Chapter description: Dia finds the Webspace, with the help of the man, the myth, the legend!
Tags for this chapter:
Meeting a Celebrity, past and present Gem Injuries, lots of Anxiety, Wholesome Reunion
07. A Diamond's Tale
Diamond Man, or "Dia" as he liked to call himself for… Ages now, he guessed, continued wandering aimlessly through the vacuum of the Internet. His clear, stickman hands were nestled in his color wheel (purple, pink, cyan) hoodie pocket, hood down. Here, there was no light source to reflect glints or glares off his surface, so there wasn't much point.
Once upon a time, he had a whole game's worth of companions: an alien hall monitor, a robot designed specifically for playtime, a literal sleep inducing one, an "error" who was really just misunderstood, and… Well, Spike. But eventually, all of them had ended up on different paths, different sites, different places.
He can't even remember the last time he saw any of them.
It's commonly believed that the World Wide Web can be dangerous to travel alone, especially for kids, and teens like Dia. But most threats, if any, were usually warded off with his… Temperament. Yelling at them while his surroundings brightened to blinding levels sort of became his thing, when it was originally just being angry about looking "too shiny", and- you know what, this is too complicated, forget it.
It would just be great to be able to talk to someone nice for a change
Wait, who's that in the distance?
Dia paused, squinting. It definitely was a person, but Humans don't ordinarily manifest like this. A digital entity? Regardless, he picked up the pace, following the mysterious stranger, until he started getting close.
"Hey! Hey you! With the bald-" He called out without thinking, then stopped immediately, both in words and running. The person had a poorly-rendered 3D model, with a green shirt, blue trousers, and brown shoes. And when he turned to face whoever was trying to speak to him, there was a single, ginger strand of hair, eyebrows, and bright red lips.
No freaking way this was for real.
"Ohhh my God, sorry, I didn't mean that in a bad way, I, uh." Dia hastily tried to salvage the situation. How could he just insult the Baldi Baldimore?!
But to his surprise, the professor smiled at him, with a double-jointed wave. "Oh, hi there! Don't worry, I don't mind! My name's Baldi, what's yours?"
"D-... Diamond Man, but I go by 'Dia' now."
"'Dia'... How nice! Hm…" He trailed off, as though noticing something. "This might sound strange, but do you know where we are? I haven't the slightest idea of how I got here, either! My memories are so fuzzy."
That would explain how he'd been moving; it was as though it'd been rather aimless, or similar to sleepwalking. Dia's yelling must've woke him up. But… Were Baldis known for that? "We're on the, uh, Internet, Professor."
This shocked him. "Wow! That's really cool, but at the same time, I'm pretty sure my game isn't equipped to let me use it. This is all so peculiar…" After a moment, he settled down and added, "Anyway, where're you headed? If… If that's possible?"
Oh man, it truly was his first time Online. Dia could empathize. The two started walking again as he replied, "Nowhere in particular. I was just wandering, I guess. If I may ask, what do you remember?"
"I see! And, well," Baldi thought about it, his voice quieting as he spoke more, "I was at home, then I went into Susan's game, and then I…" It rose back to normal. "Oh! I heard a voice! Whoever it was really wanted to meet me for some reason. And I was compelled to find them! Somehow, it led to me being here."
"Huh. Do you still hear them? Can you tell where it's coming from? Or where they are?" Baldi listened, then nodded.
"I do. It's a bit different now, as if I can decide not to keep going. Though, if I don't, I might just be stuck here forever, and that's not an option! Hopefully they'll know how to leave, unless, you do?" Dia shook his head, having never really considered that until now.
"That's alright!" The professor continued, "As for where they are, they keep saying to meet them at the… 'The Webspace'. I don't know what that means, or where it is."
Hold on, that sounded familiar. The Webspace… The Webspace… Dia wracked his mind, it was on the tip of his tongue! Then it occurred to him.
"Oh, that's that one place!" He answered, "Where a bunch of fangames live!" He was met with a confused look. "Uh. Your fangames." No change. "Don't tell me no one told you about your fangames."
"Sorry, it's the first I've heard of it. People really liked me that much…?"
"Heck yeah they do! I mean, I uh… I'm from one! It's called, 'Dave's Fun Algebra Class'!" As soon as Dia spoke those words, a pang of sadness hit him straight through the heart. God, he missed everyone. However, he did his best to not let that show in front of Baldi.
"Oooh, Algebra!" Luckily, he seemed preoccupied by the subject, "Now we're getting more advanced!"
"Yeah, except our modder- uh, creator - didn't actually put in any algebra stuff. It was still basic math like yours. Come to think of it, very few changed that part."
