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“C0uld y0u t4k3 4ny l0ng3r?” Noli sarcastically complained, leaning against the wall in his and 007n7’s shared dorm. The door next to him led to the bathroom, where he could hear the muffled sound of fabric rustling.
“Not my fault you picked the worst one to put on,” the glitch hears from the other side, the familiar voice of his partner-in-crime slightly strained from effort.
“0h my V01d- S3v, 1t’s 4 z1pper 4nd s0m3 l4c3s. 4r3 y0u sudd3nly 1nc4p4bl3 0f putt1ng cl0th3s 0n by y0urs3lf?” the hooded exploiter responds, tone more annoyed than insulting. “Y0u c0uld just 4sk f0r h3lp, y’kn0w.” The offer isn’t genuine; only said to taunt 007n7 for his struggle. The eyes on the white mask sit lidded on its flat surface, mouth curling into a smile of amusement. It wasn’t like 7n7 could see him anyways, so what did it matter if he silently laughed at the other?
“I don’t need help; you’re just being a d#ck! Plus, it’s harder to grab small things with long nails,” the demonic exploiter yells, trying to excuse the 10 minutes he’s spent in the bathroom. “I’m almost done anyways, so just shut up and wait.” Judging by the regulation of the other’s voice, Noli guesses that 007n7’s finally finished with the zipper on the back of the outfit. That would just leave the laces on the front.
A few near-silent moments pass—only being disturbed by the occasional sounds of fabric from the other side of the bathroom door, and only staying quiet because Noli can’t think of another thing to tease Seven about at the moment. Well, not anything relevant, at least. The glitch even begins to doze off, the quiet background noise oddly soothing, but quickly wakes himself back up... He should look into a better sleep schedule after this. He’s felt off all week, and that’s probably the reason.
“There!” 007n7 triumphantly exclaims, piercing through the peaceful quiet that rarely finds their dorm. If Noli wasn’t fully awake before, he was now. The sudden yell was... Startling, to say the least. The glitch was never good with sudden sounds; he prefers when noise is constant.
Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Noli comments, “F1n4lly. T00k y0u l0ng 3n0ugh. N0b0dy 3ls3 c0uld t4k3 f1v3 h0urs t0 put 0n 4 dr3ss.” The words are intended to provoke, as usual, but don’t demand a direct response—Noli wanted his friend out of the bathroom sometime this year, at least.
“Shut up,” 007n7 responds, but his tone is light. Even muffled behind the door, Noli could tell that the other was fairly pleased with finally completing the task.
Pushing himself off the wall, the glitch stares at the dark brown door for a second. But to his displeasure, it doesn’t open.
“... W3ll?”
“Hold on, I’m putting on the makeup.”
“0H, C0ME 0N! 1’m n0t w41t1ng 0n y0ur sl0w #ss!” Noli yells, not aggressive—only impatient—before a porcelain-like hand, matching his mask, reaches out and yanks the door open. And what Noli sees is... Something, certainly.
007n7, wearing a black, sleeveless dress with a zipper at the back and lace dangling off the front from where it wasn’t properly tied, leaning over the sink, poorly putting mascara onto his singular eye. The ever-present C00lgui screen covers the other side of his face. The shorter doesn’t even look over at Noli, too focused on the task at hand... He seems a little too committed to this dare.
Noli can’t stop himself from taking in the full image. 007n7, with his brown hair that’s just a couple inches longer than average dangling over the sink... The front of the dress hangs down from the lack of a chest to fill it, but it exposes beautifully scarred skin. The ends of the lace dangle, haphazardly tied together with the crimson-tipped claws on 007n7’s hands, which pair well with the red demon-horns and idly swaying tail. From where the shorter exploiter was leaning over, the dress’s edge lies just over the inside of his knees.
Noli has never in his life been more grateful that he can’t blush. Not at all relevant to the current situation, of course.
Quickly composing himself, the glitch rationalizes his sudden emotion. “Y0u 4ctu4lly l00k h0t 4s 4 g1rl. T00 b4d 1t’s n0t th3 0th3r w4y 4r0und, m4yb3 y0u’d 4ctu4lly g3t 4 d4t3 th3n.”
“As if you’re doing any better,” 007n7 says, enjoying their teasing banter. But if Noli was being honest, he hadn’t been trying to find a girlfriend. For some reason, the idea didn’t appeal to him. Probably just something to do with his glitched code.
Once again, Noli slips into his thoughts, only to be pulled out by 007n7 asking him something yet again. “D’you think lipstick would overdo it? It feels like it’s missing something, but I dunno. I don’t want it to be too much.”
“Uh-” Noli murmurs aloud, thinking it over. Lipstick might help give it some form of balance, but then again, they only had cheap ones that were way too bright to look good on the shorter, and it might make the look worse. Eyeliner definitely wouldn’t help... What other kinds of makeup were there again?
“Blush m1ght b3 g00d,” the glitch says, remembering that there was some in a drawer down under their sink somewhere.
Thoughts drifting once more, Noli goes back to thinking about how 007n7 looks right now. “Thanks,” the demonic exploiter says, and Noli just stands there and takes in the sight of the other crouching down to open the drawer, one pair of claws taking out a small pallet of pink blush, while the other pulls out a makeup brush. Hands, though trembling with malpractice, apply the dust onto the brush, before moving to try and apply it. Noli knows that Seven is going solely off what he remembers seeing 118o8 do, because neither of them have any experience in this field.
The brush glides across pale skin that’s spent too much time indoors coding and fixing bugs in the c00lgui. Even after all his work, the thing was still barely more than a buggy mess, but at least it was functional now.
Noli’s gaze unconsciously shifts down 7n7’s scarred wrist—purposefully not lingering—then to the inside of his elbow and the repeating movement of his muscles shifting under skin as he continues applying the blush to his cheeks. The glitch slides his gaze over the other’s bicep, thin with both the lack of exercise and slight malnutrition. Thoughts drifting, Noli thinks back to the idiotic coding of his best friend. Implanting the c00lgui into his own code—and therefore his own body—wasn’t a great idea as-is, but sharing a power source? It’s like he wanted it to act like a parasite.
