Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

… … … It's so cold.

Where am I? 

"Spamton."

His head rose at the mention of his name, allowing his eyes to open. He saw nothing but white all around him. He was covered in snow as those cold flakes swirled around him in a flurry. He got up to his feet and quickly wrapped his arms around himself to retain some sort of heat. He wasn't wearing any warm jacket or sweater, causing him to shake from the cold. 

His eyes scanned his surroundings, but could not find anything through the snowstorm. That was until a dark shape slowly approached, features completely hidden in the blizzard. 

"... Who…?"

"There you are, Spamton."

"... … … … M-mike?" He recognised that voice. It wasn't easy. It had been a long time since he last heard it, but he could never forget it.

"Yes. It's me. I've been looking for you. But to find you like this… frozen, struggling and alone. I knew you'd end up like this if I left you on your own."

He just stared at the figure, no energy to respond back or give any sort of reaction. Even if he did, he wouldn't know what to say. What do you say to someone like that after years of no contact?

"You will die out here… if I don't do something about it. How lucky you are that I came to your aid."

Aid? Was Mike… going to get him out of the cold? Take him somewhere warm? 

Spamton hated the cold. It was the worst thing he could experience… normally. It just reminded him of solitude and hopelessness. Of being unloved and despised by the world itself. Of having to sleep in a drafty, wet, hard dumpster. He would give anything to get out of the freezing snow. Anything to be heated up again. And Mike was going to help him…

"Come here, Spamton. Take my hand and I'll assist you someplace less chilly. You seem to be struggling a bit."

Yes please. Anything but the snow. Please take me somewhere safe and warm. 

"Of course. You'd die without me. I can't let that happen…"

The puppet saw a hand slowly reach out to him, offering him some help. He would really appreciate some help. He wouldn't be able to get out of there alive without Mike's help. So, with a shaky hand, he reached out to meet his. So he could take him away from there. So he wouldn't die.

"Spamton! There you are!"

His hand stopped in the motion, recoiling slightly as he heard another voice calling out. He turned around to face the sound, spotting Swatch jogging over to him, wearing a big, cozy looking jacket.

"Spamton! What are you doing here? Sky has been waiting for you to watch them make a snowman! You can't just disappear like that."

"... … [A]! APOLOGIES, SWATCH! I JUST GOT [lost in the sauce]!"

"Oh my god! Why aren't you wearing a winter jacket?! You're going to catch a cold! Here. Take mine while we head back. Click has some nice hot tea waiting for you" they fussed over him as they kneeled down, removed their jacket and wrapped it around the little Addison. He was positively consumed in the puffy fabric. It was already warm from Swatch's body heat. It felt so nice.

"... Thanks, Swatches."

They just smiled and took his hand, walking him back towards the rest of the group. He had completely forgotten about Mike at that point. He doesn't even remember having seen him. Because he didn't care. He just cared about that nice warmth surrounding him.

*~*~*

"PAPA PAPA PAPA PAPA PAPA PAPA PAPA PAPA!!!"

Spamton groaned as he heard a shrill voice shouting at him, right into his ear. He rolled over and pulled his pillow over his face. 

"PAPA! YOU SAID YOU'D GET UP EARLY TODAY SO WE CAN PLAY!!! WAKE UP!!!"

He then felt something jumping onto his back, making him yelp in pain and huff harshly from the air getting knocked out of him. 

"ALRIGHT!!! [Cease and desist], SKY!!! IM UP!!! I'M [up sizing]!!!"

"Good!" They said cheerfully and climbed off his back, running over to the door where Swatch was waiting for them. They beamed at the kid and petted their head. "Good job, Sky! You are more effective than any alarm clock. As promised-" they then held out a small piece of candy. Sky snatched it and immediately ate it, looking really pleased with themselves.

Spam sighed and sat up, crossing his arms in a sarcastically annoyed fashion. "YOU [bribery is illegal] SKY AGAINST ME? [Seriousness]?"

"You really need to get up earlier. You've been sleeping in too much and I don't want to buy an alarm clock. This is much better in my opinion."

He threw his head back and groaned loudly. He had to concede to them, mostly because he didn't want to upset Sky. Damn him and his love for that child.

But, still, he got out of bed and stretched his joints. He was about to get a new outfit to change into, but Swatch was on top of it and handed him a stack of clothes. They smiled down at him before standing back up straight. 

"There you go. Breakfast is downstairs. We're having yogurt with mixed berries."

"[Fancy pants]."

"I'd hardly call that fancy. Just more nutritious than that cereal you keep buying."

"H3Y! [Hunny] IS HEALTHY!"

"Not when it's also sugar coated."

Spamton rolled his eyes before getting himself dressed. Swatch left the room to give him privacy, leaving him and Sky alone. The kid turned to their dad and grinned brightly. "Sooooo… are you going to take me out today like you promised?"

"I DID?"

"YES!!! Yesterday it was raining, so you PROMISED we'd do it today!"

He sighed and rubbed his head, feeling like he was too tired to explain the difference between 'Maybe' and 'I promise'. So he just gave in and muttered, "ALRIGHT, KIDDO."

Sky cheered in joy and immediately ran out the room to, most likely, tell all the Swatchlings the good news. He chuckled to himself and zipped up his hoodie, heading out the room for some well earned breakfast. 

"Good morning, Spamton!" A yellow Swatchling greeted him cheerfully, getting a tired wave in response. And that exact thing happened about fifteen more times with all the Swatchlings of the rainbow before he reached the kitchen. He saw Sky there, sitting by the table and wolfing down their breakfast, clearly in a hurry to get out of the house. He just grinned and walked over to join them.

"Spam! I just received a call from Flash! She was wondering if you would like to join her and Click for an outing to Cyber field. Said she wanted to take a break from work."

Spamton turned to Swatch in the kitchen doorway, holding a phone that they were covering with one wing. He sighed heavily and leaned his head back, realizing that the world had determined that he was going out today, whether he wanted to or not. "UUUUUUUUUUUGH… YEAH. ALRIGHT."

"Great. He said- … oh! Yeah. I guess it was pretty loud… heh! I suppose! … Alright! I'll see you soon!" They then hung up and looked over to the ad. "You didn't need to groan like that. It wasn't very nice."

"[Take a bite of] ME!"

"Are we going on a field trip with Flash and Click?!" Sky exclaimed, excitedly standing up in their seat. 

"YES. SO YOU [bigger and better than ever] F1NISH YOUR FO OD!"

Sky beamed and immediately lifted the bowl to their face, inhaling their breakfast at breakneck speed. Swatch squawked and rushed over, telling them off and making them slow down before they made a mess. Spamton just watched in amusement as he took his time finishing his portion. Meanwhile, he tried to remember what he had been dreaming before Sky woke him. He had a vague memory of snow and walking with Swatch, wearing their jacket.

Must have been a nice dream at least.

*~*~*

"But it was made before monsters were integrated into human society. You've got to give it some leeway!"

"No. I get that! It's a classic or whatever! But just because it's old doesn't mean the themes are any less controversial! Like, they're still making adaptations of the story to this day! And they never thought to change Beast's character at least a little?!"

"The point is that he was shunned from society until Belle showed up! Who wouldn't be aggressive and socially awkward from that?"

"But the fact that the only monster in the movie was depicted as and literally called Beast? A little racist if you ask me!"

"Well at least the recent movie had a monster in the role of Beast. Gorou Bleck is an amazing actor!"

"Sure. But I still think Shrek did the concept more justice than Beauty and the Beast."

"COULD YOU TWO [stop drop and roll] FOR [5 minute energy!]? YOU"VE DISCUSSED THE [problematic themes] OF [Beauty and the Beast HD on DVD] 4 THE ENTIRE TRIP!" Spamton groaned loudly as he turned around towards Click and Flash, having their conversation interrupted so rudely.

"I'm sorry! I just don't like racism in my movies! My bad!" Flash said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"How can you call a critically acclaimed movie trash when you love to watch universally lambasted movies that barely get one star?" Click asked and crossed their arms, pouting at the yellow ad.

"Hey! The Room is a masterpiece!"

Spamton groaned loudly and just walked faster, trying to gain some distance from their pointless and nonsensical arguing. He looked down at Sky and smiled brightly, seeing them holding his hand while taking everything in. It was their first time going so far from home, so it was a given that they would be curious.

There wasn't really much. Cyber field was a rather large and empty area of the Cyber world. Not even that many darkners would hang out there. They did see a few, but luckily none of them paid attention to Spamton or the child. 

When Spamton found himself in a particularly empty area with loads of room to run around in, he let out a huff of relief and put the bag he had been carrying down. It seemed like a very secluded spot too, so that just gave them more privacy for their outing.

"ALRIGHT!!! [X MARKS THE SPOT!]!!!" He announced loudly and started bringing out the picnic blanket. Flash and Click hurried over to him and looked around.

"This seems… like a nice place" The pink salesperson said as they held their backpack to their chest.

Flash marched over a fell right onto the blanket before Spamton finished unfolding it. 

"Yeap! Perfect place to relax away from all the loud noise and obnoxious people!"

Spam gave her a hard shove off the blanket and continued setting it up. She chuckled and grinned at him. Click walked over to Sky and smiled at them brightly. 

"What do you think, Sky?"

"Mmm… it's… boring. Where is all the cool stuff?" They asked and started turning around, looking for something noteworthy about the location.

"Ah- ha ha ha! The 'cool' thing about this place is that it's empty and quiet. It's the perfect place to relax and do a little bit of whatever."

"Whaaaaat?! You mean there's nothing here?!"

"Yep!"

Sky looked utterly betrayed by the revelation. They had expected the most awesome place ever, not some dumb field!

But Click just laughed and kneeled down to pat their head. "Hey now! It's not so bad. There's plenty of room for activities and no one to bother us! Doesn't that sound nice? It's perfect for teaching you about battles!"

Spamton shot up like a bullet and snapped his neck around towards them.

"WHAT?!? NO! YOU ARE NOT GO   ING TO DR4AG MY KID. INTO A BATTLE!!!"

"Calm down, Spammy. I'm not going to fight them! That's ridiculous!"

Click started laughing at his immediate defensive reaction, finding it kinda cute how protective he was. Then they reached into their bag and pulled out a revolver.

"I'm just going to teach them how to use a weapon!"

That had him sprinting over and picking up Sky in less than a second, holding them away from the gun in question. 

"ARE YOU [coo-coo for Coco puffs]?!?! YOU CAN'T GIVE A [unaccompanied minor] A GUN!!!"

"Why not? I learnt how to fight when I was still as tall as you! I'm sure starting early wouldn't hurt!" Click said and looked at him with a pout.

"THEY ARE BARELY [8 pack] Y/O!!! TH3Y ARE [negatively] GOING [diners near you] A WEAPON!!!"

"They're gonna have to learn how to defend themselves sooner or later. It's better to start early in case they get lost. A lightner is going to be the subject of a lot of encounters."

"YOU JUST WANT TO [product showcase] YOUR [geek culture] GUN!!!"

Click huffed and crossed their arms, glaring at him grumpily.

"[And so much more!!!], I F WE WERE TO TRAIN THEM, ID MUCH RATHER SHOW HOW TO [press ESC on your keyboard] THAN-"

"BABY~!!! BABY SKY~!!!"

The sound of someone suddenly shouting had all of them freezing up in fear. Spamton hugged Sky to his chest before spinning around towards the sound. So did the other ads.

Running towards them with their arms flailing in the air, was a green robot. They looked very excited as they approached the group. 

Spamton loosened his grip on Sky and let out a tense puff of air. He recognised that robot. It was a long time ago, but he still remembers it like it was yesterday. The three shopkeepers who let him stay over during the acid rain incident.

"Hiiiiiii~! It's been so long!" The CD player cheered and kept running over, making Sky look confused. Who was this person and how did they know their name?

"Y-y-y-you… you know them?" Click asked Spamton nervously. He turned slightly red and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed for some reason. He wasn't sure why exactly.

"Yo! K_K! You can't just dip without a word! We thought you fell off!" Another voice called out as two more robots started walking over towards them.

"You dropped your ska bagel!" The other one said and held the bagel up in the air.

"Think that's for the best."

"Will you lay off the ska for a second?!"

"Sweet! Cap'n! Look!" K_K said and motioned towards Sky, like they were a celebrity.

"Excuse you! Who are you people?! Step back from our kid!" Flash demanded angrily as she summoned a euro symbol, ready to attack.

"Your kid?" Cap'n asked and tilted his head confused. 

"H. EY [fellow entrepreneurs]! L-L-LONG TIME [I can't see!]!" Spamton came over, trying to defuse the situation. 

"Hey! It's you! The guy who stayed during that rainstorm! Glad to see you're doing well!" Sweet said with a cheerful tone. He was surprised that any of them remembered him. 

"And glad to see you got some new drip-OW!" Cap'n commented until he was punched in the shoulder by Sweet. "Ignore him. But anyways, it's crazy meeting again after so long!"

"Um… papa. Who are these people?" Sky asked and looked up at their father. K_K quickly looked saddened by the question, pouting and slouching. "UM… THEY… [assisted living facilities] ME ONES. YOU WERE [XXS] AT THAT [place and time]."

"Yeah! You were super tiny then! Like… almost Sweet's height!" Cap'n added on, making his friend turn towards him and give a really nasty glare. "But look at you now! Caught up with him real-" he was cut off by the square robot, pouncing him and starting to wrestle him out of frustration. Sky started giggling at them, joined by Click soon after.

"Well thanks for being nice to papa! Not like all the other meanies!" They huffed and turned towards K_K, who was watching them curiously. "A lot of people were butts to him before."

"Oh no! That's not good. Are these people nice to you?" They asked and looked at Click and Flash. Flash was offended, putting her fists on her hips. "Uh- YEAH! Of course! They're my bro's kid! And who are you people to be asking that?!"

"Oh! I'm K_K! The speaker is Sweet and the radio is Cap'n! We're Sweet Cap'n Cakes!"

"... Where did the cakes come from?" Click asked.

"K_K is short for Cakes."

"ANY[way to go!]! NICE TO [eye] U AGAIN! BUT… WE WERE HAVING A [family outing], SOOO OO…" Spamton butted in, trying to get these guys to leave so he wouldn't have to deal with all the awkward small talk. They were nice, but he found them kind of odd. He'd rather just hang out with his friends and child without some weirdos interrupting.

"Come on, Spamton! It's alright. They just wanted to say hi!" Click chuckled as they saw K_K separate their friends, holding them by the scruff of their shirts.

"No. I'm with Spams" Flash grumbled and sat back down on the blanket, pulling down her sunglasses over her eyes.

"Hmf! You guys are so anti-social. Should be a little nicer to people who helped you when you needed it. I'm sorry. Don't mind them. They just like to have their privacy. My name is Click!" They walked over to the group and introduced themselves, extending a hand to them. 

Cap'n straightened his cap once he was back on the ground, walking over to Click and taking their hand. He then lowered his shades and smirked at them. "Hello, mademoiselle~. The name is Cap'n. Pleasure to meet a pretty lady like you~." He then winked. Click started blushing like mad, turning their head away and stuttering nervously.

"HEY ASS HAT! CLICK IS NON-BINARY!" Flash shouted in an irritated tone, clearly not happy with the misgendering. He gulped and turned slightly red too, turning back to Click with an awkward smile. "Ah! Well… guess I sh-should say… THEY-DY then! H-ha ha!" He gave them finger guns, very much dying inside from the mistake. Sweet groaned and facepalmed, shaking his head at him.

"... … … Oh! Ha ha ha ha! I get it! They-dy! That's really funny! Hahahaha! Good one!" Click just laughed and grinned. Lucky for Cap that that pun was a hit.

