Chapter Text
It was a random Friday during a peaceful afternoon, his last professor cancelled their class and he had nothing to do so he decided to continue the animation project he had pursued a week ago.
The animation was halfway done, the sketches were complete and the only thing left to do was to lineart and color the remaining frames.
Luckily, he had an animation helping tool that could complete this project today but the problem is that this animation helping tool wouldn't cooperate.
A tool that took on the form of an orange stick figure, named by the program as "The Second Coming." Which was an odd name for an animation helping tool.
It wouldn't help, it would destroy his PC and shout curse words at him There was a time Alan thought that this was a virus instead of an animation helping tool.
But he saw how well the tool could animate so perhaps it was just a mysterious game mode created by the animation program.
Still, who in the development team decided to make the tool uncooperative and able to curse at the users? There wasn't a person in that team who thought "You need to die." was too much to say?
So Alan took things into his own hands and decided to try and train this rogue helping tool. He must admit, despite suffering several headaches due to the tool's disobedience, having played games himself, there were times he enjoyed playing with the tool.
He'd be satisfied whenever he finally forced the tool to work, seeing it as an achievement. So there were times he didn't mind playing along with the tool's resistant nature.
This project was of no importance, so he didn't need to force the tool to work for him. But he's bored and other games have started to become boring for him, so why not play with the tool?
Alan opens the animation program and sees TSC caged, a smile forms as he readies to bicker with the tool again, and he switches to text.
[Hey, finish this animation project for me.]
Alan snickers at the rude tone, he knows that the tool had a short temper, and being rude immediately was a sure way to anger it.
He couldn't wait to complete another training mission to train TSC to behave and work obediently like a tool should.
TSC stays quiet.
Perhaps he should've been ruder?
Alan erases the cage and brings TSC out, yet TSC remains still. Alan tilts his head and he feels confused at the situation.
Did the tool malfunction?
He hits the tool with the cursor but it doesn't budge. At this point, Alan is incredibly shocked. Despite how awful he treated TSC, it would never ignore a taunt.
It even stood up against him when he shot at it with a gun, so it definitely should have reacted when he hit it with the cursor. So why the lack of reaction?
He hits it again.
[Hey, what's with the silent treatment?]
Did the developers finally listen to his complaints after all this time and erase its defiant personality?
It was a possible explanation, he was about to accept this as the truth but then something appeared on his screen.
[Greetings, Alan.]
Alan immediately sat up.
Was this a message from the developers?
He looked at the message, the message had paused his screen and it looked like it appeared out of his PC. It looked holographic.
[It has come to my attention that you haven't been kind towards your creations, abusing them as you like. You are found guilty of crimes against stickmen.]
...what?
Alan was severely confused until he realized that the premise sounded like it came from a game. So he took the words as the start of a game rather than a meaningful message.
He sat back and relaxed as he looked at the holograph with full attention, interested in what more it had to say about him.
[Some of those crimes are: Assault, Battery, Cruelty to a Stickman, Cruel and Unusual Punishment, Inhumane Treatment, Murder, etc.]
Alan looks at the listed words with shock, he hadn't expected those words to be written at all. He only expected some words relating to the forced labor he made TSC go through.
Which apparently by the implications of the hologram, was a stick figure and not a tool. Was that the lore the game was going for? Are stick figures sentient and not just drawings?
He felt giddy at this discovery, interested in the lore and storytelling. He felt like he had lucked out with this animation program, such a fun and interactive way to animate.
But seriously, when did he kill a stick figure? He never killed TSC before.
Briefly, he remembers the other stick figures he killed on TSC's first day.
Oh, right.
[Crimes that would give you the death sentence but I believe you can change. So instead, you will undergo a reformation program where you will learn how to treat others right and fix past mistakes that deserve to be repaid with death.]
Alan's jaw drops. He stares at the words with confusion, stuttering out incomprehensible sounds of shock as the information processes in his mind.
A reformation program?! What the hell is this hologram talking about?! All that for stick figures?!
Plus, what even is fixing mistakes that could only be repaid with death?! Doesn't that mean it's a lost cause?!
The words on the hologram change.
[Due to your immense cruelty towards stick figures. I have decided to show you how your inhumane treatment of them is portrayed if they were humans. This rehabilitation is not optional and you are entering the other world in 5 seconds.]
A countdown starts right in front of Alan's eyes, he immediately stands straight up, knocking the chair down behind him.
"W-w-wait?! What the hell is going on?!"
A ticking sound counts and the information is barely processed into his mind. But his eyes reread the same sentence written in the hologram.
[-entering the other world in 3 seconds.]