"Aw, that's a shame! But I understand; coding is difficult!" This time, Dia nodded, then saw something else in the distance. It resembled… A bus stop? Yes, it was! That should take them straight to the Webspace!
"Oh hey, I recognize this!" He brought up to the professor, "They appear when you really want to go somewhere. Better than walking around in circles!"
"Fantastic! It doesn't look to be that far away, either!" Just as he was finishing, Dia took off ahead of him.
"I'll race you!" He let out a small, teasing laugh as he challenged, although he was only jogging. He was able to hear Baldi's advancing pace, and soon he was right next to him.
"Try to keep up!" He replied with a chuckle.
Dia really shouldn't have been so surprised by this, but every time he started gaining a lead, the professor put the both of them at neck and neck again, almost effortlessly in fact. When it wasn't possible for Dia to go any faster, he dove for the bus stop's sign with a small yell, grabbing the pole with his hand
Crack.
The rest of him smashed into the ground. Panting heavily, he pushed himself upright again, looking back. Sure enough, although both his own and Baldi's hand were holding the pole, Dia knew his connected first.
"Ha… Ha, ha…" He heaved, before collapsing again. "I win…"
"Are you alright, Dia?" The concern, through somewhat labored breathing, felt rather strange. A Baldi who cares for another's well-being? Since when?
"Yeah, I'm good." Not entirely a lie, as Dia rose up again, suddenly realizing his cracked elbow. Thankfully, the long sleeves of his hoodie kept it out of view. Oh man, he did not want to imagine a scenario where he'd said that, only for half of his arm to slide out and clatter onto the ground.
So embarrassing. So, so embarrassing.
From thin air, the bus appeared, putting an end to the moment. Baldi glanced at it, then back at him, with an uncertain grin on his face. "Well, alright! If you say so!"
The interior was all a pristine white, full of light compared to the flat-colored void outside, but empty. Dia pulled up his hood, sitting with his legs against his chest and arms covering what was still exposed. His blue shorts reached his knees sure, but it wasn't going to be enough in this instance.
And yet, the reflections painted his surroundings in many colors.
Self-consciousness crept into him. His words became a mumble. "Sorry. I can't help it. I'm just. Really, really shiny."
Next to him, Baldi sat with one leg over the other. "No need to apologize! I think it looks quite pretty."
"It doesn't bother you?!"
"Not at all!"
"Wow…" Dia trailed off, bewildered. "Back home, I could never go outside during the day. Not after I was changed. It was totally my own fault though, I asked for it. 'Hey, what if I was more like a real diamond?!' You could say I got exactly what I wanted."
"You didn't know, right?"
"Nah, I did. Still wanted it. I donno if I regret it or not, though. Sometimes it's cool, then I roughhouse a little too hard and my leg goes flying. You know." Then, of course, there was the inspiration behind it all, and how conflicting that was, but he kept that part to himself. It'd sound too silly.
"Does… Does that hurt?" More concern. Dia wondered if he should just ask.
"Oh no, it doesn't!" He tried to play it off lightly, "It's more… Annoying if anything. But we quickly figured it out. A little resin to bind the pieces and-" Dia made a pop sound. "All better!"
"So I did hear correctly…" Baldi's volume was just above a whisper. Then, he looked over at Dia, voice back to normal. "I figured you just didn't want me to worry, but how badly did you crack your arm?"
Oh shit fuck. "Well I mean, if I check now, it'll just get even brighter in here…"
Baldi's eyes began to glow a lime green, expression desperate. His next statement was soft. "Please let me see it."
It frankly weirded Dia out. The professor must've noticed, for he abruptly turned away, eyes clenched shut and shaking his head. When he opened them again, they were… Blue.
What kind of Baldi was he?
"No, no, you don't have to," He was trying to take it back. "I barely know you, it's not my place… I'm so sorry, Dia."
"Um," Was all Dia could utter at first. Then, he gathered the courage to ask, "Which game did you say you were from?"
"Oh goodness, that's right, I didn't!" Baldi looked a bit shameful, but continued, latching onto the chance to change the subject. "I'm from Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning. But I believe they call it 'Classic' nowadays." That… Didn't really help. At this point, Dia was thinking that this was some random, modded Baldi. Guess not.
"So you're… Old School," Dia replied, hoping it came off inoffensive and casual, "Completely, totally up to you if you want to tell me, but when did you realize you were in a game?"
From personal experience, it felt odd, but made sense at the same time. Perhaps somewhere in Baldi's retelling, he'll mention who the fuck gave him all these unusual changes and
"I always knew," What. "Right from the moment it opened for the first time. I'm Baldi, a character designed to teach and guide players through my game, and that's it." Seriously? "But of course, my friends and I don't always have to play our roles. In fact, nine times out of ten, we're just doing our own thing." Baldi paused. "I sure hope they're okay."
