Chapter Text
Two Time clutched the phone in their hand tightly. To supposedly “add a new, exciting variable” to this purgatory, the mysterious force locking them and their allies up here had gifted them all phones.
How hospitable, they found themself thinking half-sarcastically in the moment. Upon closer inspection, they even had SIM cards, so they could actually contact the others as needed. Occasionally, in their community, they found long-forgotten phones lying on the outskirts of the forest, or traded among the other disciples, but never with any communication capabilities. They could have never imagined finding such a perfectly-functional object in their life, let alone getting to keep it and not have to share it with anyone like they would’ve had to do back in their community.
Safe to say, they were excited by this development.
A vibration came from their hands, practically making their bones buzz as well with how tightly they gripped their phone. Two Time rocked in place where they sat on their bed, the pained creaks from the mattress reminding them to stop. A red dot sat in the corner of the messaging app, the only app on their home screen. One new message, a notification read at the top of their view, the pixels fizzling back into the colors of their wallpaper after a few seconds passed.
One whole new message! Goodness, what a miracle. Even if they didn’t respond to the message, which they usually did in group chats, they found great joy in witnessing whatever antics the others were up to. Their mattress creaked again, and they forced themself to stop kicking their legs.
FORSAKEN’D PEOPLES (circa 11/11/XXXX)
noob: I miss my ddr machine. :’(
PIZZAPIZZA!!: yeah I miss it too
PIZZAPIZZA!!: who keeps changing my name.
noob: not me ;;;)
PIZZAPIZZA!!: this is not my name.
PIZZAPIZZA!!: people.
RNGlegend: what!! You guyss don’t like the pool table??
RNGlegend: or the foosball table??
RNGlegend: or even the slot machines??????
RNGlegend: all the things I do for you fellas… and you’re never satisfied…
BuilderMan: Just so we’re clear, you know I built those things, right
RNGlegend: FINE, I see how it is
PIZZAPIZZA!!: I didn’t
PIZZAPIZZA!!: I didn’t say anything
noob: it’s not the same D:
RNGlegend: cmon children, take pity on me, a single mother of three. enjoy the ddr machine we have at home
V33RONICA: 1 QUITE ENJOY THE DDR MACHIN3 AT HOME!!! ^_^
noob: hii v!!
RNGlegend: thank you fellow legend
GOATsentinel: I never knew you had children, Chance.
RNGlegend: I’m just full of surprises what can I say
PIZZAPIZZA!!: not good ones
RNGlegend: uhh yes good ones
RNGlegend: like the McDonalds happy meals I’m bringing homeeee!!!
GOATsentinel: oh?
noob: whaaattttt :o
RNGlegend: yeah baby. we got them. fresh from the killer’s side of the forest. right here. right now. steaming hot and ready to rumble
PIZZAPIZZA!!: an inferior food establishment,
PIZZAPIZZA!!: but I’ll accept it over another week of pizza for all 3 meals
GOATsentinel: Agreed.
BuilderMan: I find McDonalds to be a perfectly acceptable place to eat.
PIZZAPIZZA!!: no shameless advertisement for “Builder” Brothers Pizza huh
BANNEDfrompizzapizza: By any chance did you drop one off for coolkidd and his friends while you were there
V33RONICA: O_O W3RE YOU HERE THIS WHOLE TIME?
RNGlegend: oh yeah I forgot about that
BANNEDfrompizzapizza: Could you? I’ll pay you back sometime I promise, it’s just that Happy Meals were his favorite…
RNGlegend: hey man only I can do the ominous ellipsis! Ill hop on it right now so don’t sweat it
RNGlegend: well. After I get Lady Luck’s permission of course
noob:
— — — You have one (1) unread message(s) — — —
RNGlegend: oh yeah @TT @Shed @noob did you want me to pass on any messages to the killers while Im over there
Two Time’s smile faded just a little.
Right. Everyone knew about their connection to a certain killer ever since that fateful round had taken place a month ago. Azure’s existence was confirmed, and Two Time was a bumbling fool for the rest of the round after seeing him and being met with… Their eyebrow twitches and they shake their head a little more violently than necessary. They really shouldn’t be reflecting back on that right now. They don’t want to. It’s humiliating to be sent reeling with regret and flashbacks and shame and a million other things every time they even think about him.
