Chapter Text
It took much concentration to weave the flowers into his lens cap with no functioning arms. He constantly had to remind itself that that was something meant to be a part of him, something he couldn't stress over. So he didn't. Cammy let his humming get louder and bolder until you could hear it from many feet away.
"What are you doing?" Teddy Bear snapped her fingers to get their attention.
"Accessorizing," they sang in response, getting to their feet. The flowers were secured around their blind eye. He gave her a condescending smile. "I think you may wish to join me. You could really use it."
She grit her teeth together but bit back the reply. Spikey was awkwardly waiting for her a short walk away. She raised two fingers to her eyes and flicked them back at Cammy before heading over to her friend.
Cammy lifted his head and gracefully dragged his feet out the flower patch. While stepping around plants, he heard the mumble of Teddy Bear's voice from a little while away.
"...Damn crazy person."
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" he yelled, snapping back around to glare at her.
"A CRAZY PERSON! THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE!" She bared her teeth. Spikey nervously shuffled behind her before getting out of sight.
"PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU ARE NOT THE CRAZY ONE!" Cammy scoffed. "YOU MARCH AROUND WITH THREATS AND YELLING- IT'S LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE AN OUNCE OF CARE IN YOUR FUZZY LITTLE HEAD!"
"THAT'S NOT-" Her voice faltered, quickly resuming its volume after half a beat. "-NOT AT ALL THE POINT! YOU'RE JUST A MINDLESS-"
"Knock it off." Test Tube suddenly appeared from behind and placed a firm hand on Teddy Bear's shoulder, making her jump. Spikey was by her side. Test Tube sighed and rubbed her eyes, which both held dark circles. "Seriously, I can't believe you're still fighting."
Teddy Bear brushed her hand off with a scowl. "And I can't believe you still think you can stop everybody from fighting."
"Gosh, I think that I oughta try." She forced a short laugh. "The OSC doesn't have time to sort out all the little issues. But little issues can be just as dangerous and unpredictable as the big ones. So please, act civil."
"I will when she does," Cammy spat.
"ACT CIVIL," Test Tube repeated, raising her voice just enough for people nearby to turn their heads. She walked off, still pressing her palms to her eyes.
Cammy shot them each one last look before stalking away. He managed to find an isolated spot just far away enough from the makeshift town where it wasn't a long walk back, but nobody would pay him any mind. Though maybe he ought to have gone farther, as he heard footsteps approach that interrupted his hushed prayers.
"Hey there! Your name is Cammy, yeah?" Suitcase smiled at them.
"Right it is."
"Well, I just heard you've been having some trouble with your fellow contestants, and I..." She stepped over to their side. "...wanted to check in." She tapped her foot on the grass, asking to sit down.
"Oh, go ahead," they sighed.
"You know, there's... nothing wrong with praying," Suitcase said after a moment of sitting in silence. "If it's grounding and it helps you, that's great."
"Ah, thank you," Cammy breathed, a smile forming on his face. "The day Lord MePhone returns, I can rest easy. I'm sure he'll put everyone here in their places."
Her smile dropped. "Did you say MePhone?"
"Oh, yes. Nobody here seems to realize... we are so, so indebted to him."
"Woah, wait..." Suitcase scooted an inch away to look them in the eyes. "You're not 'indebted' to MePhone. He's just a regular guy now."
"He's not 'regular' at all!" Cammy stood up, apalled. "He gave life to all of us! He ought to be treated as such!"
"I'm pretty sure if MePhone was here, he wouldn't agree with that," she laughed quietly.
"How does somebody like you end up in charge of a society?"
Suitcase wordlessly stared back for a moment. Then their heads both turned at more fast approaching footsteps. OJ was jogging up to them, clearly out of breath. He doubled over for a moment to regain his voice, then straightened up and pointed back home.
"Suitcase. We need you. Like, right now," he coughed out, then started running back with no further explanation.
Alarmed, Suitcase started behind him. Cammy began to step forward but frowned at the grass beneath them. Why should he show up to whatever was happening? Falling back into a sit, they returned to their safety.
"I'm really glad Cammy isn't here to see this," Teddy Bear whispered to Spikey with a chuckle.
MePhone3GS gently hugged MePhone4 a little closer to his side until his brother finally regained his voice.
"Hi, guys. Uh..." MePhone4 drummed his fingers against the side of the tray before shakily holding it out. "I... baked cookies?"
"What he likely means to enunciate is that he wanted to see how you were all faring in this new age," MePhone3GS filled in. "I am only here to assist him emotionally, though I would also like to comment that the buildings you have constructed are magnificent!"
"Why, thank you!" Cabby waved from the front of the crowd. "And it is good to see you again, MePhone."
