Chapter Text
Spoke was utterly bored.
And that boredom always culminates into some stupidly intricate yet insane plans that Spoke was known for in college. His reputation soon quickly evolved into students avoiding him like he was a walking plague, alarming everyone to stray away from him. This, unsurprisingly, did not gather him a large group of friends, at most the people that tolerated him were simply ‘acquaintances’ in Spokes' eyes, tools that he can exploit for fun.
He always drags these said acquaintances of his into borderline dangerous stunts that always ended up with Spoke in the nurse’s office, severely beaten yet eerily smiling at them, thinking of a new plan he could pull off to get rid of this aching boredom.
But he had nothing today, it was a day so mundane that Spoke had nothing in mind–and that severely annoyed him. He couldn’t shake off the cold grip of mundanity he had laying on his bed during a quiet morning. All of his ideas were thrown out the window once spring break happened–when all classes were over (it’s not like he cared anyway..) Spoke was left alone in this mediocre apartment complex.
“This sucks.” An annoyed sigh came out of his mouth, he couldn’t stop tossing and turning in his bed all while mumbling some nonsense to drown out the lingering emptiness. “Everything feels soooo boring…!” Throughout his mini temper tantrum Spoke underestimated how small his bed was and eventually–
“Oh fuck–”
..Fell off. Face landing onto the shabby wooden floor, filled with a bunch of old paper crafts from his childhood that Spoke kept as memoria. Lying face on the floor, Spoke tilted his head towards the left that faced right under his bed, his eyes searching for something that could entertain him in this dull, messy room of his.
Dusting away many old art projects he did as a child with his hand, he always wondered why he made those, they’re all shoddily made but never destroyed. A lot of these handmade crafts were flowers he’d seen outside the window back in his old home.
Spoke had grown tired of scrambling around the floor and stood up, brushing away the dirt that lingered on his hoodie. Staring outside the window and seeing the sun shine bright he thought to just.. take a morning walk, maybe it’ll relax his nerves and mind as a whole.
After a few minutes of struggling to put on socks and shoes, Spoke opened his apartment door and set off to the nearby park right by his university.
– + –
“..’East Capital Park’? What weirdo is in charge of the names here??” Spoke stared at the sign at the entrance of Capital Park, a park settled–well the most eastern side of Capital City, one of the biggest cities in the country. Chuckling at the lazily named park, Spoke soon walked in and was overwhelmed by how large the park actually is.
Despite his rambunctious and erratic personality that others saw Spoke as, he had a special place for floriography because of an... old friend that taught him the ropes of it. Spoke counted the different types of flowers and memorized them intricately, spotting an empty area near a pond and settled down nearby.
The endless garden of flowers put Spoke’s mind at peace, the overbearing mundanity of life had no place in this utopia. A utopia with only him in it.
The grass beneath him felt soft, no past grievances to bite him in the ass or annoying professors to nag him about some stupid assignment that was apparently due a few days ago. It was nice.. yet so lonely. This ever growing sense of loneliness Spoke had been withholding was starting to nag at him—the same exact feeling he had with the curse of mundanity.
Spoke at first never really cared about the people around him, if they liked him, they liked him! And if they don’t, why would he care? If they can't see his true perfection, then they must've been a blind fool. He created meticulous plans because he sought out attention, the spotlight where everyone’s eyes can witness his grand design, so that he’ll never be seen as weak or powerless.
But playing a ‘character’ as he would say, puts a strain on his mindset, always thinking carefully about his next steps as if he were on a tightrope.
Yet as he sat there on the warm grass, in a garden filled with stories from different worlds, Spoke wished for the presence of another person by his side. Someone to share this story with him—and that’s when he thought of a new idea.
“..A picnic party!” He exclaimed, standing up in excitement. Spoke had never been to one but he’s seen them often during spring break, so why not try it himself? This park is an excellent place to have one, as well as the perfect weather for spending time with… friends! Yes.. friends eating together, laughing together, simply having fun with one another!
It was a new experience that Spoke wanted to understand, maybe he’ll finally understand what it feels like to have a best friend.