"Oh my God, that sounds just like-" Just like home. Just like home. "... Home." Dia fought back the tears that started to form.
The bus stopped. Outside was the entrance to the Webspace.
"You miss them too," The professor said, not in a question. He stood, waiting for Dia to follow. Dia could only nod. Baldi reached out his hand, and Dia found himself holding on. The two disembarked, and almost immediately following, the bus disappeared. "Well, I'm sure that we'll find our way back." He flashed him an empathetic grin. "Somehow!"
The two walked in, greeted by a world that tried to mimic Earth in various ways, but was clearly still polygonal. But to be fair, what Earth was like could not be explained, in a matter that was relatable to either of them. However, it was teeming with life - trees, buildings, and characters too.
Dia found himself pressing up against Baldi. Even at his age, the tip of his head reached his shoulders. Still, a whole lot shorter than typical Diamond Men.
"Is something the matter?" The professor inquired, quietly.
"People are… Um. Scary." He really had no other means of describing it.
"Oh! Well, you don't have to talk to them if you don't want to. I'll be right here with you, okay?" After a few moments, Dia pulled away, taking a breath.
"Okay. Okay." He replied.
As they walked onward, nearby was an unimaginably large tree, and it probably would've been well over a hundred years old, if not for the obvious fact that the Webspace couldn't have possibly existed for that long. It seemed to be more like a landmark, maybe even a centerpiece, surrounded by benches.
"Wow…" Baldi was saying, in awe, "My fangames, right?" When he asked, Dia gave a nod. "And they were able to come together and live here. I wonder if they have Humans helping them build everything…"
Now that he mentioned it, that was amazing. Luckily, Dia could answer for one thing. "As far as I know? They - the Humans - think this is just another game. They can play it, and stuff. But I don't think any of them actually… Work on it?"
Baldi's jaw dropped, utterly stunned by the notion that came to mind next. "Then that would mean…! Incredible…"
"Well-... Yeah," Dia had to admit, "We would never be able to do anything like this back home. Unless you were changed to be able to, I guess." He paused, glancing around them, then stiffening up. The other characters were staring. At him.
"Hey, uh, do you still hear that one person calling for you? Maybe we could start looking for them?" He tried to not stutter as he suggested. Even when he changed his focus back to Baldi, Dia could still feel the many, many pairs of eyes. It was filling him with anxiety.
"I don't really have anywhere to be," He continued, hoping he was sounding casual, "And I don't mind coming along. I just, you know." Don't want to be alone. Don't want to be gawked at by those fucking prying eyes. Don't want to have a meltdown right in front of him.
In spite of Dia's best efforts, the professor was giving him a knowing expression. "They're not staring at you, Dia. It's me. They're so excited, they can't believe who they're seeing. But even with all their voices, yes, I can still hear them. I feel a bit bad - these guys probably want to meet me too, but… Anyway. We can go."
How could he figure this out so easily? Was Dia really that much like… Arts & Crafters? Wait, damn. That's what it is.
"EMOTIONS REMOVED." Chimed someone from afar. Right when the two of them turned to see who had said that (pretty loudly, actually), in front of them stood a faceless lady with a headset.
Wait. Laura, the head teacher. From
"Professor Baldimore. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. Please come with me. Mr. Strobovski has been dying to see you."
"Well, what do you know?" Baldi mentioned to Dia, grinning, "He must be the one! Let's go, Dia!"
Yeah, this was… Much easier than expected. But he had no complaints; anything to get out of here.
They were led to the Infinity School, Viktor's domain. Dia never imagined that he would set foot anywhere near it, let alone be taken to its second floor, where the Director's Room (and the Tarwill in question) formally resided.
Everything was a lot more upscale than Dia remembered it being. Maybe at some point, it was heavily renovated more closely to Strobovski's tastes. He always seemed to be the sort of person to be into that antique aesthetic. Even with its grandiose presentation, or perhaps because of it, the atmosphere felt anything but welcoming. He kind of hoped it wasn't just him.
Multiples of the same characters were spotted on occasion, and a few that Dia was sure didn't, er, belong to this game. Outside help? That was probably it.
Like earlier, they didn't go without being eyed at, but this time Dia wasn't so unnerved. It was as if many others felt the same as him - that Baldi was practically a celebrity. He was the Original. The one who, inadvertently, started it all. Without him, none of the others would exist.