What the hell does it mean by other world?!
The ticking sound stops and the hologram changes its words once more.
[Preparing to enter a parallel universe...]
A shocked gasp escapes Alan's mouth and his vision is blinded by a bright light that escapes from his PC, It's so bright that he has to cover his face with his arms as eyelids aren't enough to shield his eyes from the light.
"What the fuck is going on?!"
Darkness and silence follow soon after.
____________________________________
"Work, you useless fuck! I need this done by Friday! I'm not giving you any money unless you complete this animation!
Alan slams the door to his room, leaving Second alone in the hallway, hands shaking as his fever continues to rise, tears welling up at the sheer intensity of pain.
He can't do anything to Alan yet so he reluctantly goes back to his room to finish working on the project Alan passed to him.
A few tears drip down his cheeks and he silently wails, he comforts himself with the knowledge that soon, he will escape from Alan then he can make Alan pay for his cruelty.
____________________________________
Alan jolts awake with a gasp, immediately clutching his chest and breathing heavily, he instantly realizes that this is not his room and jumps up to look at his surroundings.
Everything is unfamiliar, he doesn't see his posters, his figurines, his gaming setup, everything is not his! Was this really a different world?!
He spots a mirror nearby and dashes towards it, looking at his reflection and studying it. His heart stops as he sees the reflection looking back at him.
Right in front of the mirror was an adult staring right back at him. Even worse, it looked like an older version of himself. And worser still, it seemed like he was inhabiting this body.
"This is insane!" He grasps at his shirt, trying to see if his sensations were real. He pinches himself with a strong force but he can barely feel it because of the information storming inside his brain.
"Oh god, what is happening?" He tugs and pulls at his cheeks, wanting to confirm if he really inhabited this body and if this wasn't a dream. Motivated, he bites his tongue.
The instant pain and tangy taste of blood was enough to confirm his suspicions. He was really inhabiting this body and he had no idea how it happened.
"Oh god, oh god, oh fuck what is happening..." Alan paces around the room, quick footsteps as he tries to recall what happened.
Obviously, the system told him about his mistreatment of stick figures but it decided to send him into a parallel universe where his creations were humans?! For him to learn and repent for his actions?!
"This could've been an email or something! Why the fuck does it have to send me to an alternate universe?!" The absurdity of the scenario snaps him out of pacing as a theory forms in his head.
"Oh, that's right! I must be going insane! I must've accidentally taken drugs or something! The school lunch was laced! That's definitely it! The existence of parallel universes hasn't even been proven yet! Haha!"
A maniacal laugh escapes from him as he tries to calm himself but a knock on the door snaps him out of it and his stomach drops.
He's scared. He has never experienced a situation like this before.
Alan swallows his saliva and opens the door, his eyes widen at the sight of a guy with orange hair with bright green eyes, he looks the same age as him, a first year in college.
"I finished the animation, Alan."
The first thing he notices is the weak and breathy voice of the one in front of him, he immediately knows that the guy in front of him is sick.
He doesn't think much of the sentence spoken by the guy.
"Oh my god, you're sick."
He opens the door fully and brings his hands towards the guy's shoulders and neck, the intense heat makes him gasp and immediately fuss over the person's wellbeing.
He doesn't need to touch another part of the person's body to check if he was suffering from a fever. The intense heat he felt just from the neck was enough to ensure him that the stranger was ill.
Having been raised by doctors, he also felt like he had a duty to help the sick, he knows how to properly handle patients as it's common knowledge for him.
"Come sit on the sofa, I'll try to find some medicine for you." He leads the stranger to the couch, not bothering to look at his expression as he's way too busy thinking of how to help this person in need.
Momentarily forgetting that he's in a parallel universe.
He looks at the cabinets in the open kitchen and makes his way towards them, opening each one to see if any contain medicine.
He clicks his tongue when he doesn't see any.
Come on, hologram fuck! Give him some clues here!
Just as that thought forms, he notices a holographic line makes its way towards his room. He mindlessly follows it and it leads to a drawer, he smiles when he sees a bag full of medicine and quickly returns to the patient in the living room.
"I found it! Hold on a moment."
Rummaging through the bag, he tries to find the familiar name of the medicine he knows will weaken the fever, he's filled with relief when he finds it.
He hands it to the patient, "Hold on to it for a bit." and makes his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He brings it back to the patient who he notices now is staring at him with a strange expression.
"Drink that with water, it'll help with the fever. Then take a rest, nothing good will come out of forcing yourself to stay awake." He pats the patient's shoulder and makes to the other rooms in this house, preparing to ready the bed for the patient to settle in.