With all the excitement, Spoke had forgotten the most crucial part of his plan–actual people that are willing to hang out with him. “Huuh, how many people do I know again?” Spoke brought out his phone and searched through his contacts—with the many acquaintances he’s made throughout the semester, it won’t be too hard right? “Eh, might as well send a message to everyone and have the biggest picnic party ever!”
And so, he wrote a carefully thought out, not suspicious at all message to all his contacts.
– + –
Mapicc had nothing to do today, which was a win in his book.
All semester he was dragged through hell and back, between balancing his responsibilities as the captain of the basketball team of Unstable University and dealing with incomprehensible horrors.. which is the school council.
Mapicc didn’t choose to be living the life he had now, he just wanted to have fun doing the things he liked. Even his enjoyment of sports had been dwindling every second, his passion to achieve greater lengths was swiftly replaced with the eyes of everyone wanting victory.
It felt as if he was thrusted into a position where everyone expected him to be as powerful as they perceived him to be. Mapicc didn’t mind the attention of course–but he was more than just a fighter, or a star leader. He was just a simple guy who loved to play for fun, for the thrill, and for the competitive spirit that was ingrained within him.
To most, Mapicc was prime example of a top player, captain, a student even, yet never abest friend to someone. Maybe back then in high school, with Roshambo and Planet.. but right now? He’s been cooped up with the most insufferable people he's ever met.
But that’s all over for now! Now he can finally rest easily–
Ding!
A buzz from his phone, in any other case Mapicc would’ve freaked out and thrown his phone at the wall, but he was too tired to give a damn. He seriously thought that the world itself was messing with him in some sick and twisted way, because who the hell would message him at such an early hour?!
Mapicc groaned in annoyance as he picked up his phone and checked the notification, hoping that it was just a spam text so he could just block the number.
…
“Ah..” Mapicc's expression lightens and his smile expands just a little bit. Right, how could he forget? The one person who's been with him ever since middle school, a person just as mischievous as he was back then where everyone never thought of Mapicc as an instant-win card and simply had fun being buddies with him. Mapicc felt the taste of true freedom whenever he was with this person, witnessing the charismatic yet chaotic passion that shaped their friendship into an unbreakable bond throughout the years.
‘You have a new message from spokeshere67 !’
spokeshere67 8:49 AM
HELLO MY GOOD FRIEND!!!! now.. you must be wondering WHY im messaging you rn…. hehe…its because im having a picnic party today!!!!!! yes! you heard that right my good friend…. a spectacular picnic party with me and many other people invited ! and that includes YOU good friend….. make sure to bring sum food n stuff ……
mapicccc 8:52 AM
yoooo fr? where it at bro
spokeshere67 8:55 AM
YES BRO!!! its at the uhhj recently opened park in teh most eastern side of the city !!!! but like it'll be ready in like 30 mins cuz i gotta get sum stuff for it :P be there by then!!!!
mapicccc 8:56 AM
ight bet
—
A picnic party, that’s.. new for Spoke. Mapicc always thought of him as an enigma, someone that nobody can understand as he was unstable yet smart, smarter than one of the top students in the entire university. Mapicc knew Spoke more than anyone, he grew to watch and understand him, to predict the unpredictable and stand cautious of the man.
“Is he just insanely bored or planning to..”
Well, so much for a day of rest. Spoke always has something up his sleeve, trouble seems to linger in his shadow and it just felt right for this ‘party’ to be another ridiculous trick that spoke found on some unknown forum online. Mapicc was always a witness or straight up victim to these plans, but he constantly finds himself laughing and smiling just like a stupid kid again. Despite his popular reputation of being a team captain, his companionship with Spoke brought some distaste from others, even from other teams just for associating with someone as devious as him.
Yet all that bad rep never stopped Mapicc from hanging out with him. And so Mapicc got up from his rather uncomfortable bed and headed straight for the kitchen, even if there was no reason to rush, Mapicc just mindlessly moved on his own, mind baffled by Spokes sudden proposal for a picnic party.
His apartment room encapsulated the type of person Mapicc is, photos filled on every corkboard and the fridge as well, showing him and his team smiling after a glorious win or simple pictures of his friends at various old hang out spots, even his old pet fish whose mini aquarium stands empty atop of the coffee table. It was a room full of nostalgia, a room with a dream-like yet liminal feel, yet it was home.