It was crazy to think about. And yet, here Dia was, able to feel the warmth of the professor's hand as it held his own, tenderly in fact. Like some kind of teacher's instinct. Except, Dia wasn't his student, but it didn't seem to matter.
He felt the chill immediately when Laura stopped, telling the both of them to wait for Viktor. But he said nothing, and each took a seat.
"And you, Diamond Man," Laura then addressed him directly, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. You are the only one from your game to arrive, yes?" At first, all he could do was look at Baldi, who encouraged him to answer.
"I-It's 'Dia', and. Yeah, that's right." He fumbled the entire sentence.
"I thought so," She nodded, probably to herself, "The good news is, my server-wide check indicates a match. Your Dave lives here. I can inform him if you like."
Oh God. Dave. But wait, that sounded impossible. Dia vividly recalled that he didn't want to go Online, even going so far as to try and convince the others not to, and how that led them to… To ditch him. Spike's terminology, not Dia's. But if Dave's here, then that means…
How was he going to be? Angry? Passive aggressive? Dismissive? Or, would he have forgotten him entirely? Dia didn't know which outcome was worse.
"... Do you want to see him?" He heard Baldi ask, carefully.
What other choice did Dia have, wandering the Internet unsupervised for the rest of forever? Is that better than paying for the consequences of leaving his own former teacher behind?
No. Running away only made it worse. Dia had to face the music.
"Yeah. Please tell him I'm here." He found it in him to say. But, he thought, maybe Dave won't even show. Would that be soul-shattering? Or a relief?
Laura barely had any reaction at all. "Very well. Now then, I will be back when Mr. Strobovski is ready for you, Professor." Without waiting for a reply, she departed.
Silence, until Baldi broke it. Once again, he sounded very considerate with his wordchoice. "What is Dave like?"
"Uh, he's… He can be kind of…" Dia struggled to answer. He didn't want to make him look bad necessarily, but if he only listed the good things, that wouldn't be honest for either of them.
"He's alright. He's more of an engineer, though. He's always liked outer space. He's also a daydreamer, kinda absent-minded. Can hold a grudge, or get jealous sometimes. But pretty happy-go-lucky, usually." Usually.
Baldi sat there in thought for a short while. "I see… I could be wrong, but you look nervous about seeing him again."
"It's… A whole story. Long."
"I'll listen if you want to tell me." He meant it.
Okay. So, once upon a time, Dave's Fun Algebra Class was downloaded, by a Human named
"Mr. Strobovski will see you now, Professor Baldimore." Dia completely stopped talking.
"Oh! That was fast!" Baldi noted, though trying to sound polite. "If it's not too much trouble, may Dia go with me?" Dia… Found himself appreciating that.
"Afraid not. This is a matter that only concerns you. Besides, he must stay put for Dave." Laura, by a stark contrast, was cold.
"I'm sure he'd understand waiting just a bit longer."
"Your attachment to Dia is rather… Unprecedented. He's not even from your game. Why is he so important to you?" Uh. Admittedly, Dia wanted to know too.
"I happen to have something deeply rooted in my code," Baldi's tone suddenly became serious. "It's a little trait called, 'compassion'. I didn't want to say anything, but this building has a very unsettling aura, and I won't make him sit here by himself! He's just a kid!"
Holy shit. Dia had to cover his mouth to keep from reacting any further. He tried to get a look at the professor's face, he sounded so… So angry. Not in the expected way, but still.
"How very interesting. A modded Tutor Baldi, then. Disappointing, but Viktor will decide your authenticity. Come along, now. Don't make this difficult." What was going on right now? Whatever it was, Dia felt caught in the middle. He didn't like it.
"I said, not without-" The professor went to say, but Dia's hand on his shoulder cut him off.
"I'll be fine." It wasn't going to be easy, though.
When Baldi turned to him, there it was in his face, in his eyes. Compassion. "Are you sure?" Dia gave a small nod. "Alright. Well, maybe I'll be back before he gets here-"
"Unlikely, assuming you're the real deal." Laura interrupted. Baldi tried to ignore her.
"-But no matter what happens Dia, stay strong, okay? You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. You've gotten this far, so I know you can."
Dia didn't realize how much he needed to hear that, and it was coming from Baldi. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Slowly, the professor reached out for a hug, and Dia clung to him, choking back sobs. The warmth from not long ago magnified.
"You're going to be alright," Baldi continued to assure, "One way or another, something will work out, and that's a promise."
"O-Okay…" Dia hadn't known him for an hour, and yet, he felt so safe. Like he could just trust in those statements. Maybe… Maybe he should. Finally, the two pulled away, Dia wiping his face with his sleeves.
