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Chase: I think we should just fake being sick.
Deacon: Grandpa will see right through us. We've just gotta bite the bullet and go back to the library...
Chase: But never going back to the library was your idea in the first place!
Deacon: Well, we don't really have much of a choice...
They both stand in the kitchen, it's 7:00am and they look out at the sea of gluten-free flourless chocolate cupcakes they've just finished packing. Both of them are exhausted as they've been up since 4:00am to be able to finish it all on time.
Deacon: Also, you said you found Bronze and Goldie at the last craft fair, right?
Chase: Yeah, but I'm not entirely sure if Goldie was the same key. I'm like 99% sure, but it still could've been a different key. But we could also find another key there!
Deacon: Oh my gods what if there are other Ex Libris people there also looking for the keys? Or that guy who put up the missing posters!? I'm trying to make Chase feel better but gods this is terrifying.
Silver: If I may interrupt, Bronze, Goldie, and I could go with you and we could investigate around the library.
Her, Goldie, and Bronze each step out of one of the boxes of cupcakes, covered in chocolate.
Goldie: Yes! This return to that treacherous athenaeum shall be fruitful with new information!
Bronze: Like how Silver got there in the first place.
Deacon: Ok, I don't think that's such a good idea. It's one thing for Chase and I to be going where Ex Libris might be, because there'll be a ton of people there and they wouldn't try kidnapping two adult men in broad daylight. However, you three could be captured without us even knowing, especially since we'll be outside on the library lawn, and you guys would have to be inside to investigate.
Suddenly rain starts pouring down heavily outside.
Chase: Oh noooooo, it looks like the craft fair'll be cancelled, and we just made and decorated and packaged all of those cupcakes for nothing, oh noooooo. I guess there's nothing to do now except eat them, oh nooooooooo...
He opens the box that the keys were hiding in and starts eating one of the cupcakes that they hadn't touched yet. Grandpa Ralph comes around the corner and smacks it out of his hand. The keys hid between the boxes so he couldn't see them.
Ralph: I just got a call that the craft fair is being moved inside the library. Now, we've gotta get everything set up by 10, so you two'd better get your asses moving these cupcakes out to the truck! It's gonna take multiple trips to get them all to the library.
The keys all hop inside of Deacon's open bag. Once the first truckload of cupcakes is in the truck, they drive to the library. It takes three trips to get all of the cupcakes there. They get the very extravagant booth up and running near the same area where Chase had first found Silver. The table is almost completely covered in cupcakes, except for the place with the cash box and just enough room for Chase and Deacon to rest their arms. The table has the normal stuff, like a cloth covering it, and signs listing the prices of items. "1 for $3, 2 for $5, 3 for $8." In big writing, decorated with paint pens and glitter glue. Then, the table had a large arch over it, reading "Hollow Farms". The arch was made out of cardboard, painted to look like a large wooden gate with pieces in front of the table. The sign with prices is on the left side of the arch, and a sign with the 'history of hollow farms' is on the right. Seemingly random letters were in a larger font and a slightly different colour, but when put together backwards they read "Suck it Diane." They finished setting it up at around 9:45, and sat down to take a breather before the doors opened and they'd have endless hours of small talk with old people.
Deacon: How long do we have until people start coming in?
Chase: Like fifteen minutes I think.
Deacon: Great...
He rests his head on one hand, while anxiously tapping on the table with the other and bouncing his knee. Chase scrolls on his phone.
*****
Violet: Nox, come with me! They've moved the fair inside and I want to watch the drama unfold!
Nox: Your made up drama? With the mop?
Violet: No, this is real! There is this woman, Diane, and a man named Ralph, who have had a feud for years. I've only ever seen them interact once, but the moment they lay eyes on each other you can truly feel the tension in the room rise! I've even heard the others gossiping about them. Now come, we're going to watch the drama unfold.
Nox: Alright, it's not like I have anything better to do.
Him and Violet make their way to the tops of the bookshelves to look out at all of the vendors.
Violet: It seems they've put Ralph and Diane far, far away from each other, but I suppose this could still be entertaining.
Back at the table, Grandpa Ralph had returned.
Ralph: I'll man the table for a while, why don't you two boys go take a break and walk around the vendor fair?
Chase: C'mon Deacon, Let's go.
The keys had left the bag. Goldie was going around the lower shelves looking for clues, while Silver and Bronze had climbed Chase and were now sitting on his shoulders, concealed by his hoodie.