"SERI0USLY, CLICK? THAT WAS [laugh track]??" Spamton asked and crossed his arms, giving them an incredulous raised brow. "It was cute! It's a non-binary thing. You wouldn't get it" they dismissed him and kept giggling at the joke. 

Cap'n just stared at them with a flustered smile, until Sweet elbowed him back to reality. "Stop fawning! You're embarrassing us!" The radio just responded by covering his face and groaning softly.

"... … … Hey. Where did Sky go?" K_K asked and looked around, gaining everyone's attention. Spamton darted his head around, scanning the area for his child. When he couldn't find them, he immediately panicked. "SKY!? SKY!?!" He yelled.

"Damn it! They must have wandered off!" Flash groaned and got up, joining Spamton's side. Click gasped and looked in all the possible directions Sky could have gone towards. There were a couple of paths around, too many. They could have gone anywhere!

"SKY!!! SKY!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?" Spamton screamed at the top of his lungs. Sweet ran over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! Chill out! We'll help you look! We got a hovering turntable, so we can get a good vantage point."

"Yeah! We can fly around and look for them while you walk around and look!" K_K added in. He looked over at the three, feeling huge relief from the offer. He accepted it immediately and watched them run off towards their transportation. Meanwhile, the Addisons decided to split up and search for Sky.

*~*~*

"Ugh! There's nothing here! Why do Click and Flash and papa want to hang out here? It's so boring!" Sky complained as they wandered down the path. They were getting restless just standing and listening to the adults talk. They wanted to play! Or at least do something.

But there was nothing to do here! Just a bunch of green and circuit boards. It was starting to get annoying. 

But, after a long while of walking, they found a very narrow path, hidden behind some windows. They walked over and made their way through, curious to see where it led. It was getting darker the further they walked, the path never really opening up to a new area. They were starting to wonder if they should turn back, when they spotted something. 

They saw a faint glow, like an aura radiating from one point. They soon emerged into a tiny clearing, so small and secluded. It was clearly a dead end. But there was something there, lying on the ground.

Sky approached and saw the glow fading as they got closer, as if the light was only there to gain their attention. When they were right next to it, they got onto their knees to take a look at what they found.

On the ground were two things. The first were a pair of earrings, looking like four leaf clovers. The second was an old-timey gun, like the ones Click's cowboy figures would have. 

Sky was looking at them in awe, feeling something… strange as they stared. They had an energy about them. An energy of… nostalgia. Or familiarity. They just felt… like it belonged to them. It was theirs. 

"Uee hee hee~. No need to rush, rush. Fate and you are not ready to brush."

They remembered something. Something from a couple of nights ago, in their dreams.

"But you keep talking about this thing that's mine! Why can't I find it if it's mine?!"

"Little justice… you do not need to find it. It will find you, you. You do not need your weapon right now. But you are linked by fate, by soul, by vow. The day, day you need it, it will fall into your hand. Maybe then you may be ready to take a stand."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Muah HAH! Of course not, not! How can anyone be sure? Unless you believe in fate, fate. But I find that kind of order to be such a bore!"

"You make no sense, Jevil. But… I feel like you do it on purpose."

"Mayyyyyybe~"

Their weapon. The one Jevil told them about. Is this… their weapon? It had to be. Why else would they feel this… connection to it? But… maybe it isn't. Or maybe it's not time for them to have it. They might not be ready.

…

…

…

(Sky got the Old Gun.)

(Old Gun was added to Sky's WEAPONs.)

They then picked up the earrings and looked at them, feeling kinda sad that they couldn't wear them since they didn't have pierced ears.

(Sky got the Lucky Earrings.)

(Lucky Earrings were added to Sky's ARMORs.)

"... … … … …" This all felt so strange. It was like they just stumbled onto something very important. Something they probably shouldn't be touching. But… it was theirs, right? They shouldn't feel bad about taking something they own, right?

Looking back, they felt as though they should be going back to papa and the rest. They might get worried about them. They didn't mean to wander off so far. 

Sky got back up and started heading back, feeling really guilty and nervous.

*~*~*

"FLASH! HAVE YOU [look at the clouds]?!" Spamton ran over to his friend, who was leaning against her knees and panting heavily. She put up a finger, clearly out of breath. "N… no! I haven't!"

He groaned and wrung his hands anxiously, praying that Click or those robots found them. He was starting to freak out. His ears were ringing quietly with slight static. It was really scaring him.

"SPAMTON! SPAMTON!" Click shouted as they were running over, holding Sky's hand. The other three darkners were flying just above, slowly lowering down to the ground. As soon as Spamton spotted Sky, he breathed a huge sigh of relief and held his chest. 

"We spotted them a bit away from here! Click was nearby too!" Sweet said and hopped off. Click chimed in with, "They alerted me about it. Wouldn't have found them otherwise."

He walked over to Sky and hugged onto them tightly, not saying anything for the longest time. He just held them and huffed softly. They looked so guilty, tears forming in their eyes as they hugged him back. "… … I'm sorry, papa. I was a dummy. I'm so sorry."

"... … … … Just never do that again. Please."

"... I-I'm sorry." They started crying, gripping onto him and burying their face in his shoulder. 

*~*~*

Back home, Swatch was very concerned with the sad looks on Spam's and Sky's faces. The kid admitted what they had done to Swatch, which they had a lot to say about. 

It all ended up with Sky getting grounded, which they accepted without any objections. The butler was almost worried about how they were acting, so guilty and gloomy. But at least it meant they were learning their lesson.

Later that night, they were still in their room, curled up in their armchair and crying quietly. Everything that happened just felt so heavy and real. It was like all their native disappeared for a moment and they realized how serious what they did was. 

But they were pulled out of their thoughts by a knock on the door. They sniffled and cleared their eyes before mumbling, "C-come in…"

Spamton opened and walked inside, walking over and standing in front of the armchair. Sky looked at him sadly before turning away. 

"... Sky. Is everyth1ng [hunky dory]? U have never [in my life!] be>en this [hush-hush]."

"I did something bad. I deserve this."

"Angel… [yes]. You need to learn, but… you don't have to [let the milk go sour]. You [sincerest apologies] and add,mitted it to Swatch. You can't [kick! punch!] yourself up over it. We all do baad things some tims. You gotta forgive yourself and move on, because… you cant live life while holding onto every mistake you make."

They peeked over their shoulder at him, tears visibly growing in the corner of their eyes. The puppet sighed and leaned in, giving his child a big hug while rubbing their arm. They just nuzzled against him, muttering something unintelligible. He huffed and sat down beside them, pulling them onto his lap.

"It's ok. I love you. You're a good kid, even if you make mistakes. You're still so young. You are allowed to make bad choices, as long as you learn. I love you, sweetheart."

Sky just hiccuped and wrapped their arms around him, feeling a little better as he soothed them. He almost never got mad at them. He would scold them, but rarely would it be very harsh. A stern talking to at most. 

He was such a nice and great dad. They couldn't have asked for a better papa. How lucky were they to have been found by him? 

"I love you too, papa."

Chapter Text

"Ok. So, um… oh! I know! When I was younger, I had a short obsession with learning how to play the piano!" 

Spamton's expression turned shocked as he stopped writing in his notebook. He looked towards them with amused surprise. "YOU USED TO [easy keyboard tutorial]?? ? SERIOUSLY???"

"Don't act so surprised! I just… really liked the sound of the piano. It's just so soothing…"

"YOU REALLY [one size fits all] STEREO TYPE OF [a fine wine] FANCY PANTS!"

They started blushing as he said that, throwing a glare his way. He just laughed at their blush and gave them a smug grin. 

"Whatever. It was very short-lived anyways. I only know how to play the very basic songs. Like the start of Für Elise. Can't even read sheet music."

"THAT [sucks to suck]. I WOULD HAVE LOV'D A [private piano lessons] FR0M YOU."

"Sure you would. Now, do you have anything interesting to share?"

He paused and thought about it, not sure what he could bring up that he hadn't already told them. 

This whole thing of sitting down and telling each other stuff about themselves had been going on ever since Swatch suggested it. It became a regular event, once every week or so. They would just sit down and hang out, talking or doing their own thing until they came up with something new to bring up.

It had been years of it. An informal little tradition. They had talked about everything under the Sun, old and new. They shared fond memories, struggles, secrets they had never told anyone else. They knew each other better than anyone.

Though… there was something Spamton still hadn't told them about.

Mike.

He had promised himself that he'd bring it up sooner or later, that he'd share his deepest trauma with the person who he trusted the most. He swore he'd open up to them. Explain why he had such an irrational fear of static and the sound of an analogue phone. 

But he never did. He never told them about his abusive work relationship. About the reason he had tried to get to NEO back then. About the way his world was permanently warped and he had to struggle to not give up on it. Not entertain the idea of trying to mess around with it like that crazy clown.

"Spamton?"

He jolted slightly as Swatch shook his shoulder, turning to face them. They seemed concerned, their brows furrowed and their mouth formed into a scowl. He must have zoned out again. He laughed awkwardly and rubbed his neck. "S-S0RRY, SWATCH. I JUST… HARD TO [memory harddrive] SOMETHINGS…"

"I understand. You don't have to bring up anything if you can't. Instead… tell me about what you're writing!"

"OH! JUST A [stupid] LITTTLE STORY. NOTHING [BIG]."

"Oh come on. I see you being glued to that book constantly. I even hear the pencil strokes at night when you think I'm sleeping."

Now it was Spamton's turn to blush, face turning red as he gripped his notes tightly. Then he lowered his head grumpily and mumbled quietly.

"It's not [ready for pickup] yet…"

"Can't you tell me something about it? I'm just so curious!"

The way Swatch leaned over and looked at him, with those usually refined eyes looking so sweetly intrigued, it just sent the tingles up his spine. They could just melt any and all fight left in him in an instant, and they were just so innocently unaware of it. Of the effect those unrestrained looks had on him.

"... … Well… th-th-the [main protagonist] i-i-is… a Swatchling…"

"Uh huh?" They kept looking at him with those wide, expectant eyes. His resolve crumbled even further.

"And… and and and and he [founding fathers] h1mself in a [new location] with no colors… the people [ petrified ] an,d practically dead… so he… has to [comes in all the colors of the Rainbow] to [SAVE] them…"

Swatch was listening very closely, absorbed by their own curiosity. They must have been wondering about his project for a while. He felt a little embarrassed, but also flattered. It had been a while since he was able to hold an audience captivated with his pitches. He thought he lost his touch. But the butler was clearly invested in the ideas he was creating, so he must be doing a good job in some aspect. 

It made him excited to talk more about it.

*~*~*

"That's good. Just focus and stay calm…" Ivory said softly as she watched Sky stare at their soul, floating in front of them. They looked very concentrated and tense, despite the Swatchling's instructions, their eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Their soul was glowing faintly, the yellow light flickering ever so slightly. It seemed to be getting brighter, until they had to breathe after holding it for so long, causing the heart to go back to its regular dim light.

They groaned loudly and let their head drop in disappointment. "Damn it! I messed up again!" They then growled and tousled their hair out of frustration. Ivory sighed and reached out to remove their hands and help tidy it up again. "It's ok, Sky. These things take time. But I know you can do it."

"Yeah right!" They scoffed and whipped their head to the side indignantly.

"You were able to do it when you were just a baby, right? Then I'm sure the potential is still there."

"Yeah! But I forgot how to do it! Who's to say I'll ever learn it again?!"

"Me. Because I'm helping you. I also know peacify, so it's not like you're shooting blind. I can use it with no problems, I just had to practice. So don't give up."

" HMPF! But it doesn't make any sense! How am I supposed to 'connect with the emotions I want to bring forward'? What the hell does that even mean?!"

"Sky… we talked about that language of yours. And what it means is different for everyone, I suppose. Maybe the way you use your magic is different from me. Still, you have to practice in order to find out."

Sky just groaned and flopped back onto the floor, their soul disappearing back into their body. Ivory looked down at the kid and shook her head in amusement. "You are so impatient."

"Nuh-uh! You're just bad at teaching!"

She rolled her eyes and got up from the floor, brushing off her suit before straightening herself out. "Oh well. Guess that's it for now then. I have to get ready to head into work anyways" she sighed and headed for the door. 

Sky shot up to their knees and looked at her expectantly. "Really?! Think-"

"No, Sky. You cannot come to work with me. You know the rules-"

Sky sighed loudly as they held their hand up in the shape of a beak, ready to mimic the spiel they heard all the time.

"- You are not allowed to leave the property unless accompanied by your father or another Swatchling, with approval from him. You need to stay close at all times while out. No playing in the yard past 7 PM and-"

"- And the mansion is strictly off limits. Yes! I know! But that rule was made when I was a baby! Don't the rules get less strict now that I'm older?!"

"Not the mansion rule at least. I'm sorry, but you know that it's not appropriate for a child, nor a lightner, to be there. So it's still a no."

The kid huffed grumpily and stood up, arms crossed over their chest. Ivory simply bowed to them before leaving their room. They kept standing there for a couple of seconds before growling and throwing themselves in bed, pulling a pillow over their face.

"God! Life is suffocating! Why can't I go to the store or to the other's places without a Swatchling having to walk me there? I'm old enough! I'm a kid! Not a toddler!" They complained and threw the pillow at the wall. It luckily missed the framed photo on the wall and just fell to the floor. 

They got up and walked over to it, picking it up before eyeing the photo. It was a picture of them with their papa and his friends. Flash was leaning on his head, Click was doing a heart shape with their hands, Survey held up two fingers in a peace sign and Banner was striking an over-the-top pose while pushing his way in the middle. Spamton held the camera while Sky was hanging off him in a hug.

They pouted and held the pillow tightly, thinking about a lot of things. So many things just felt off recently. Not in a bad way, it just didn't completely make sense. They wanted to talk with someone about it. 

They would try to talk with papa, but they felt like he wouldn't be totally honest. He wouldn't lie to them… maliciously. Just try to spare their feelings.

So they decided to call someone else to talk.

Beep…

Beep…

Beep…

Bee-

"Hello?"

"Flash?"

"Heya, runt! How are ya? Caused enough problems today?"

Sky remained quiet for a moment, messing with a holographic plant on the table beside the phone stand. Flash seemed to catch onto the mood and switched tone. 

"Sky? Is everything alright?"

"... … … … … Yeah…"

"Don't lie to me! You're terrible at it!"

They chuckled softly before continuing. "Yeah. I just… I feel stuck. I want to go places, but no one will let me. It's so… small."

She could tell they were struggling to find the right words, but she felt like she got it anyway.

"You feel restricted when you want to be free and explore, right?"

"Mhm…"

"I getcha. It can feel pretty terrible to be stuck in one place. I feel you. Tell you what. How about I come over there to pick you up and we can go to one place you don't usually get to see with those boring butlers?"

"Really?"

"Yeah! Sure! As long as papa knows we're hanging out!"

"Ok! I'll tell him! Bye-bye!"

"See you soon, squirt!"

Sky hung up and thought about it for a second. They thought about not telling papa, so he wouldn't start to dictate where they could and couldn't go as usual. But then they remembered how awful they felt when they walked away on their own in the cyber field. How worried he looked. How upset he got.

They decided against that idea and headed for the living room.

They heard Swatch and papa talking as they got closer. No clue about what, but it sounded like they were enjoying themselves. Sky peeked into the room and saw them on the couch, just chatting, not doing anything in particular. 

They sensed this warmth emanating from the conversation, like a cozy blanket right out of the dryer. They found that odd, but decided to put a pin in that thought.

"Papa" they muttered and headed into the room, seeing them both look over at them. Spamton lit up and smiled joyously. "SKY! HEL O! [What can I help you with?], SWEETIE?"

"Um… I was talking with Flash and she wondered if I wanted to hang out with her. Said I'd have to tell you first though."