Finally, his gaze lands on the shorter exploiter’s shoulder—which is usually covered by the sleeve of his T-shirt—and notices the small brown birthmark he’s only seen once before, when it was mid-summer and the AC wasn’t working properly so 007n7 had taken off his shirt. For some reason, Noli took pride in the fact that he knew so much about his friend, and others didn’t... Actually, he knew a lot about 7n7. Probably too much. More than a normal friend should, at least.
“Ugh,” the demonic exploiter groans aloud, grabbing a makeup wipe out of a blue bag on the counter, before wiping off the blush he’d messily applied. The sound snaps Noli out of his thoughts and ‘appreciation’ of the other. “C’m0n, m4k3up c4n’t b3 th4t h4rd,” the glitch says with a smile on his mask, watching as 7n7 circles the bristles of the brush over the pink blush once more.
“If you think it’s so easy, then you can try.” The exploiter grabs another makeup wipe and removes the remaining blush, adding the used wipe to a small pile Noli hadn’t noticed before—which explains why the other had been taking so long while Noli was lost in thought—and hands the brush to the glitch.
“1 th0ught y0u’d n3v3r 4sk,” Noli says, taking the brush with a white hand, before using the other to shove his friend away from the mirror. “N0w s1t d0wn s0 1 c4n w0rk.”
007n7, begrudgingly, takes a few steps back to sit on the closed toilet lid. Though he doesn’t comment—doesn't need to, really—he doesn’t like being bossed around. But he tolerates it, if only because it’s Noli, and keeps his comments to himself.
With the caution of a heart surgeon, the glitch delicately dusts the fine powder across pale cheeks. 007n7’s singular brown eye squeezes shut as he’s touched by a force he has no control over—no matter how soft, it leaves him on edge, as Noli’s learned. Knowing this, he keeps his movements slow and obvious for the other’s comfort.
“H0ld st1ll.” The taller exploiter raises a hand and gently grasps the other’s jaw, eliciting a barely noticeable flinch, before easing into the hold. 007n7 is lucky that Noli didn’t have the brush on him when he moved, or he’d be dead for messing it up.
A few minutes pass of Noli carefully balancing the amount of blush on both sides of Seven’s face, making sure it’s symmetrical. But while the glitch begins working on autopilot—spacing out from the soothing repetition of the task—the demonic exploiter visibly grows restless. Red-clawed hands fidget with the fabric of the dress, though they’re careful not to tear it. “... Are you almost done?”
The question snaps the taller out of the peaceful rhythm, realizing that this was probably good enough. But he wouldn’t give the other an opportunity to insult him, so he lies. “Just 4b0ut. B3 p4t13nt.”
“Look who’s talking...” 007n7 grumbles softly, but goes quiet once more.
Half a minute passes of the glitch perfecting his work, before finally setting the brush down on the counter with a quiet clink... Noli was impressed by his own work. No longer focused on perfecting the flaws, he could take in the way the pink decorated his friend’s face. Still slightly uneven yet brilliantly placed to highlight Seven’s softer features. It had been difficult to work around and under the screen over 007n7’s left eye—or rather, lack thereof, because of the c00lgui’s tendency to spontaneously corrupt and consume code—but it turned out well despite the obstacle.
Noli’s opinion is definitely unbiased.
“4lr1ght, 1 th1nk 1’m d0n3. G0 l00k.” 007n7 opens his eye once told he can, blinking a couple times while he adjusts to the synthetic overhead light. “Finally,” he complains, because the brunette is incapable of keeping his mouth shut for more than 10 minutes. “That took, like, an hour.” Thin tail swaying as he stands, Seven walks over and begins inspecting his face. Noli waits for the incoming criticism that always follows.
“... I hate how good you are at everything,” the demonic exploiter says instead, tilting his head around to look at different angles of the makeup. The words shock the glitch for a second, before he composes himself. It’s not a compliment, more so a complaint than anything. Probably because compliments from 007n7 are rare, save for when he’s trying to flatter Noli into doing something for him. Because 007n7 would never compliment Noli genuinely. Obviously.
Still, he takes it anyways, knowing it’s the closest he’ll get to praise. “Th4nks,” the taller exploiter mumbles, walking over to stand beside his friend. In reality, the makeup was mediocre at best, but neither of them have the skill to know.
“Hold on, ima’ send this to 118o8,” Seven says, summoning another C00lgui screen with a flick of his wrist. Noli, already having been close, only needs to lean over so he can rest his chin on 007n7’s bare shoulder. He ignores how smooth the skin is with some effort. The lens on the C00lgui is fairly small—as to remain well-hidden—so the picture is pretty compact. They’re both used to the position, having done this numerous times before.
A bright flash appears for a split second, before the screen dissolves into smaller fragments, which blink out of existence one at a time. The screen over 7n7’s eye flickers, sending the image for its creator, before returning to normal. The shorter exploiter snickers, already anticipating a response that would probably take a day to come.
Noli waits for a second longer than needed before lifting his head from Seven’s shoulder, though the position was quite comfortable. “Y’kn0w, wh3n 1 d4r3d y0u t0 w34r 4 dr3ss, 1 d1dn’t th1nk y0u’d 4ctu4lly l1k3 1t, fr34k.” An inhumanly smooth hand reaches up to flick the demonic exploiter’s forehead.
Leaning away from the hand, 007n7 scoffs. “It’s not like I’m into it or something, I just look good. Better than you, at least,” he says, unable to resist the easy jab at his friend as they make eye contact again.
“Funny h0w y0u 0nly l00k b3tt3r th4n m3 4s 4 g1rl,” the glitch says, playing along with the teasing. Moments like these were pleasant and familiar, and Noli could always rely on their comforting consistency to lighten the mood.