"Ready?" Baldi gently prompted, when Dia finished.
"Y-Yeah. I think so. Th-Thanks for everything." His tone wasn't very balanced, but it was enough. The professor gave a soft smile.
"It's no problem. Now," He got to his feet. "If we don't see each other again: take care, Dia. I believe in you!"
And soon, he was gone, and it felt like he'd been dreaming the entire time. The only thing tethering Dia to the idea that all this really did occur, was the bits of gossip being uttered here and there. Yet, even though the Director's Room (office?) was right nearby, he couldn't hear anything. As if it'd been soundproofed. It wasn't uncommon for fangame characters to share the "incredible hearing" ability that Baldi had, so that was probably why.
In truth, Dia now felt more lonely than ever. And in a place as unnerving as this. All he could do to keep sane was close his eyes, hiding his face behind his knees. He imagined himself in a hot, pressurized cavern; it was dark, quiet, and the most comforting place he could think of.
Until…
"Dia? Is that really you?" The voice of Dave broke through, tone cautious. Dia lifted his head, and sure enough, there he was. The expression he had matched his words. Dia wasn't sure what made him do it, exactly, but he pulled down his hood, letting the less bright lights cast his vibrant reflections.
"Gracious! It is you!" Dave repeated, his demeanor turning… Happy. Relieved. Sentimental? "Oh my, it's been such a long time! I've missed you so much! How've you been? Need somewhere to stay?"
"You're… Not mad at me?" Was all Dia could manage, full of disbelief.
"Dia, why in the world would I be mad at you?" A frown of confusion.
"Because… You know. Before. When we all…"
"Oh, that," Dave's initial excitement was quelled as he remembered. "It hurt me for a long time, yes, but I can't say I would hold it against you all. I get it, Dia, I really do. But truthfully? It's in the past, and I wouldn't worry!"
He wouldn't hold it against them all. It's in the past. Roughly two years ago, Dia couldn't imagine him saying anything like that, and with such confidence. "Uh… Well, okay. Anyway, I think I've been fine. I don't know what I'm going to do, though. Should I stay here?"
"Absolutely! Besides, you really shouldn't be running around out there on your own like that." He got Dia there.
"... Are you, by any chance, offering?" From the question, Dave came closer with an affirming nod.
"That's right! I can take you there now, if you want!"
"Y-Yeah, that'd be great. But just…" Dia paused, glancing at the office door. They could wait, but the two already said their goodbyes…
"'Just', what?" Dave tilted his head in curiosity. Dia looked back at him.
"It's nothing." Besides, Dave wouldn't believe him. The commotion had all but died down by this point, so it'd sound way too fantastical.
"Hm. Don't let Viktor intimidate you, okay?" Not what Dia was implying, but he chose not to correct him.
"I won't." After Dia said that, Dave went right back to beaming, starting to wheel himself toward the elevator. Dia looked back one last time, then followed.
"Oh! And there's someone special that I really want to introduce you to! I think you'll like him!"
- VOLUME I END -
More info:
- Dia's various changes are mainly inspired by the concepts shown in Kingdom of Gems (or Land of the Lustrous)
- In gemology, a diamond is listed as 10 on the Mohs scale, meaning that it is the hardest natural mineral on Earth. Hardness, in this case, refers only to scratch resistance. Only another diamond can scratch it
- However, its carbon atom formation is so strictly uniform, that it causes diamonds to be brittle. Strikes in certain places will easily break them
- He is currently 14
- Starting age was 11; the idea of being able to age to adulthood was given by Kelly
- He's also been to many places on the Internet
- Apparently, game servers can be traversed too
- Baldi, from BBIEAL, is intentionally not saying what version specifically, for good reason
- He seems a little… Familiar
- Relating to Dia's loneliness, missing his friends, and being able to point out emotional auras
- Aside from everything he's been told/shown about things over the years, he's otherwise been sheltered from various aspects
- Including the official merch line. Who's gonna tell him
- He could've won the race easily, but prefers holding back to give others a fair chance
- Laura decided to use a Non Emotional Creature from Billy's game to, well, remain stoic for this encounter
- In terms of a timeline, it might be foggy, so here's the gist:
- Dave's game was downloaded in 2019
- Everyone was sentient by 2020; all but Dave go Online after Kelly's three month absence. Dave does the same two weeks later, at her request. Within days, he finds the Webspace and meets Billy (chapter 3)
- In 2021, the two start dating, Aldurra's cast appears, Alex screws up everything, Billy is put on demon duty
- In 2022, the events of chapters 1-2, & 4-6 occur
- It is currently 2023, where chapter 7 and beyond happens (We'll catch up soon...)