"O! WELL I DON'T C [why shouldn't I]! [ass] LONG AS SHE DOESN'T [bringing in the cash] SOM- PLACE BAD!"

"So yes?"

"SURE, SWEETHEART."

"Ok! She said she'd come over to pick me up!"

That made Spamton pause and snap his head towards them. "P-pick… upp? [Hit that like] on her [sleek new motorbike]???"

"Spamton… it's fine. Flash knows to be careful with Sky on. She even got that special extra seat on it for them!" Swatch chimed in and put a wing over his shoulder. He sighed and relaxed a bit, seeming reassured by their words. "[OH YEAH]. ALRIGHT. ITS [fined for littering], YOU C4N GO."

"Thank you, papa!" They said in relief and gave him a big hug. He smiled and hugged them back, petting their head affectionately. 

*~*~*

The two were speeding down the street, Sky hugging onto Flash's waist as she drove. They looked around at the familiar billboards and shop signs. They wondered how much of Cyber City looked like that and how much they still haven't seen. 

"ALRIGHT, KID! IT'S YOUR CALL! WHERE WE HEADING?!" Flash shouted, trying to be heard over the rushing wind blowing past. 

Sky smiled, getting so excited about getting to finally go to the mansion. They couldn't wait! "TO THE MANSION!!!"

The motorcycle suddenly swerved a bit, causing Sky to grip onto Flash tighter. But she quickly managed to steady the bike and had it driving smoothly again. Without a word, she took a turn into the nearest stopping place and parked. Then she got off and looked at Sky, removing her helmet. 

"The mansion?!"

"Yeah! The mansion! That's what I said!"

"You gotta be kidding me! Why would you want to go there?!"

"Because it's where Swatch and the other Swatchlings always go! It's where EVERYONE in Cyber City wants to go! It's big and cool and badass!"

The ad sighed heavily and put her face in her hand, looking nervously to the side as she was thinking up a response. "... Sky. Listen. I get it. I really do. I was like you when I was younger. But trust me when I say that everyone's telling you to stay away for a reason."

"NOT YOU TOO!!!" They yelled angrily and ripped their helmet off, tossing it at the ground. Flash chose not to scold them for it and just continued. "Sorry, kid. But I don't want you getting hurt or anything. Queen is… she's extreme and kinda wild. You never know what she's going to pull or what will set her off."

"I can handle myself! I am stronger than you think!"

"You're like six!"

"So?!"

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, really struggling to reason with such an unreasonable child. "Kiddo…"

"Everyone wants to boss me around! You all just wanna control me and everything I do! I wanna decide for myself! Go where I want to go! Not be stuck in a big, cramped, boring house!"

Flash didn't respond. She just crossed her arms and glanced up at a nearby billboard, advertising the popular Cyber Grill. She then sighed again and sat down on the pavement, helmet put down beside her.

"... You know who you sound like?"

"Who…?" Sky asked grumpily.

"Your dear old pops."

Their expression changed to surprise at that answer. Papa? He had said stuff like that before? No! Impossible! He would never say something like that!

"Let me tell ya something, kid. Your dad was a risk taker back in the days. Kind of a daredevil even. He wasn't afraid of taking his chances and throwing caution into the wind. And one thing he absolutely couldn't stand was being told he can't do something. 

When he was young, a fresh rookie salesman, he took the stupidest of deals and did business with some questionable people. Mostly because he was naive and inexperienced, but also because we told him that it was a bad idea. He only saw that as us doubting him and wanted to prove us wrong. Heh. Would always bite him in the ass."

Sky looked down at Flash with a less intense expression. Her talking about their papa's past had them calmed down. Mostly because they never got to hear much about his past. Only bits and pieces, heavily cherry picked stories. 

They sat down beside her, giving her a curious look.

"He wanted to do everything the cool kids did! Wrestle with the big guys! Make it big. If I could use any word to describe Spams back then, it'd be passionate. Or stubborn, but apparently I can't say that or I'm a 'hypocrite'" she made air quotes at that part, making Sky giggle a bit.

"Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with me not going to the mansion?"

"... … … Well, kid. Let's just say that… when I said his decisions bit him in the ass… that's an understatement. He made some… really awful decisions, too naive and trusting for his own good. He… um… he believed a lot of lies and did as someone told him, after they promised him everything he wanted. Without getting into the ugly details, he got hurt really badly and went through some awful stuff. Because he threw himself head first into something without any experience or support."

Sky just listened to her talk about this tragic event, feeling themselves grow more concerned, not about the lesson she's trying to impart, but about their papa. They never knew he suffered so much in the past.

"Which is why he's so protective of you. He's scared you'll end up going through something similar or just generally get hurt. He knows how bad things can get, so he wants to prevent that for you. You understand what I'm getting at, kiddo?"

"... … … I… I just don't get why it's so different for me. Why I'm in danger going there but no one else is."

"That's a whole nother can of beans I'm not ready to open! You're just… special. And some people might want some of that specialness. So you gotta protect it!"

They pouted at her simple excuse. It was way too simple to be true. There had to be more to it. 

But… they didn't think they would get an answer out of her if they asked. Plus, they got to know a few things they didn't before, so that was at least some consolation. At least Flash wasn't being all 'because I say so and I know what's best for you', like Swatch and papa. She at least tried to explain.

"... Ok. Fine. Can we… at least go to the place with all the colorful drinks?"

"Eh heh heh… ehhh… that's off limits for a… different reason. But I can take you to the ice cream place and get you the 'you'll just throw up if you try to eat that monstrosity' ice cream. As long as you don't let any of the Swatchlings know. Deal?"

Now THAT sounded like a deal to them! They have been wanting to try that ice cream for YEARS. They wouldn't turn down an opportunity like that for anything! Even a trip to the mansion. 

They grabbed her offered hand in agreement, vibrating in excitement.

She helped pull them up from the ground, fetching their helmet before putting her own on. "A little ice cream ache never killed anyone. Maybe I'll get one too. Let's go!"

They both got on the bike before they were off, about to make the biggest mistake of both their lives.

Chapter Text

"Swatch, Hunny! I Need Your Help With Something. Get Here ASAP."

Swatch looked up from the table they were tending to, hearing Queen's voice coming from one of the many screens set up throughout the mansion. They quickly turned to the guests, wished them a pleasant dinner and headed off to the throne room.

Once the butler got there, they stepped inside and saw Queen facing away from them. They took that opportunity to pull themselves together, straighten out and put on a professional demeanor. 

"Your grace. You called."

"Yes. I Did. Could You Be A Cavity Sweet Dear For Me And Look At This?"

She turned around in her floating throne and held up a window, projected just above her palm.

"Certainly, your majesty." They walked over and took a look at the screen, seeing some sort of social media posts, talking about… wars? And… bones?

"Is There Some Sort Of World Wide Conflict I'm Not Aware Of? What Have The Skeleton Lightners Done?"

The bird remained quiet for a while, still reading over the numerous posts about joining some 'skeleton war', drinking milk to prepare for combat and general bone related puns. 

They then turned to Queen with a rather blank expression, not having the energy to go into detail about what they thought was going on. They simply stated, "I believe it's a meme."

"... … … … … Oh. Yeah. Makes Sense" she said as the word 'Oh' displayed on her face. 

"Is there anything else I can do, your majesty?"

"Yeah. Spill The Tea."

Swatch had to pause at that request, finding it very unusual and random. Sure, they would do it, but it did seem rather unnecessary. "Um… sure, my queen. What kind of tea would you like? Should it be in the throwing glass or the extra dangerous glass?"

Queen quickly let out a loud laugh as she put her hand to her mouth in amusement. Swatch patiently waited for her to finish.

"LOL. No, Swatchy. Not Real Tea. Virtual Tea! Aka, Tell Me What's Got You So Glum."

They immediately tightened their posture, eyes shooting open before darting to the side awkwardly. "I'm… not sure what you mean."

"Your Lean Back Has Increased By About 2.41%. Your Shoulders Are Further Back By About ~4 cm. Your Eyebrows Are More Furrowed Than Usual. Your Voice Was Flat When Responding To My Request. You Took Longer To Read Each Paragraph Than You Usually Do. This All Suggests To Me That You Are Stressed Or Upset About Something And Trying To Hide It, But Still Thinking About It."

They were surprised she noticed all of that. Not that she wasn't observant, she's a super computer after all, but she just seems to always be too caught up in her own things to pay any mind to anything else. Though this kind of thing had happened before, so they weren't shocked, unlike the first time it happened. They just wished now wouldn't have been one of those rare times.

"Ah… it's really nothing, my queen. Just… a lot happening right now. Getting a little tired is all. It's nothing to worry about, I assure you."

"Hmmm… You're Bluffing. I Can Tell."

"Whu-! N-no, your highness! I swear I wouldn't lie to you!"

"Your Voice Went Up An Octave When You Said It. You Usually Don't Speak In Higher Pitches Unless You're Agitated. So Something Is Going On With You."

"Listen. It's really nothing serious. Just things I need to deal with. You needn't worry about me."

"Nonsense! How Are You Meant To Manage Your Duties If You're Distracted By Other Problems? Plus, I'm Dying For Some Drama!"

Swatch sneered a little at the last part, just as a knee jerk reaction. They immediately caught themselves and lowered their head to hide their face out of embarrassment. "It's… personal. I would rather not talk about it."

"... … … Is Everything Ok At Home?"

They were stunned by such a sympathetic question. She usually didn't speak in such serious words, opting for more verbose or casual language. It took them back a bit. 

"My queen… Thank you for your concern. I truly appreciate it. But I feel as though it's best if I don't share such personal information. It's very unprofessional. I also apologize for my… lacking performance. I shall try to get back on track and make sure everything is up to standard."

Queen sat back, narrowing her eyes at them with a thoughtful expression, crossing her legs as she hummed. Swatch wasn't sure what was going through her head right then, so they just stood there and waited for her to dismiss them.

"... … … It's Cool, Bestie! Efficiency Did Not Decrease At All Today, So Your Performance Is Alright. But Prolonged Periods Of Untreated Stress May Result In A Decrease."

"I understand that. Don't worry. I'll be sure to get plenty of-"

"Which Is Why I'm Giving You Time Off!"

They shut up, eyes shooting wide open as they stared at her, having to take a second to process what she just said. "... I'm… sorry?"

"Oh Don't Worry! It Will Be Paid Or Whatever. A Week Should Be Enough Time To Deal With Whatever Is Going On And Recover From The Potential Stress."

"Y-y-your majesty! That's really not necessary! I promise it's not that serious!"

"Well I Want To Be Sure! Even A Slim Percentage Of Failure Is A Risk!"

That was rich, coming from her.

"Just See It As A Short Vacation If There Really Isn't Anything Serious Going On!"

"But your majesty-"

"I Wouldn't Want You To Overwhelm Yourself By Taking On Extraneous Tasks While In A Less Than Healthy Menta-"

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'll tell you what's wrong!" They finally relented to her, not in any mood to argue. She sure could be persistent.

"Oh Goodie! Spill It, Sib!" She leaned in closer, so far off her throne that she was at risk of falling off. Her grin was giddy and full of curiosity. How concerned she must be.

"Ok… so, I need to give some quick backstory first. A few years ago, an old friend of mine moved in with us with his child."

"Who?"

Swatch looked at her with a deadpan face.

"Ok! Ok! I'll Mute!"

"Anyways… like I said, he had his child with him, who was only a baby at the time. They're now older, in that phase where… well… kids want to test the boundaries."

"Uh Oh… That Doesn't Sound Good."

"It isn't. It… started to get really hard to deal with…"

*~*~* Flashback *~*~*

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! YOU COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY GOTTEN HURT!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!?!"

Swatch was yelling as they walked inside the house, dragging a geared-up lightner behind them, holding a bundled up blanket under one arm.

"It would have been fine! It wasn't even that high and the parachute would have broken the fall!" They argued back while trying to keep up with the bird's long strides. They struggled to make them let go of their arm.

"THAT IS NOT A PARACHUTE!!! AND EVEN THAT HEIGHT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN INJURY!!!"

"As if! I'm too strong to break something from just that far up! And I put on all the proper gear! I was prepared!"

"SKY!!!" Swatch stopped walking and whipped around, glaring at them with fury that no one else had ever seen. "That play tower was high enough that you could have broken your leg if you landed even slightly wrong! Even if you landed right, you could have seriously damaged them!"

"Whatever…" they grumbled and crossed their arms, sinking together on the spot in frustration.

"No! Not whatever! That's dangerous! What would papa think if he found you crying on the ground?! What if it was bad enough to permanently handicap you?! You'd never be able to run around and climb stuff again! Do you want that?!"

"Stop! I get it! You're scared that I'm too weak to handle anything! I know that already!"

"That is not even remotely true! You need to start thinking about the risks of your actions! That you can and will get hurt if you do things like this!"

Sky was getting a plum purple hue in their face, clearly getting more and more upset as they were scolded. "You are so annoying! Risks and danger is all you ever talk about! You treat me like I'm a tea cup! I'm not! I'm strong!"

Swatch growled and pinched their beak, trying to collect themselves and calm down a bit. This child was getting on their last nerve. They had started getting into so much trouble recently and they were having a hard time keeping up.

"You aren't listening. Until you understand what you did was wrong, you can go stay in your room!" They pointed in the direction of the stairs.

"NO! I WON'T! YOU DON'T DECIDE OVER ME! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE NOT MY PARENT! YOU'RE NOT MY PARENT!"

Immediately, they fell very silent, their anger disappearing in thin air. Instead, it was replaced with the sensation of a dagger being driven into their heart. They pulled back a bit, just staring at the kid as they tried to come up with anything to say to that. But they couldn't. They couldn't counter it. It was hard to when just thinking about it hurt.

"... … …"

Sky looked at them too, waiting for them to respond. They were still grumpy, face flushed from their frustration.

"... … … You're right. My apologies. What was I thinking? I shall go fetch your father then. If you'll excuse me."

They gave a very stiff, professional bow before walking off, leaving the child alone in the hallway.

"S-Swatch?"

They sped up, walking faster towards their room where they assumed Spamton was. 

They opened quickly with no courtesy knock. Spamton got startled by it, jumping a bit and turning towards the door. They saw Swatch standing in the doorway, their face clearly upset, but holding it back.

"... Swatch?"

"Your… your child tried to jump from the top of the play tower."

"WH4T?!?"

"I suggest you go deal with that… they are downstairs, I believe."

Spamton looked pretty angry, but also concerned, taking in Swatch's condition.

"... … … Are you ok?"

"I'm alright. Just… go deal with Sky."

He sneered in uncertainty, not moving to leave for a couple of seconds. He just examined the butler worriedly. But, finally, he went to go downstairs, leaving them alone in the room.

Once they were alone, they stomped over to the wardrobe and changed into their work uniform. Then they quickly picked up their bag to head off to the mansion. But before they could leave, they heard a passing conversation.

"YOU GO TO [luxury hotel suite] UNTIL YOU UNDER>STAND HOW [naughty children get coal!] YOU WEAR BEING!"

"You're all such buttholes!!!"

"I WASN'T [the one and only-] WHO [behavioral therapy] SWATCH!"

"Whatever! None of you care how I feel anyways! They're all just stuck up butlers!"

"THAT'S IT!!"

They heard Sky yelp in, what they assumed was protest, as the footsteps grew further away. They waited until they heard them pass completely before opening the door and walking down the stairs. They headed out and off to work, trying their hardest to focus on anything aside from what just happened. Maybe putting in some extra work would help distract them.

*~*~* Present *~*~*

"... Oh. Wow. That's… Sure Some Drama" was all Queen could respond with after Swatch got to the end of their story.