Deacon looks down at Goldie before answering.
Deacon: Actually, I think I'll stay here-
he's interrupted by Chase pulling him up and away from the table and into a corner.
Chase: Goldie will be fine as long as Grandpa is there. Now we should go around to look for more keys. Silver and I will look out for keys, you and Bronze will look out for suspicious activity, got it?
Deacon: Ok...
Back up on the shelves near Diane, Nox notices the strong smell of chocolate coming from the opposite side of the library.
Nox: I smell chocolate.
Violet: Yes, what of it?
Nox: It's coming from the other side of the library. I'd like to go find the source.
Violet: I suppose we could go and see what may be happening around Ralph's territory.
They head over to the shelves around the Hollow Farm's table.
Violet: Lucky for you the source of the chocolate smell is Ralph's table. We shall stay here for a short while to see if any new drama unfolds.
Nox starts reading the signs around the table.
Nox: "Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes"... Wait, that means Chase can eat them! If only I could steal one and manage to keep it safe until the next book, then I'd be able to continue paying him back for all the chocolates and snacks he's given to me. I'm going to go get one of those cupcakes.
Violet: Oh, please, Nox. You'd surely be caught immediately. You still have plenty of chocolates in your box, you don't need more.
Nox: Well, Chase gave me those chocolates, and he can't eat anything with gluten in it and I'd like to give him something in return, and those cupcakes don't have any gluten in them!
Violet: What even is this 'gluten'?
Nox: Well, it's, it's, I don't know. It's the thing that is poisonous to Chase and no one else. If you really want to know, we're in a library, how about you go and read a book.
Violet: alright, alright, have it your way. I can't stop you from going down there anyways, so why don't you just go right ahead and attempt to steal one of Ralph's cupcakes?
Nox gets up and makes his way down the shelves to be level with the table. He hides in the shadows between the books, waiting for an opportunity.
Nox: How will I get the cupcake safely back to our storage closet without being noticed? I could try to wrap it up in a napkin to protect it, but these cupcakes are the size of me. Gods, I hate being so small.
Nox continues thinking over his plan, as Deacon and Chase arrive back at the table.
Chase: alright, so we didn't find any keys at first, but not all of the vendors are here yet, maybe more'll show up later.
Deacon: Look, Chase, I know I was trying to hype us up this morning, but this is all just really stressful, and I'm tired. Can we just not talk about Ex Libris stuff for the rest of the day?
Chase: Ok, I understand.
Silver: I am so sorry, we did not realize how much this was weighing down upon you, Deacon.
Goldie climbs up into his lap.
Goldie: yes, we are very sorry, sir Deacon. We did not consider the mental toll this trip to the library must be taking on you.
Bronze: Yeah, with all this Ex Libris stuff, and the reward posters for turning us in, and Wave, and having no idea who or where Buddy is, and the possibility of Ex Libris being here-
Chase: Oh will you cut it out Bronze? He's practically shaking now.
Deacon is now shaking a little bit.
Bronze: Yeah, sorry...
Deacon takes a very aggravated deep breath.
Deacon: You're a dick, you know that?
Bronze: Hey, I said I was sorry!
Deacon: You little-
Chase: Ok, you guys haven't really been around us that long so you guys probably don't know this, but when Deacon gets really stressed out like this, he gets really mad really easily and takes it out on whatever is closest to him.
Deacon: No I don't, you little shit!
He slams his fist on the table.
Chase: Case in point. How about you do something to try and relax? You like reading, right? Well guess what we're surrounded by?
Deacon: Books-
Chase: Readery! Now go engage in some readery to relax.
Deacon: How am I supposed to relax with all of this Ex Libris stuff going on- Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me!
As he turned towards the bookshelf, his eyes met Nox's, who was staring back at him like a deer in headlights.
Nox: Um, hi-
Deacon picks him up and squeezes him with his entire hand, looking down at him.
Deacon: He's a key!? He's been a key this whole time!? He's not even gathering Narratonin, he's just trying to get our information and get the other keys back! If him and violet are here, that must mean that other people from Ex Libris are here too. Gods I am just so fucking done with this shit. This is stressing me out enough that by the end of the summer I'm probably gonna take up smoking.
Nox: Allow me to explain-
Deacon: Chase, look, I have a surprise for you!