There wasn’t a vast assortment of food in the small kitchen, it was rather bleak in a sense. Mapicc never really cooked or anything, maybe just a simple meal like cereal or scrambled eggs if he was feeling fancy, this all really stemmed from him going out to eat rather than buying proper groceries… “If Ro was here he would’ve killed me for keeping the kitchen in such a shitty state.” A chuckle came out of Mapiccs mouth, grabbing the last of his stash of chips and a single can of an energy drink left in his fridge.
“I’m sure the others that Spoke invited have actual food..” Mapicc shoved the chips in a red backpack with other items including some cheap bandages he had bought before due to Spoke’s attraction to stunts with high risks yet no reward other than infamy.
Despite the picnic being in the process of setting up, Mapicc already put on his red jacket that has been with him ever since middle school, a bit tacky some might say but Mapicc still kept it for old times sake. It’s a long road from his complex to the park, maybe an hour and a half if the street wasn’t busy–which was highly unlikely since it was a Monday morning. He’ll most likely be standing in front of a traffic light for 10 minutes wishing for this pain to end rather than enjoying his time with Spoke just how it used to be before.
The air of nostalgia floated away as Mapicc put on his shoes and opened the front door, walking through the empty hallway only hearing vague sounds from the other apartment rooms, some with the morning news on and barely awake teens playing games for the past 11 hours.
Unhealthy as that was, Mapicc knew he used to be just like them before, young and uncaring for the world around him.
“I wonder who else would be there." Mapicc thought as he walked down the stairs, being careful not to slip and fall on his face like countless other times before.
"I hope Zam and Planet are there.” A small smile formed on his face as he exited the complex and headed east.
– + –
The streets were filled, but that was expected. Mapicc was already feeling antsy about being late yet he kept cool as he stood in front of the traffic light that was blaring red, watching as cars and buses passed by with tired passengers heading to work a dead-end job. It’d be easy for Mapicc to make fun of these people, living such unassuming yet empty lives until the day they die.
Yet Mapicc knew deep down that nothing can last forever, he knew that far too well at this point. One day he’ll be just like them…
“I should buy a present for Spoke.”
It was an out-of-the-blue thought that invaded his mind, even if this will delay his arrival to the party—he’s sure Spoke will understand, besides.. why not come in style in magnificent glory? Even if he had differing feelings of the spotlight, Mapicc wanted to shine best for his friend that he hadn’t seen in a while. But the real question was.. what should he buy for Spoke? Mapicc’s talent was only in sports, he didn’t take up any external hobbies since it might hinder his performance as the star player, so the best option is to cough up some cash and buy some cool shit he sees.
The only time Mapicc appreciated living in the central part of the city was the various shops scattered around the streets, but one shop caught his eye, well not really. The one across the street, Mapicc himself was sort of a regular there–and it seemed the shopkeeper there had seen Mapicc eyeing the area as he saw them tilt their head down slightly, similar to a sigh of defeat.
That sight brought a wide smile on Mapicc’s face, as the traffic light turned green Mapicc had dashed over there as fast as he could. Running over to the entrance and knocking on the glass door quickly, seeing the defeated face of the shopkeeper more clearly.
“...”
“You gonna let me in Parrot?” The grin on Mapicc’s face grew slightly..
“What do you want bro–more importantly why are you awake dude? You’re never awake at these times.” The shopkeeper–Parrot, opened the door and let Mapicc in, crossing his arms as he headed back behind the cash register. Still looking a bit freaked out by the sudden appearance of Mapicc and his familiar, unnerving grin.
Mapicc looked around the shop, seeing the various assortment of items such as fresh drinks, alcohol (though kept in a locked freezer..) and Mapiccs favorite, energy drinks! But he wasn’t there for just drinks, “You guys sell flowers, right? Or like.. any nice shit to give to friends—?” Mapicc asked, wandering around the store like a broken record.
“Uh, yeah we do.” Parrot watched as Mapicc paced around the store, surveying the assortment of flowers on the shelves. “There’s some trinkets and suchI’ve kept around the back–if a gift is what you’re looking for.”
