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The sound too familiar,
But the sound one would lament to hear
The common sound of a toon getting hit, followed by the gruesome squelch.
As soon as it was heard, it threw everyone off guard, a sound that always shines a hint of concern amongst each other.
Yet they had to focus on themselves,
After all, they were living in an apocalypse.
Even still, someone's personality and morals never wavered through these times, a leader, perhaps,
but most certainly a healer.
Sprout came running to where the noise was heard, almost immediately.
…
Immediately, but not soon enough,
another crushing blow echoed,
Another hit taken,
And Sprouts eyes sullen, for not only someone’s lifeless body was oozing out their nauseating ichor,
But out of everyone it was Cosmo.
…
Sprout collapsed, falling to the floor in an instant,
The twisted spotted him as soon as he landed, but in quick succession, Pebbles drove it away.
“Cosmo?” Sprout crawled up to him, the ichor drenching his legs.
There was no response
“Please… answer…” He whimpered, his voice shaking, he felt like his heart was going to rip apart.
There was no response
Sprout began to sulk,
No, stay strong Sprout,
He wiped off the tears that were watering his eyes. Afterall,
What could he do to save a person who might as well be dead? Sprout grieved, he knew damn well his powers couldn't revive.
He grasped Cosmo close, wrapping him in an embrace which he would never want to let go. Yet with in all this, he himself knew he had to accept it, intending for this to be the his last one,
But Sprout felt something,
A pulse.
The velcro on Sprouts shoulder bag aggressively torn open,
As he burst his hands through the bottom of his shoulder bag and scavenged through every space to collect all the tapes he could get.
All before throwing it on the floor and splaying it in front of him.
Not enough
Striking his hand down to find more,
It's not enough!
He counted out, wiping out his years, his hands in frantic motion in attempt to maintain Cosmo in the state of revivability,
and projecting all of that boiling feeling in an outburst through one word, screaming like a hydra clashing against stormy skies when speaking aloud;
“Help!”
Sprout doubted that he wasn’t heard, He knew his voice flooded through the facility,
*******
Time took its toll, Sprout hovered his fingers over Cosmos' mouth, it was the only respiratory function for the toons, lacking the noses they would have.
Gentle breaths could be felt, alongside his chest slightly rising and falling.
But Sprout knew this condition wouldn’t last if there wasn't proper treatment,
Heck, it's more of a miracle that Cosmo is still alive after receiving his third hit.
Even still, he hopes someone comes to help.
The dire situation of himself being out of tapes felt like someone was wrangling his neck.
Felt like he was useless,
But he has to persevere, for the sake of his best friend.
“Sprout!” A high pitched voice ran up, and it kept increasing in volume by the second.
Still with Cosmo in his arms, he turned towards the voice,
It was Yatta! With her ribbons flying through the air which she races by, looking like the sweet summer child fuelled with a perpetual sugar rush.
They came to a halt when they stuttered at the scene of the ichor covered Sprout, and the gravely injured Cosmo.
“Yatta!” Sprout exclaimed, tears foaming in his eyes, His eyes were shriveled, and voice wavering like the start, but yet he maintained tears from falling out “Give me all your tapes!”
“Oh- ALRIGHT!” Yatta bolted, dragging the tapes out of her pockets, while also dragging out some of her belongings; a jumper cable, a stamina candy, a box cutter.
She raced towards Sprout with the tapes in hand, and gave them all in desperation.
Still not enough
“Yatta! We need more! Get Teagan or like- anyone!” Sprout said grasping onto Cosmo,
“Is he even-” Yatta spoke off cord, hesitating on his command.
“Yes! He's alive.” he spoke out, gazing at Cosmo's lethargic body. All helpless, however, not for long, Sprout wouldn't allow it,
“But won't be if we don't do something! Please-” Sprout continued, turning his head to Yatta once more, astonished at what he saw.
She's holding the boxcutter
No, she's cut herself,
It wasn't as bad as losing a heart
But that grin she wore while doing it,
Her face wearing a delirious feeling,
Candy and ichor pouring out,
How was she not bothered?
“Eat this Sprout,” she said, with that same creeping smile,
“Wha-” Sprouts heart paced,
His mind raced, as if it were a migraine,
What's wrong? Never seen an open wound before?
No, He was bothered by the fact yatta hurt herself,
“Are you-”
“-Sprout,” Yatta came up to him, now soaked from the pool of ichor, her peaceful smile faded, but it didn't feel like a mask has been removed, “Don't you dare hesitate on me,”
“But yo-”
“Your annoying me Sprout”
“I-”
And without a second to move, Yatta rushed to shove the candy in his mouth, wrapper and all,
Sprout didn’t have a choice, Yatta’s eyes were locked dead onto him,
He felt liable to swallow,
That rustling sound follows by,
The tears in his eyes finally fell out from his eyes.
“Need more?” Yatta spoke out, like nothing changed
How? How can she not care about- doing this to me!? Forcing this out of me!?
