Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Free, they were free from Cobs
.
No longer would they compete against each other, against their moral values nor their dignity. They were allowed to be who they wanted, no longer under the tyrannic system of Meeple.
Yet, even after all this, some objects are unhappy.

“Some objects” being Lightbulb.

Despite her happy demeanor, she was unhappy with herself.
She felt as if Inanimate Insanity had taken something away from her. It could have been the stress of the challenges; or it could have been the long nights in between episodes where she would just lay there and think.
Either way, it drained her, each and every episode drove her closer and closer to insanity. She would break one day, physically and mentally.

When the cracks first started showing, they were small. Only the closest glance from the sharpest eye could see it.
Then they started growing, and the others started noticing.

First there was Paintbrush. They had pointed it out first, much to Lightbulbs dismay.
They had offered to help patch every crack up, plastering them with a glue Test Tube had created.
She refused the offer.

She couldn’t have Test Tube see her like this, in her deranged state. The disgrace she would feel would be too much to bear, though she was aware that Test Tube was not one to judge.
Hopefully one day, she could seek the help she needed.

But there was a chance that that day would never come; for the cracks were growing, and they were growing rapidly.

Chapter Text

“Lightbulb..?” A gentle voice inquires.
Lightbulb snaps out of her almost trance-like state and looks at the direction the voice came from, it was Test Tube. Concern was written all over her face

“Oh! Hey Tube, how are ya?” Lightbulb replies, putting on her ‘bright’ persona “Do you need somethin’?”

“Are you doing okay?” Test Tube asks, her eyes lying on the area where Lightbulb’s cracks are most visible; and noticing her gaze, Lightbulb quickly adjusts herself.

“Oh psh, ‘course I am,” she winks “why wouldn’t I be?”, despite this display of her casual demeanor, Test Tube can tell something is off.

“Lightbulb, you don’t need to hide them, I already-“

“Already what?” Lightbulb interrupts, playing as dumb as possible, trying to get out of the situation. She would hate nothing more than to have anyone worry about her and the mental issues she’s dealing with.

“The cracks… I saw them!” Test Tube exclaims, leaving Lightbulb no opportunity to interrupt.

Lightbulb seems embarrassed, possibly ashamed, but she doesn’t let it show.

She’ll never it show, especially not to Test Tube.