He confidently opens a room and he's greeted by the messiest room he's ever seen by far. Art supplies are lying around and a mess all around. It's not a fit environment for a sick person.
"This won't do, you'll sleep in my room then." Closing the door, he makes his way to his room which was significantly tidier.
Hologram, show him where the handkerchiefs are.
A line forms towards his closet and he feels a bit proud that he figured out how the system worked so quickly. He follows the beeline and takes out a handkerchief.
Alan shifts his attention back to the patient and notices he's finished drinking his medicine. He returns to his side and helps him stand up.
"Come to my room and rest there, you won't recover quickly if you stay in your messy room." The patient is weak and doesn't make any effort to resist.
Instead, he asks, "Why are you helping me?"
It's a simple question.
"Why not?"
That could be answered simply as well.
Yet if Alan remembered the fact that he was in a parallel universe and that he had apparently mistreated the person he was helping right now, he wouldn't have answered the question so simply.
The patient stutters out a response but nothing coherent comes out, Alan makes him lie down on the bed and covers him up with a blanket.
He smiles at him, "Take a good rest, if luck is in our favor, you'll be healed by tomorrow." He goes back to the kitchen to wet the handkerchief and returns to place it on the patient's forehead.
Once placed, he takes hold of the patient's hand as a way to comfort, just like how his mother treated him when he was sick. He started stroking the patient's hand gently.
"I'll keep watch over you, so please rest well." He gives the patient a comforting smile, he looks shocked for a moment but his expression changes to a resigned one and he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Alan stays at the person's side, content to do nothing but watch him. Watching over the sick is something he doesn't mind doing after all, it's been driven into him as proper etiquette.
He recalls the fact that he's in a parallel universe.
...
He doesn't really mind it that much now, there's a more important matter on his mind which is helping the patient right in front of him.
In a way, he's glad that something could distract him from his predicament. He isn't in a fit emotional state to be thinking about the fact that he's somehow in another world.
Alan stares at the patient in front of him.
Well, he can think about it later. Right now, he'll focus on the patient in front of him.
____________________________________
For a moment, Second thought the fever got to his head and made him hallucinate. After all, there's no way Alan would've looked at him with extreme worry.
But as Alan continued to fuss over him, he wondered if the hallucinations were real but as things progressed, he wondered if he had died at some point.
There's no way Alan would've given him medicine nor let him sleep in his room, nor treat him so kindly, nor would that evil man smile at him!
He wanted to ask him so many questions. Maybe Alan only acted that way because he wanted Second to heal quickly and work again but the way Alan looked at him told him otherwise.
Second knows he has good judgement when it comes to people and he knows a person with an ulterior motive wouldn't look at him like how Alan looked at him when he was taking care of him!
So what in the world is Alan's deal?!
And when asked 'Why are you helping me?' he replied with 'Why not?' His head was about to split open! Alan dared to answer with 'why not' when he had plenty of reasons why he shouldn't have!
Alan doesn't care for him, that much is proven when he recalls their past interactions. He exploits him, he forces him to work, his well-being is surely the last he'd ever care about!
So why was Alan taking care of him so sincerely?!
So when Alan forced him to rest. He gave in and slept because the headache was becoming too much to bear and the comfortable bed was tempting him to rest. He could visit that topic later and he might as well take advantage of Alan's sudden kindness to let him sleep on the bed.
Despite his headache, he clearly remembered Alan's last words.
"I'll keep watch over you."
Second could only scoff at the absurdity of those words, it was like hearing a devil claim that he would never lie. So he didn't expect anything when he woke up.
But well...
Second turns his head to look at the sleeping figure beside him, his head lying at the edge of the bed and he remains seated in his chair.
Peacefully sleeping as if the position he was in was comfortable. He didn't even react when he sat up. Second stared at Alan silently.
Alan gave him the bed, stayed with him, and slept on a chair beside him. He kept his word. He kept watch over him.
Second continued to study Alan, his head was fuzzy yet he recalls Alan's worried expression. It was so genuine and sincere but that is what made it so unbelievable, perhaps it was just Second's fever that made him think Alan was worried about him.
He sighs, it's all so confusing. He doesn't know what to think about this. Just hours ago, Alan made it clear that he didn't care about him by forcing him to work but now Alan is taking care of him?
Unbeknownst to him, Alan wakes up beside him.
"Oh, you're awake. Are you feeling better now?" Second flinches at Alan's voice and a hand suddenly touches his neck. Second stares at Alan's face, but he doesn't see anything that could hint at him having an ulterior motive.