"Yes… … … I… I know that I'm being overly sensitive and emotional about something that's normal for a child their age. It's also true; I'm not their parent, I don't have any right to discipline or punish them. That's my friend's job. But… I don't know. Something about it just made me feel bad."

Queen listened intently and nodded, having a pondering pout on her face as she did. They weren't sure what was going through her head at the moment, wondering whether she was feeling sorry for them or maybe judging them. They just couldn't tell.

"But Don't They Live Under Your Roof? Doesn't That Give You Complete Authority Over Them And Their Life?"

"N-no! That's not how any of this works! They aren't guests anymore! This is their home! And even if they were, I still have no right to discipline them!"

"Oh Right LOL I Forgot It Works Differently In Normal Houses!" She started laughing softly, amused by the misunderstanding. Swatch sighed and lowered their head, hoping she was satisfied enough to let them get back to work.

"Anyways! Now That I Know The Problem, I've Decided You Will Not Be Working Today. I'm Sending You Home!"

"Wh-wh-what?!" They looked back at her as she picked up a glass of battery acid, taking a big gulp of it before clearing her throat. "I Said: NOW THAT I KNOW THE-"

"I heard you, your majesty!" They spoke up as she raised her volume, having to raise their voice to be heard. She stopped and leaned back on her throne lazily. "My queen, why am I going home??? I thought I explained the issue properly; it's not that serious!" They pleaded with her.

"Oh I Know. But I Also Know That You're Lying. It's Clearly Affecting You More Than You Let On. You Will Most Definitely Ruin The Vibe Today If You Stay, So I'm Ordering You To Go Home."

"The… vibe?"

"You're Even Making Me Feel Depressed And Uncomfortable With Your Cold, Dry Attitude. That's Not What I Was Planning For Today. And… Besides…" she paused, uncrossing her legs to lean against them, fingers intertwined so she could rest her chin on them. Swatch gulped, scared to hear what she'd say next. They didn't mean to ruin the mood. They would do better for her if that's what she needed.

"... I Think You'll Take The Offer After Today."

"The… the offer, my queen?" They were so confused.

"My Offer Of A Week's Break. I Know It's What You Need And I Know You Will Realize It Soon Enough." She sounded so confident and sure about her statement. It wasn't like someone being condescending, but rather a person who was just stating a fact. It left Swatch kind of speechless. How were they supposed to respond to such unshakeable certainty?

But Queen just leaned back again and pushed a button on a console nearby, leaning into the microphone attached to it. "Tasque Manager~! Could You Be A Buddy Sweetie Chum And Help Swatch To Gather Their Things So They Can Head Home? Excellent! Love You!"

"W-wait! I-"

"Swatch. Trust Me. I Know What's Best. I'm The Smartest Computer Alive, So Your Doubt Is 97% Unfounded. Now, You May Leave. Ta-ta!" She quickly cut them off and gave them no room to argue, simply waving them off dismissively and turning away from them. 

They were completely stunned, just standing there in bafflement until Tasque Manager showed up to help them get ready to leave. They had no idea what just happened. All they knew was that they were going home, whether they wanted to or not.

*~*~*

The door to the house opened softly, barely making a sound. Swatch stuck their head in to take a quick look around. They didn't see anyone in the hallway, so they walked inside and closed the door. But their wing lingered on the handle, along with their gaze. The butler sighed heavily and let their head fall forward to rest on the door, making a light thud.

"Swatches…?"

They whined in surprise and spun around, spotting Spamton peeking out from the doorway. He looked really worried, and also… messy. 

"... … … Hello, Spamton." 

They walked inside, going right past him without any further acknowledgement. He frowned sadly and went to follow.

"Is [everything must go!] alright? I waz worried when I didn't [I spy] u in our rooom."

"I'm fine. Just went to work. But Queen… was kind enough to let me have the rest of the day off."

Spamton immediately lit up as they said that, a smile growing on his face. "[Great deal!]! Then we can [have some quality time] togeghter!"

They didn't respond. The bird was too caught up in their own emotions to really comment at all. They wished they could. They wanted Spamton to understand that they were fine, but just needed some space.

"... Uh… I… I… I made some food…"

They stopped in their tracks, not sure they heard him correctly, since he kind of mumbled that last part. They turned to look at him, blinking in astonishment. "I'm… sorry? What did you say?"

"I made… some Mac and Cheese… I was hoping we could, you know, share?" The Addison had turned from white to red, avoiding eye contact and rubbing his neck nervously. 

Spamton had cooked? For them? He had made something for them, despite being so unconfident in the kitchen? They were having a hard time believing it, since he really seemed to dislike cooking, from what they could tell.

But… the offer was so sweet. The sentiment was so nice and they couldn't help but feel warm from it. It made their professional facade melt a bit, causing them to smile too.

"Spamton… for… me? Really? You cooked something for me?"

"[It's a no-brainer!]! Why wouldn't I?! You just… u seamed so [down on your luck] that I couldn't help it. I just felt so bad 4 you… I wanted to cheer you up."

They involuntarily smiled wider, finding it impossible to reject him or his offer. It sounded lovely, especially after knowing their friend did it for their sake.

"I… I would love to eat with you."

The smile on his face was enough to rid Swatch of any lingering desire to be left alone. His excited vibrating made them want nothing more than a dinner with him.

They headed into the kitchen, which was… a little messy. Not too bad, considering what could have been. They had seen pictures from the 'pancake incident' back at Click's house. This was nothing in comparison. A little spill and dirty tools was all.

Spamton ran over to the pot on the stove, bringing it over to the table and setting it right in the middle. The butler watched him in amusement, finding his excited run so cute. They walked over to the drawers to fetch some utensils, until Spamton smacked their hand away. They turned to him in shock.

"NU-U-U-U-UH! YOU DON'T [at your service] MY [five course meal]!" He scolded them and pointed towards the table, telling them they need to sit down.

They obliged hesitantly and walked over to it. The ad sprinted past them and pulled the chair out for them, motioning them to take a seat.

"Spamton. That's really not necessary. I ca-"

"TODAY,,, I [surf and turf] YU! I MEAN- SERVE YOU! PLEASE, AFTER YOU!" He insisted and gave them the biggest, proudest smile they've ever seen. Their heart all but melted, finding his prideful joy so charming. So they chuckled softly and gave a small, joking courtesy. "Why thank you, sir!" They then took their seat.

Spamton laughed happily and then ran to set the table, clambering up onto the counter to get the plates. Swatch just watched him with a pleasant smile on their face, unable to be upset about their day when his energy and enthusiasm was so infectious.

He had set everything up and then served both of them, sitting down across from them to eat. They scooped up some food and took a bite.

The taste was… alright. It was a little salty. In fact, it tasted like salt was the only spice used to flavor the dish. Aside from that, the cheese was pretty good, but the macaroni was a little hard. 

Of course, they didn't mind in the slightest. Because the love he put into it made it one of the best meals they had ever had.

They glanced over at the puppet, who had clearly been watching them anxiously as they chewed. Once he was caught staring, he blushed up and shifted his focus onto his own plate. Swatch just chuckled and smirked at him.

"Spamton! You made this? Frankly, I don't believe that! You must have ordered this from a five star restaurant!"

He shot up straight and grew even more red as they said that, stunned for a short while. Then he started snorting at their flippant compliment. He leaned in and gave them a joking glare. "H3Y! I'LL [as you know] THAT I [Homemade] THAT W/ MY MY OWN 2 [feet]!"

Swatch burst out laughing at his last glitch, unable to hold it back. They tried to apologize between giggles, feeling bad about laughing at his speech issues. But Spamton seemed unbothered by it and just laughed along with them. 

When they finished laughing, Spamton joined them and ate his portion of the meal. The room became quiet after that, but not uncomfortably so. It was pleasant. Calm. They liked it.

"... … … So… Swatch… can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Oh, sure. Go ahead."

"... Well… what did [small children] say to you?"

The bird gripped their fork and sucked in a short breath. They were worried this would come up. They had hoped that they could just have a nice dinner and forget about that… feeling.

And it appeared the ad caught onto their distress, quickly backpedaling and waving his hands around nervously. "I-I-I-I-I-I-I- gh! I'M SORY! I DIDN'T MENE TO [one star rating] Y0U! I JUST… J-just… nevermind." He lowered his head and poked around his food, avoiding looking at them.

They sighed as they watched him regret his decision. He was just worried about them. They could understand how he felt. They've felt the same way numerous times towards him.

It's hard to watch your friends hide their hurt.

"... They got angry at me when I told them off."

Spamton looked back up, surprised to have actually gotten an answer.

"I was so scared, seeing them attempt to jump off the tower. I ran out yelling at them, then dragged them inside and scolded them. They were being dismissive, not taking anything I said seriously. I told them to go to their room to think about how dangerous what they did was. But…"

He leaned in closer, filled with worried suspense as they paused to think. They considered if they were ready to tell him or not. They were scared to find out what his reaction would be.

"... … … … …

They told me I wasn't their parent."

Now it was their turn to lower their head, trying their very best to hold back the hurt that uttering that brought. 

"... … … … Swatches…"

His voice sounded so shocked. They weren't sure what that meant quite yet.

"... I'm sorry. I had no idea."

They saw his hand enter their view, reaching to take theirs. They jolted up and looked at him, seeing his sympathetic eyes locked onto them.

"That must have been awful. How are you feeling about it?"

"... If I'm being honest with you… bad. I understand that this is something kids their age do. They act out and say things they may or may not mean. But… it's true. I'm not their parent. We have no relation other than 'a friend of their papa'. I… I don't have any right to speak to them the way I did."

"BULL[$#!£]!!"

They yelped at his shout, jerking away from him a tiny bit. He immediately apologized and squeezed their hand.

"I mean- it's not true.. You are absol<utely their [legal guardian]! If only because off how much you [sharing is caring] 4 them!"

"Spamton. That's… that's not how that works. I'm just someone who helps you take care of their basic needs. I provide food and clothes and a roof. That's not all it means to be a-"

"You also [plug and play] with them, teach them about [all across the globe!], [Stay safe] them & give them souport ! You luv them just as much as I do!"

"Wh-! How can you say something like that?! You have no idea how much I- I mean- y-you- shouldn't you insist that you love them more than anyone else?!"

"Swatch…" he got off his chair and walked around to their side, giving them a supportive hug. 

"I know you love them as much as me. Why else would you sacrifice so much for them? Why else would you get angry with them and worry so much? Not being their parent doesn't mean you aren't their guardian, their role model and their caregiver."

The Swatchling remained silent, having nothing to counter his claim with. He was right about one thing; they loved Sky. Having lived with the child and watched them grow up made them grow very attached. The other Swatchlings felt similarly, but none of them could deny that Swatch had bonded with them the most. They loved Sky like their own.

"... I… I just…" they hugged him back, feeling like they might start crying if this continued.

Then they felt something grab them from behind. They whipped their head around and saw Sky, hugging them too. Their face was buried in their shirt and they didn't say a word, just stood there and squeezed them tightly. Spamton noticed his child joining the embrace and gave a small, lopsided smile, reaching over to rub their head. 

None of them said another word as they held each other, the two shorter people trying to comfort the large butler in the middle. It was really working. Spamton's gestures of kindness and supportive words were so reassuring. And Sky's quiet love language told them everything they needed to know.

Swatch was feeling much better.

*~*~*

…

…

…

"Here, your majesty! I brought you your desert."

A Swatchling entered her throne room and walked over with a tray. Queen didn't even turn to look at them, just saying thanks and continuing to stare at her little projection. 

"... If you do not mind me asking, my queen, what are you doing?"

She looked over at them and gave a smirk. "Taking Time."

"... For?"

"When The Call Comes."

"Oh… are you expecting a call from someone?"

"I Certainly Am." She sounded so smug and confident, continuing to watch the clock ticking up. The Swatchling looked extremely confused by her tone, until her screen displayed an incoming call from Swatch. They squawked in surprise, but Queen just hummed victoriously and stopped the timer before answering.

"Greetings, Swatchy!"

"Hello, your highness. I… I would like to… ask something of you."

"Yeeeeeeeees~?" She dragged the yes out, making it sound very sing-songy and pleased.

"... … … Would that… that offer of yours still be on the table? I would like to take that time off to… spend at home."

"Hunny-pie. Of Course It Is. Why Wouldn't It Be When I Knew You'd Want To Accept Later? You Take A Week Off To Chillax!"

"... Thank you, your majesty. I apologize for doubting you."

"It's Whatevs. Now Go Have Fun On My Behalf! XOXO!"

"Of course. Thank you, my queen. Goodbye."

Once they hung up, Queen turned to the Swatchling still in the room, snapping at them proudly. "W For Me! Go Fetch Me A Big W Balloon!"

"Right away… your highness."

The bird looked very confused as they walked out the room to get Queen her victory balloon.

Chapter Text

Spamton sat on his bed, looking out the window as he was psyching himself up. He wanted to go and talk to Swatch about his issues finally. He felt like it was about time to tell them about Mike and how he was a really bad influence back then. How he affected him and still was.

He just felt so bad about leaving them in the dark. Leaving so many things about himself unexplained. Especially after his freakout a few days ago.

It started when one of the Swatchlings was watching TV. He had just been nearby, looking for a pen he had dropped. Then, out of nowhere, he heard the sound of an analogue phone ringing. It scared him half to death. He jumped and almost fell over. 

He then froze and listened as it just kept going, ringing louder and louder. There were other sounds too, but they were completely tuned out as he could only focus on the phone. He also could have sworn he heard a voice baked into the blaring ringtone, demanding he answer the phone.

Long story short, he was in tears when he came to. He had apparently had a nervous breakdown from the horror movie on the TV and was crying uncontrollably. He had been totally inconsolable and Swatch had to take him to their room to calm down. He was extremely apologetic about it, but was told to not feel sorry about something he can't control.

But he still felt guilty, since he never explained why he reacted like that. Swatch must have been so scared, trying to understand what exactly triggered him so they could keep it away from him. He felt so bad.

So, today would be the day he told them about it. The day he told them about his trauma. The day he trusted them totally and completely.

"HEY… SWATCH…"

They looked up from their food prep, surprised by Spamton's sudden appearance. They smiled softly at him. "Hey Spam. Is something on your mind?"

He gulped nervously as he entered the kitchen, walking over to them and hopping up to sit at the edge of the counter. Their smile shifted to confusion as they watched him fiddle with his hands, looking really worked up about something.

"Is everything alright, Spam? You seem antsy."

"I'M [a fine wine]. JUST… WANTED TO TELL YOU [everything must go!]. I MEAN-! S-S0METH-THING!"

"Ok. Go ahead. I'm all ears."

He looked at them as they put away the bowl and whisk, giving him their full attention. He felt his throat tighten, suddenly making it hard for him to speak. Having them so focused on him made it a hundred times harder to get the words he wanted to say out. He stuttered wordlessly for a second before gathering his thoughts.

"I-I uh… I wannted t0 [Tell me why~] I… um… I…"

They tilted their head at him, watching him struggle to get his explanation out. His mouth felt dry, tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, as if it was a piece of tape. His teeth wanted to clamp themselves shut to stop him from saying anything he might regret. 

"U-u-ummm… i-i-1t's aboot [the new super fighting robot toys!!!] in teh basement… uhhh…"

Swatch's expression turned shocked, almost frightened as he mentioned the NEO robot. They quickly diverted their eyes towards a small spill on the counter, reaching to clean it up as he spoke. "Y-yes…?"

…

…

…

… I can't. I can't do it.

"... i wanted to saayy that Im sorry. I [feeling lucky?] like I never… apollo geist properly…"

"... … Spamton. You don't have to apologize for that. I understand that you weren't well back then and that you regret what you did. I was hurt, yes, but it's all fine now. I learned that… you are much more important to me."