Nox: Oh shit-
Deacon slams him into the table, as hard and fast as he can, landing with a loud crack that could be heard from Diane's table.
Chase: What the fuck was that?
Deacon lifts his hand up, to reveal Nox in key form, with a crack very similar to Silver's, and a dent in the table. All of the keys look on at Nox, lifeless and cracked in his key form, with a look of utmost shock and horror.
Deacon: Haha, whoops...
Chase: Holy shit you fucking killed him dude!
Suddenly, they hear a very small and cvnty war-cry coming towards them, as a purple object descends onto Deacon, causing him to fall backwards out of his chair, knocking down several boxes of cupcakes.
Deacon: Ow! Ow! Stop it! Stop it!
Violet: Then uncrack my brother, you bastard!
She keeps throwing tiny but very powerful punches into Deacon. After a few moments, Chase picks Violet up off of him.
Violet: Unhand me you hardly sentient sack of flesh!
Deacon is trying to get the cupcakes back together, Chase is trying to restrain Violet, who is very angry and very strong, while the other three keys stand over Nox's body.
Bronze: Is- is Nox going to be alright?
Silver: Well, I was fine, after I got cracked and consumed narratonin...
Goldie: But what if that only worked for you? And he's part human, and his key part was already quite decrepit, so he could end up with permanent damage...
Chase: If I put you down with your siblings on the table, will you calm down?
Violet: Calm down!? CALM DOWN!? YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN AFTER I JUST SAW HIM MURDER MY BROTHER WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT!?!
Chase: He's not dead, we just need to get him some narratonin and he'll be fine. If it worked for silver, I'm sure it'll work for him.
Violet: Fine, just put me down!
Chase sets her down on the table with the other keys. She immediately lets out another cvnty war-cry as she runs up and jumps onto Deacon again. Chase picks her up and sets her down on the table where Goldie restrains her.
Chase: Now then, where's Buddy? I need him and to know where you guys keep his Narratonin so we can fix who I'm assuming is Nox.
Violet: Wait you- this bloody imbecile has not realized that Nox is the one who's been following him all summer!?
Deacon stands up with the salvaged cupcakes. He sets them back in their tower and turns to the keys.
Deacon: Ok, ok, I'm really sorry about that. I don't know what came over me, I-
Violet: Save it, for when he's conscious enough for you to apologize to Him! He's fucking comatose because of you!
Deacon: well, I guess we'll need to bring you guys home so that we can get him some narratonin, or we could use him to go into books here so he can heal himself-
Chase: Why don't you just use their narratonin? If Violet and Nox are here, Buddy must be around here somewhere.
Deacon: Chase, you do realize-
Violet: I will take you to our narratonin.
Bronze: Can I come too?
Deacon: I'm not sure that's a-
Bronze: You just put my favorite brother in a coma!
Deacon: ok...
He takes Bronze, Violet, and Nox, and Violet points him in the direction of the storage closet they live in. She brings him to the narratonin, and he sets the other two down on the shelf and he dips Nox into the narratonin head first. The crack glows similar to Silver's, and he pops back into his conversational form.
Nox: Oh my gods, my head... Ow... I probably deserved that.
He staggers away from the jar of narratonin, and sits down on the shelf.
Violet: Now what did we say about you deserving things?
Nox: 'I should never admit to my adversary I believe myself deserving of anything lesser than all of the gold and jewels of the world.' However, Deacon is not my adversary, and I deserved that.
Violet: What happened to Silver is not your fault. And if you can still feel pain, you need to soak in the narratonin some more.
Bronze: What she said.
They walk him back to the jar, and he goes back to soaking in it.
Nox: But it was my fault, so it's only fair that I get cracked as well.
Deacon: Nevermind that, you've been a key this whole time!? Are you even actually working for Ex Libris!? And how did you get that narratonin!?
Nox: Well, obviously I've been a key this whole time. And no, we escaped Ex Libris and formed a plan to turn me back into a human. I trust the others have told you the story of how I became the villain key?
Deacon: Yes, yes, Onyx never woke up because he was malmanufactured, and then you broke in to get something to clear your debt, but then Onyx fused with you and you became the villain key. But how did you get so much narratonin!?
Nox: well, we um, I, um,
He stammers as he steps out of the narratonin.
Violet: Would you like me to explain, Nox?
Nox: No, wait!
Violet: We've been siphoning Chase's narratonin.
Deacon suddenly feels rage boiling in his chest. He looks down at the small man.