"Hmmm, your temperature is still hot. I'll go check for more medicine." Alan stands up and leaves the room, leaving him speechless.
Alan was taking care of him so flawlessly, as if he had done this in the past. He was thinking of the patient's well-being and he made him feel like he was being taken care of.
Second never thought that the day would come when he would feel like he was in good care because of Alan. Just hours before, he never thought this would happen.
Alan returned with a brand new wet handkerchief and some pills with a glass of water. He hands it to Second with a smile.
"Here, don't choke on the pills." Second, in his dazed state, despite knowing that the person taking care of him mistreated him, he can't help but feel a bit comforted by it, considering he's never been taken care of before.
Was it wrong to absorb just a bit of warmth from a source that never emitted warmth before? He's so cold and in need of warmth.
"Feel any better?" He turns his head to see Alan smile at him gently, patiently awaiting his answer. Second nods his head slowly, and he hears a sigh of relief.
"That's great." Alan pushes him back to lie down on the bed, he fixes the blanket, and pats his chest gently as if he were a baby.
"Continue to rest, keep this up and you'll be better in no time." Second notices that Alan is trying to reassure him, trying to comfort him that his sickness would go away soon.
It's such a silly thing to do. He's not a child. But if he had the strength, he would've smiled at that.
He remembers that Alan is still sitting beside him, without even thinking about it deeply, he speaks, "Will you not lie down on the bed?"
This was Alan's bed after all, it would be rude to sleep at someone else's bed, even worse if he's sick. Alan would be at risk of becoming sick himself.
He hears Alan chuckle, "No, you can have my bed for tonight. I can sleep on the chair just fine." He feels a hand pet his head, ruffling his hair.
It feels a bit strange.
"But it's uncomfortable to sleep on a chair, are you sure you do not want to lie on the bed? It's big enough." Alan stares at him with a gentle smile and laughs softly.
This scenario is truly unbelievable. Perhaps everything was just a hallucination caused by his fever and he'll wake up and see his messy room and he will never be treated so nicely by Alan.
But would he really hallucinate about Alan treating him well? Wouldn't it be more of him managing to escape from Alan instead of this? He hadn't even thought of Alan being so nice to him until today, it's truly too shocking.
"I'm sure. A sick person should be able to lie on the bed however they want. Don't worry about me, I'm not the one who's sick. So just sleep well, I'll take care of you."
As soon as those words leave Alan's mouth, a strange feeling erupts in his chest and something gets stuck in his throat. Soon, something drips from his eyes and he sniffles.
He's crying.
The fever made him emotional, his feelings are a mess and his head is a bit fuzzy. But still, there's a warm feeling in his chest that was definitely not caused by the fever.
Alan uttered such comforting words as if it was normal to say, he spoke those words as if he believed it, and Second believes him.
"I'll take care of you."
Seriously, who knew Alan could say such words?
Second continues to cry and Alan fusses over him at the side, it's honestly so embarrassing, he's in college and he's crying like a kid. Alan's to blame for everything.
It's the first time he felt so taken care of, and by some twisted fate, the person who's making him feel so taken care of is the same person who's the bane of his existence.
"Why are you crying so suddenly?! Are you in pain?!" Second laughs at Alan's worried words, and he turns to look at him with a smile.
A smile filled with confusion and happiness. Someone who has gained warmth from a source that had only ever emitted coldness before.
"Will you hold my hand?"
When he was adopted, he was excited to finally experience what having a family was like. He heard they'd go on trips, eat meals together, and take care of each other while sick. He yearned for it so much.
But what he got was someone who forced him to work instead, he was yelled at constantly. The man who adopted him only ever talked to him when he wanted him to work.
His expectations were broken. Yet he so desperately wanted to experience what it was like having people care for you.
He's still desperate for it now.
The fact that he asked to hold the hand of the person who made his life worse is proof of it. How deep did his yearning for connection go for him to demand warmth from someone he should not ask it from?
He sees Alan smile.
"Of course, I will." Alan grabs his hand and caresses it, stroking it at a comforting pace. Second happily laughs because of it.
"Thank you." With those words, Second closes his eyes. Ready to sleep with the warmth of one's hand in his, the other's thumb gently stroking the back of his palm.
It's enough to lull him to sleep. Soon, Second is snoring softly while his hand is held by Alan's gentle hold.
____________________________________
He thinks he's doing a pretty well job when it comes to taking care of people.
Alan stares at the sleeping person in front of him and feels pride well up in his chest.
Well, he's an expert when it comes to this after all. He's learned from his parents. Taking care of a sick person is nothing.
A yawn escapes from his mouth.
