Chapter Text
FOR HERE ON OUT, THIS STORY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR UP TO TPOT 20+. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. THIS AU WILL ALSO STRAY AWAY FROM POSSIBLE EVENTS/ ENDINGS AFTER TPOT 20, SO ENJOY IT SEPARATELY TO TPOT :)
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I grasp Saw's hand so tightly I think it's turning purple.
She doesn't mind, at least not that I can tell, as she leads me to Apartment C. I wish I didn't have to rely on her to take action, but I'm afraid I would just stay in those woods for who knows how long, terrified to go back, or at the very least, tell Four, X, and Two.
She keeps looking forward. Oh, how I want to look forward.
But even as I hold onto Saw, even as I propel my legs forward into a borderline sprint, even as I feel the wind in my hair, I still want to turn and hide. Let go of her and... walk backwards.
I'm going backwards.
Not literally, of course. I mean mentally.
It feels humiliating to live like this. In constant... trepidation, as if I'm waiting for her to come back. The contract I signed, it's... still there. I'm bound to her space; that's why I frequently go back there at night. Why it's getting more common, I don't know.
...
One didn't die in a flashy way.
She died pathetically.
Still bound with her contract- or more so, her conscience- I could make out what was said before her supposed "dispute" with X. Though, I will say, it wasn't a pleasant experience to be welcomed back to. Despite being utterly surrounded by people when I arrived back at the competition grounds, I couldn't make out a single word of what they were saying.
Like an echo rippling on the water's surface, or perhaps I was still underwater, I could instead hear X's voice. Half assertive, half melancholic, almost hesitant. "You're the one who caused all these problems, all this chaos... You monster... how does it feel to be beaten at your very own game?"
I heard the soft pellets of rain beat down from the ground, if as though I was the one there. Too surreal.
One scoffed. "You've got one hell of a nerve, for someone who doesn't even know his value. Who are you to call me a monster?"
"Shut up..."
"I mean, you all never even tried to understand me before. I don't know why I thought you would now. You guys never change."
Her voice trembled softly at the end, seemingly losing her wittiness.
"Please... just... think about it! I'm here to fix what I messed up, here to fix her! You want to save her, too, right?"
Her? I didn't know what One meant by that.
"You'll at least hear me out, right, X?"
...
"C'mon, I promise! No contracts this time!"
...
"Just promise me you'll take care of her, alright? That's all I want..."
...
"WHY WON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!"
"Goodbye, One."
I felt a sharp ringing in my ear, and I was so tired at that point that I couldn't tell if it was One screaming or not. To me, it almost sounded harmonious for a moment. But it was as if a slightly off-tune violin chimed in with the arrangement, sending a hideous sound through my mind, and ricocheting in my skull. I coughed and soon realized how dehydrated I was. My legs shook violently underneath the heavy weight I was carrying. My adrenaline was certainly wearing off fast. I could feel them give in on me as I crashed onto my knees, coughing once more into the yellow grass. That cough soon turned into dry heaving, as if my body had a mind of its own. It was to the point where I was slowly losing consciousness with the lack of breath, and all I could feel was the delicate yet urgent feeling of being carried inside the hotel. By whom, I don't know.
Sometimes I think that when she died, something inside me died too.
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"Let me get this straight..." Four inquires, tilting his head to the side as his royal blue side ponytail cascades down his shoulder. He's very obviously in his pajamas, paired with some especially fluffy yellow slippers, and I almost feel bad for waking him and the others up so late at night. But I'm not that ignorant to think this isn't of dire importance. "When heading back to your apartment, you were greeted by a bunch of blue ink, and One symbols on your walls?"
I nod.
I didn't even realize that other people gathered around in the lobby until I really started to observe my surroundings. X sat curiously next to Four at the table, while Six took her spot a bit further, on a cushioned leather chair that leaned on the wall. Some of the failed debuters, namely PDA and Conch Shell, sat idly in the lobby, trying not to seem like they were eavesdropping.
I guess our loud banging on Four's door really did wake the whole floor up. Huh.
Wait, I'm forgetting someone.
Where's Two?
Before I can finish that thought, X began to speak, using the same meek tone he uses when he starts to get nervous. "I mean, we gotta investigate it, right Four?"
The blue-haired guy waves his hand. "Probably, but you never know with some of those objects. If anything, this could be another one of Blocky's tricks. His whole "prank" deal has spiked in popularity over these last few months."
"C'mon, we both know he wouldn't steep that low." Six chimes in, scrolling on her turquoise phone. She seems like a mix between pragmatic and concerned. She bops her leg up and down, almost like a way to destress. "Plus, it's already super late. I doubt any of those early-season characters would be awake at this hour. Well, besides Pin. I don't think she sleeps, period."
Six draws circles over her ear, as if to call Pin crazy. If she's trying to lighten the mood, she's seriously not helping. I immediately open my mouth to agrue- Pin's a good friend of mine, you see, but I stop myself. I'm far too stressed to argue right now.
"We're getting off topic," Saw says, and this is the first time she's spoken since we got here. "The point is that Gaty, and possibly other people too, are being targeted. Even if this is a prank, I can't just let them get away with this. There's gotta be something you can do, right?" Saw smiles awkwardly, and I just noticed how Saw didn't scream "8" when she got to my name. Maybe that weird 8-ball stuff is finally wearing off after all this time.
Four moves a hand to his chin, thinking to himself once more, before suddenly turning to me. "Have you been feeling different in the past few days?"
Days? More like weeks.
"It started around two or three weeks ago... where... I was having some nightmares."