“Ooh, right right–what kind of stuff you got there bro? Any like weird contraptions or.. y’know uhh… dude what does Spoke like again..?” Mapicc stopped moving, muttering words that Parrot couldn’t hear but could decipher from the way his expression turned serious. “Sorry Parrot–just wait for a bit alright—”
“Is this something related to Spokes.. ‘party’ ?” The shopkeeper crossed his arms, watching as Mapicc snapped out of his thoughts and turned to him, seeing his lips turn upward into a snarky grin.
“Wow, caught me once again, mr. student council president! Spoke really isn’t kidding about your inhuman capabilities dude,” Mapicc laughed, he’s dealt with Parrot before but hadn’t truly felt the feeling of being perceived so fast, the quick witted council president that was only matched by Spoke in sheer intelligence. It’s.. ironic that Spoke of all people can beat Parrot in his own game isn’t it?
Mapicc always thought of it as weird, the guy who’s always on his ass for being late to important meetings related to the university’s team and seemingly the smartest guy the uni ever had–was being tricked by Spoke? It took a lot out of Mapicc NOT to laugh straight at his face whenever he saw Parrot scolding Spoke after another escapade.
“You act like that whenever it’s something related to that troublemaker.”
“Yeah yeah, whatever bro. Did you get invited to the party too?”
“Mhm, I’m not sure I can go.” Parrot brought out his phone, scrolling to find Spoke in his endless stream of messages. Pulling up the texts that were sent to him a few hours ago, “He sent this message to me just as I was about to go to work.”
—
spokeshere67 7:12 AM
HELLO MY GOOD FRIEND PARRRRROT!!!!!! now now before i get chewed out by you THIS early….the reason why im messaging u rn is because im having a picnic party today!!!!!! yes! you heard that right my good friend parrotx2…. a spectacular picnic party with me and many other people invited ! and that includes YOU my good friend….. make sure to bring sum food n stuff ……
ParrotX2 7:14 AM
It’s 7 in the morning, Spoke.
spokeshere67 7:15 AM
whats wrong with that mr king of the uni parrot parrotx2?? U can always skip some hours of ur boring JOB….
ParrotX2 7:17 AM
?? I’m literally the owner of the store dude, I can’t skip work bro. It's also a monday, which means Theo is out for his day long training so don’t bother bro
spokeshere67 7:17 AM
Whateevrrrrrr broo…… you’ll be missing out for SURE though!!!!!!
you better come the next time i ask dude…..or else……….
tell theobald i said hi tho c:
ParrotX2 7:19 AM
Sure.. have fun with your party.
—
In hindsight Spoke was acting rather ignorant of Parrot's ordeal but Mapicc sorta understood why he was acting like he did, “He’s just bored, seems like he’s been asking many people before he asked me..”
“Most likely, if you’re actually going then you should probably go, it’s already 10.” Parrot pointed at the clock, signaling Mapicc to leave if he wasn’t gonna buy anything and pester him.
“Oh shit right right um.. Wait, I need to buy something—what flowers do you sell again??” Mapicc panicked, running over to Parrot and immediately pulling out his wallet thinking Parrot just happened to have the flowers on hand. “Add like 3 cans of energy drinks with them alright–?”
“Alright dude–we have poppies, lilies, chrysanthemums, tulips… there’s some cornflowers too that Theo found.” Parrot backed away slowly and opened the backdoor, leading Mapicc to the wide assortment of flowers he kept for.. Purposes.
“Jeez dude you really like purple, whatever–I’ll take the poppies and cornflowers. Not like I have any other choice man.. literally almost all the flowers here are a different shade of purple.” Mapicc scoffed as he grabbed some poppies and cornflowers, walking back to the register as Parrot stood near the flowers. Mapicc swore he could hear Parrot taking short breaths as if he were part of the track team–but he brushed that thought away as the man quickly went back to the register.
“..Sorry about the limited colors we.. uh.. had. Anything else with the drinks and flowers..?”
“Actually—yeah, this might be a weird request but just hear me out..”
– + –
“Maybe he’s running late.” Spoke thought to himself, sitting on top of a neatly (or as neat as he could make) set picnic blanket, some snacks littered around with leaves and scattered petals lingering in the area. It was beautiful, the sky ever so clear as the wind danced through the trees and bushes of the park.