“Oh please, I could look better than you anytime I wanted, if I actually tried.”
The slight static in Noli’s voice is more noticeable as he hums, “Mhmm... Sur3.”
“Fine, name ONE time you’ve actually looked good.”
Noli pauses for a second to think, black eyes looking upwards. There have been quite a few occasions—mainly during ceremonies and rituals in the Void Cult, but 007n7 doesn’t know about that yet, and there’s no way the glitch is telling him that he runs a cult right now. So, he goes for the second-best option. “S3n10r pr0m.”
“That doesn’t count,” 007n7 immediately says, “That was the only time you’ve ever looked hot.” ... Those last few words do something to Noli that he won’t be acknowledging anytime soon.
“St1ll l00k3d b3tt3r th4n y0u 3v3r h4v3,” the hooded exploiter shrugs, that same smile still stretched across his flat mask of a face as he closes his eyes and relishes in being superior. But 007n7, being the stubborn fool he is, never accepts when he’s wrong. Even when he clearly is.
“Still doesn’t count,” Noli hears, before being flicked on the side of his head. Opening his eyes, Noli blankly stares at his demonic friend, before finally responding, “Wh0 l3t y0u d1ct4t3 wh4t c0unts? 1 th1nk 1t’s f41r g4m3.”
“Because you didn’t make the outfit!” Seven says, using any loophole he can in order to prove he’s right. “You said back then that it was a gift, so you didn’t have anything to do with the design. Anyone would look good if you just put them in a good outfit.”
“L00k1ng g00d 1sn’t just 4b0ut h4v1ng g00d styl3, 1t’s 4b0ut pull1ng 1t 0ff,” Noli counters with a roll of his black eyes, smile shrinking but never truly fading as they bicker pointlessly. The glitch couldn’t force himself to dislike their conversations, even if he wanted to.
“Same thing!”
“N0 1t 1sn’t. Y0u c4n m4k3 4 g00d 0utf1t 4nd l00k b4d 1n 1t, 4nd y0u c4n b3 g1v3n 4 g00d 0utf1t 4nd l00k g00d 1n 1t.”
Instead of receiving a proper response, Noli only gets a loud groan of exasperation from the demonic exploiter, and a whiny grumble. “You’re so annoyiiiiing... I’m hungry,” he complains.
“Y0u’r3 ch4ng1ng th3 t0p1c, 1s wh4t y0u 4r3.” The glitch isn’t an idiot; he’s learned that 007n7 almost never actually admits when he’s wrong. It hardly bothers him, though. He can bask in his victory on his own time.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not hungry.” Seven walks past the hooded exploiter, over to their small eating area. “Do we have any leftovers?”
Noli follows close behind, an inch away from the thin red tail that naturally sways as Seven walks. “S0 y0u 4rgu3 4b0ut wh4t m4k3s s0m30n3 qu4l1fy t0 ‘l00k g00d’ 1n th3 b4thr00m f0r n34rly f1v3 m1nut3s, y0u’r3 pr0v3n wr0ng, 4nd n0w y0u st0p?”
“An answer would be nice.” The demonic exploiter opens the fridge door, his single eye scanning for something good that Noli hadn’t already claimed as his. Stealing would be pretty hard when the person being robbed is literally watching you over your shoulder.
Noli hums for a second, pretending to think about it. He ate the last of 007n7’s steak yesterday. There was nothing to think about other than what poor excuse he should use if questioned further. “W3 d0n’t h4v3 4nyth1ng y0u’d w4nt.”
“Fat#ss,” is all 7n7 has to say to that, already knowing why there wasn’t anything left. “I’m never buying cooked sh#t again; You always eat everything.”
Noli watches from a few feet away as his friend straightens and closes the fridge door, the masked exploiter already pulling his phone out of his pocket to order something. “1t’s h34lth13r wh3n 1t’s c00k3d. 1 d0n’t kn0w h0w y0u 34t r4w m34t w1th0ut thr0w1ng up.”
“C00lgui,” is the only explanation the shorter gives, before dragging himself over to the worn couch and falling onto it. The black dress—which Noli had nearly forgotten about in favor of their argument—was scrunched towards the top of 007n7’s thighs, making him uncomfortably shift to push it back down.
Noli only gets to enjoy- witness the sight for a second, before looking back down to type in the website address in fear of being caught staring. “... 1’m 0rd3r1ng y0u c00k3d f00d 4nyw4ys; th3y d0n’t s3ll r4w m34t.”
“Fine by me, since you’re paying.” The glitch scoffs and glances up in time to see Seven take off his glasses and drop them on their coffee table (one of these days, those lenses are going to shatter), before carefully removing his burger hat and setting it beside them.
The spider noob climbs down the hat and off the table, hurrying off to its web in some hidden corner of the dorm. Noli had made the mistake of searching for the insect’s home to get rid of whatever nest it lived in, but it had just ended up being a waste of his time. The spider noob knew how to hide far too well.
The hooded exploiter’s eyes fall back onto his phone, pausing for a second in order to search his memory for the name of the site. But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a loud yawn from the other, making the glitch look up from the screen for the second time. Black eyes catch a glance of 7n7’s sharp canine teeth, before he closes his mouth again. The C00lgui screen over his eye dims as well, a visual sign of him ‘recharging’.
“4r3 y0u s3r10usly g01ng t0 sl33p r1ght n0w? 1’m l1t3r4lly 4b0ut t0 0rd3r,” Noli complains, mask-eyes staring at 007n7 in bewilderment.
“Not my fault you kept me up all night playing truth-or-dare. Besides, it’s just a nap...” 007n7 slips his brown eye closed, relaxing into the couch, the dress doing nothing to disrupt his comfort.
“Th4t’s 4n 0v3r3x4gg3r4t10n. 1t w4s 0nly 2AM, y0u st4y up th4t l4t3 4ll th3 t1m3.” Upon not receiving a response, he realizes that the shorter is already falling asleep. “Wh- H3Y!”
