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It has been a month and a half since he first met Spindrax. He’s been talking to her mostly through texts, but he’s hanged out with her at the arcade a few times.
Over the course of time he managed to learn that she did work for the Spider Queen before, but she was cast out for reasons she wouldn’t say. He didn’t push her any further, not wanting to cause his new friend distress.
The two have grown quite close, and he would even consider her as a best friend. Both he and Spindrax were like pods in a pea. Spindrax and Peach Chips just understood each other so well despite only meeting not even two months ago. It sort of reminded him of the closeness Sun Wukong and Macaque had.
He wisely decided to not dwell on that last thought any longer.
Peach Chips had instead thought about inviting Spindrax over his home. Sure it’ll mean he wouldn’t be able to wear his sunglasses, but he can deal with that. He’d just have to be extra careful with his glamours.
It sounded like a great idea to get closer with Spindrax, but there was one tiny set back. His house was nearly empty. Despite it being almost two months since he was given a home, he still didn’t have a lot to decorate it with. He still didn’t even have a TV. There was still only a a room with bed, a drawer, a bathroom, and a kitchen.
He supposed thats what happens when you live your life mostly at the arcade and on your phone. Seriously, his phone is almost becoming an addiction. Is this how mortals feel?
Peach Chips stared at the empty walls surrounding him. Maybe he can get some posters. Yes. He was going to make it his mission to decorate his sad looking home.
He needed it to be perfect.
_——•——_
Peach Chips had absolutely no idea where to start. And when he didn’t know what to do, he always made sure to call someone for help.
”I thought I told to not call me if its not important.” Said Rumble from the other side of the phone. For whatever reason, Rumble couldn’t show up in person, instead settling for a phone call. Peach Chips didn’t mind though.
”But this is important. My friendship is on the line here man. I have absolutely no idea where to start on decorating my home. And if i want to invite Spindrax over, I need to make sure to impress her. I don’t want her thinking i’m some loser and our friendship to end.”
The thought of Spindrax leaving terrified him. Peach Chips didn’t have anyone else, and the shadow clones were pushing it. He would be alone if she left.
“Ughhhh… thats way out of my comfort zone. Fine, just, do some online shopping? I know you don’t like getting out much, don’t ask how, so that’s probably the best option for you. It’ll be delivered to you. Plus, it means less work for you.”
That sounded like a good idea, only he…. “I have no idea how to do online shopping.” Just because he had a phone addiction, it doesn’t mean he knew everything (though he was getting close…).
He could hear Rumble sigh.
_——•——_
The instructions were pretty simple, and soon enough he managed to buy a couch, a TV, a TV stand, new clothes (he knows he can technically make his own, but he felt a certain satisfaction of buying some), hygiene products, and a carpet for aesthetic.
But even then, his home still felt… empty. He groaned in frustration. He had gotten a god damn TV, so why was he not satisfied? Why does the walls still look void of life?
It was just so empty compared to Flower Fruit Mountain. Back at Flower Fruit Mountain, the scenery was beautiful. Fruits grew in every corner, the skies were beautiful, and you can see monkeys just about everywhere.
The faint memories of Sun Wukong climbing trees, grooming the smaller monkeys fur, eating fruit under the sunny sky popped in his head. Flower Fruit Mountain was full of life.
But in here, the walls were empty. He took a deep breath. His home was empty, and it frustrated him to no end. Some colors would be nice.
_——•——_
Peach Chips was sitting in a bench walk eating some noodles. Spindrax was next to him on her phone, she didn’t get any noodles, since she already ate early that morning.
The both of them were heading to the arcade, but Peach Chips had grown hungry before they arrived. He didn’t eat that morning because he didn’t necessarily wanted to eat. He wasn’t going to eat then either, but Spindrax had already heard his stomach growling and insisted she bought something for him to eat.
He had originally declined, not wanting to make her waste money on him, claiming he can buy his own lunch later. But one stern look from her and he complied.
And thats how he ended up here, eating his noodles. It was pretty okay, but he thinks Pigsy’s were better. It was pretty silent between the two of them, before an idea popped ip in his head. He had been waiting to ask her this question for a while, and this was the perfect opportunity.
He stopped slurping on his noodles, thinking carefully about his next words. “Hey Spindrax? We’ve been friends for a while, hanging out at the arcade all the time and stuff. But um… I was wondering if you wanted to hang out at my place today.”
Spindrax looked up from her phone and gaped at him. “Wait really? You’d be cool with it? I mean, I know you like your privacy. Letting me in your home is normally out of your comfort zone.”
He felt a faint warmth in her concern for him. It was nice to know that she cared about him enough to worry for him. “Yeah, im cool with it. I think i need to step out of my comfort zone anyways.”