Deacon: He's been toying with us all summer. He even manipulated Chase into a romantic relationship, and has done god knows what with him under the pretense that he cares about him, all while stealing the very thing we need to cure Chase's terminally ill mother, leaving Chase to blame himself for not getting enough narratonin.
Deacon takes one finger and very gently pushes Nox off of the shelf.
Nox: Oh fuck, not again!
He turns back into his cracked key form again.
Bronze: Woah, the way the crack formed this time is metal as fuck, dude.
The crack had formed perfectly perpendicular to Nox's moon symbol.
Violet: I swear, the second you, Stripes, Copper, or him enter a room with eachother, no matter if the other is comatose or not, your collective braincells decrease by the second.
Bronze: I missed you too.
Deacon picks Nox back up and dunks him in the narratonin again. The crack glows and he changes form again.
Nox: I definitely deserved that one.
He stands up out of the narratonin again and staggers back out onto the shelf.
Deacon: Now you're gonna have to tell Chase and break his heart.
Deacon picks them all up and takes them back out to the table.
Bronze: What does he mean by break his heart?
Nox: I'm Buddy.
Violet: The little idiot hasn't realized it yet.
Nox: I don't think he saw my face before I was turned into my key form.
Deacon sets them down on the table, and Silver and Goldie run up and hug Nox and Violet.
Deacon: Alright, you guys can all have a nice serious discussion now, and I'm going to go find a cigarette.
Deacon storms off, exhausted.
Chase: so you two must be Nox and Violet. Do you guys know where Buddy is?
Nox: I-
Violet: No, we have no idea. He keeps us in a storage room in the back along with the narratonin and spell page. He only comes in to get us when he needs us.
Nox: W-
Bronze: A word, Nox?
He ducks to the side with Nox.
Bronze: It'll be really funny to see how long it takes the others to realize.
Nox: You're right, I'm in.
Violet: They've been reunited for two minutes and they're already scheming. How very uncouth.
Goldie: I'm simply overjoyed to have not one, but two of my siblings back!
He picks them both up in one of his very large hugs.
Deacon returns and sits down.
Chase: what happened to your smoke break?
Deacon: well...
*****
Deacon storms his way through the fair, only to be stopped by Grandpa Ralph.
Ralph: Now where do you think you're going?
Deacon grabs him by the shoulders very firmly, and looks at him with a look of both sheer determination and utter desperation.
Deacon: I need a fucking cigarette.
Ralph: How's about this? We sell out, and I buy you a whole pack of cigarettes.
Deacon: Wait, really?
Ralph: Yeah, you're old enough to have a cigarette. And if we sell out you should get rewarded somehow. Maybe then you'd see the value of helping your old grandpa out.
Deacon: Ok, ok, thank you!
he runs back over to the table.
*****
Deacon: I don't think he knows you have to be 21 to smoke now.
Chase: I don't think he cares. Anyways, what are we gonna do about Nox and Violet? Should we just wait for Buddy to show up?
Deacon: Wait, you didn-
Bronze: Deacon, a word?
Deacon: Ok...
He lifts Bronze up to his ear so he can whisper to him.
Bronze: It'll be really funny though.
Deacon: I guess you're right.
Chase: What's he right about?
Deacon: He's suggesting that we just take Nox, Violet, and the narratonin with us. Then Buddy would lose his narratonin, his access to narratonin, and his access to us.
Chase: Are you insane!? You want me to just rob my boyfriend!? Plus, if we took his access to books, I'd never see him again!
Deacon: Yeah, but Nox and Violet want to come with us. And I know you think he told you his real name, and you think we can trust him, but to me he's basically just some guy on Undertale Amino who's DM'ing my little cousin.
Nox: We want to go with you and take the narratonin and add it to your narratonin.
Violet: We do?
Nox: Yes, we do.
Violet: I say we wait for Buddy to return. Or do you not remember the plan, Nox?
Nox: Of course I remember the plan, but I don't like the plan.
Deacon: Wait, how do we know that this isn't part of the plan? That you're not supposed to infiltrate us somehow?
Nox: Well, you'll just have to trust me.
Deacon: I don't think I have a reason to trust you.
Chase: Deacon, they're keys. C'mon, what could they do?
Deacon: We don't know. That's why.
Nox: I suppose I'll have to earn your trust somehow.
Deacon: Like how?