The puppet felt himself deflate, not really acknowledging anything Swatch said. He was too busy being disappointed in himself for chickening out. God he was weak. So pathetic and spineless. 

"Hey. It's ok. It's all water under the bridge, ok?"

"... … … Yeah. Water under the bridge…"

*~*~*

Spamton slammed the door shut behind him, growling angrily as he stomped over to the desk in the corner. He sat down onto the chair before smacking his face into the table.

God. What's wrong with you, Spamton?! You had prepared yourself for hours and you still messed it up! You didn't commit and gave up like a coward! 

He was so mad. Why was he having such a hard time sharing this one issue with Swatch?! He had told the other Addison's about it! They were all completely aware of how awful Mike had been to him and how it affected him! So why couldn't he trust Swatch, his best friend about it?! God he hated himself right then.

But, instead of simmering in self pity, he decided to do something useful with his emotions. He opened the drawer with his notebook in it and opened it up to a fresh new page. 

Picking up his trusty pen, he started writing a new scene into his story.

Prism had no idea what he was doing wrong. No matter how much he tried, Mono just wouldn't seem to trust him. He tried everything to get closer to her. They were the only people still not petrified after all, to their knowledge. They would have to work together if they wanted to fix the curse.

But she kept him at an arm's length. Treated him like they were part of a group project and just had to cooperate until they could be rid of one another. But that wouldn't be enough if they were going to do this.

"Mono, please! I'm just trying to help! I just want us to get along so we can save everyone!" He begged her.

"That's not necessary! We can do this without having to get all buddy-buddy! I'm not interested in being friends!" She snapped back.

"Why?! Why don't you trust me?! What do I have to do for you to trust me?!" Asked Prism, on the verge of tears as he pleaded with her.

"Nothing!!! I won't trust you!!! Why would I?!? You're just some privileged butler who grew up in luxury! You could never understand the feeling of hardship and the struggle of just trying to get by! What do you know about suffering?! Huh?! Do you have anything in your life to prove you understand what pain feels like?!" She shouted at him, making him shrink together under her rage.

Her questions reminded him of his past. Of all the terrible, painful things he had to live through. Of the slow and constant suffering he went through day after day, just eating away at his self-esteem. 

He immediately felt tongue tied. He froze and couldn't even utter a single word. The memories being brought back had him completely paralyzed in fear and sadness. He couldn't even begin to describe it. It just hurt too much to say it. It was like acid in his throat if he would even attempt to speak of his past. Prism could only stand there.

"... That's what I thought. Don't talk to me anymore unless it's an emergency" growled Mono as she walked away from him, most likely to get some space. He could only watch her leave, feeling how cold the air suddenly got.

Spamton sighed as he finished writing down the scene, putting his pen down and letting himself rest against the desk briefly. He had vented out all his frustration into that scene, leaving him emotionally exhausted.

He thought that maybe he'd take a small nap. Afterwards, he'd let Swatch read it over. He liked getting their opinion on his writing. So letting them proofread it only made sense. It made them happy too.

He liked seeing them happy.

*~*~*

"SWATCH! SW4TCH!" Spamton called out as he ran into the library, where he found the bird going through one of the bookshelves. They turned around to him with a surprised gasp.

"S-spamton! Wh-what is it?"

"I JUST [$4.99] [read the script] A NEW SCENE 1N MY STOOORY!"

Their surprised changed to delight as he said that, smiling happily at him. "Oh! How wonderful! Can I see it?"

"OF [gotta stay on course]!" He walked over and handed the notebook to Swatch proudly. They took it from him and walked over to the nearest chair to sit down. Spamton stood right beside them, watching for their reaction as they started reading.

They looked very intrigued, reading the first paragraph. But as they continued, their expression slowly dropped into confusion. Spamton felt a pit form in his stomach, worrying that they didn't like what he wrote. That worry only grew as their face changed into an unsure scowl.

"Wow… um… this is… very well written! But um…"

"... U hate it, rite?"

"N-no! Not at all! It's not like that! I just… I'm shocked. The implications I got from you when you talked about the story was that you intended to… make it a story everyone could enjoy. This… feels a little more mature than I expected."

He didn't know how to respond. They weren't wrong. He had intended it to be something that anyone of any age could read. He never realized how out of place that scene would have been. He felt embarrassed.

"But if that's what you want to write, then that's fine!"

"... … … how… [quick and easy how to] you have writ>ten it?"

"Ah. Well… I guess I would make this Mono character less aggressive. She seems really cold and harsh. It's hard for kids to like a character like that and I'm sure even adults might find her unpleasant. And maybe, instead of having Prism unable to voice his past, he can bring up some of the painful memories he has so they can connect.

Obviously, this is just a suggestion. Don't take it too seriously. I'm sure you've got something planned out! I just…"

Spamton looked up at the butler, feeling a lot of mixed feelings about their suggestions. He agreed with them that their critique was valid, that he probably made Mono too unlikable. But, at the same time, the idea of changing her character like that felt so… disingenuous. And he felt that it was cheap to just make Prism open up so easily. It just took away from the emotions of the conversation.

"I just feel like it would be such a shame if Prism never got to talk about his problems."

He made a surprised noise at that comment. "Whaat?.?"

"He just seems like such a nice and likable character. I'm pretty invested in him, if I'm being honest. I just feel bad for him. I would hate to see him suffer without some sort of resolution."

The puppet gawked at them. They were invested in a character that he hadn't even given a full arc yet? He didn't think he had written enough about Prism to make him intriguing in any way yet. But apparently Swatch disagreed. It was pretty flattering. His stomach tightened at the care that his friend showed towards his story.

"... Really?"

"Yeah. Guess I'm just a sucker for a happy ending. But, like I said, it's your story. I'm sure you've got some ideas for these characters. And I'm excited to see it."

The smile they gave him made him feel a lot of things. He could barely pinpoint one of the emotions he was experiencing. But… one thing was for sure.

He really wanted to give them a happy ending.

*~*~*

Spamton was tapping his face with the eraser end of his pen, humming thoughtfully as he stared at his blank new page. He had been brainstorming a continuation to the last part for about an hour. He was wracking his brain over some way to resolve the problem in a natural way. Or at least in a way that wasn't contrived. 

He was starting to think he might be thinking about it too hard. But he just wanted to make something that Swatch would find satisfying. Something to make them say, 'I'm so happy for him.'

…

…

…

He remembered something. Just a random memory popping into his head. He remembered when him and Swatch had that moment a couple of years back. When Swatch admitted to being worried about Spamton, but was too scared to force it. He remembered how he felt hearing them say that they just wanted to be there for him. To listen to him and help him. To be his shoulder to lean on.

Something sparked in his head as he thought about it. An idea formed.

So he put his pen onto the paper and just started writing as the ideas came.

Prism and Mono were walking to their next objective, the blue pallet. They were not talking since Mono was still very angry with Prism. He didn't want to upset Mono anymore, so he did not try to start up a conversation. 

But they soon reached their destination. In front of the large doors was another statue, a pale and dull blue, looking down at the two adventures.

"Darkners. You have arrived at the entrance to the Bay of Blue. I cannot allow you to enter unless you pass my challenge."

"What is your challenge?" Asked Prism, taking the initiative.

"Never once in my life have I shed a tear. I have heard countless stories about endless pain and suffering. I've heard of tragedy, heartbreak, betrayal and failure. Not a one have moved me to tears. Your challenge is to tell me something to make me cry. Only then may you pass."

"Oh don't worry," said Mono, pushing past Prism. "I've got a lifetime supply of pain to talk about! Can you imagine what it's like, living on the streets and having to take care of your younger brother while you, too, are a child? To be shunned by all the adults around you and being shown no kindness?"

"Then, imagine surviving those odds, only to lose him to some stupid curse that drained your world of color! Can you imagine that kind of pain?!" Mono was in tears, yelling at this statue while giving the most sincere glare she could.

"... I'm sorry about your situation." That was all the statue responded with. Mono was angry, hearing them so easily brush past her suffering. But she didn't say anything else, just walked back to where Prism was. 

He looked between the two, nervous about accepting this challenge. But he had no choice. He had to.

"Is… is it really true? Have you never cried before?" He asked.

"Yes. I have never cried in my life."

"That's awful!" He exclaimed in distress. "Crying is a big part of us as people! It's important to cry! It allows us to connect with one another more deeply and understand each other! It's a show of trust to cry in front of someone! It's important to vent out our pain so we don't let it build inside of us!"

"If we don't cry, we can't release our negative emotions or voice feelings! Crying helps us feel better. To never cry… I know how much that can hurt. To not be able to rid myself of the sadness inside. It… must be awful for you. To not be able to cry."

He reached out and put a hand to their body, giving a sympathetic rub.

"I'm so sorry for that. If you need to talk about it, I'm willing to listen."

The statue did not respond. They remained silent for a while. Then both Mono and Prism were shocked to see a singular tear roll down their marble face. 

"Never has someone tried to understand me. No one thought about my plight when faced with this challenge. Thank you, young Swatchling. You and your friend may pass."

The gates opened, allowing the two to enter. As they did, Mono turned to Prism with a guilty face.

"Hey… I'm sorry. About yelling at you. And demanding you share your story with me. Even if I don't trust you… it doesn't mean I can treat you the way I did. It would make me no better than… than the…"

"It's alright. When we're hurting, we sometimes want to hurt others in return. It happens. But thanks for the apology. You don't owe me your trust, but I hope we can at least make it through this."

They both gave each other an apologetic smile, trying to show they were both ok now. Then they continued their trek to find the blue pallet.

*~*~*

"..."

"..." The ad sat in tense silence as Swatch was reading over his new draft. He was very embarrassed about how fast he wrote it out. It was evening, so he had written both those scenes within the same day and asked Swatch to read them right after. He hoped they wouldn't think he was rushing it.

But as they continued reading, their expression morphed into a touched smile, their wing moving to rest on their cheek. Once they finished, they put the notebook down and smiled at Spamton. "Spam. That was beautiful! The twist to the challenge was so clever and Prism being so kind and thoughtful just makes me like him more. And now that I know what Mono went through… I can understand why she acted like that."

He could have melted from relief, hearing the positive review. "THANK YOU, SWATCHES."

"You're… you're really a great writer. I can't wait to see where this story goes."

He felt his face flush with red, seeing them smile so genuinely and sincerely at him. That happy smile that made him feel butterflies in his stomach every time he saw it. It was so sweet. It made all his hurt feelings go away in an instant.

"I… th-thanks…" God. This bird would be the death of him if they kept playing with his heart like that.

Chapter Text

"BAAAAAANNER! ARE WE DONE YET???" Sky groaned loudly as they stood with their arms spread, wearing a frankly embarrassing, cutesy dress, fitting for a toddler.

"Not yet! I gotta fix these proportions! You have almost the exact same body type of a plug boy. And do you know how much it costs to hire a model for fittings?! It's ridiculous! I'd rather save a few bucks this way!" He explained as he wrapped a measuring tape around their chest.

"Isn't this child labour?!"

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Sky! I'm not using you for every single dress I make! Once I get this one to a good size, I can just copy and paste the measurements for the rest!" 

"Am I still getting paid for this?"

" Sigh Yes. I'll get you that silly kart game you keep begging for. Honestly, I don't understand why you and Survey seem so attached to that plumber. His outfit is gaudy at best."

"Mario is awesome! Don't make fun of him!"

"Stop moving so much! I'm almost done here!" Banner scolded them as he put his hands under their arms to put them back in place. Sky let out an irritated sigh and grumbled to themselves.

Once they were done modeling for Banner, they went to get changed into their regular outfit. They walked out and saw him talking to another Addison they didn't recognize. Probably another designer or something. 

"I'm so jealous! You have your own little model for the smaller sizes while I have to eyeball it! Seriously! Where can I get one of those… what were they again?"

"Uuuuuuh… J-just a… you know? I don't know what they're called. Probably from another dark world or something."

"It's so sweet to see someone adopting nowadays, but your friend really should give those adoption papers another read. What if they have special needs?"

"Well-"

Before he could answer that question, Sky walked over and pulled at his jacket, jerking him back slightly. "Banner! Are we getting Mario Kart now?!"

"Jesus, child! Calm down! It's barely been a minute! I'm trying to have a conversation with my friend here! Why don't you… go into the back and play on your game boy while I finish up here?"

"It's not a game boy! It's a D-"

"Yes yes yes. That's nice. Now please, go and wait for me in the back. I'll be done soon" he waved the kid off as he turned back to his friend and laughed. "They are not very patient. Hyperactive, this one!"

"I can tell! But speaking of karts, I heard Flash got a new bike!"

"Oh yes! You should have been there when I helped her pick it out! She had no idea what she was doing, so I had to-"

The two started blabbering away again about this and that, completely ignoring Sky. They sighed and pouted in frustration, crossing their arms as they walked to the back of the workshop. Banner was always so busy with other stuff, he barely paid attention to them when out. Not that he completely ignored them all the time. He played and talked with them and he was the one who would spoil them the most with presents, he just wasn't very good with kids it seemed. They didn't blame him for it, they could tell he still cared and tried his best.

That didn't mean they were happy about having to wait for him to finish his hour-long talks. It was so boring and it happened all the time! He'd meet someone he knows and stop to chat with them and they would have to suffer (not in silence though. They were very loud about it) as they waited on him.

Guess there was no point being loud now, as Banner wasn't there to hear it. So they just grumbled and sat on the floor, leaning back against the big floor-to-ceiling window.

They took a peek out, seeing the residents of Cyber City going in and out of stores, holding bags full of stuff. They were all talking and having fun, getting to freely walk about and explore the city. They sighed longingly and pressed their cheek up against the pane of glass.

"-yeah. Agree. They really should tear that place down. How is it even up still?" 

Sky shifted their attention to a couple walking by, looking pointedly at one building in particular. It was the only one without flashy neon signs and obnoxious flyers advertising the deals they offer. It looked older too and they noticed no one was going in there.

"I think the owner that bought that place probably just refuses to let it go. I'm pretty sure they think it's going to be helpful to someone someday."

"Really? Who needs an archive? We have search engines for a reason! They should really just consider retiring. Weren't they related to some pretty big company?"

"Beats me."

An archive? What was that? And who is this owner they mentioned? Sky was getting more and more curious as they stared at the building across the way. They noticed the small sign on the door, reading 'open', which meant it wasn't shut down. 

Their interest had peaked.

The kid got up from the floor and ran to the back exit, opening a crack to look around. Seemed like no one was close enough to notice them, so they ran out and booked it to the old store. They stopped right outside, trying to peek in through the window. All they saw was books and magazines and stuff like that. Was it a library? Maybe. 

They grabbed the handle and gave it a light push, opening the door. They stepped in and immediately felt disoriented. 

This place looked like nothing they had ever seen before in real life! It was ancient! Like something they would see in one of their games! It was a little dusty and the desk near the front was cluttered with books and documents.

They raised a brow, walking over and peeking over the stacks, trying to see if anyone was behind them.

"Hello??? Anyone there?"

They suddenly heard a loud yell, followed by a thud and the clattering of lots of stuff hitting the floor. They turned around towards the shelves, trying to track down which row the noise came from. But they didn't have to, as there were soon sounds of frantic shuffling and someone yelling, "Oh my god! Visitor! One m-moment, I-I'll be right there!"

They stood there awkwardly until they saw someone bouncing out from one of the rows. It was… a large gem clip, wearing a yellow bow tie with thin darker stripes. They huffed and puffed as they approached, either out of breath or just really excited to have someone in their shop.

"Hi! Hi! Hello! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting! I didn't hear you come in!"

"Um… it's ok. What is this place?"

