Work Text:
He was always just Orange. Since he was created until now.
Just Orange.
That was his name. Orange.
But...
It was a normal day. Orange helped Alan with his new animation. And everything was fine.
Orange smiled and jumped in place, looking at the finished sketch. Now they just need to lineart and colors.
It was a sleepy orange cat with cool green laser eyes. It was interesting and unusual idea. He liked it.
Alan always had interesting ideas for animations. Like a walking flower.
Orange turned his head to looked at Alan behind the screen.
The cursor moved and hovered over him. The cursor then changed to an icon that indicated Alan was about to type something.
| I think we're done for today.
Orange smiled and nodded his head. He threw the pen tool back in its place. He saw how Alan named that animation 'The Kitten Coming' and Orange snorted in amusement.
As he watched Alan save the project, one of the files caught his attention.
”What is 'The Second Coming'?” Orange asked before he could think about it, his question appearing above him as orange text.
”Is this some other animation about a cat with superpowers?”
Cursor frozen over the 'Save' button. He knew Alan was reading his text. The cursor moved again ready to write. But no text appeared. Orange looked again at Alan behind the screen waiting for an answer. Hollowhead was curious. And the longer and longer waiting time intensified his curiosity.
Then Alan finally started writing. But a bit uncertain.
| No, not quite.
Orange tilted his head.
| It's your name, or the name of your project before...
| you know...
| you came to life.
Oh. It was... unexpected.
| You didn't know?...
| I was sure that you knew that.
There was silence for a moment.
| I was pretty sure you saw your filename when...
| well...
| I tried to ended you... then...
Orange... He was Orange, right?
He just shrugged.
”I focused on the fact that I was mad at you for ended my friends.” He answered and his words turned into text above him.
| Oh. Yeah, right, it makes sense.
”Hey uh...” He started, but he hesitated.
”Does that mean my name ...isn't Orange?” He felt it was a stupid question, but he had to ask it. ”Others call me that.”
Alan didn't write anything for a long time. And a cursor to floated motionless near him.
| I think it's your choice
| I mean your name
| I won't dictate what you want to call yourself
| If you want be Orange, you can be.
The cursor was frozed for a long moment again.
| If you don't feel comfortable with that name, I can change it to Orange if you want.
He looked from the text to Alan on the other side of the screen. He should have been happy about this, but instead he felt unsure.
”But... Don't you... humans stick to the names someone gave you before?” He asked hesitantly and he started playing with his hands. ”And... I think it's the same with us...”
| Oh. Hm. Well... Sometimes it happens that someone changes their name to another one
| It's normal that sometimes someone doesn't like the name someone gave them
| Although I think it's a bit easier in your case. I mean change it.
He looked at text and then he looked away. He could do it if he wanted to.
The Second Coming...
It sounded so strange to him and yet so right. But he wasn't sure he liked it.
Because he was always just Orange. And that always seemed right. His friends are also named by colors. He was too.
So why was he hesitant?
Suddenly a new text above him snapped him out of his thoughts.
| You don't have to make a decision right away.
| Think about it calmly
| If you decide to do so, let me know.
He nodded and he could feel Alan smiling at him on the other side of the screen.
| Go rest
| We will finish this animation another day.
He nodded and waved goodbye to Alan.
He sat on the floor one of the folder window and stared daggers at the file that was also his file. And his name?
At first he was lying on the couch, which was on the floor of the desktop. And tried to sleep. And something that usually came easily to him now seemed only distant.
The Second Coming.
Did it have any deeper meaning?
Why was he so hesitant about his decision? This should be easy. After all, he has always been Orange. So why is he hesitant?
”Stupid indecision...” He murmured to himself, crossed his arms. And his dagger gaze deepened. ”It's your fault, you stupid file.”
”Who are you talking to?”
He jumped and almost screamed as he turned to look at whoever had surprised him.
It was Green with others behind him.
”Oh, you surprised me.” He said and he scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by his reaction.
”Probably because you tried to murder file with your gaze?” Yellow suggested, tilting his head. Although he sounded a bit amused.
”Yeah, you totally murdered it with gaze!” Red chuckled.
He looked away a bit more embrrassed.
”What is 'The Second Coming' anyway?” Blue asked curiousity.
Orange hollowhead was silent for a moment, looking at the file. Tell them?
These were his friends. So he'll do it. Maybe they'll even help him with it.
”Well... I think... that's my name?” He looked at them, grimaced slightly. ”...At least that's what Alan said...”
Everyone looked at him as if he had just announced that he was the one who put salt in the whipped cream instead of sugar.