Nox: By eating vanilla.
He stares upwards, looking very determined, while the rest of them just look at him confused.
Deacon: What?
*****
The keys stand lined up like soldiers on a shelf above Diane's table. Nox stands before them like a general.
Nox: Alright men, we are about to embark on a mission to defeat the Hollow Farm's most sworn enemy, Diane. She has sold nearly twice as many cupcakes as Chase and Deacon. We must put a stop to this, and drive customers over to the far superior and gluten-free table.
They all nod and make their way down the shelves to Diane's table while she's not looking. They enact their plan, and scurry back to the Hollow Farm's table. A few minutes later, a scream can be heard from across the library.
Customer: Mice! Mice got the cupcakes!
All of Diane's cupcakes were full of little mouse sized bites, rendering them inedible.
All of the keys sat behind the cupcakes at the Hollow table, covered in frosting as Chase and Deacon sold box after box.
*****
It's now night time, around 9:00pm. Chase and the other keys are in the tower. Chase is just getting done setting up Violet's house. It's taken a while, as she came with them very reluctantly and still does not fully trust Chase.
Chase: Now is it right?
Violet: Move that one slightly to the left.
Chase: like this?
she had pointed to a fake gemstone in the 'garden' in front of her castle. Chase moved it slightly to the left. The castle was very tall and painted purple, with multiple rooms made up of tissue boxes and cardboard tubes.
Violet: No, you insolent collection of bacteria and mince meat! I said slightly, Slightly! Honestly Silver, how can you place so much trust in something so biologically stupid!?
Nox: Chase, are you sure you don't want me to help? I am quite good at appeasing her.
Violet: Now what could you possibly mean by that?
Bronze: You're a bitch.
Nox: Bronze!
Bronze: What, you're gonna tell me I'm wrong?
Goldie: Bronze, I wouldn't call her that! She's the only one of us with enough patience to teach Nox manners or how to read.
Chase: Wait, you guys had to teach him how to read?
Violet: Yes, it was a valiant effort on my part. It took months, but eventually he'd memorized the alphabet. He didn't really learn how to read until after we'd escaped Ex Libris.
*****
Silver and Nox sit in front of an open book on their table in the Ex Libris library. Silver points to the letter 'P' at the beginning of a sentence.
Silver: Alright, let's try this one more time. What letter is this one?
Nox looks at it, shaking like he's about to cry. He responds in the weakest, saddest, most desperate voice with a lump in his throat.
Nox: R?
Silver looks at him very disappointedly.
Silver: Bronze? Would you mind helping me a bit?
Bronze: No, yesterday I spent 12 hours with him. Today is your turn.
Violet: Here, allow me to take over, sweetie.
She sits down next to him while Silver goes to scream into a pillow.
Violet: Now what's the next letter?
She points at the letter 'e', after the first letter.
Nox: I?
Violet: Now what's the next one?
She points at the letter 'o'.
Nox: a?
Violet: And the next?
She points at the letter 'p'.
Nox: I just had this one, c'mon, what was it? L?
Violet: Now what's the next letter?
she points at the letter 'L'.
Nox: t?
Violet: And the last one?
she points at the letter 'e' again.
Nox: I! that's what that one was last time!
He looks at her with a sparkle in his eye, since she hadn't stopped him and kept progressing that must mean he got them all right.
Violet: Now what does R-I-A-L-T-I spell?
Nox thinks for a moment, trying to remember what sounds the letters make. He thinks very hard, staring down at the word for a full minute before responding.
Nox: Cat?
Violet: I think we need to take a step back.
*****
Nox: It's not as bad as she makes it sound...
Bronze puts his hand on Nox's shoulder.
Bronze: It was was so much worse.
Chase: Wait, you said something about escaping Ex Libris. Did you escape with Buddy's help, or did he find you after you escaped?
Violet: We had his help, however I did most of the heavy lifting.
Chase: Was Buddy escaping too?
Nox: Yes, yes he was.
Chase: Was he in a similar situation to Wave?
Nox: Well, it was more like he broke in and they took him. They took everything from him as well, even his testicles.
Chase: Ex Libris took his balls!?!
Nox: Yes, yes they did.
Violet: You have yet to explain to me what testicles are.
Nox: We were in a library, for god's sake! Why didn't you just read a fucking book?
Violet: You're unbelievable.
Chase: How does he pee if they took his balls?
Nox: I beg your pardon?