Noli reaches out a hand to grab and yank the other’s hair, but pauses midway there. Think smarter, not harder, as they say. “Y0ur m4k3up w1ll smudg3 1f y0u sl33p l1k3 th4t. 118o8 w1ll k1ll y0u 1f sh3 f1nds 0ut y0u w4st3d 1t... Plus, 1’ll h4v3 t0 r3d0 1t.”
Just as predicted, that gets 007n7’s attention perfectly. At the mere thought of having to let Noli do his makeup again, the brunette groans loudly in exasperation, before begrudgingly sitting up. Luckily, the blush is hardly smudged. “You hate me,” he grumbles, glaring at the glitch.
“Y34h, n0w t3ll m3 wh4t y0u w4nt.”
“Maybe I would, if you told me where you were ordering from.”
“M4yb3 1 sh0uldn’t g3t y0u 4nyth1ng th3n, 1f y0u’r3 g0nn4 b3 4 b#tch 4b0ut 1t.”
“... Just get me whatever, I usually order the same thing anyways no matter where we go.”
“Y0u c0uld’v3 just s41d th4t.”
The lie of not ordering Seven anything is effective as always, even though the masked exploiter could never starve his best friend like that. But despite this, Noli hears the shorter mutter something under his breath as he places the order for a 14oz steak, and some fried rice for himself. He shouldn’t respond, he should just let the argument die...
“Sp34k up,” the glitch says anyways, shooting the other a knowing look, familiar smile splayed across his mask.
“YOU’RE A DUMB#SS,” 7n7 immediately screams in response, almost certainly garnering the attention of the people next door.
“W000000w,” Noli exaggerates, stretching the word for comedic effect. “1 s41d t0 sp34k up, n0t w4k3 up th3 3nt1r3 c4mpus.”
The demonic exploiter snickers, finding humor in their banter. “Maybe I wouldn’t, if you’d get a hearing aid.”
“1 d0n’t th1nk 1’m g0nn4 f33d y0u 4ft3r th4t 0n3.” The hooded exploiter powers off his phone before tossing it onto the couch right next to 007n7. “4ft3r 4ll, 1’m th3 0n3 p4y1ng.”
“Then I’ll just steal your food,” the other responds, grabbing the purple-cased phone and setting it next to his glasses on the table. Noli watches him then pause for a moment, likely realizing that he’d been relying on the c00lgui to see without knowing, before grabbing the pink-rimmed lenses and effortlessly setting the frame to sit comfortably on his face.
Suppressing a snicker at his friend’s idiocy, the glitch walks over and seats himself next to the demonic exploiter. “G00d luck w1th th4t, 1 0rd3r3d mys3lf r1c3.”
“I could eat rice,” Seven lies.
“Y0u c4n’t d1g3st 1t pr0p3rly, th0ugh.”
“Yeah I can.”
“Y0u t0ld m3 th3 th1rd m0nth 4ft3r w3 m3t th4t y0u w3r3 c4rn1v0r0us b3c4us3 0f th3 C00lgu1.”
“Maybe I lied.”
“1 h4v3 L1T3R4LLY b33n thr0ugh y0ur c0d3.”
007n7 pauses for a second to think of another fake excuse.
“Maybe I fixed the bug. You dunno.”
“M4yb3 y0u’d h4v3 t1m3 t0, 1f y0u d1dn’t d0 stup1d sh#t l1k3 th1s 4ll th3 t1m3,” the hooded exploiter gestures at the black dress.
“... Fair point. Even if you forced me.” 007n7 shifts to sit slightly closer to the other. “Should I start working on it again? I mean, we’ve got time.”
“W3r3n’t y0u 1n th3 m1ddl3 0f 4n0th3r pr0j3ct, th0ugh? L1k3, th3... Wh4t w4s 1t 4g41n... Dud3, y0u n33d t0 st0p st4rt1ng pr0j3cts 0n th3 c00lgu1 4nd f1n1sh th3 0n3s y0u 4lr34dy h4v3.”
“Uuugh, but that’s boooooring... Plus, who needs regeneration anyways? I can just make an invincibility command instead and not have to worry about it. Plus, wouldn’t that be so much cooler?”
“H0w 4b0ut y0u f1x y0ur b0d1ly 1ssu3s f1rst?” Noli scoffs, staring the demonic exploiter in the eye. “4ls0, th4t th1ng’s 34t1ng y0u 4l1v3. M4yb3 y0u sh0uld, 1 d0n’t kn0w, m4k3 sur3 1t d03sn’t k1ll y0u?”
“Pshh, you’re overreacting, Null. I’ve told you, it doesn’t take too much energy, just a couple pounds worth per month. Now c’mon, help me code a repair for my stomach,” the shorter all but demands, motioning for Noli to close those few inches of space so that they can work next to each other. But the glitch isn’t exactly the fondest of the idea. Messing with organ code right before dinner wasn’t the most appealing task. But also, it’s an opportunity to snoop, so—even if only for ulterior motives—the hooded exploiter shifts to sit directly next to 7n7.
“Sent you a link,” is all 007n7 says, before summoning his c00lgui screen and beginning work. Noli just summons his inventory UI with a flick of his wrist, tapping on his laptop icon, before having it appear in his lap. Letting the inventory screen dissolve, the glitch doesn’t even bother hiding the fact that after he opens their DMs and clicks on the link, he almost immediately leaves the folder it had automatically directed him to.
Not even 10 seconds later, though, the hooded exploiter feels an elbow jab at his side. “Jack#ss. Quit reading and help me.” As if that was ever his intention in the first place. There’s no shot he actually does any of the work, because it won’t benefit him.
“Y34h, Y34h, 1 w1ll l4t3r,” Noli lies effortlessly, flicking through and skimming random files about his friend’s physical and mental structure. While he didn’t have editing access to anything other than the temporary permissions that were granted to him, that doesn’t mean the hooded exploiter can’t read all he wants.
