque yellow sign.

"I know I'm handsome, but don't stand there all day. Sit, and watch." The Yellow hooded figure gestured to the seat beside him within this empty theater.

Jack floated over and sat.

Time passed, as Jack didn't say anything, nor did the yellow-crowned and hooded figure. They both stared at the grouping of birch trees on stage that seemed to be struggling under the weight of the yellow growth upon the trunk and branches.

After a long period of time, much longer than Jack was going to originally a lot and as he was about to speak, he heard from the figure, "Finally... The Climax!"

Bewildered, Jack looked from the stage to the empty hood of the yellow robes, and then back to the stage... Finally,...

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"CRACK!" The Birch closest to the edge of the stage snapped in half and fell into the rest of the remaining birch trees. Now leaned upon the others, it added more weight, as the rest of the birth trees issued cracking sounds.

"Clap."

"Clap!"

Jack looked to the side to see the yellow hooded figure stand, clapping again and again, that started soft, but now he clapped vigorously, as the sound of his clapping issued and filled the entire place... As if thousands of hands were clapping.

"MARVIOUSLY! SUCH RESILIENCE! BRILLIANT!"

It was at this time, that the curtains fell to enclose the stage.

"ENCORE! ENCORE!!"

Jack looked to the curtain, and then back to the yellow figure.

"..." As much as Jack wanted to retort, he couldn't help but be at a loss for words.

Again, the pallid curtain rose, to show the same scene of the birch tree to be broken and leaning against the other trees.

The Yellow figure whistled, as the other trees cracked, and they too... Snapped in half and fell over. Now on stage, only the stumps of the trees were exposed with the birch logs shattered on the stage floor, as if dissolving. With that, the curtain fell again.

"YES! YES YES YES! THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!"

As the sound of clapping slowed, the hooded figure sat back down not even out of breath, "This is my favorite play, he spoke, "The Fall of the Birch... But it seems the actors were even better this time than last... Simply glorious display of talent, skill, and realism!" It seemed the hooded bobbed up and down as if nodding.

"Who are you?" Jack finally asked the question that he wanted to know most.

"How curious... Not where are you, but who are you?" The yellow one seemed humored, as he continued, "It seems you got a little something coming your way that I'm most... Interested in..."

The figured leaned back within his seat again, as the chair squeaked in sounds of protest. As the figure drew in his hands that were clapping earlier, it was now that Jack noticed that the hands exposed to be covered in some type of crispy yellow flakes... Like they were rolled in corn flakes, as they shredded off skin as the figured moved.

"Alright... What is it that you want?" Jack rolled with the punches.

"The dark young... I'm a collector of sorts, you see. I simply must have her. She's rare among her sisters." The Yellow figure talked of some creature, but also spoke as if it was a person... Was it a creature? A person? A thing? Jack couldn't guess if it was a thing or not since it was to be 'collected.'

"I don't really know what a dark young is..." Jack prompted, trying to fish for more information.

"Haha, Alright, listen here, you bony little shit." The hollow hooded figure slumped over to the side as if he contained no bones. His polite tone changed to a damning and accusing tone.

"You got one of hers coming here, and I want her. Pass the dark young to me when you get her, and I might think about letting your pathetic shitstain of a kingdom survive another thousand years."

Jack listened but didn't comment.

"I know you understand me. Do I have to turn your little lovers into a pile of snot for you to take opportunity or would it be best for me to-"

Jack's flaming eyes flashed, as he rose up to strike... But before being restrained by some invisible force.

"Tch, tch, tch... Just because I'm talking to you as an equal doesn't make you an equal. I'm humoring my brother by not turning his favorite piece into a pile of bones that should have been..." The Yellow figure flipped his wrist with a nonchalant attitude, as Jack slammed into his floor next to him sending a couple of theater seats flying in different directions.

[Could really use some of Crag's dust right now...] Jack groaned in his mind. It seemed that his blow was harder than the Monkey that attacked his kingdom.

"Now... I'm being polite to you. I'm willing to make a trade with you for this dark young."

Jack slumped over on the floor, as he floated back up. The floor cracked under him as he lifted off back into the air.

"...What dark young?" Jack's question now changed...

"Is your skull for your soul, or is it for shit? My brother has sent his daughter to you, and I'm... As I said before, a collector of sorts. Since she's yours... She's mine, now... But I'm not like my brother... I'm willing to trade instead of assuming it was mine to begin with."

Jack now back upright tilted his head, as if to straighten it on himself, "Alright, first off... Yellow, hooded, Jackass... Hastur, I presume?" Jack had been searching his memories and coming up with what he was dealing with... He didn't know where he was but while thinking, Jack Noticed something that was unlike Yoggi...

"I must not be named..." The yellow rot spoke with his solemn tone.

"Alright, Ass-Tur... I'm just going to call you Asstur for short." Jack commented, after rubbing his head.

"..." The yellow figure brought up his hand toward Jack as if to flick away a gnat.

"I don't believe I would do that, Asstur."

"...And why wouldn't you believe that..."

"Because I've been thinking, and you haven't commented on it at all."

"..." Asstur put down his hand, as he continued, "What's that got to do with me."