The clock ticks ever so slowly, the time incomprehensible to Spoke as he watches the river, looking straight at the shallow waters. Loosely populated by various species of fish that Spoke recognized from his hometown. Spotting his favorite one, the unassuming salmon, swimming free in the waters below.
He watched the small salmon traverse the river, alone yet still alive. It soon vanished from his sight—leaving Spoke on his own sitting right on the edge of the river, staring down at the open expanse.
Spoke saw the reflection of himself in those waters, the face of a.. human still living and breathing. His hand touched his cheek, slightly flinching on instinct. All the mishaps he had done, etched on his face in barely visible scars of the past, scars that had signified his worth back then; to signify his will that he had over others.
The reflection stared back. Copying every move Spoke made.
Its eyes devoid of all life, it knew him, it knew every secret he had hidden.
Yet it was him, but he couldn’t accept that. Though, as he looked closely at his own face, he questioned himself. Was he..
This inhuman?
..Unnatural?
Can a man be so far gone from this world, that the sins he bears shut his eyes to all that had criticized him?
It felt as if he were sinking.
Sinking.
S in k i ng.
S
i
n
k
i
n
g.
S
i
n
k
i
n
g.
So cold, so hollow.
How far down has he gone? In these shallow waters, where he is doomed to drown. Only echoes of memories linger in the corner of his eye.
Memories of people saying his name, vividly, reaching out to him with open arms.
“...ke–?”
A voice so full of warmth and care, he always wondered how people managed to love him for who he is.
“Sp...o..!?”
His arms fell limp, he couldn’t feel much of his body anymore. But that’s okay, he never felt truly alive ever since he was born, only pondering what the touch of a warm soul felt like. A pure heart that hadn't been tainted by his desires, a heart as warm as the sun in the lucid sky where Spoke wished to touch with his naked, cold hands.
Burning away all his impurities and becoming the hero he always wanted to be. The selfish joy to be the one above, in scintillating design where nobody can contest him.. other than himself.
Yet here he was, drowning in imperfect desire, a nauseating tempo. Maybe it was for the best if he were to die right now and then, it’s what he would’ve wanted. It’s what everyone would’ve wanted.
Everyone..
‘ I’m ◼◼◼ so happy ◼◼◼◼ safe now, friend ◼◼◼ ‘
..Spoke feels nostalgic. It seems like his mind had slowed down all the way into the past, somewhere he reminisced just a moment ago–
‘◼◼ careful next time. I’ll ◼◼◼◼◼ okay? ◼◼◼ ‘
Every word fades away in solemn bliss, letters scattering into beautiful petals that float on top of his body.
‘ Your ◼◼◼ life is ◼◼ yours ◼◼◼ Spoke ..’
‘ … Sp◼o◼ke. ‘
‘ .. S◼po◼k◼◼e .. ‘
‘ ◼◼◼◼◼ ‘
“SPOKE—!!”
A pounding reality crashed onto the boy’s head from behind–and by reality..
“..! R-Rose..? ” He blurted out, a pathetic mistake. Turning his head behind himself in rapid succession, hands gripping the covered dirt under him in fear of… something.
“What? No dude- it’s Mapicc you dumbass.” Spoke turned his head up and saw the brown haired boy with a concerned smile standing over him, his body overshadowing the rays of the sun as he shined beneath the light. “You’ve been zoning out for like a minute or two.. maybe more, not sure. Just got here.” Mapicc backed away a little, propping himself down onto the picnic blanket where Spoke remained silent.
“O-oh.. I was.. uh–counting the fishes here my dear friend!! Also— Owwww..” It was a blatant lie but that wasn't the matter here– Spoke had already keeled over the blanket instantly, a spike of pain finally processed through Spoke’s head as Mapicc laughed in the background. “You should really manage your strength man—!! That hurt like hell!!” Spoke muttered out as he rubbed the back of his head, quietly laughing alongside Mapicc to ignore the pain.
"My bad bro, old habits die hard." Mapicc shrugged and handed Spoke a plastic bottle with freshly cold water, "Here, might make the pain go away faster."