"Oh! This is the archives of anything and everything you might need to know, from generations past. It used to be a big deal until… you know, the rise of more modern info resources came and people stopped caring about this place."

"Oh…" they weren't sure what to say. Sky wasn't particularly well learned in the history of all this stuff. They were still a kid after all.

"Hold on a second…" the clip said as he jumped over to the desk, picking up a pair of glasses and putting them on. He examined Sky for a second before gasping in surprise. "Oh my god… oh my god! A lightner!"

"Wha-! Um! N-no! I'm not-!"

"Oh I know a lightner when I see one! I used to work with them all the time! It's been so long since I've last seen one, and even then, they were on the other side of the screen! Not right in front of me!"

"I uh… I'm really not… I'm from another dark world" they tried using the same excuse as the others use whenever they have to explain what Sky is.

"Don't pull my wire now! I've seen enough of you in my days to recognize one! Don't worry! I'm not going to fight you. I don't really engage in battles and all that. It was never my thing. I much prefer talking."

Sky was surprised. They were told that a lot of darkners would likely try to drag them into an encounter and fight them. But this one had no such intentions. 

"Oh… well… My name is Sky."

"Hello, Sky! I'm Clippy! Your archive assistant! Would you like some assistance today?"

Before they could answer, he started squealing excitedly and flapping his little… tail… thing.

"OH MY GOSH! I HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO SAY THAT IN AGES! This is so exciting I can't wait!"

"Well… I was just curious, since no one came in here. What can I learn about here?"

"Whatever you want! Well… not exactly whatever you want. But the variety of information in this building is huge! You can most likely find something related to whatever questions you have."

They lit up, remembering something they had been curious about before. 

"Is there… any info about… where I came from?"

"Ah… W-well… I don't have those kinds of articles here, but in short, when a mommy and a da-"

"No! I mean the light world! Do you have anything about the light world?"

Clippy was stunned, gaining a reddish glow below his eyes before laughing nervously and turning away from them. "O-o-of c-course I have that! F-follow me!"

He bounced off again towards the shelves, beckoning Sky to follow. They did, taking that opportunity to scan the rest of the room. They saw lots of books everywhere, some with very interesting covers. They wondered if these were only info books or if there were story books here too.

"Alright. Around this corner is the light world section. If you need to find anything specific, just let me know!"

"Actually… are there… books about lightners? Like, saying what I am?"

"Oh absolutely! Hold on a moment. Let me get one down for you!"

Clippy pulled a small white ball out of his inventory, which had a button on it that he pressed, using the end of his wire. From that, a big cursor, the size of a palm, popped out of nowhere. He used the ball to steer the cursor, making it grab one of the books from the top shelf and bring it down.

Sky looked at him with wide, awestruck eyes. He looked back at them and raised a brow. "What? I'm a paperclip, I can't reach stuff with one lousy appendage! These help a lot."

"N-no! I think it's cool! Where did you-"

"Let's not get sidetracked. You wanted to see this!" He presented the book before continuing to speak. "This is a biography on lightners for darkners. There is one for lightners too, but that one delves slightly more into the biology. Though… why do you want to read this anyways?"

"..." They looked down at the floor, pouting and kicking at some lint or something by their feet. "I… I don't know a lot about lightners. Papa never told me much about them."

"Papa?"

"He's an Addison."

Clippy looked completely shocked at the revelation, dropping the cursor ball as he stared silently.

"... … Y… your dad is… an Addison??? How???"

"He found me when I was a baby and decided to take care of me."

Immediately, he let out a relieved sigh, putting his tail end over his bow tie. "Oh! Ok! Yeah. That makes sense. But then… you've never seen another lightner?"

Sky shook their head at him, their face a confusing mix of sadness and curiosity. Clippy took in their expression before looking down at the book he dropped. He picked it up and handed it to Sky, giving them a reassuring look. 

"Well don't worry. I'm always happy to help anyone who needs it. If you ever need to know something, you can just come here and I'll help find the answer. That's what I'm here for."

They looked down at the book, then back at Clippy, their expression changed into gratitude. They nodded and smiled brightly, holding the book to their chest tightly.  "Thank you. I'll come back here a lot. I promise."

He looked ecstatic by that promise, laughing joyously as he bounced in place.

*~*~*

"[До свидания] BANNER! THANKS F4 [looking for Babysitter] SKY!"

"No problem. They were a great model. See you later!"

"Bye bye, Uncle Banner!" 

Banner headed back to his car and drove off, leaving Sky and Spamton to walk back towards the house. As soon as they got inside, Sky gave their dad a kiss on the cheek and said they'd go to their room to play. 

He sighed as he watched them run off, just smiling in satisfaction. He was so proud of them. He was so happy to have them around. He felt complete having them with him. It was just… right.

"They're hiding something…"

Spamton shivered suddenly and gripped his arms, looking around frantically as he could have sworn he heard something. Or rather, someone. He turned towards the living room, thinking it might have just been the TV or something. 

"Something is wrong with them…"

He went stiff, feeling like his body was gripped with fear out of nowhere. He stared at the floor and tried to focus on something else. Anything else. Anything except for whatever that noise was. 

"You should check on them."

"I… I should… I should go ch-ch-che… check on…"

"Spamton? Is everything alright?"

He turned his head and saw Swatch standing beside him, their expression soft but concerned. It made him snap out of his small daze and focus on them instead. 

"I… I don't feel well. C-can you help m-me… to our room?"

"Of course! Come on, Spam. I got some nice sparkling water in there for us. We can sit and do some breathing until you feel better" they said quickly as they helped him walk upstairs. 

Things like this weren't totally foreign. They were uncommon, but he would sometimes have bouts of disassociation or just a mental disconnect. Swatch knew exactly how to deal with it and they had a regular routine down to help him. 

God. Where would he be without Swatch and Sky?

"... Thank you… Really."

Sky turned the page and continued onto the next one. It was a little slow, since they were still young and not the best at reading. Granted, they were still pretty good at reading for their age, thanks to having a hundred different people ready and willing to homeschool them. Basically like having an entire school of teachers, all focused on one student.

"Hm… soul… light… words… UGH! This makes no sense!"

… Just because they could read, didn't mean they could understand the text.

"I don't get it. What's so different about lightners? Why are we so special? What makes us different…? This all sounds just like everyone here." They were clearly not getting anything from this first chapter they were on.

They were interrupted as someone knocked on the door. They jumped and quickly hid the book under their pillow before yelling, "Come in!"

It opened to reveal a smiling blue face. "Hey, Sky."

"Survey!" They jumped out of bed and ran over to him, giving him a big hug. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled and returned the hug, soon pulling back and petting their head. "I heard someone got a brand new copy of Mario Kart. Thought it would be much more fun to play with someone rather than alone, so I came to visit."

Sky grinned at him as they stared with starry eyes. They then ran to get the game from their bag excitedly. But as they bent down to grab it, their eyes were caught by the book, slightly peeking out from under their pillow. They slowed down and thought for a second. They had an idea they felt like they should try.

"Sky? Something the matter?"

The kid stood back up from the floor and turned to Survey, gripping the game case in their hands. "Hey… can I… ask you something?"

"Uh, sure. But if this is about Luigi then you can take him. I'm fine with Daisy."

"N-no. It's not about the game."

"Ok…"

"... … … What makes you and me different?"

He stood silently for a moment, thinking over the question. "... I mean… I'm… blue. And taller. And an adult."

"No! I mean what makes lightners different from darkners!"

His eyes widened slightly at that, shocked. He looked around a bit, at a loss for words. Sky just watched him consider his words carefully before speaking. He sighed and sat down on their bed, petting the spot beside him. That walked over and sat down.

"Sky… that's… a big question. It's really complicated and I'm sure you wouldn't be able to understand all of it. It's… a lot."

"Yes I can! I'm super smart! I got a book today!"

He chuckled at their unshakable confidence, believing that they were able to do anything they put their mind to. That was great. Confidence is a fantastic trait.

"Well I wouldn't want to bore you, so I'll try to summarize it. See… it's like… hm…" he quieted down, really mulling over what he should and shouldn't say.

"... … … Do you know what light is?"

"It's… the stuff that comes out of bright things, like lamps."

"Yes. And do you know what darkness is?"

"Of course I do! It's the energy that makes up this entire place!"

"No. Not dark magic. That's different. I mean normal darkness." 

They just tilted their head at him confused. He sighed softly and looked at a random spot on the wall. "Darkness is an absence of light. It's the nothingness where there is no light."

"I don't get it…"

"What I mean is that… darkness bends to light's every whim. It will do whatever light makes it do. Which means… … … your soul is a lot more powerful than ours."

They looked at him in surprise. But… something felt wrong. They got this uncomfortable feeling from him, like when you can't sit still but also aren't allowed to move. It was so strange. It was like… they could feel his discomfort.

"Or at least it has the potential to be more powerful. Darkner souls are more intune with magic because of our close connection with it. But lightner souls are stronger, they can hold a lot more power, even magic. So… a lot of people out there will regard you as potentially very strong. So some might challenge you to test that power out and… … … a very select few may want it for themselves."

Sky just listened, trying to focus on what he was saying. But it was hard when they could feel that sinking feeling in the air growing heavier. They didn't know what it was or why it was, but they didn't like it.

"But, luckily, Cyber City is a very civilized place. Most of us try to avoid that type of aggressive behavior. So you don't have to worry. But… that's really all I can say about our differences."

The child watched him as he turned to look at them, giving a patient smile. But they could still sense his discomfort, despite the happy look. They hated it. It made them feel bad. 

"... Ok. Well… I'm gonna get stronger so I can get a job to buy papa nice things!"

Immediately, the heavy atmosphere disappeared and was replaced with something much nicer. Survey laughed and covered his mouth, watching them tie their fists as they imagined getting super strong. "That sounds like a great plan. I'm behind you on that one."

"So… wanna play now?"

"Of course! Take the wheel, Luigi!" Survey said amused as he ruffled their hair and grinned brightly. Everything felt much better after that. But, still, Sky wondered what that was about. They would have to think about it later. For now, they were racing!

BONUS CLIPPY DOODLE

Chapter Text

It was very late. Spamton should be asleep. And he had been, until he was stirred awake by a noise. It sounded like a creak. It was soft and quiet, but still loud enough to wake him.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes, reaching out to put on his glasses. Once he did, he found the issue. The door was open, slightly ajar and swaying ever so slightly from the wind presumably.

Weird, he thought. Swatch is always very particular about keeping the door shut when they go to bed. He glanced over at their bed, finding it totally empty. It gave him a brief moment of worry, wondering if Swatch snuck off to do something he knew they were ashamed off. Like breaking their non-smoking streak or doing midnight chores. 

He hopped out of bed and walked out the room, looking around for any trace of the head butler. He immediately noticed the sound of the TV from the living room downstairs faintly. He headed down and peeked into the living room from behind the doorway. 

And there they were. Swatch was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and watching some random detective movie. They were holding a bag of banana chips and munching away in silence. They looked… a little melancholic. And pretty tired too.

He frowned and wondered what had them looking so blue. He'd have to ask them if he wanted to know, so he slipped inside and walked over to them, hopping up beside them on the couch. That had Swatch jumping out of their seat and squawking from the freight. Spamton couldn't help but laugh at their reaction, reaching out to jokingly pat their leg. That caused their surprise to turn into embarrassment as their face lit up with a bright blush.

"S-s-spamton?! Why are you awake so late???"

"You [one trip you'll never forget] close thee door. It was [squeak!] ."

They looked away from him as their blushing increased, grabbing another chip to eat.

"& U?"

"Oh! Um… I just wasn't able to sleep. Haven't gotten a wink of it. So I just… decided to watch some TV to distract myself."

"Any [peculiar taste]? I MEan re-son."

"I don't know. Honestly."

The conversation fizzled quickly, leaving both of them awkwardly staring at the screen while avoiding eye contact. Spamton wondered if it was because of something going on with them or if they really just couldn't sleep that night. Either way, he felt bad for them. And him showing up seems to have only made them uncomfortable. 

But he knew how to fix that.

"[Did You Know?]..."

Swatch immediately perked up and looked over at the ad, their face turning from surprised to slightly amused. They recognized that conversation starter. It's what they always said when they wanted to have their little life sharing chat. They would both say it randomly sometimes without prompting, which they both found hilarious.

"Heh heh! Yeah?" They implored him to continue.

"Be4 I [got a promotion] to the [luxury guest suite], I used 2 hava [beat the stuffing outta ya!] toy."

"Oh? What kind?" 

"A [peanut butter jelly]fish looking thing. Just this [rounded up] [soft huggable pillow] puff with [googly eyes] and yarn hanging from it i think. Barely looked lik anything."

Swatch chuckled softly, trying to picture it in their head. They also tried to picture little Spamton, cuddled up with a plushie. It was a cute thought.

"Hey  ! Don't laugh! "

"Sorry! It's just… thinking about you as a kid with that is kind of sweet."

"..." Spamton fell silent, his eyes awkwardly wandering back to the TV as he clenched his teeth. Swatch found that reaction odd, wondering what that was supposed to mean. 

"... … … I slept with it until I got successful…"

"Hm? What was that?" They couldn't hear him when he mumbled like that. They knew he did it on purpose, most likely because he didn't want to admit whatever he said.

"I… … kept sleeping with it up until my business started taking off…" he said shamefully, almost sounding sad about it. It made Swatch's smile disappear as they saw him twiddling his fingers, his expression very gloomy suddenly.

"Hey. It's fine. You don't need to be embarrassed. There is nothing wrong with that." They reached over to rub his back, watching him turn to face them.

"Thankz… It whas… [a pleasure] to me at th3 [time limit]. B-b-[butt] it was just a dumm plushie. I left it [Home Alone 2] when I left for the mansion."

"Awe. That's a shame. If you'd have brought it with you, I might've had a chance to see it."

Spamton gave them a confused look, raising a brow and tilting his head. They just looked over at him and gave a sweet, heartwarming smile that made him gulp nervously.

"If I did, I might've been able to make you a new one."

The love and care they expressed in that sentence was overwhelming for the poor puppet. His face immediately turned the deepest shade of red it had probably ever had and his fingers gripped onto the couch. He felt so cherished and so very thankful. He really really really didn't deserve Swatch in the least.

They just smiled at him, until their eyes shifted upwards to above his head. They suddenly seemed surprised, before laughing again. "My! Who's your friend?"

Confused, he looked up and saw his healing attack, the little angel Spam, floating above him and staring at his friend, eyes teary and filled with adoration. He quickly started to sputter out of embarrassment and tried to grab the attack, who successfully dodged him and continued avoiding his grasp. "HEY! WH0 [access granted] YO TO [free roam open world]?!" 

The Swatchling laughed softly as they watched him try to catch this tiny version of himself. But it was fast to fly away to hide behind Swatch, peeking out at Spamton nervously.

"Hey now, Spam. Leave the little guy alone. It's no bother at all! Plus, it will disappear on its own soon anyways. So just let it stick around."

They reached up and carefully scratched it under the chin, making it peep happily and nuzzle their finger. Spamton pouted grumpily before huffing in defeat and giving in, settling down into the couch to keep them company while they watched their show. The butler got comfortable, pulling the blanket up slightly as the angel buried itself in their black, fluffy ruff.

They both just sat and enjoyed each other's company, Spamton having to resist the urge to glare at that stupid attack for ruining the moment and almost outing what he was feeling. It was embarrassing! He wanted to at least retain some dignity, even if he was comfortable being weak and emotional in front of his bird buddy. 