”Well if your really cool with it, then yeah sure, lets hang out at your place.”
_——•——_
”So this is where you live huh? You know, I was kind of expecting game sets and stuff, considering you love going to the arcade so much.” Spindrax commented as she sat on the couch.
Peach Chips was next to her using the remote to pick out a movie for the both of them. He had many glamours to make himself look human, from head to toe. He still had a sweater on to hide his tail, claiming he’s cold, even despite the place not being cold at all. She didn’t question it, already used to her friend usual sweater attire.
He had offered to make popcorn, but she declined since she apparently disliked popcorn. He didn’t necessarily love popcorn either, and he already ate, so he was cool with no popcorn.
Peach Chips slightly winced at her words. He knows it was harmless and had no ill intentions, but it still stung. He felt as he disappointed her. He didn’t like that feeling at all.
He nervously laughed. “Ah yeah, um, no I don’t have any of that kind of stuff. To be honest, the arcade place is really the only place I play games at.” Technically, the only he place he ever played games at. But he won’t tell her that.
“Maybe you should buy some. The place here looks kind of empty-“
”I know!”
Spindrax jumped slightly at his voice raising. Normally her friend was quiet and awkward, except when he was competing against her. So she didn’t expect him to yell. She looked at him, mouth agape. Then, she saw him bury his face in his hands, remote in his lap.
”Woah, hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. I think it looks cool, um.” Her attempts to reassure him didn’t work, and even worse, she heard him sniffle. “Hey, I swear I wasn’t trying to be a jerk or anything.” Shit. She messed up, again. Like she always does, running her mouth without any thought.
”No… its not that. Its just… I wanted the place to look nice.”
“Oh, well, it does! Don’t listen to what I said, it was dum-”
”No, I mean. I wanted it to look nice to impress you.”
”Oh.” Well, she certainly wasn’t expecting that answer. She had never had someone try to impress her before, it was usually her that tried to impress people with her driving skills. Her determination to prove herself was her downfall in the end. Yet here there was, someone, her friend, crying because he wanted to impress her out of all people.
”You know you don’t have to impress me right? I already think your pretty cool. Your, like, my friendly rival I can compete with and later go have lunch with.”
“No, yeah, its just… I can’t explain it.” He wipes his tears away with his hands as much as possible. “I guess I did know that you wouldn’t mind. I guess i’m more upset about… ah, no, it just sounds silly when I say it out loud.”
She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Hey, its okay. Im all ears here. I won’t judge.” And she means it, he was her friend, and she wasn’t going to let her friend be sad.
It must have worked, because he continued to speak. “I guess… you’re right. The place is empty. It doesn’t feel like…” He paused. “It doesn’t feel like my old home.”
He was homesick, she thought. Spindrax wasn’t necessarily wrong, but she wasn’t right either. But she won’t know that for a while. “Your old home? What… what was your old home like?”
For a moment she thought she said the wrong thing because he was so quite, but he spoke after a couple of seconds. “It was beautiful. The skies were clear, almost every day was a sunny day, and fruits grew almost everywhere.”
He laughed softly, almost sounding fond. “I knew everyone there. We were all like a big family. But then… I was… left behind.”
Tears formed im his eyes, this time he didn’t bother wiping them away. “And I can’t go back. And this place… it’s nothing like it. It’s just too different.” He sniffled.
”I miss my home. I miss it.”
”Yeah, I know how that feels.”
Peach Chips tearfully looked to his friend. “You do?”
”Yeah. You already know i’ve worked for the Spider Queen before, but was kicked out. I never told you why though before, haven’t I?”
”No, you haven’t. You don’t need to tell me if it’s to personal-“
”No, no it’s okay. I think I need to get it off my chest anyway. I worked for the Spider Queen for a good while, I didn’t really know what she was planning, but I didn’t really care at the time. I was mostly focused on impressing her. But I started getting to cocky, and eventually I messed up to many times. She casted me out, claiming if she ever sees my face again, she’ll make sure I regret it.”
She took a deep breath. “What really hurt was the change. When i worked for the Spider Queen, I had a home. Hell, I would even have called her family. But when she made me leave, I was on my own. I had no one. Eventually though I got a job at a nearby shoe store, and got a house. But it was… to bright.”
”To bright?”
”Yeah, to bright. I lived underground when working for the Spider Queen. So it was just… to bright for me, you know? It didn’t feel right. So you know what I did?”
”What did you do?” He asked.
“I closed all the curtains and got some green lamps.”
”…That’s all?” He asked her, while doubting it could be that simple.
”Yep. It reminded me of my old home. Eventually though, I started redecorating as I started getting used to my new life. At one point, I finally managed to move on.”