Spoke gladly took the water bottle out of Mapicc's hand and held it around the area where it hurt the most, letting the cool water soothe the ache on his head. Mind being refreshed from all pain now that someone was sitting beside him, someone that he could call a friend. "..Thanks for coming, Mapicc. I-.. I really appreciate it—"
"Don't mention it dude, we're best friends remember? Also I gotta be there for you in case you might hurt yourself in some ridiculous situation you cook up." Mapicc jokingly said while bringing out his backpack full of.. food. 4 cans of energy drinks, a bunch of chips that he and Spoke used to buy during their time at college and a watch? With cornflowers and… roses. "Soo.. before you flame me for the lack of food I just want to say that—"
"Is that a pocket watch? And.. flowers…" Spoke pointed at the bundle of items that were leaking out of Mapicc's bag ever so slightly. "Centaurea cyanus and roses. Hah," Spoke whispered under his breath, hands twitching slightly.
Mapicc could see Spoke's expression shift, noticing the odd reaction Spoke had to the flowers he had brought. Mapicc thought it was best to keep them away from him. "Well, they're.. gifts! Here dude, ignore the flowers— you need this one lowkey." Mapicc made a light-hearted joke as he tossed the pocket watch to Spoke, bringing him back from whatever trance he was in just to catch it.
The watch wasn't remarkable or fancy, it looked old but it was still working, displaying the time perfectly. "10:53, wow, it reaaally feels like only 10 minutes have passed since I sat here, not like—like an hour!" Spoke was quite baffled to say the least, mouth curving into a bewildered smile, he honestly thought it was around 9:40 or 9:50 at most!
Mapicc scratched the back of his head and sighed, somewhat feeling a bit guilty for being late. "Yeah- uh.. sorry for being a bit late to the party. Busy streets and lousy roads, Capital City really doesn't do shit y'know?" Mapicc gave out a sarcastic laugh, the tone of his voice becoming more soft and real now that he was around Spoke.
"Mm, well you ain't wrong! I would love to leave this place sooner or later." Spoke turned his head towards Mapicc, thinking about all the possibilities that would be given to them, together. "We can even live in a biiiiig house and not just some shabby apartment building!!"
"That would be awesome dude, we could host like— big parties too! With Planet, Zam.. hell even Parrot and his band of friends. It'd be freaking sick!" Mapicc exclaimed as he opened a can of his pile of energy drinks, imagining how reckless they can be once they've graduated in the future.
"Exactly bro! This picnic party is just the starting point my friend… once we've.. once you all graduate then we can plan some exciting things for everyone!" Spoke replicated Mapicc's tone even if he felt genuinely sincere about his wishes to live away with all his friends, doing things he wanted to do.
Yet he always knew that the universe isn't particularly kind to him.
"I'm glad you're here, Mapicc," The pocket watch ticks down every second, every moment spent together in this serene yet unfair world.
Mapicc just nodded in response, no words could really describe their friendship together. The best type of friendship? Of course, Mapicc had no doubt in that. It's just that nothing can really separate them now after high school, "You're an idiot if you thought I wouldn't come here bro."
Spoke laughed, an indescribable feeling of euphoria and joy overcame him. Maybe he was an idiot, worrying about a person that he trusts the most to just leave him in the dust. It was stupid, Spoke felt silly to think like that.
Why would Mapicc leave him anyway? They're best friends till the end.
"I can't refute that my dear friend, we're inseparable. So shall we celebrate.. our friendship in this party that I have made?" Spoke pulled out a lot of baked bread slices for the two of them to enjoy. The bread itself a bit cold and somewhat incomplete, but nevertheless an accomplishment for Spoke.
With a confident smirk Spoke grabbed a slice of bread and admired it. Not even eating it. "I remember baking this exact recipe 5 times over with— ..never mind. But! I've mastered it so perfectly it can taste like the heavens itself!"
"D'alright dude, you talk so weird sometimes bro," Mapicc smiled as he took some slices and bit into them. Savoring every last bite of the shitty, baked bread that Spoke left out for a while.
"Y'know, there's something I need to ask before we get too off the rails today, it's just something I put off in the back of my mind when I got here." Mapicc turned his head over to Spoke while still chewing the baked bread, acting so casual with such an.. off tone.
"…What might that be Mapicc?"
"Well.." Despite the bustling park they were in, a silent whistle in the wind blew over the two men. Obscuring their faces with leaves and petals.
"Who is 'Rose' ?"
Petals stained in red.