After a while, completely distracted by his own thoughts, Spamton was brought back to reality as he felt something large weighing down on him. He snapped towards it and saw Swatch, drowsy and on the verge of sleep, sliding down in his direction. He stiffened, mind suddenly racing with a lot of thoughts. He wondered what he should do. Should he wake them so they could head back to bed? Should he leave and let them nap on the couch for the night, maybe fetching them some pillows?

He gulped again, feeling his heart beating faster in his chest as he grew more and more antsy. But then they seemed to fall asleep completely, their head falling down to rest against the top of his. 

He stopped panicking, glancing up towards them as they nuzzled into his hair. 

… … … … This… is nice. I can't… it's hard to believe this is real. The person who I thought was way out of my league… cuddling with me without any hesitation. How can they be so comfortable with it? When I'm just a… a…

…

…

… Pupp-…

"Mnnng…" Swatch shifted a little, pulling their legs up onto the couch and laying an arm over Spamton's shoulder. He snapped back to attention and glanced at the arm. He couldn't help but to smile and tear up, leaning into them as he accepted tonight's sleeping situation. 

He was way too comfortable to do anything about it.

*~*~*

"Seriously, Spams?! You gotta be kidding me!"

The white Addison groaned loudly as he had his face buried in the coffee shop table. Flash was giving him an incredulous look as she held her steaming mug in the air. "This is ridiculous. You're just torturing yourself at this point. Just buckle up and tell them you like them already!"

"ARE YOU [steam powered locomotive]?!?!? [Fuggedaboutit!]! ! " He exclaimed as he pushed himself up and stared at her like she was crazy.

"Why not?! What could possibly go wrong?!"

"EVERYTHING!!!!!!!"

"God. You allo-spec people are so confusing" Flash grumbled and took a swig of her coffee. "I'm so glad I'm ace and don't have to deal with that crap."

Spamton growled and smacked his face into the table again, almost spilling his own cup of coffee. 

God damnit. Why do they have to be so amazing in every way? It's so unfair! If only I'd made a move in the mansion, maybe it'd be easier now.

…

My life is a trainwreck.

*~*~*

Swatch hummed as they gently tapped their chin with a pen, very deep in thought about something. They were meant to be working right then, but were completely distracted, thinking about the thing from last night. 

Pillow… googly eyes and yarn strings. That description is way too simple. I can't picture it at all. Wish I had anything more to go off of. 

They heard a small chirp, followed by a tiny face peeking out from their plumage. They glanced down and chuckled softly, rubbing the little angel's head. "Don't worry. I'm just thinking about that stuffed toy Spamton told me about last night. I was hoping to recreate it for him."

The attack peeped curiously and flew out to inspect the notepad in their other hand. It had a couple of hastily drawn doodles of different jellyfish-looking creatures. It sat down on the page and really scrutinized the drawings, until Swatch carefully scooped it up again.

"Hey now. I know I said you can stay with me until you despawn, but try to keep it discreet, ok? I don't want anyone seeing you and thinking Spamton broke in again."

It gave them a sad little pout, giving Swatch a pair of pleading puppy eyes. They just laughed and smirked. "No. None of that. You shouldn't even be active still. Either Spamton has amazing TP or you are a lot less draining on him than I thought."

It huffed and puffed angrily, crossing its arms and turning away from them. 

"Alright. That's enough. Back into the feathers with you, Mr. Grumpy wings" they rolled their eyes and helped angel Spamton to nestle back up into the plumage again.

"Swatch?"

They gasped and whipped around. They were met with the face of Tasque Manager, looking mighty confused. "Who are you talking to, dear?"

"Ah! Uh… n-no one! Just… thinking out loud. That's it."

"Is everything alright? You've been in the back for a while now."

"Ngh… yeah… I just got a little distracted. Sorry."

She walked over and took a little peek at what the butler had been noting down. She was surprised at seeing silly little doodles instead of a list of inventory.

"What is this?"

"I've… been thinking about making a present for a friend. They were reminiscing to me about an old toy they had and I really wanted to… see if I could recreate it…"

"Hmm… might this be the 'friend' that moved into your home with their child?"

They sputtered, unprepared for that response. They weren't aware that she had heard about Spamton and Sky moving in. Must have picked it up from one of their conversations with others about it. 

"How… how did you guess?"

She just crossed her arms, giving a sarcastically annoyed smile. "Because it's obvious! You have been talking about them quite a bit in passing. Plus, it's the only person I've heard you refer to consistently as 'friend'. Who are they anyways?"

"Uh… well… the thing is, I've been saying 'friend' for a reason. He's very reserved and doesn't want his name to be spread around. He prefers to keep it private due to some past issues."

"Oh my. Someone who likes to keep things private and is reserved? Sounds like you just found yourself Swatch v.2!"

"H-h-hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

The cat lady laughed at their offense, finding it rather unlike them. "I just mean that it's a stark contrast to the previous… person you associated with…" her tone suddenly changed to something more bitter. Swatch felt a chill going up their spine, catching onto what she was trying to say. 

But she quickly shook the spiteful feeling off and looked back to her co-worker. "Sorry… I'm just… sorry. It's been a little hard over the years, watching you become so closed off after… he hurt you. You were so much more social and upbeat before that."

They started getting uncomfortable, feeling guilty as they realized how much Tasque Manager really did care about their wellbeing. She wasn't exactly the most soft-hearted person out there, but she was kind. And she did care about her co-workers. That much was obvious.

"But after this new guy moved in and you started talking about him with the rest of the Swatchlings, I noticed you… changing. You started to regain that excitement from before, more easygoing and not so strictly professional. You got back your spark. So, clearly, whoever this friend is, he must be a great one. I'm happy seeing my co-workers happy!"

"... … … Tasque Manager… that's… so very kind of you. I never realized you were being that observant towards my health. I'm… I… uh… thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, about this present you mentioned… I assume you want it to be a surprise, yes?"

"Yeah. But I was thinking of scrapping that and just asking for more specific details."

"Why not ask someone else who knows him? If he has more acquaintances, they might have seen this toy of his in the past.

They stopped talking and stared at her, the gears starting to turn as they realized that that was way easier than whatever they had been doing. They mentally facepalmed and wondered how Tasque Manager could be so great at solving any problem she sees.

*~*~*

"AAAAAAW~! IT'S SO CUTE~!!!" Click cried out as they let the healing attack sit on their hand, using the other to pet it affectionately. They couldn't help themselves, it was just so adorable. The mini-ton was just enjoying the attention it got. Swatch sat down beside them on the couch and chuckled at the scene.

"I'm not sure how it hasn't disappeared yet. Honestly, it should be gone by now. It spawned really early today, after midnight, so this is very unusual."

"Well, sometimes magic just does that. It kinda gains a life of its own and starts acting up. I've seen it happen with poppups or some virovirokun occasionally." Survey walked into the room with a plate of cookies, placing it in the middle of the table before falling back into the recliner. "It's common with people who have glitches and viruses."

"Ah. I see. That does make sense."

"Yeah. So no need to worry. We wouldn't have known how to get rid of it anyways."

Swatch was confused, wondering why Survey thought they wanted to get rid of the sweet little attack. But, it then dawned on them that they never stated why they had come over. The only subject they brought up was the angel, so no wonder he assumed as much.

"Oh! Oh heavens no! That's not something I wish to do! I think it's delightful!"

"Huh? Then why did you come over?" Click asked curiously.

"I wanted to ask about something that Spamton brought up to me. He told me about this old plush toy he used to have and has since lost. He said it was dear to him, but then brushed it off. I just… I wanted to recreate it for him. Just to… I don't know, make him happy."

They both listened in as they explained, looking at each other with unsure expressions. Survey looked back to them before speaking. "Did he say what it looks like?"

"Yes. I believe… he described it as a sort of jellyfish shape. It was round and pillowy, had strings hanging from the bottom of it and-"

"-g-go-googly eyes???" Click suddenly interjected before Swatch had a chance to finish. They looked over at them, seeing their face looking very… enlightened. Like they just had a revelation.

"Y-yes? I think so."

The pink ad started smiling brightly, their eyes sparkling as they grew antsy, shifting in their seat. They quickly got up and turned to Survey, handing over the mini-ton to him before rushing out the room with a shout of, "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"

The bird and ad looked at each other, the other's confusion apparent for both of them. Even the little attack looked between the two with uncertainty.

It didn't take that long for Click to come running back into the room, clutching something in their hands. Swatch immediately put 2 and 2 together and gasped softly. "Y-y-you have it???"

"Yes!!! I have kept it for years now! I honestly forgot about it after a while, but you bringing it up brought the memories right back to me!" They sounded so happy as they walked over and placed the plushie into their wings. It… honestly was just as Spamton had said. It was a round red pillow, or more so an oval shape, with multi-colored yarn strings attached to the bottom and googly eyes securely sewn to its side. It was really that plain. 

"You see… When I heard about the rumors of Spamton's intentions to sell his house, I just couldn't let all of his memories go to waste. I used the spare key he probably forgot I had to get in and it took a couple sentimental items. Just some photos and random knick knacks he seemed fond of. And… I guess I stole it." They admitted that with a blush on their face, embarrassed that they never realized that's exactly what they did.

"Hey. It's alright. You only did it so he wouldn't lose them forever" Survey assured and petted them on the back. The tiny Spamton flew over to them and hugged their head, its smile so thankful at their gesture. They smiled back and nodded.

"Click… this is… I… thank you… Thank you, Click! This is even better! He'll be over the moon when he sees this! Thank you… seriously." Swatch couldn't help but to thank them thrice, so giddy at the idea of Spamton's face as he gets an old momento back he seemed to be missing. 

Click blushed at the enthusiastic gratitude, feeling flattered from making the usually calm and reserved butler get so jolly. What a feat!

*~*~*

"Papa! That's not the drift! You just wasted your mushroom!" Sky said loudly as they watched Spamton trying to finish the last lap of the race in the game. They had already finished, so now he just had to get to the finish line. 

"IT'S [a hard bargain] IT SEAMS! WHY AR3 THEY [pay raise]ING ON A [total trainwreck!]?!" Spam questioned while flustered, trying his best to avoid the oncoming trains barreling towards poor Shy Guy. 

"Because it's cool! And it's not hard! You just push that button and then you'll drift!"

"[gay] INT0 A  WALL!"

"You're really bad at Mario Kart."

Spamton glared at his kid, causing him to drive off a platform and right in front of another train. He then looked at the screen and saw the race finish without him, leaving him in last place.

"... HMF!" He just huff put his controller down on the table.

Right then, Swatch peeked in through the doorway. They saw the human and the ad having fun and playing on Sky's game console. It made them feel a blooming joy in their chest, seeing such sweet little moments. Maybe it was just due to them already being sentimental, but they just felt so happy seeing them both enjoying themselves.

"Heeeey. Are you doing well?"

They both turned to the door at Swatch's words, Sky immediately grinning and bouncing onto their feet. They rushed the bird and hugged them tightly. "Mhm! Papa is really bad, but I got first place!"

"H EY!!! !!"

Swatch giggled at their antics, finding it just so adorable that they couldn't stop themselves. "That's great. I'm glad you are having fun. And don't be too hard on papa. He's never played games like that before."

"But it's not hard!"

"-For you, Sky. How easy was it for you in the beginning?"

They were about to respond, but stopped themselves as they thought about it for a second. 

"... Yeah. I guess you're right. Sorry I called you bad, papa."

"NO [ HARD ] FEELINGS . A LIT TLE [trash talk] IS ALLOWED!"

"Spamton!" Swatch gave a scolding glance at him for encouraging bad behavior. He quickly shut up and stiffened nervously. They let it go right away, too excited about the surprise to be mad at him.

"Nevermind that, Spam. I have something for you!"

His posture loosened up and he got very curious. "OH?"

"Here. Come and hold out your hands for me."

He did as told, walking over and holding his hands open, ready to receive whatever they got for him.

With a bright smile, they reached out their cupped wings and placed the object in his hands, making sure to keep it covered until they revealed it.

Spamton just stood and stared at his hands, unable to believe what he was seeing. It was… his old plushie. Not a recreation of it or a replica, but the same exact one. He could tell from the small hints of use, ones that he knew he had caused. Like a frayed yarn or a loose seam.

He was stunned, just silently standing there and holding the old memory in his hands like it was a treasure.

"What is that?" Sky asked as they walked over to look at the strange toy.

"It's… my old stuffed toy… but… b-but how did you…?" His gaze shifted up to Swatch, looking at them with this wide-eyed stare. It was like he was looking up at a superhero who just saved his life.

"It's funny, actually. I wanted to make a new one, but I had no idea what it looked like and your description was pretty brief. I was brainstorming some sketches when Tasque Manager caught me and asked about it. She suggested I ask someone who knows you about it, so I asked Click! But… funnily enough, they had kept it for you. They took it from your house before you sold it, in case you would miss it."

Spamton couldn't think of anything to say. He was totally speechless and just staring with glossy eyes, growing more and more glossy from the tears that were building up. 

Swatch really went above and beyond for him. They wanted to make sure he got the absolute best and somehow managed to get him the best of all, the original. And Click… Click had been thinking about him, even after everything he had said to them and the rest. They had still thought about his feelings after he had crushed theirs and they thought he hated them.

He quickly pulled his glasses off and put them on the table. He then started rubbing his teary eyes as these emotions grew so overwhelming. It wasn't fair! Why did everyone have to be so kind and thoughtful to him when he couldn't do anything in return?! And the worst part is that they didn't want anything back! They were just happy to get a reaction! Why must they be so wonderful?! It's not fair!

"Spamton?" Swatch asked and got down on their knees beside him, pulling him into a hug. He just sniffed and whined, feeling his heart overflowing with so much joy. But also so much anger. Why did Swatch have to make his crush on them even worse like this?!

"Thank you, Swatches! THANK YOU~!" He cried and hugged the plushie in his hands tightly, nuzzling it up to his face. He just kept sobbing and thanking them over and over as they rubbed his back and held him close. They were so happy to see him crying tears of joy. They were the only tears they ever wanted to see Spamton cry. Sky was watching them from the couch awkwardly, just waiting for them to get done.

No one noticed the little attack emerging from the black feathers it was nestled in, flying out and up to the butler's head. It smiled wide and gave them an adoring look before kissing their head and promptly proofing.

Chapter Text

Sky snored loudly as they rolled over in bed, pulling their blanket up a bit more in their sleep. They were a pretty heavy sleeper. Not even an explosion would be able to shake them from their slumber.

But whatever that delicious smell was sure could.

Their eyes fluttered open as they sniffed the air, sitting up in bed and wiping a line of drool from their chin. 

As soon as they were sitting up, they were confused.

… This isn't my room.

They looked around the strange room they found themselves in. It had dark walls, ceiling and floor, unlike their bright blue room. There were small holes on the floor and a bike in the corner. They got out of bed and turned to look at it, finding that it was indeed not their bed. It had a weird unusual shape.

But they got distracted by the smell of food again and immediately dismissed that oddity. They turned and walked out the room, emerging into a large hallway. It looked like nothing they had seen before. 

Then their attention was caught by a sound nearby. It appeared to be whistling. They turned and looked to another door across the way, guessing that the whistling was coming from there. 

So Sky walked over and opened it without any consideration for potential risks. They were met with something akin to a shop. There was a large blue fire spewing out of the counter that was being used to fry something. 

And who's the one frying that something? Jevil, of course.

"Hey! Jevil!" They cheered and ran over to him, leaning over a non-burning part of the counter.

"Why, little justice! Someone I surely didn't expect. Your timing, timing is perfect!" He seemed happy to see them, flipping the food in the frying pan. 

"Are you making breakfast? Sweet! Let me have some!"

"Huu huu huu~! So impatient. Very well!" He turned to Sky and tossed the food right at them. Out of sheer luck, they caught it without any unfortunate mess. They were surprised with how cold it was for being newly fried. When they looked at it, they saw it was a sandwich, shaped kinda like a clover.