”It was just that easy?”
”Well it definitely wasn’t easy, it took a long time, but it definitely helped me cope and manage to process my grief more easier. I can’t say it’ll work for you, since everyone has different ways to cope, but you can try it.”
”My old home was sunny though, and not in the underground. So lamps and closing the curtains wouldn’t work.”
”Hmmm….” Spindrax hummed in thought. He was right, he needed an alternative solution. An idea popped up in her head.
”Hey, Peaches?”
”Can you paint?”
Her question confused him a bit. “Uh yeah, I can paint. Why?”
”I think i’ve solved your dilemma.”
”And how’s that?”
”That’s for tomorrow. For now though….” She stretched her arms open. “I think you need to let it out.”
That was all he needed before jumping into her arms.
_——•——_
Peach Chips had cried for nearly an hour. She couldn’t really make out what he was saying, but she could understand bits and pieces. The most common phrases were “i miss my home”, “i miss him”, and “why did he leave me behind”.
Upon hearing that last phrase, she almost felt her blood boiling. It was clear that he was abandoned. She wanted to hit whoever left her best friend. But she focused on comforting him instead.
After he was done crying, Spindrax suggested to continue watching something on TV, to help him feel better. He had tiredly agreed, letting her choose anything. His head was laying on Spindrax shoulder, and one arm was wrapped around him in a comforting manner.
She eventually chose a show named “Monkey Cop” (which got a few giggles out of him, she was unsure why, but it was nice hearing him laugh). She pressed play on the remote, relaxing as she watched.
Though, her mind was really somewhere else. She was going over her plans for tomorrow. She was going to help her friend get through this, no matter what.
She was not letting down someone else.
_——•——_
”Whats up with all the paint?” Peach Chips asked.
”This, my dear friend, is what we’ll use to paint your walls.” Spindrax answered as she gestures to the bags. The bags were filled with all shades of colors, but mostly blue, he noted.
”Paint… my walls?” He asked, albeit a bit confused.
”Since you can’t exactly do much with lamps, I thought, why don’t we just paint your home instead. You said there was clear skies, so i brought lots of blue. Theres also some yellow and green because of fruits and stuff. I’m not exactly the best painter out there, so the best i could do is paint an apple.
Peach Chips was stunned. She had went through all this for him. That warm feeling returned, but with full force. It was enough to water his eyes. Spindrax noticed, and almost worried she had done something wrong.
”Thank you.” His voice cracked a bit. “Thank you so much.”
_——•——_
It had taken them nearly a week before finishing painting all the walls. Originally it was the two of them painting, but Peach Chips had naturally taken over. Spindrax wasn’t complaining at all, he was incredibly skilled. He made it look so easy, painting the sky, the clouds, sun, fruits, and trees. There were monkeys there too, which confused her a little, but hey, who was she to judge. Maybe he really liked monkeys.
Soon enough, even the ceiling was painted on. When it was finished, Peach Chips looked happier than he’s ever seen him before. He had a huge grin when looking at his art work, and not being able to help herself, she grinned too.
She checked her phone for the time. It was already getting late, and she should probably be heading home already if she doesn’t want to drive in the dark.
”Hey Peaches, I got to bounce now. I’ll see you later now-“ She was interrupted when she felt a hand wrap around hers. She looked at her friend questionably, wondering what he needed.
He took a deep breath, mustering up all his courage. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You honestly don’t know how much this means to me. You’ve been the bestest friend I could ever ask for. So… so if you ever need something, you can ask me, okay?”
She swore her heart stopped beating for a second. Spindrax had never felt this… appreciated before. A warm feeling engulfed her. And before she could stop herself, she brought him into a hug.
”Of course dummy, what are friends for?”
_——•——_
Peach Chips was preparing to leave to the arcade. It’s been three days since he finished painting his walls. Now every time he woke up, he was immediately greeted witha clear sky.
Sure, it pulled his heart a bit, but it also gave him a weird sense of comfort. It was like, a piece of him was brought back. He honestly felt better than he has than for the past few weeks. And it was all thanks to Spindrax.
Which speaking of, he made himself a reminder to make it up to her. It was only right for him to do something to show his gratitude for her. He appreciated her for just being there.
He snapped out of his thoughts, making sure to grab a pair of sunglasses when heading out. He was probably going to have to get rid of them, since he was getting more and more comfortable showing his (glamoured) face. Who knows, maybe in due time, he’ll tell her the truth. But that was something to worry about later. He saw Spindrax giving him a text message.
’hey im gonna go to the arcade now, you coming soon?’
He gave a small smile at his phone screen.
’yeah im coming’
For now, he’ll enjoy this life he has right now.