007n7 grumbles to himself about the lack of assistance but goes back to work without any further complaints. It’s been over a year since the c00lgui corrupted his stomach, so he’s likely eager to be able to eat other foods without vomiting now that he has the motivation to fix it.
The glitch continues skimming through the files, glancing over Seven’s DNA and genetics folder, until he notices something.
“W41t, y0u’r3 4ctu4lly 4 d3m0n??” Noli asks, black eyes looking over to his friend.
“Yeah?” the shorter responds without looking up, red tail subconsciously twitching as he’s reminded of its existence. “Congratulations on figuring that one out, captain obvious.”
“Dud3, 1 th0ught th0s3 w3r3 just, l1k3, c00lgu1 pr0j3ct10ns 0r s0m3th1ng.”
“Projections aren’t physical, dumb#ss.”
“Th3y c4n b3, m4ybe y0u just m4d3 s0m3 h4lf-d3c3nt c0d3 f0r 0nc3.”
“Wait- if they were projections, wouldn’t they go away when I powered it off? HOW did you think that for so long without questioning anything??”
“1 d0n’t kn0w, 1t just s33ms l1k3 th3 typ3 0f th1ng y0u’d d0!”
“Admins above, you’re an idiot.” 007n7 reaches over and flicks Noli’s forehead again with a sound akin to tapping glass before continuing, “Now can you actually help me code a repair instead of being a lazy jerk?”
The hooded exploiter pretends to think it over for a second. “W3ll n0w 1 d0n’t w4nt t0.”
“You never wanted to in the first place!” the demonic exploiter yells, immediately falling for the obvious bait, which elicits a snicker from the taller. “I swear, if you don’t help me, I’ll uh... Uuh...” Noli can all but see 7n7 trying to think of anything he could blackmail him with. Which, or course, there wasn’t. Noli was too careful to let that happen again.
Unfortunately, before the hooded exploiter could taunt him about it, the phone next to 007n7’s hat lit up with a notification. The food was here. “Well, this argument was pointless,” the brown-haired... Demon says. It was odd to think of 7n7 as anything other than what the masked exploiter knew him as. But he’ll get used to it in a couple weeks, probably.
“So, are you gonna go get the food or not?” the brunette asks, raising an eyebrow. His voice cuts through Noli’s thoughts, bringing him back to reality, and he realizes that he’s just been silently standing there.
“4r3 y0u?” the glitch responds, crossing his arms.
“You literally ordered the food. You’re not pinning your work on me-” The hooded exploiter can’t help but find that slightly hypocritical, but oh well, “-Plus, I’m not going out there in this,” 007n7 says, gesturing at the black dress he’s still in.
“0h y34h. 1 k33p f0rg3tt1ng 4b0ut th4t... 1’m st1ll t4k1ng y0u w1th m3 th0ugh.”
The other barely manages to get a confused ‘huh?’ out before Noli oh-so-kindly grabs Seven’s bare forearm with his porcelain-like hand, yanking him up and dragging him towards the door.
“Wh- heyHEY-” the demonic exploiter yells, scrambling to push himself up and away from the glitch, but to no avail. “LET GO OF ME! YOU CAN’T JUST DO THIS!” 7n7’s heels drag on the ground as he tries and fails to even hinder the other’s walking.
“1f y0u d0n’t st0p, 1’ll just p1ck y0u up, 4nd 1t’ll b3 3v3n w0rs3 f0r y0u,” Noli threatens. “Plus, 1 sp3nt l1k3, tw3nty m1nut3s 0n th4t m4k3up. 1’m n0t l3tt1ng my m4st3rp13c3 g0 uns33n.”
A loud, overdramatic groan comes from the shorter, but 007n7 reluctantly stands properly. His pride is larger than his common sense, but that doesn’t mean he’s stupid. “I look so gay right now. I hate you.”
“Y34h, h4t3 y0u t00, n0w d0n’t m4k3 t00 much 0f 4 sc3n3.” The door to their dorm room clicks open, and the hooded exploiter continues to drag the other along. Noli all but glides across the floor as he walks. He’d look elegant, almost graceful, if it weren't for the loud demon stumbling behind him, tail occasionally twitching up in irritation.
The trip only takes a few minutes. Just down the stairs and back. But 007n7’s complaints of ‘Why did you make me come’ and ‘this is so pointless’ make it seem hours longer. Nobody was even out in the hallways to see them. Eventually, though, once Noli is done fumbling with the lock and opens the door, the demon immediately pushes his way in and collapses over the armrest onto their shared couch.
“S3v, d0n’t s1t l1k3 th4t, 1 c4n s33 up y0ur dr3ss,” the glitch complains as if he actually wants the addressed issue to be fixed. One hand places the key back into his inventory, while the other holds the plastic bags carrying their dinner.
“Pervert. Just quit looking.” 007n7 makes no move to get up, apparently too exhausted from going up and down a singular flight of stairs.
“Dud3, y0u’r3 l1t3r4lly fl4sh1ng m3.”
“Then close your eyes.”
“1 sh0uld 34t y0ur st34k f0r th4t.”
“Fat#ss.”
That comment earns the demonic exploiter something thrown at him. So, not wanting to ruin their newly-bought food, Noli decides to use his free arm to strip himself out of his hoodie and toss it directly at 7n7’s head. It was hot anyways. Or maybe that was just him.
The soft projectile prompts the other to lift his head, before realizing what had just happened as soon as he sees the glitch in nothing but baggy pants and a black undershirt that wasn’t more than a tanktop. “Well now you’re flashing me. We’re even now.”
“4n und3rsh1rt 1s n0t th3 s4m3 4s und3rw34r. Y0u’r3 st1ll d1sgust1ng,” he says, before taking a seat on the far end of the couch and opening one of the containers to check whose food is inside. After tossing a piece of the meat into his mouth, Noli hands the styrofoam to 007n7 wordlessly, who quickly sits up in order to eat next to the other.