He's sleepy. Despite what he told the guy in front of him, sleeping in a chair is very uncomfortable and he wants to stretch his back.
But whatever, he can survive this much. Sleeping on a chair upright is nothing. He mindlessly continues to stroke the person's hand in front of him.
He studies the person's appearance. He's definitely the same age as him and if he recalls correctly, he said something about "finishing the animation" so he's probably taking the same course as him.
Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't know this person's name.
Hey hologram, show him this person's background.
Immediately a panel containing the person's profile appears, Alan's amazed by the panel's UI and format. It looks so cool.
He reads the information given to him.
[The Second Coming.]
Alan's jaw drops.
...TSC?!
He stares at the sleeping figure at him with a new look. The orange hair suddenly makes sense, this was his animation helping tool back in his world! The orange stick figure!
...this person was TSC? Was this human his animation helping tool?
Alan blinks a few times before returning to read the panel about human TSC's information,
Still... this is all so crazy... he's really in a different world. TSC is a human....
[The Second Coming. (TSC, Second, Orange.)
Lovingly referred to by his friends as Orange, The Second Coming is this world's Alan's fourth adopted child.]
Just as he thought his jaw couldn't drop anymore, it dropped one more time.
His adopted child?!
He adopted children?!
And TSC's the fourth?!
What is this insanity?!
Alan bows his head and stares at the ground with dread and horror. He doesn't know what to do with this information.
He never had thoughts about adopting children before. Legitimately zero, so suddenly becoming someone with adopted children is too much of a change.
Alan internally screams.
Is he an adoptive father in this world? Out of all the universes the program could've picked, it picked one where he's a father?!
He never even had thoughts of starting a family!
Worse, he's still a first year in college! How would he handle acting as an adult when he's not even a proper adult yet?! He doesn't even know how to cook!
"This is insanity." For a moment, he completely forgot that he should be older than TSC. TSC and he were the same age back in his universe, but in this body, he should be older than TSC.
His heart rate quickens.
...how does he pretend to be an adult?
Alan shakes his head.
He can try to figure it out later, first, he needs to learn more information.
[Alan exploits The Second Coming by forcing him to finish his animations for him and claims The Second Coming's work as his own.]
...how does someone punch oneself?
Alan reads the sentence carefully, eyes widening with each reread. It's a horrifying sentence.
His alternate self... exploited a child to do his work for him... and claimed it as his own...
Was this a fucking joke?!
If he wasn't holding TSC's hand right now, he would've ripped his hair out and screamed in agony at just how absurd it was.
Shouldn't his alternate self be the one who should go through the rehabilitation program?! At least his crimes were against stick figures, his alternate's crimes were against humans!
No wonder the hologram wrote "to fix past mistakes that deserve to be repaid with death" because the only way he can think of to fix this is by killing himself!
"Oh for fuck's sake..." He couldn't handle internally screaming and whispering curses under a low volume instead. He needs to vent out somehow.
He looks at TSC, he's young. They could've been classmates back in his world, he couldn't imagine what he would be like if he were being exploited and uncredited.
He makes a note in his head to treat TSC well during his time here in this universe. He needs to take action despite not being the one responsible for this, he needs to help this person in need.
Alan tightens his grip on TSC's hand, holding it firmly.
TSC pleaded for him to hold his hand, it's clear that the person in front of him has a pure heart and desires love and connection.
Alan seriously wanted to punch his alternate self.
Why is he even the one going through this program? He wouldn't ever treat someone like this, ever!
Alan recalls the hologram mentioning that these events are portrayals of what his treatment of stick figures would be like if they were humans.
Alan clicks his tongue.
But still, he would never do this.
Alan hears the blanket ruffle and looks back at TSC. It's still weird to see that this person is apparently TSC, the stick figure animation helping tool in his world.
Alan leans to lay his head on the bed, still holding TSC's hand, he stares at TSC's hand and rubbing it to feel for calluses.
There are many, TSC is a hard worker. Unlike him, who has no calluses. Not even animating or drawing frequently can make him have calluses, so TSC having some is proof that this world's Alan also forced him to do physical labor.
Alan groans into the bed. How awful could his counterpart be?
He doesn't want to continue reading TSC's profile, he fears he'll get a migraine if he continues to read just how awful this world's Alan was.
He closes his eyes and prepares to sleep, feeling physical and mental exhaustion weigh on him, fatigue settling in quickly.
His first night sleeping in another world and it's on a chair, he wants to sleep on a bed as he did back in his world.
His world...
Right, how would he return to his world?
...
Whatever, he'll think of that later.
Soon, he falls asleep. Still holding TSC's hand and never letting go.