Sprout thought to himself but
It still wasn't enough
Sprout spoke muffled by his saddened expression and tears, “Yes-”
And with that response, Yatta, only minusculely, chuckled
The motions went as depicted;
cutting, pouring, eating,
But from every motion, Yatta got more manic,
And Sprout got more miserable,
Relentlessly, he had to eat,
He had to see a friend get Injured,
He had to benefit from that.
It felt so wrong,
but for Yatta, it felt so right.
She gasped in, exasperating from the hit, then chuckling right after exhaling, dazzling the dagger in her hand
“Yatta-” Sprout spoke, but stopped himself, too use to the constant cut off Yatta already done
“Hm, yeah?” She masked her malicious grin back into her everyday, innocent smile
“Oh- uhm” He said, scared to look at her “How are you enjoying this?”
“Enjoy what?”
“Enjoy harming yourself!” He said out, finally creating a cupcake which dissolved in Cosmo’s body, but his tears never swelled.
Yatta was in silence, she moved to sit next to him, at this rate, the pool of Cosmos blood stopped bothering them,
Yatta put a hand over his back, resting on his furthest shoulder, “You wanna hear my camp fire story?” She said, which Sprout finally noted she looked concerned for him,
“Yeah” Sprout said, curling himself up at Yatta’s presences, nothing from her could comfort him, but he wanted his curiosity to be settled,
And Yatta breathed in,
“So…” She limped her other hand behind her neck, sucking in her teeth “...You know, when I first got hit? Everyone looked concerned at first, because why wouldn't you?” She said, scratching her neck, “Yet they noticed my blood was infused with… sweet, So before anyone could say ‘Are you okay?’, they pieced two and two together, and commemorated the realisation of my ability.”
Sprout finally looked up, then slowly, towards Yatta, she didn’t strike Sprout with malice anymore, it finally felt like he had his friend back, even if she’s speaking of her uncomforts
“Yeah…I remember… I was there,” He said,
“Mhm… so… you know what they sounded like…” Yatta said, before shaking her head,
Sprout could only assume that something and sighing out, “So there on, toons automatically thought I was okay. They didn't see me for- a person. A toon! Sprout, I was mad”
Sprout quivered his hand, wanting to comfort her, but ultimately was drawn back from the trauma,
“Eventually- it got too much! the feeling that contorted my- everything! I wanted to be heard, my troubles were noticed! Looey was the only one who understood…” She said, drawing back her hand which she used to comfort,
“So, I simply became the person I had to be,”
Sprout tried to lunge out his hand again, but still visibly stuttered “This is not… what…”
“This is not what you wanted?” Yatta uproared, hands curling into fists, but still sitting next to him, “Don't pretend you didn’t assume I was fine aswell!”
“Yatta…” Sprot weakly croaked out, but it ignored as if it was a whisper.
“I had to become the person you guys wanted, to tough out the pain.” Her voice cracked, as it was a cry.
“But- it became a relief of my frustration- an escape-”
Never the less, She laughed a loud again, a malicious laugh you would often hear from someone deranged, with her crooked smile returning,
“I learnt to love it.”
“Yatta… This is not what I expected…”
“Eh? ‘Corse it’s-”
“Yatta, no, let me speak...” Sprout grasped out,
He staggered his breathing and waited in silence for when he's ready, the thoughts still clouded him. He felt awkward for such vial acts, for someone he cared to something so-
Sprout knew that wasn't the point anymore, he had a pity for Yatta, he felt sorry for neglecting her problem.
He had to make it right,
So with one more breath, he spoke
“Look…”
Collecting the words in his head before speaking aloud
“I’m absolutely mortified to see you unravel your unnatural emotions to me, like, absolutely-”
Yatta looked disappointed, of course it's not what she wanted to hear, it's why she even cut Sprout off in the first place. Who would like this side of her? Not even Looey…
But Sprout resumed,
“And I know that fact will never change for me, but if you-” Sprout desperately want to continue, But a cough curled up in his throat like a hair ball, releasing it and continued, “If this is what you want- If this is what you like, I’ll try to… accept it-”
“Spr- Really?”
“Yeah! and if you want, we can use conversations as an escape instead of… relying… on those methods”
Yatta giggled “Alright, my little Sinclair, I thank you, talking to you feels… better than my behaviours…,”
Sprout smiled back, he doesn’t know what to feel anymore, that sign of appreciation makes everything else feel lighter.
But even still, he needs times,
He needs a lot of time, but he shouldn’t let Yatta feel bad,
“So… How are we going to clean all this ichor away?”
He asked, after looking around at the situation, Cosmo bled surprisingly a lot for a toon of that size.
Yatta giggled “No idea, ha! No idea at all.”
The two of them enjoyed the time, chatting playfully, even if the atmosphere was unsteady, laughter was the best medicine after all, until a grungy sound interrupted,
“Agh, what happened?” Cosmo says, finally waking up from their coma state,
“We…” Sprout started to say, “We saved you.”
He paced his eyes to Yatta, then to Cosmo, the moment felt awkward,
But with quick thinking, he hung Cosmo’s arm around Sprout’s shoulders
“Come on, let’s get you to the elevator,”