Chapter Text
It should have just been a simple cough. That’s it. That’s all it should’ve been. A simple cough. A cold at best. It shouldn’t last more than a few days. That’s all it should’ve been. It shouldn’t have evolved further.
They coughed. And again. And again. And again. It was similar to choking. It was not pleasant. Spawn, why is coughing so loud? Normally, they’d never break the silence, but this time their body couldn’t help it. At the end of rounds, they sat in perfect silence for a solid minute. It was a little trauma reset. The only time someone would break the silence is if their thoughts led themselves too far. Perhaps a killer said something insensitive. But despite what you may think, this was uncommon. But nobody gets sick. At least, that’s what they all thought. And it was fine for someone to cough during the silence. But this was different. The coughs were loud. Painful. Awkward. Two-Time was fully aware that it was bothersome. So they suppressed the itch in their throat. It was not an easy task. They coughed again. It continued to hurt. Everyone stared at them. “Two-Time, are you alright? You sound ill.” Elliot asked, tilting his head slightly. They laughed and replied “Of course! I must simply be having a…” They trailed off, unable to formulate a valid excuse. “I’m sure it’s nothing, my friends. Now, I think we all have matters to attend to, yes?” Everyone nodded silently, mumbled confirmation flying around the room. “Splendid! Now, shall we be off?” They all stood up and dispersed. Two-Time frantically opened the door of the cabin and stepped outside.
The dark, eternal night sky greeted them with a sharp gust of wind. It was cold, but inviting. They took a seat against the walls of the cabin. The door to Jane Doe’s basement was cracked open, the sound of pen scribbling only audible if you silence yourself. It would have been peaceful if it weren’t for the sharp pain in Two-Time’s chest every time they inhaled. They sat there for a long time, trying to get used to the pain so they could win the next day.
“Two! I need ya!” Called Jane Doe from her basement, pushing the door up. “Oh! Right away my friend!” This was weird. Jane never, and we mean never, let anybody down there. Something was incredibly wrong. And whatever was wrong must have involved Two-Time.
“I need to learn more about you.” Of course. She just wanted to research me, Two-Time thought. Prying into secrets she didn’t have the right to know. When would she ever learn? They silently climbed down the ladder, the sound of impatience echoing throughout the room. “Ah, finally.” Jane said, her voice flat but sharp. If one were to compare her voice to Guest1337’s, you’d say they sounded very similar. Same authoritative tone. Same flatness. But upon further examination, the former soldier had some love in his voice. A small light in the mist. Some hope. But Jane lacked that softness. She could certainly care about you, but you’d never be able to tell. Perhaps it’s because without her John, she had nothing to hold onto. A true shame, They thought, gently clasping their hands together as they sat down in front of her desk. You lost your only love and now have nobody to rely on. A true shame indeed.
But doesn’t that sound a lot like you, Two-Time?
“First question. How did you get here?”
“Same way we all did. I passed away.”
“Not like that. I meant to ask how did you die?”
Two-Time felt their heart sink as Jane asked her stupid little interrogation questions. “I died from the… hanahaki disease. It;s truly no big deal. Best not to worry about it.” Jane raised an eyebrow. “The WHAT disease?” Two-Time sighed. “Hanahaki. It’s triggered by unreciprocated love, causing flowers to be expelled from the lover’s body. More severe causes can include flowers growing from the body and-”
“I’ve heard enough about this disease from you. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of flowers were they?” The question came out harsher than it should’ve. Not that Jane would take it back. She was a busy woman, one who would not bother with making people feel comforted. In hell, there is no comfort. She’d say.
“Deadly nightshades. Why do you ask?” Two-Time said these words slowly, trying to hide the obvious discomfort in their voice. They could hardly stand looking at nightshades. That was their stupid little nickname. They were once Azure’s favorite. But Azure is gone now, and it was all their fault. They pushed that dagger through his heart, twisted it twice, and never looked back. Why should they love the only remnant of the boy they once fell for? It made them sick to look at them.
“You are aware that nightshades are poisonous, yes?” They nodded silently, the itch in their throat becoming unbearable. Oh Spawn, end my suffering, they silently prayed, begging for their god to provide comfort. But wait, they thought. Perhaps I should be grateful. This must be a test! Yes, that’s it, a test. And if I endure long enough, perhaps I shall ascend higher. Spawn is testing my strength, so I can reach them! Oh, how wonderful. Now, I just endure. Thank the Spawn for this opportunity!
“Hello? Earth to Two-Time? I asked a question and would like an answer.” Jane said, growing testy. “Oh! Oh yes. I am absolutely aware of the fact that nightshades can be poisonous. It’s common knowledge for someone who used to have a deep connection with a botanist.” Jane wrote something on her paper. “M’kay. Can you describe this ‘connection’ for me?” Oh heavens no. What was she doing out here trying to dig into Two-Time’s past? Surely that wasn’t a necessary question! It’s none of her business how much Azure meant to me. She has no right to know. She can’t be trusted. She’s a nosy, irrelevant fool. They slightly narrowed their gaze, trying to stay calm.
“Well, me and that person -cough- we -cough- we were lovers.” They coughed again, glancing down at their hand. A petal. Surely this didn’t mean anything. Right? Jane grabbed their hand and took the petal. “Fascinating,” she murmured. “Never in my days did I- wait a second. Botanists, lovers, Hanahaki, it all makes sense! Two-Time! Do you know anything about Azurewrath?” Oh no. She’s getting to them. She’s ripping away the facade, but by bit, flake by flake. The bitter taste of dread filled Two-Time’s mouth. No. NO! Not here! They thought, trying to almost send that message to Jane.
“H-how do you know anything about Azurewrath..?” They asked, as their hands started shaking. “I do my research on all of them. I also found that someone very dear to him took his life before being sent here and- OH! OOOHHHH! THAT’S WHAT THAT MEANS!” Two-Time coughed again. Not the kind of coughing that you make when you need to catch someone’s attention. Not a soft little ‘ahem.’ No, more like choking. Exactly like choking, to be honest. After what felt like an eternity of coughing and trying to inhale, they spat out a single nightshade flower. Their eyes widened as that familiar shade of purple consumed their vision.
“Jane? I-I need to leave. E-excuse me. P-please.” They quickly climbed out of the basement, retreating to the dock. Someone touched their shoulder. It was a touch all too familiar…
It was a touch they hadn’t felt in forever.