Chase: Pee is stored in the balls. If Ex Libris took his balls, then where does he store it? Does he just keep it in his kidneys?
Nox: I- Chase, that's not how that works.
Deacon comes up the ladder, coughing and looking just generally terrible.
Deacon: I can still feel my lungs burning.
Chase: Well he made you smoke the whole pack, didn't he?
Deacon: I guess I'm not taking up smoking. *cough, choke* Maybe I should take up lowballing people on FaceBook Market Place instead.
Chase: Anyways, the keys say that Ex Libris took Buddy's balls. How does he pee if he doesn't have balls!?
Deacon: How many times have I explained to you that that's not how things work?
Chase: Like a bajillion, but I know you're wrong.
Deacon: Well then how do people without balls in general pee?
Chase: I dunno, that's why I'm asking you, Mr. Medical School, but every time you give me a joke answer.
Deacon: I'm going to go get one of my medical text books to explain it to you and the rest of the keys.
He goes back down the ladder to go find the appropriate textbook. Chase and the keys keep talking while he does that.
Chase: Do you think Buddy'll be mad that you guys came with us?
Nox: No, no, honestly I think he might've been waiting for a day like this.
Chase: I'm just disappointed I didn't see him at the library. I know that he's probably dangerous and it's making things so much more complicated, but, I- I think I love him. At least we know he lives in the same town as us, so there's a chance I'll see him again. But Oh gods, what did I just do!?
Silver: Chase, if he'd be mad at you for Violet and Nox wanting to go with you instead of him, then he's not worthy of you.
Nox: And I'm very sure he understands. He, He loves you too. He loves you very much.
Chase: That's very sweet of you, but I'm pretty sure he's mad.
Nox: I assure you, he's not.
Chase: Why is there, like, a red aura around your head?
Bronze: That's what it looks like when one of us blushes. He's been the only one with reason too though.
Chase: You know, Nox, you do remind me a lot of Buddy. You even look and sound similar. Maybe you were secretly a super-duper distant relative of his?
Nox: Yes, yes, a relative. I must be a relative of his.
Nox laughs as he says this, and Bronze rolls his eyes.
Deacon returns with a very large textbook on human biology.
Deacon: I am now going to teach you all, including Chase, some human biology. Specifically what testicles are.
He drosp the textbook down on the floor, but did not see where he was dropping it.
Nox: Oh fuck, not again!
It lands directly on top of him with a loud crack.
Chase: Are you fucking kidding me Dorkin?!
Deacon: Ok, that time was definitely an accident.
Chase scoops Nox up and puts him in the narratonin jar which heals him.
Nox: Can we please just keep Deacon ten feet away from me for now?
Chase: Don't worry, I'll protect you.
He olds Nox in both of his hands.
Deacon: Anyways, time to learn about testicles!
Goldie: Nox had made Bronze, the other male keys, and I very aware of what they are. However, he said it is not something to discuss with women.
Silver: I have no idea why it is such an issue that we women know what they are.
Bronze: Silver, you don't want to know. Trust me. It'll give you nightmares. It gave me nightmares.
Violet: I'm sure we can handle it.
Deacon begins his lecture on human biology, most of the keys listening with disgust and horror, Chase listening with disbelief and disinterest, and Nox and Violet listening with scholarly intrigue.
Deacon: Now I am done with the lecture, I am going to leave Chase alone with the ensuing chaos. I will be in my room low-balling people on FaceBook Market Place. Please do not bother me for the next 24 hours with any Ex Libris stuff.
Deacon exits through the door in the floor, leaving Chase to the ensuing chaos.
Violet: If you hadn't hidden this from me, I could've just made you some when you went into books!
Nox: I don't really have much use for them in the books.
Violet: What do you mean?
Nox: There's rarely an opportune moment for me to use them.
Chase: What why are you going into books? And when would you use them?
Nox: I don't want to argue anymore, let's just go to bed.
Chase: Wait, but I still have to set up a house for you! And what do you mean when he goes into books?
Violet: there's plenty of room in the palace for the both of us.
Nox: Actually, I was thinking I could sleep downstairs with Chase.