MePhone4 gave a wavering grin at that. MePhone3GS mirrored her with his "it's so good to see you!" (which MePhone4 had heard many, many times in the past year).
"My colleagues should be getting here shortly. In the meantime, would you like me to show you around?" she offered.
"Uh, sure." MePhone4 nodded, trying to keep his eyes on the ground. Almost nobody around him was giving him a look as gracious as Cabby's. That one was angry, that one was confused, that one was disgusted... Following Cabby as she wheeled out the mass of people, everybody cleared a path in her wake. MePhone3GS kept close, which allowed him to relax just a little.
"Would you like me to carry that?" Cabby offered, gesturing to the tray of cookies balanced in his hands.
"Alright."
"They look good!" she commented with a smile, taking it carefully. After a few minutes of her pointing at and naming various buildings, two figures came running up (not just staring, like everybody else).
"Oh! MePhone!" Suitcase blinked at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Are you referring to me or my brother?" MePhone3GS interrupted before MePhone4 could respond.
"I-I meant the other MePhone. Your... 'brother'."
"Oh. Sorry." MePhone3GS nodded to Suitcase.
MePhone4 cleared his throat. "I just... wanted to see how you all were doing. And I, um, learned how to bake cookies. The normal way, not by generating."
On cue, Cabby showed off the tray to Suitcase and OJ with a gentle smile.
"Uh, I'll pass." OJ inhaled sharply. "Not to be the bad guy, but with all due respect I don't know if you should really be here. We're in a bit of a difficult situation, and not everyone here has totally warmed up to you yet. So..."
"Right! I understand!" MePhone4's voice suddenly went frantic and pitched. He started to back away, a strained smile on his face.
MePhone3GS' face dropped. "Brother?"
"I'm gonna go! Actually, I think- I think this really isn't the place for me." He fully turned and started walking back.
"OJ..." Suitcase sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry. Was I too harsh? I just... I mean, Paper hasn't fully gotten over Idiotic Island still, and that was years ago. I don't think there's any hope left for MePhone." OJ shook his head.
"If he just walks off, then there really won't be any hope. It's been a year, OJ!" She glanced at the ground, her eyebrows creasing painfully. "It's not like I'm too fond of him either. But I don't want him to be isolated."
MePhone3GS called out "4!". He was trying his best to catch up, but moving fast was a struggle. Cabby handed OJ the tray of cookies before following. Suitcase shot OJ one last look before doing the same.
There was a ridiculous amount of cookies on the tray. It looked like MePhone had baked them too close together and several got merged as a result. There were enough for at least half of the people here. OJ stayed in place, a small frown still visible while he studied the inexpertly made desserts. His grip on the tray loosened enough for it to clatter to the grass when someone suddenly knocked into him.
"HEY! WHAT'RE YOU..." He picked himself up, blinking at the short figure sprinting past him.
"MePhone, you don't have to leave. Nobody's forcing you to," Cabby reassured him.
"I should leave, though. I don't live here. I don't think I'm really welcome here."
"Listen to me. Do you want to make things right?" Suitcase questioned, standing directly in front of him.
MePhone4 nodded fervently.
"Then stay here and start doing things to make things right. It won't just magically happen, but trying is a start." She gave him an encouraging smile. Slowly, he mirrored it.
"Okay, maybe I-" He abruptly stumbled and stared at his right.
Cammy had thrown themself to the grass just inches away from God.
"LORD MEPHONE! GOODNESS, HOW I'VE MANIFESTED THIS DAY!" They bowed their head.
"I-I- what?"
Cammy moved closer, MePhone4 stepping back in turn.
"I thought there was no hope, genuinely," Cammy sniffled, tears welling in his eyes. "I can't thank you enough for finally coming."
"...Aren't you one of the people who tried to kill me?" MePhone4 finally said.
"Oh." Cammy wobbly stood up. "Please, please forgive me for that, I was a different person at the time, not really myself, I am FULLY myself now though! 'Cammy'! Hehe, I love that name so much and it is all thanks to YOU!"
He continued rambling, the flowers stuffed in his lens cap sweeping over his face to the rhythm of his animated movements. A confused, uncomfortable grimace took over MePhone4's face.
"Uh, Cammy?" Suitcase interjected. "Sorry, could you... give MePhone some space for a little bit?"
Cammy didn't pay her any attention. "Tell me, is there anything I can do for you now that you're here?"
"Yeah. Can you do what Suitcase said...?" MePhone4 fixed his eyes somewhere away from theirs.
"Oh." He backed up. "If you wish."
Cammy watched them walk off. MePhone3GS was engaging the OSC into a deep conversation about the city's structure. MePhone4 was adding nothing, but he wore a soft smile. Cammy found himself beaming back.
Their flowers were to flourish once more.