Well... he did it. But it was an accident! It's not his fault he was sleep deprived, and salt and sugar look identical! Ugh... It doesn't matter now anyway! It deviates from the main topic. (And they still have no evidence that it was his doing)
”What? Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked, not understanding it.
”You had a different name this whole time and you didn't tell us?!” They shouted simultaneously.
He grimace again.
”How could you hide something like that from us?” Green dramatically grabbed his chest where his heart was, and his acting was too exaggerated.
”Well... uh... I didn't know either until recently.” He shrugged. Then he pointed the file name. ”I'm not sure I like this name either... I think I prefer Orange. And Alan said that if I wanted, he could change it to Orange.”
”So... Why didn't you change it?” Red asked and tilted his head.
”Because...” He paused, looking at the floor of the desktop. ”I... don't know.”
He looked at his friends.
”I can't explain it. But I feel like the name belongs to me, but it's also foreign. Like it's not mine.” He grimace. ”It makes sense?”
”Nope.”
”Totally not.”
”Nahh.”
”Maybe?”
He groaned and put his head in his hands.
”You're not helping, guys...” He murmured.
Green sat down next to him and put his arm around his shoulders.
”I think you can stay with Orange, if you want.” Green smiled to him. ”And if you want to be the Second Coming, we will respect that.”
He looked at Green with a little comforting smile.
”Yeah, after all, it's your decision.” Red said and sat down on his other side. Also putting his arm around him. ”And I think it's a cooler name than names based on colors. It's boooring.”
”Wow Red. You just insulted five sticks in two sentences. New record.” Yellow said, placing his hands on his hips. ”Correction. Six if I count you.”
”Six?” Red tilted his head. Suddenly his eyes brightened with understanding. ”Oh! You also have Purple in mind!”
Yellow shook his head and snorted in amusement.
Hollowhead also snorted as he looked at Red and then at Yellow.
Then Blue crouched down behind orange hollowhead and hugged all three of them.
”I think no matter what decision you make, it will be okay.” Blue smiled to him. ”But yeah. The Second Coming sounds so cool!”
”That sounds like the name of some awesome superhero!” Red added with an excited smile.
He shrugged and again looked at the floor of the desktop.
”Don't you think that's a bit of a long name?...” He asked quietly.
”We can shorten it. Kind of like a nickname.” Green said. ”Hm... Maybe just Second?”
”Oh! Or Sec!” Red said, jumping up and down with excitement.
He smiled a little. He liked these nicknames.
”Yeah.” Blue smiled too.
”I think Sec is a very cutie nickname... for the youngest member of our group of friends.” Yellow teased playfully.
He heard the others chuckle. He was also convinced that the twinkle in their eyes meant they were silently communicating with each other.
He groaned, putting his head in his hands again. This time he was embarrassed and ashamed.
”I hate you guys.” He muttered into his hands.
”Awww... We love you too, our apricot boy.” Green chuckled and pulled him into a hug.
”Oh! Your name should be Apricot boy.” Red giggled and he lay down on his and Green's lap.
In response, he let out a long, loud groan of embarrassment.
Yellow chuckled and took Red's previous place on his right. He smirked and also put his arm around him.
”Aww... Our little buddy is embarrassed?” Yellow tilted his head. ”Are you ashamed of being called cute nicknames?”
”I'll put salt in your coffee.” He said, looking sideways at Yellow.
”Can you reach the cabinet where the salt is, Shortie?” Yellow chuckled.
”I can always add pepper or Blue's nether wart.”
”Oh... Don't be mad at us...” Blue said, pinching his cheek, but not hard enough to hurt.
”You are the worst.” He said, although it wasn't said seriously, and he shaking Blue's hand away.
They all just laughed. And he couldn't escape further embarrassment because he was being hugged from three sides, plus Red was lying on his lap.
”Well, You're stuck with us forever. Because you are surrounded by us and you have no escape from us hugging you to death.” Blue said still sitting behind him. However, he removed his arms from Green and Yellow to hug him tightly from behind.
”Whoah!” He scremed surprised and waved his arms in a funny way when he suddenly lost his balance as he was pulled backwards.. Suddenly he started to struggle as everyone rushed into a hug. ”You're choking me!”
”Well... It's not our problem.” Green chuckled and hugged him tighter.
”Ahhh! I'm too young to die!” He shouted.
Then he started waving his arms again, hoping that maybe the movement would give him a little more space. Although it was hard to move with four of his friends surrounding him and hugging him like they were really planning to strangle him.
He suddenly froze as he realized his mistake as all four of them suddenly looked at him with smirks.
”Oh? Suddenly you don't mind being the youngest?” Green asked amused.
”Awww, our little apricot is maturing!” Yellow wiped away an imaginary tear of emotion, like a proud parent.