Chase: Wait a minute, I hadn't heard any mention of Buddy having Nox before, and I didn't see Buddy at the library, and he looks and sounds and acts super similar to Buddy, and he was blushing when I started talking about how much I love Buddy, and he talked about him like he knew him better than anyone else, and he wants to sleep downstairs with me, and Violet said when he goes into books, and he said there's rarely a time when he could use testicles, so that means there have been times when he would've liked to use them... Wait, wait-
Bronze looks at the clock and then pulls out a hidden whiteboard with a grid with x's over some of the spots.
Bronze: Alright, it looks like Goldie had 10:30pm for eight peanut butter cups!
Goldie: No, no, I had 10:30pm tomorrow. I believe Deacon was the closest with 3:00am tonight.
Bronze: Huh, you're right, none of us thought he would get it today except for Nox who had two whole chocolate bars for before 1:00pm. He gets part of the pot though, because he was also betting on when you and Silver would notice.
Chase: You guys were betting on how long it would take me to realize that Nox is Buddy?
Nox: Yes, and I only took them up on it because I was very sure you would notice within minutes of actually meeting me.
Bronze: I think Violet was the farthest off with three fortnights from now.
Chase: What does that mean?
Nox: About six weeks.
Chase: She must really hate me.
Nox: She'll warm up to you eventually. She's just trying to protect us, and doesn't trust you.
Violet: He simply got lucky. Whatever marbles he has rolling around in there must've clicked in just the right way for him to notice just now.
She sashays off into her palace for her night's rest. The rest of the keys go to their little houses, and Chase takes Nox down to his room so they can sleep in Chase's bed together. Nox sits on his desk, waiting for Chase while he gets ready for bed in the bathroom. When he returns he stands over Nox while he sits on the desk.
Chase: Hey, hey Buddy.
Nox: Yes, Chase?
Chase picks him up and holds him in his hands.
Chase: Who's short now?
They both laugh as Chase sits down on the bed. Chase holds him in his hands and stares into his eyes. He gives him a little kiss on the head and then sets him down on the bed.
Chase: Wait, this might be dangerous. You could get crunched again if I roll over in my sleep.
He picks him up and puts him back up on the desk.
Chase: I can make you one of those tissue-box beds I made for the others.
Nox: Actually, I have another idea. Do you know where that big red hoodie is now?
Chase grabs the hoodie, and puts it up on his desk so Nox and snuggle into it.
Nox: This is how I slept after I'd found it in that other story.
Chase: That's adorable.
Nox: Goodnight, sleep well, love.
Chase: goodnight, I love you too.
Chase gets snuggle into his bed as well. They sleep peacefully until Chase suddenly shoots up at 3:00am to see Deacon standing over him.
Deacon: Did you realize he's Buddy yet?
Chase: Yes, earlier, but this isn't about that.
Chase pokes Nox awake.
Nox: Hm? What's wrong? What's Freckles doing here?
Deacon: I wanted to show Chase what I just got for $30 on FaceBook Market Place.
He holds his phone up to show them the lightly-used vajankle he just bought.
Chase: What- no, that's not important right now. Nox, if you're a key, how are you gathering narratonin?
Nox: I- um- uh- What the fuck is a vajankle? And how do you 'lightly use' one?
Deacon: Wait, lightly used!?
He looks back at the listing.
Deacon: No, no, you're dodging the question. Do you want me to tell him?
Nox: I, no. I'll just tell him.
Nox takes a very deep breath.
Nox: We've been, we've been siphoning your narratonin.
Chase: What?
Nox: We've been siphoning your narratonin.
Chase: What?
Nox: We've been siphoning your narratonin?
Chase: I'm sorry, you're gonna have to repeat that. My ADHD meds wear off at night and I can't pay attention to anything for longer than- Oh shit is that a squirrel?
He opens his window so he can look out at the trees.
Nox: Chase, please just listen.
Chase: I'm listening.
Chase continues looking out at the moving leaves, trying to tell if they are squirrels or not.
Deacon: Here, I got it.
He snaps his fingers to get his attention, and then holds his phone with a video of someone playing subway surfers above Nox's head.
Nox: We've been siphoning your narratonin. That is why you've been getting so little.
Chase: I- I don't know what to say. I knew you were doing something bad behind the scenes, but, I just- I need to think. But right now I don't want yo sleep with you.
Nox: That's fair. I'll just go up-
Deacon: Here, you can sleep outside.
Deacon picks him up and throws him out the window. His screams can be heard from Prunella's house as he lands in the grass of her front yard. He's turned back into his key form and cracked on impact.
Chase: Ok, at this point you're just wasting narratonin.