Fvb cl nva vul olss vm h ulycl, mvy zvtlvul dov kvlzu a lclu ruvd opz chsbl. Dov hyl fvb av jhss tl h tvuzaly
"And ... she was usually present in them."
P tlhu, fvb hss ulcly lclu ayplk av buklyzahuk tl ilmvyl. P kvu a ruvd dof P aovbnoa fvb dvbsk uvd. Fvb nbfz ulcly johunl.
"I had dreams of her in the past, but these past two were much more vivid."
Wslhzl- qbza- aopur hivba pa. P t olyl av mpe doha P tlzzlk bw, olyl av mpe oly- Fvb dhua av zhcl oly, avv, ypnoa.
"And, I've been feeling less confident in myself as of late... almost nervous all the time..."
I don't like looking in the mirror as much...
"It's way too out of the ordinary."
...
...
...
"Gaty? Earth to Saw? You look pale..."
Qbza wyvtpzl tl fvb ss ahrl jhyl vm oly- hsypnoa. Aoha z hss P dhua..
"Uh, Gaty?"
Fvb ss ha slhza olhy tl vba- ypnoa E. Fvb ohcl av. Fvb ohcl av.
Are you okaaaaaaaaaaaa
DOF DVU A FVB ZHF HUFAOPUN?!
.
.
.
.
Footsteps can be heard from the corridor of the stairs.
They draw nearer, and nearer.
And I can't help but close my eyes and brace, brace for nothing, or brace for something.
A familiar figure sticks their head out of the hallway.
"H-hey guys, eh, what's with all the noise-"
I recognized who it was instantly. Two, hair disheveled and messy, has their eyes land on me, and their tired confusion quickly shifts to panic. They quickly make their way to the enclave we're currently in, not wasting anytime taking a seat at the table. "Gaty...? Did something happen?"
Maybe it's because Two is closer than they were before, or that it's so late at night, but something feels off about their voice. It seems more raw, more potent than before, no longer having that composition that their vocals usually had. I chalk it up to the time.
Four gives Two a rundown of the situation, as I chime in here and there. The look Two gives me can't be described as anything less than pure horror. And looking at their scrunched eyebrows, agape jaw, and pained expression, I notice a subtle puffiness underneath their eyes that wasn't normally there. Now that I truly thought of it, their eyes did seem glossy, even before they sat down and was given the grand scheme of things.
Had Two been...
"Like it or not, this is important," X says, breaking my train of thought once more. His scared tone has completely vanished and is now a voice of pure determination. "I hate thinking about the possibility of One simply hiding under our noses, or taunting us, or... heck, even existing in the first place. I killed her once, and I'll do it again. And if we have to do some investigating, so be it! But we can't just pass this up as a prank," he said, and slowly locks eyes with me. "We'll get you a room to stay in here tonight. I'm going to check that room out while the scene is still fresh. You can decide amongst yourselves what your plan of action is."
With a swing of his hand, the yellow haired algebralian opens a small rift in the space next to him.
"Hey, wait-!" Four says, trying to capture X's attention in time. But it's already too late. X has already booked it out of the lobby. Four sighs, rubbing his temples before turning back to the group. "Gaty, you can take the free room on our floor. We'll work out the details in the morning. I'm too tired for all of this..." We awkwardly watch as he sits up from his seat and simply walks away, up the stairs. A few seconds later, Six shrugs, mumbles "Goodnight," and books it to the elevator. PDA and Conch Shell are long gone now, too. It seems as though everyone is heading to bed.
After a moment, Two turns to me, giving a concerned glance. "This all happened right after I dropped you off later today, huh... I knew I should've walked you to your apartment... so, you wouldn't have to experience that shock alone."
I shake my head, trying to give a reassuring smile- if it even counted as one. "We couldn't have predicted that would happen. Don't stress it." I give them a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
They nod, albeit restrictively, and slowly stand back up.
They hold out a hand to me, and I delicately take it, giving a quick squeeze of gratitude.
"And hey, now we can be apartment buddies! That's one positive, eh?"
"Just like old times back on TPOT."
Two smiles enthusiastically, "Exactly! Think of it just like TPOT! - er, well, minus the competitions."
Slowly, my mind drifts to something a bit darker. "And... hopefully, minus One."
Two slowly drops their smile, and I worry that I ruined the mood. But as soon as it falls, flash another smile, though slightly weaker than the last. "Yeah. Let's wish on it."
And all too soon I let go of their hand and make my way to the new room, where Saw insisted on staying with me for the night. Though I am truly grateful for her constant support. I feel nervous staying in such a similarly designed room to my apartment, but Saw's presence is definitely comforting. At least I'm not alone. I didn't realize it at first, but I seriously hate being by myself nowadays.
I lay my head down on the silky white pillows and stare at the ceiling like I used to do every night before bed. The room is undecorated, a blank canvas to the eyes. Something is calming about that anonymity, like she wouldn't be able to tell it was me staying there. I lift my covers a bit higher, subconsciously thinking of it as a shield. Saw, who is taking the other side, lazily turns over to me. "We're gonna solve this case, I prrrroomise!" Her hand symbolizes a thumbs-up. "I'll fight One if I have to! I won't leave you until this is finished, you hear? Not on my dead boooooddyyy..."
I giggle, finding some comfort in her words. That building anxiety I had downstairs has slightly subsided, but it's always dark moments like these where I feel the most vulnerable. So, I take one last look at Saw and plant a seed of thought in my mind.
I'm safe.
She won't hurt me if I'm with someone.
I won't let this get to me.
...
"Hey Saw?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Eh... No prob dude..."
And just like that, she's out like a light.
...
I smile to myself. She's always been there for me, even at my lowest.
And someday, I'm going to repay her.
-Olssv Vul.