”You're guaranteed nether wart in your coffee!” He said to Yellow, feeling a blush of embarrassment spread across his face.
Everyone laughed again.
It seemed like hours passed before they finally gave up on teasing him. Now he lay trapped in the middle of a pile of hugs. What's more, everyone was sleeping. Sleeping!
Where is justice for him?!
Blue was half lying, half leaning against the wall of the folder behind him, and wrapped his arms around his chest, pulling him close. Green and Yellow lay on his sides, hugging him and Blue. And Red still half on his lap, he wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed his cheek against his stomach.
And of course, they all had some kind of motion sensor. Because when he moved even a little, they automatically buried him more in their embrace.
Well, at least he had time to think.
He sighed and looked up at the unfortunate file.
The Second Coming
He...
The Second Coming...?
Orange...?
Second...?
Sec...?
He... still wasn't sure...
But... He thinks maybe the 'Second Coming'... isn't that bad after all...
Well he still probably more prefers Orange. But...
His friends seem to think this name suits him better. Actually, he could always give it a chance. And if he just doesn't feel comfortable with it, he can always go back to being Orange.
Hm...
He smiled to himself.
He think he's decided.
In fact, he finally felt the exhaustion of the day catching up with him.
Finally he closed his eyes and joined his sleeping friends.
When he woke up (Surprisingly, he was the first one, because the others were still sleeping), he saw a cursor above him.
And he was completely convinced that Alan was laughing at his expense and he certainly took at least one photo of them and hid it in a password-protected folder.
He loved his friends, but he felt how numb his body was as they all laid on top of him for who knew how many hours.
He looked pleadingly at the cursor in an attempt to get help.
The cursor didn't move for several minutes. However, eventually the cursor began to move closer to him. And Alan used the cursor to somehow free him from his friends' grasp without waking them.
When he finally got back on his feet, he groaned in relief as he was finally able to move.
Some time later, he and Alan continued working on the new animation again.
At some point he stopped. Alan's cursor too.
| Something wrong? Alan wrote.
He looked at cursor and shook his head.
”No. I just made a decision.”
| Oh. Okay.
…
| So? What is your decision?
When his friends woke up, He stood over them smiling. Alan's cursor floated behind him.
”I have news for you.” He said in a cheerful voice.
”Hm? What is it?” Red asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
”I made my decision!”
This seemed to quite wake up his friends, who suddenly stood up and surrounded him excitedly.
”Really?”
”That's cool!”
”What is it? What is it?”
”What did you choose?”
”Please... don't keep us in suspense any longer.” Red groaned impatiently
He smiled to them.
”You can call me the Second Coming.” He said with cheerful smile. ”Or just Second... or Sec... or...”
He was suddenly interrupted as his friends rushed at him again and hugged him.
”I knew it! I knew it!” Red shouted full of cheerful and he shook him.
”I'm glad.” Blue said with a calmer smile.
”Oh we'll be able to make so many puns now.” Yellow chuckled.
”you won't run away from us a second time.” Green chuckled.
Second giggled too.
”Actually, for now I just want to see how I feel about this name.” He said and he hugged them back.
”It will take some time before I completely get used to this change. Of course if I decide to stick with the Second Coming.” Second added and shrugged.
”I can still just call you Apricot boy.” Yellow said with amused smile.
”anything but that.” Second groaned, burying his head in the nearest shoulder, which was Green's
”Okay... Shortie.” Yellow snorted.
”I hate you so much.”
”We love you too, Shortie.” Red chuckled.
”Even you?” He said very seriously. ”I will add salt to the whipped cream again and this time I will do it on purpose.”
”It was you?!” Everyone shouted at the same time, looking at him as if he had confessed to an unforgivable crime.
After a while Second burst into loud, joyful laughter. After a while, the others started laughing too.
Second thinks he actually likes his name.
Bonus:
He looked again at the animation Alan called "The Kitten Coming". For some reason, now the name was too similar to something...
”If it weren't for the laser eyes, I would have thought you just decided to make animations with me as a cat.” Sec said and his words turned into text above him.
A cursor frozed when Alan read the orange words. However, the cursor didn't move for a little too long, which made him suspicious of Alan.
”Ugh...! You did it!” Second crossed his arms indignantly.
| I have no idea what you mean
”Why are you all comparing me to a cat?!” Second threw his hands up, almost dropping the pen.
| you're acting like a cat
”That's not true!”
Second mumbled a few words in embarrassment and turned his head, showing his dissatisfaction. And he bet Alan was laughing at him now.
”You better not try to draw cat ears on me.” Sec warned.
| No promises