“You really are a fat#ss,” 007n7 grumbles halfheartedly, before ripping himself a portion off and practically swallowing it whole. The glitch just snickers, opening the second container, which held his own dinner: An unholy amount of stir fry rice. The taller doesn’t bother responding to the insult, instead grabbing one of the plastic utensils provided, and takes a bite. It was still warm, which wasn’t doing much for his unusually high body temperature, but it was fine. It still tasted good, anyways.
The two eat in comfortable silence for a while, Noli eating like a normal, cultured person, and 007n7 ripping and tearing into the steak like some animal. Noli wishes he had a spray bottle right now... Maybe he should remember that for later. It’d be funny to watch the demon’s reaction to being punished like an animal, since he acts so much like one. Maybe it’d even work.
But despite his disliking of the other’s uncultured consumption, for some reason, Noli’s eyes keep trailing back to his mouth. How he bites and swallows food nearly whole, how his sharp canine teeth sink in and tear the flesh, how his claws grip as if his meal was alive and trying to escape, how he licks his teeth and lips to prevent the blood from dripping...
And on a completely separate note, the white-skinned exploiter wonders what it’d be like to be a steak. That one specifically.
“Dude?” Noli hears, black eyes blinking back to reality only to see 007n7 staring right back at him. He’d been too focused on hyper-analyzing the way his friend ate. “Wh4t?”
“You aren’t getting any more of my food. You haven’t even finished your own!” Thank the Void he misunderstood. Noli is officially the luckiest entity to ever exist right now.
“W3ll, c4n y0u bl4m3 m3?” the glitch asks, shrugging as he takes another bite of his stir fry. He’s never been more grateful for his ability to perform. “Th1s pl4c3 m4k3s th31r f00d g00d.”
“Then why didn’t you just order some for yourself if you want it so bad?” the demonic exploiter says, tearing off another piece and chewing it once before swallowing.
“W3ll, why w0uld 1 d0 th4t, wh3n 1 h4v3 th3 m0st g3n3r0us 4nd k1nd p4rtn3r-1n-cr1m3 r1ght h3r3?” It’s intended to sound fake, to just shift the attention away from the fact he was acting weird.
007n7 amusedly scoffs, a slight smile on his face as he grabs the remaining portion of the large steak, takes a large bite out of it that halves its already low mass, and tosses the meat on top of the taller exploiter’s rice... The glitch hadn’t expected the other to actually give him anything.
“You have to buy me another tomorrow.” ... Of course. Noli should’ve expected the catch. “W3’r3 spl1tt1ng th3 ch3ck,” he demands, accepting the steak by setting it to the side of his plate for later, and taking another bite of his own half-finished food.
“Sounds fine to me. A discount’s a discount,” the demon shrugs, before licking his claws clean of the bloody mess they’d been coated in. It takes an unreasonable effort for the masked exploiter’s eyes to remain on the food.
“... 4ctu4lly, 1 th1nk 1’m full. 1’m g0nn4 g0 t0 b3d 4nd 34t th1s 1n th3 m0rn1ng,” Noli says too quickly, earning an odd look from the other. But he hardly pays it any mind as he closes the styrofoam container and stands, briskly walking to the fridge and opening it, standing there for a second as he pretends to look for a spot to put it. But really, he just needed up and away from his friend for a second. He hadn’t lost his appetite, and in fact, he was even hungrier, just for something other than food... Something he refuses to address. Even the thought alone made him want to curl up in an abandoned building and just stop.
“You good?” he hears 007n7 call from out of view, before yelling back in confirmation. “Y34h, 0ur fr1dg3 1s just full. G1v3 m3 4 s3c0nd, w0n’t y0u?” Luckily, the demon doesn’t respond after that. Good. If he said anything else, the glitch might’ve died on the spot. Oh, Void, why did he suddenly feel like this?! He was fine a couple minutes ago! Even standing in front of an open fridge in a tanktop, he feels so hot and lightheaded. He should probably sit down, but then his friend would pick up on the fact that something’s wrong.
Something is wrong. He doesn’t act like this- doesn't think like this. He doesn’t feel like this. He just... Needs a cold shower. Yeah, that’ll set him straight. Plus, he won’t have to look at Seven. A great idea.
So, without further delay, Noli shoves the container of food into an empty spot and closes the fridge. “1’m g0nn4 sh0w3r b3f0r3 b3d,” he yells out, already walking over to the bathroom. “... Okay? Don’t take too long,” he hears in response, before closing the door. The privacy feels like heaven.
With an exhausted sigh, the glitch leans against the door, already pulling his black tanktop over his head and letting it fall to the floor with a soft sound. The cold air was absolutely divine, and his thoughts were already clearing.
“V01d, wh4t’s g0tt3n 1nt0 m3?..,” he mumbles to himself, reaching over to turn on the shower and set the water to cold. Only after he’s mentally recovered does Noli pull down his pants and boxers, before stepping under the soothing stream. He can’t help but imagine how 007n7 would practically die in a cold shower, with how he prefers the water to be scorching hot... The glitch can’t help but imagine 7n7 in the shower; bare, vulnerable, exposed, wet...
With a groan that sounds akin to violent static, he runs a hand over his face, focuses on the temperature of the water, and blocks out everything else. Cold. Chilling. Apathetic. Uncaring. Perfect for the situation.
Getting comfortable, he can’t help but let his thoughts run again. Why was he suddenly acting like this? How could he make it stop? The sudden burst of feelings was far too sudden to be natural, so what was it?
‘It must be the dress,’ the inhuman thinks to himself. It’s the only thing that’s different. Despite having hardly acknowledged it all day, it has to be the reason. He’s never felt like this before.
‘Or have you?’
The doubt appears before he can block it out... Okay, maybe he was purposefully forgetting a few other times. But that didn’t matter; they were flukes.