Just the implication of him has them like this. They place their phone face down on the bed and bury their face in their hands. Pathetic. Embarrassing.
But, underneath it all, something warm slowly blossoms in them. Despite the meeting going against all their hopes (namely Azure greeting them with venom and subtle fear in his voice rather than a warm welcome back into his arms, but perhaps that was more than far-fetched considering everything), despite it all, they were happy that he was alive. Just knowing he was out there, living, even if it wasn’t by their side like they had always dreamed, filled them with immense relief. Even if there was some disappointment with how all of this had turned out, it was leagues better than the alternative.
(The alternative that Two Time, as embarrassing as it was to admit, entertained for some time before that round, because what else were they meant to do? The monotonous routines and the ever-grey sky of this place didn’t give away any sense of time, but it felt like it had been something like years since they first arrived. This whole time, they had to live a life, or more fittingly an afterlife, without their closest friend, pretending like his absence didn’t manifest itself like a loud silence in every corner of their mind. What were they meant to do when their lord, The Spawn, didn’t seem to communicate with them or guide them in any way. What else could they believe?)
It didn’t matter anymore, all that they had imagined about his fate didn’t matter, because now he was safe. Now he was full of life and even given a new form for his cooperation with The Spawn’s will. And he was doing better. Better than he could have done in life, without The Spawn’s blessing. Better than if he stayed with them.
Something like pain festered in their chest, right where their heart should be, but it didn’t matter. It was true.
Unconsciously, their hand went to grab their phone and tap out a response.
TT: Tell him I’m glad he’s alive.
They stared at the screen blankly for a while and then, without thinking too much about it, sent it.
They didn’t feel anything about their decision, or how Azure might react. They didn’t think of anything at all. They certainly didn’t register the sudden influx of responses their reply sparked. All they saw were blurs of light, colors drifting across their vision that never settled in one place for too long. Like the stars in the night sky. They only ever stargazed when they wanted to avoid something, so somewhere in their head, they knew it meant there was bustling activity happening somewhere distant, without them. The thought of it made them tired.
So they laid their phone back down. The buzz of notifications against their mattress blended with the hum of white noise ringing in their ears. Their hazy vision wandered over their room and eventually landed on the shrine they had constructed in the center of their room. Symbols of The Lord Spawn were carved into the wooden floor, circling around in a spiral towards the center, placed purposefully to indicate where candles should be placed for prayers. Prayers…
I haven’t done my prayers for today.
They sat up. They were so forgetful. They’ve been so forgetful this month. They’ll make it up to The Spawn, as His vessel, by giving extra to this prayer.
TT: Tell him I’m glad he’s alive.
noob: oh you don’t need to spread any messages on my behalf but thx for asking!!!
noob: TIME??????????????????
RNGlegend: ?????
RNGlegend: that’s suspicious
noob: I hope this doesn’t mean what I think it means
PIZZAPIZZA!!: why is every message they send here the most concerning thing they could say
noob: 2time
noob: two time
noob: @TT ??
noob: my favorite they/them????
RNGlegend: bro 🥀
noob: @TT dms pleas
💥: IF YOU NEED TO BREAK DOWN ANY DOORS YOU KNOW WHO TO CALL
noob: thank you taph :)
💥: OR ILL BREAK THE DOOR MYSELF
BuilderMan: Unfortunately, wouldn’t be the first time
💥: WELL LAST TIME WAS MY OWN DOOR CAUSE I FORGOT MY KEYS
💥: THIS TIME ITS SOMEONE ELSES DOOR I CANT JUST DO THAT WITHOUT WARNING
BuilderMan: I suppose that’s better than your philosophy pre-Banland.
BuilderMan: @Shed I’m sure you’ll be interested in commenting here?
Shed: you better not man, just in general
Shed: ill make you fill out that paperwork yourself
Shed: oh yeah
Shed: @RNGlegend tell 1x to stop targeting me ok that’s all
Shed: also chance as always let me know if you find a KFC on one of your adventures thankkss
RNGlegend: bro I swear you already have your own fried chicken dealer I really don’t know why you’re asking me
V33RONICA: ^^^^^ !!!
BuilderMan: Only sometimes, apparently. Not sure how it works
Shed: yeah
Shed: not KFC quality either :(
PIZZAPIZZA!!: @noob are they
Shed: mad ripoff
PIZZAPIZZA!!: like
noob: ill dm u