They were all flukes. They had to be. This wasn’t him.
...
Noli was supposed to be smarter than this.
He stays there for nearly an hour, calming himself until the feeling is just a nauseating taste in the back of his throat. Manageable.
Turning the water off and drying himself with a towel, the glitch slips back into his clothes, regretting the fact that he didn’t grab a new hoodie to change into. He’ll just grab one when he’s back in their bedroom.
Slowly, his porcelain-like hand turns the doorknob as he steps out. Silent, as usual. 007n7 is likely in bed already, with nothing better to do. Hopefully he fell asleep, so Noli can change in peace. Maintaining his usual grace, the inhuman quietly strides across their dorm, standing in front of the door. Just act normal...
As soon as the glitch opens the door, he hears the demon speak: “Hey Null, what took you so long?”
F##k.
“S0rry 1 4ctu4lly cl34n mys3lf 1nst34d 0f just st4nd1ng und3r th3 w4t3r l1k3 y0u,” he says sarcastically, trying to play it off. Fortunately, 007n7 just scoffs and turns to face the wall, likely too drained for any more conversation. Or just irritated at being called out. Either way, it gives Noli the opportunity to open their small closet and change clothes in a matter of seconds, thankfully without being watched. He picks the same purple hoodie and baggy black pants as always.
But before the glitch can climb into bed, Seven speaks again, more seriously this time. “You’re acting weird. You’ve been acting weird, like, all week. If there’s something wrong, just say it, dude.” The concern is obvious, even if it doesn’t show in the controlled and flat tone of 007n7’s voice as he speaks.
“... Wh4t?” is all Noli manages to get out, freezing up at the accusation. With one knee on the bed, he doesn’t know whether to finish climbing forwards or to move back and remain standing for whatever confrontation this is about to be. After a moment he decides the position is too uncomfortable, and pushes himself onto the mattress, sitting cross-legged.
“Don’t play dumb. You’re stupid, but you’re not a complete idiot.” 007n7 shifts to face the taller, mirroring his position on the other half of the worn bed. The pose pulls the dress up again, but not enough to see under. The brunette’s tone remains composed, but his body is mildly tense, the C00lgui screen over his face glowing faintly as it seemingly scans Noli’s reactions.
“W3ll m4yb3 1’d und3rst4nd wh4t y0u’r3 t4lk1ng 4b0ut 1f y0u 4ctu4lly t0ld m3 1nst34d 0f just s4y1ng 1’m ‘4ct1ng w31rd’.” Oh, Void. It was all over. The impending doom was practically choking him at this point, making it impossible to breathe.
007n7 raises an eyebrow at that but doesn’t hesitate to speak once the C00lgui flickers—likely a record of everything he’s taken note of today. Gaslighting someone with a built-in camera and AI, unsurprisingly, isn’t easy. “Multiple instances of you freezing up and or spacing out, multiple instances of irregular speaking patterns, multiple instances of uncharacteristic acts, multiple ins-”
“0k4y, 0k4y, 1 g3t 1t!” the glitch exclaims, silencing the other. “F1n3, m4yb3 1’m 4ct1ng 4 l1ttl3 0ff, why’r3 y0u m4k1ng such 4 b1g d34l 0ut 0f 1t?” The resulting thud of 7n7’s tail striking the bed made his agitation painfully obvious, if the glare hadn’t already. “So you’re the only one who gets to be worried now?”
“... 3xcus3 m3?” Noli blinks at the other, his confusion evident in both his tone and expression. Unable to suppress the irritation in his tone, he continues, “4nd wh4t’s th4t supp0s3d t0 m34n?”
“It means that you always act like I’m going to die every time I get hurt, but you never even tell me when something’s wrong with you!” Once again, the accusation causes the glitch to freeze up, before he suddenly realizes what the other is referring to and scowls. “D0n’t y0u d4r3 pr3t3nd 1 w4s 0v3rr34ct1ng; y0u w3r3 bl33d1ng 1nt3rn4lly! Th4t’s f4t4l!” The masked exploiter’s voice distorts with emotion, sounding akin to corrupted video footage.
“I coughed up a drop of blood. That is an overreaction. Plus, you know the C00lgui automatically fixes stuff like that,” 007n7 says, crossing his arms. And as soon as the glitch begins to speak up again, he interrupts, “And don’t say anything about the energy sourcing. This is about you, not my coding.”
Noli scoffs and looks away at that, having been predicted all too easily. Lying through his mask-teeth, he mutters loud enough to be audible, “1 w4s g01ng t0 s4y th4t y0ur c0d3 1s t00 unr3l14bl3 t0 trust w1th f4t4l w0unds.” The glitch sees the demon lean forwards and drop his arms to yell, “I said this was about YOU! Stop changing the subject!”
“1’m r1ght h3r3, y0u d0n’t h4v3 t0 scr34m.” He’s being defensive. He knows he’s being defensive. He doesn’t know why, though. It was good that they were talking about this, communication is a good thing in friendships, so why did it feel so bad? Why did it feel so hard to breathe right now?
“Then why won’t you just shut up and listen to me?! I’m trying my best to help you right now, and you’re just-...” He trails off with a snarl, eye locking onto a fold in their bedsheets. Knowing that arguing back will only make things worse, Noli decides to quiet down for now. If his friend needed to talk so badly, he could talk. This would all be over by the morning anyways, so what did it matter?
“... Finally,” the brunette says, his tense form relaxing slightly, before he continues in a lighter tone. “I know I’m probably making this something bigger than it actually is... But something’s off with you. I know you’ve been staying up later than usual, but being tired doesn’t do that. And I’ve...”
Noli tries to listen, truly. It’s not like he doesn’t notice when the other’s voice begins to fade. But he can only do so much when that feeling in his throat expands, spreading like a virus to his mouth, chest, lungs, heart... The feeling is odd, like pressure, and it isn’t familiar. But he needs to pay attention right now, so he snaps himself back into focus before 007n7 can realize he’d spaced out again.
“... But it just doesn’t feel like anything’s changing, and... You’re one of the only people I care about; you know that. I’ve tried so much sh#t to make you feel better, but it just seems like everything’s getting worse. And- I know you don’t hate me, or you’d have said something a while ago, so I...”
The horrible feeling spreads everywhere. From the very bottom of his feet to the top of his head, every cell, every atom practically vibrates with the need to do. His fingers grip the bed sheets, his jaw clenches, and his muscles tense. He needs to act. But he doesn’t know how, or why, or if it’ll make things worse. But as he adjusts to the feeling, the hooded exploiter tunes back in to the 1-sided conversation.
“... If you needed medicine or something for whatever sickness you get, I'd go steal it from a pharmacy or something, you know I would- I'd do anything for you, dude, but it’s been days, and you won’t tell me anything! If there...”
Noli needs to move. To act. To do. He just needs. His perfectly smooth skin—usually devoid of warmth like the freezing vacuum of The Void—burns like hell, and the itching sensation from between his shoulder blades, running down his spine like the touch of a hand, is unbearable. He can’t think clearly anymore, if he even was before. Trembling, the glitch looks back up at the still-rambling demon.
“So why won’t you just let me know how you-?!”
Noli moves without thinking, because he can’t think. He moves so quickly, time cannot pass, and everything freezes in place. In an instant, one hand darts forwards and gently cups his friend’s face, a stark contrast to how his other immediately follows and roughly grips the back of 007n7’s head. Hardly a millisecond passes before the masked exploiter yanks forwards, crashing their faces together with the force of a truck into what resembles a kiss yet cannot be named.
The mask’s mouth opens, but there’s no tongue. Only the brute force of everything shaking and screaming inside of him, desperate to break, to grasp, to shatter, to do anything. His grip doesn’t loosen a fraction, even after the brief moment it takes 007n7 to realize what had happened in that single second. And once he does realize, sharp claws raise, gripping and tearing into the purple fabric of Noli’s hoodie to grab hold, before pulling him impossibly closer with an effort that pales in comparison to the desperation of the masked entity’s movements. Since atoms can never touch, this is surely the closest they will ever be.
Long moments pass, but nobody keeps track. Thirty seconds, forty-five, a minute, two minutes; it all blends together. Time no longer means anything, only the constant pressure and unregistrable pain that comes from said pressure. Noli is only forced to briefly pause—though reluctantly—when 007n7 manages to shove his own head to the side and gasp for breath like a drowning man. But even that doesn’t last.
By the fourth desperate inhale, the glitch has already grown far too impatient, tightening his grip on the other’s hair even further to drag him back down into their embrace.
The utter need is a constant, unrelenting force, pleading for something it has no right to and yet is given anyways. Eyes with no tears beg to produce them, a heart sculpted in stone yearns to bleed, and a cold body made of broken code longs to have heat of its own.
An entity devoid of natural life uses another as a substitute. An intriguing phenomenon, but not an uncommon one.
It is the same as a void absorbing any and everything to fill itself.
...
As the sun rises, Noli groans awake, sprawled out unceremoniously on the worn mattress below him. Lifting a smooth hand to wipe across his flat mask, the glitch shoves himself up with the other porcelain-like appendage. Finding himself alone in the bed, the hooded exploiter cautiously stands on freshly awoken legs, before gliding out of the bedroom.
Once he steps into the main room of the dorm, he spots 007n7 sitting on the couch, a glass of milk sitting on the coffee table. There’s a medium-sized C00lgui screen he’s using to play pong with an AI, claws clicking against its black surface. The demon is also already changed, wearing his normal black T-Shirt and light brown pants, and there’s no trace of the makeup.
For a second, Noli ponders what to do. Should he mention what’d happened last night? It would only be right to apologize. Or maybe 7n7 would prefer if it wasn’t mentioned at all. Maybe they should just... Forget about it. Yeah, that would probably be for the best.
Walking over as the demon raises the cold glass to his face, the glitch states, “W3ll y0u’r3 up 34rly.” With no further comment, he seats himself beside the other, watching closely for a reaction.
“Had a good night’s sleep,” is all the demonic exploiter responds with, not lifting his eyes from the levitating screen as the number on its surface goes up to ‘1042 — 4’. Red claws slowly lower the glass back down, movements uncharacteristically hesitant.
The two sit in silence for a long moment, the situation far too awkward for them both to speak up. Until-
“You must be really desperate for a girlfriend, huh?” 007n7 speaks, finally breaking the tension, and even setting up the perfect agreement to never speak of this situation again.
“... Uh- y34h, 1 gu3ss...,” is all the glitch can mutter, eyes locking onto the new game on the screen. The answer is nowhere near satisfactory for either of them; it would be a disgrace to even compare it to the truth. But what good is truth when it could destroy everything they have? They weren’t built for each other, so it’s not a good idea to strain the duck tape their relationship is built on.
There is no speaking. No perfect solution where they talk everything out and come to an agreement on what to do. There’s just the lingering memory of an emotion that was never supposed to exist, and a quick excuse to cover it up.
“... D0 y0u w4nn4 g0 st34l th3 p3pp3r0n1 st0r4g3 fr0m Bu1ld3r Br0th3r’s?” Noli asks, needing desperately to say something.
In response, there’s no usual ‘I’m down’, or ‘Sure’, nor is there a denial of ‘Nah, I’m too tired’ or ‘I’ve got other plans’. There’s merely a single sentence of:
“I think I’d like that.”
The two arrange a time. A couple hours from then, when the amount of customers was usually at its early peak. Perfect for making a scene, which Noli loved to do when exploiting.
No words are spoken. But maybe, none need to be, and they can sort it out in silence. That, or their rickety tower of tape and rope will fall with a strong breeze.
Only time will tell.