"A club sandwich, just for you, you!"

They gave him a thankful smile, no longer questioning the weirdness of how he fried an untoasted sandwich. They simply started eating. Jevil snapped his fingers and made the flame disappear, taking a seat where it previously was.

"So, little justice. Seems fate has finally knocked at the door. Your weapon, weapon! You found it, I'm sure."

Sky stopped chewing and looked over at him, a frown growing on their face as they remembered that day.

"... Myeah. I phoun ith" they spoke with their mouth full before swallowing and trying again. "I just wandered off and found it in a weird hiding spot. Along with these earrings…"

"Mhm! I see, see! A secret, secret hidden among the trees. Fate said hello it seems."

"So now what, Jevil? What am I supposed to do with these now?"

"Who knows?"

Sky looked incredibly offended by that answer. He had been the one to hype this weapon up and make it sound super important. He had to know what they were for! "Bullcrap! You know!"

"Well I have some ideas~. But… it's not my call, call. You have the last say over it all. What do you want to use them for?"

"I DON'T FREAKING KNOW!!! I'm a child! I don't know anything about this stuff! YOU'RE supposed to know!"

"Oh really, really? You would prefer someone else to decide your fate for you? Is that really what papa broke his strings, strings for?"

They grew quiet, looking at him with a blank expression. There was the talk of strings again. The strings that the phone man put on their dad. No one really told them much about that man… aside from Jevil. They acted like he didn't exist or something. But Jevil would tell them about his history with Spamton and how the phone man hurt and manipulated him.

They understood. Jevil was saying that they had to find their own purposes, using these tools they got. They couldn't ask him to tell them what to do. After all, people telling them what they can and can't do is exactly what they have been so mad about recently.

"... No. It's not. But… is there some way to figure it out?"

"UEE HEE HEE! Now you're getting it! You're a stubborn kid, little justice! You can find a way, way!" Jevil ruffled their hair and gave a large grin. They gave a half smile back to him. 

Suddenly, seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, they heard the sound of something ringing. After a brief shock, they turned to Jevil with confused eyes. He just looked back at them blankly.

"It's all your call, little justice. Find fate, fate all on your own, or seek out someone to assist. But one thing is certain. You will make your papa proud."

*~*~*

Sky jolted up in bed, whipping their head around in a slight panic before they heard something outside their door. The ringing of their house phone, soon interrupted as someone answered.

"Hello?... Ah! Click! Great to hear from you!... Yes?... Yes, they're still in bed. Why?... … … Oh?... That sounds lovely! I'll ask them how they would feel about that when they wake up… yeah… ok! I'll call you back soon. Have a good day. Bye."

Click? Was Click calling? Maybe they were asking if Sky wanted to hang out. They would love that.

…

It would distract them from that dream they had.

It was a lot to take in. Jevil really dropped a bombshell on them without even telling them anything new. How did he always manage to do things like that?! It's either long-winded word salads that means nothing or seemingly innocuous statements that say a lot more than you think!

But still. He really gave them a lot of options. Too many. It was overwhelming for them. So they would much rather focus on something else and deal with all that later.

Their eyes wandered over to their TV dresser, eyeing one drawer in particular. They got out of bed and walked over, opening it and looking down at the contents. The gun and the earrings. They were hidden under a Non-binary pride flag that Flash bought them for pride month. It was large enough to hide stuff under perfectly.

They shuttered slightly at the idea of bringing a weapon to any kind of meet-up, especially with Click. They might faint if they saw a real gun. But Sky really wanted to bring the earrings. They made them feel secure. It brought them comfort from the nerves that conversation with Jevil brought up.

So the kid put the earrings on the dresser before getting dressed and then putting the small golden clovers in their pocket.

*~*~*

Sky sat in the car quietly, listening to the music on the radio as they were driven into town. They were right about Click wanting to hang out. They offered to meet up at their cafe before going to the toy store. 

"... Honey, are we there yet?"

The yellow Swatchling turned slightly towards Sky while still keeping her eyes on the road. "Almost, sweetheart. Just a little more. Remember that papa told you to get done before dinner time, so no meandering around the store."

"Ugh! Yes, Honey!" They groaned loudly and crossed their arms.

"And don't get anything too expensive. You don't want to give him a heart attack like last time, ok?"

They just groaned at her and sank down into the seat in defeat. They begrudgingly agreed.

Soon enough, Sky was dropped off near Click's cafe and waved Honey goodbye as she drove off. They started heading around to the front to meet them, but were surprised to see them there, already talking to some people. They recognized the darkners, a speaker and a radio. It was two of the people who knew papa, though one of them was missing.

"Oh yeah! Totally. I can get kinda anxious about lots of stuff, but for some reason taking care of people never really seemed to be a problem. Whenever Survey gets sick, I go into this 'nurse mode' and just take care of everything, no issue."

"That's crazy. Can't say the same for Sweet. He FREAKED when K_K told us they were feeling ill. He was fussing over them like a-"

Sweet punched Cap'n in the arm and gave an angry glare before getting back to the conversation. "That's not what happened! I mean- I did. But it was because they looked like death! Whatever bug they have must be nasty."

"That's not good! I hope you'll find the right medication for them. Maybe some antivirus?"

"I don't think it's a virus. It's probably just a glitch or sickness. We'll find something to help-"

"NINI CLICK!!!" Sky called out as they walked over, waving at the pink ad. Click turned to them with a very surprised and confused look. "Uh- Hi Sky. Um… Nini…?"

"I felt bad that uncle Survey got a fun title but you didn't, so Raspberry taught me one for Non-binary!"

Click stared at them for a second before a big grin spread out on their face and they let out a flattered, "Aaaawwwwwwww~!"

"Heh. Cute" Cap'n commented and gave Click a slight nudge. They nodded in agreement. "Why are they here?" Sky asked and pointed at Sweet.

"Oh! They just happened to pass by and spotted me waiting, so they stopped for a chat. That's it" they explained and gave Sky a pat on the head.

"Yeah. We were going to the store to buy some medicine for K_K" Sweet added in, with a confirming nod from Cap'n.

"Hey! We're going to the store too! You can tag along!" Sky then said, as if they just had the most brilliant idea ever. Cap'n grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Ey! That sounds neat! I sure wouldn't mind talking more with a purple looker like them" he answered and gave Click a slight wink behind his sunglasses.

"... Um… I'm pink…?" They said with a nervous, awkward tone. The radio started blushing at the mistake and turned away in an equally awkward manner. "R-right! Hard to tell w-with these sunglasses!"

"Oh my god. You're so embarrassing. You're killing me here" Sweet muttered from behind his hands.

"Can we go now?" Sky asked impatiently, making everyone say 'yes' in unison before heading off to their destination.

*~*~*

The four were walking down the street, different types of stores lining each side of it. So many people, selling things and offering services. It was fascinating to the child, who was distracted from the conversation the adults had. Probably just some small talk about… like… office desks or something. Some boring grown-up nonsense.

"Aha! There is a pharmacy!" Sweet called out, gaining the kid's attention. "Cool. You go on in and get the stuff. I'll hang back with our handsome friend" Cap'n told him. Sweet turned to him with an annoyed glare. "Really? You're going to make me do all the work?"

"Hey! I'm just helping a buddy out by keeping them and the kid company. Isn't that worth something?"

"Ugh. Lazy ass. Fine! I'll run in and get it!"

While they were talking, Sky noticed something behind Sweet. They saw a shop with a really cool design on its front. It had a bunch of different illustrations of things, ranging from flowers and mermaids to dragons and barbed wire. It looked really epic. It said 'Picture Perfect Paste' on the sign, intriguing them more.

"Hm? What are you looking at, Sky?" Click asked and kneeled down to them. They turned to them and pointed at the shop. "What's that place?"

"Oh. That's a tattoo shop. They give people tattoos on their body, like the ones Flash and Banner have."

"Oh yeah! I like aunt Flash's cool skull face on her back!"

"Yeah! It's those!"

"Hey. I know that place. It's where I got my tattoo" Cap'n chimed in as he pulled his hoodie down slightly to reveal a tattoo of a vinyl record on his shoulder. Click looked at it and gasped softly. "Ooooh. That's very nice looking! I like it! I don't think I could ever get one though. It's just not my thing."

"Yeah. Fair enough. I only wanted one, so I'm good. But do you like piercings? Cuz I'm pretty sure they do that too. I think they might sell piercings and earrings there too."

Sky's attention was caught by the word 'earring', making them lift their head in peaked curiosity. "Earrings? Why?"

"Oh! Well since they can also pierce your ears, why not sell some for extra cash?" He explained and gave them a puzzled glance. "I mean, I can't get them since I don't have ears, and I'm not interested in face piercings."

"Yeah. Me neither. Though I wouldn't mind wearing earrings if I had ears." Click held a hand underneath where their ear would be, as if lamenting the lack of them. Sky watched curiously, turning their attention back to the shop. Then they thought about the two golden clovers in their pocket. It would be really nice if they could wear them. Maybe they could if they got their ears pierced at this place.

"Hey… Click?"

"Hm? What is it, sky?"

"I don't wanna buy a toy anymore."

"Huh??? Why? Is something wrong?" Sky, rejecting a chance to get new toys? That was certainly cause for concern.

"Can I get my ears pierced instead?"

Click's jaw dropped open as they were stunned into silence. They just stared at the kid blankly, like they were buffering, until they shook themselves back to reality. "WHAT?!? No! No way! That's not even on the table!"

"What?! Why?!"

"That's a big decision to make! You'd have to have express approval from Spammy and he'd have to be the one to accompany you! I'm not allowing you ANY body modifications while I'm in charge!"

"Why does he get to decide what I do with my ears?! I wanna wear earrings!"

"C'mon, Click. The kid wants to express themselves. I don't see why you can't ask him via text or something" Cap'n butted in, throwing his two cents into the ring. Click gave him a nasty look. 

"No! This is something they should sit down and discuss with their papa. It's not a spur of the moment type of decision!"

"Geez! Calm down. I was just saying! There's no harm in piercing your ears. It's way better than your face, in my opinion."

"Well they aren't my child, so it isn't my call!"

Sky looked between the two as they argued, like a ping-pong match. They were still upset, not understanding what was so bad about getting earrings. And why does papa have to approve of everything?! So unfair.

"Just leave me alone!!!"

"Oh I would love to… if you weren't a walking health hazard!"

Sky turned at the sound of two voices shouting at each other. They scanned the area quickly before they located the source. Down a narrow path, in between two businesses, was an Ambyu-lance and a Virovirokun. The virovirokun was on the ground, cowering against the wall while the ambyu-lance towered over them threateningly.

"I-I-I'm not! I'm not si -i-i-i-i-i- ck!"

"Really? That skip is saying otherwise! That's clearly a bug!"

"IT'S NOT A BUG! It's a defect! I was bo -O-O-ORRRR- rn this way -y-y-y ."

"That's not how glitches work, idiot! Just let me fix you before you infect someone, you freak!"

Sky got mad listening to that big syringe insulting and bothering the poor virovirokun. What did they know about someone else's condition? Just leave them alone like they said!

The kid got even more upset as the ambyu-lance moved in closer, seemingly for some sort of attack. They couldn't just let that scared darkner get hurt!

So they picked up the nearest rock and ran towards the two of them. Then they pulled back and chucked it at them, causing the larger one to grunt in pain and whip around to them. 

"Hey! Stop being a butthole! Leave them alone!"

The virovirokun also peeked around their harasser to see who was defending them. The ambyu-lance scoffed and directed their attention to Sky. "Don't put your nose in other people's business, kid! She's a danger and needs serious help!"

"HE'S LYING! He just doesn't believe defects are a thing! I'm not ttttttttttt sick!"

"Stop lying, you little pest! I'm just trying to help you! You should be thanking me!"

"Well she clearly doesn't want your help! So butt-off!" Sky yelled as they picked up another rock, holding it at the ready. He growled and crossed his arms. 

"I didn't know so many people wanted the dark world to be messed up with glitches. I'm doing this for everyone's good, so go away, twerp!" He barked before turning back to his target, readying his procedure. 

Sky huffed angrily and threw the rock, hitting him again. He yelped and let out a loud, pissed off growl, clearly losing his cool with this little brat getting involved. He walked over to Sky and grabbed them by the shirt, shoving them against the wall.

"I told you to go away! But if you wanna battle so badly…" 

The air suddenly felt… off. It was like it was crackling with energy, making their hairs stand on end. The background seemed to darken as the ambyu-lance became the prime focus of their vision. They could feel their soul suddenly light up with adrenaline and power, like it had been activated from a dormant state. It was ready to fight. But Sky wasn't.

Then, as the anti-virus was staring them down, he was suddenly blasted in the face by a stream of liquid, pushing him to the side and away from Sky. Everything abruptly went back to normal after that, leaving the child flabbergasted and on their knees.

They turned to look at where that attack came from. They saw Click and the two musicians standing there, the pink ad glaring daggers at the ambyu-lance. They walked over and held a hand up towards him, still giving him a death stare.

"Touch my nibling again and I'm boiling you in tea. Understood, you bastard?"

He whimpered as he pushed himself back up, holding his injured cheek before stumbling off, away from the scene. Sky watched Click in amazement, until Sweet and Cap'n ran over to check on them. "Hey! Sky! Is everything ok?! Are you hurt?!" Sweet asked and put a hand on their shoulder. 

"Um… Y-yeah. I… I didn't get hurt."

After they said that, Click came rushing over and fell down to their knees. "SKY! SWEETHEART! You didn't get injured in any way, did you?! Did he pull you into a battle?! What happened?!"

"N-n-no! I'm ok! I just… I…"

"They sav -av-av- ed me."

Everyone looked over to the virovirokun, approaching the group timidly. "He was trying to 'F ffffff ix' me bec -AU- se he thought I I I I I I was sick. I'm not, I'm defe uu ctive."

"Wow… what a jerk, not believing in defects. Didn't think that was still a thing people believed" Cap commented and scoffed in disgust. 

"Are you ok?" Sky asked and got up to walk over. But Click quickly hugged onto them protectively. "Don't move until I've gotten to check you!"

"Yeah -eah-e . I'm good. Thank you so much. He's always been a both -ttttttttttt- er. Just a big b- EEEEEP . Anyways, who are you?"

"I'm Sky! What about you?"

"Poly. Nice -ice-ccc-n to meet you. And thanks again, Sky."

"Are you safe to go, Poly? He might still be lurking around and I don't think it's a good idea for you to go alone" Click asked as they got worried for the poor young program, getting harassed like that.

"I'm fine. He caught me in a bad -D place. I'm pretty fast. Thank you for worrrrrrrrrrrrying though."

Sky moved out of Click's arms and walked over to Poly, holding out a hand to her. She looked confused between the hand and child.

"If you ever need someone to watch your back, just ask!"

She stared for a second before laughing softly. "I don't think that's a good idea. But… t-t-t-t having company sounds nice."

She took Sky's hand and shook it, giving them a shy smile. They shook back enthusiastically and grinned from ear to ear.

Huh. What an odd series of events. And it definitely ended in something they didn't expect; making a new friend. They didn't get what they wanted, to wear their earrings, but they somehow got something much more valuable.

A purpose. 

It's not my call, call. You have the last say over it all. What do you want to use them for?

That entire conversation with Jevil came flooding back to them on the way home. What they wanted to do with the power they found. 

It was scary, having someone trying to fight them. But… it also felt so thrilling in a way that couldn't be described. Not because of the battle itself, but because of its purpose. Saving someone else. Being a hero. Standing up against the bad and the cruel.

Seeing Poly so happy after the rescue gave them the best feeling in their soul. They wanted to help more people! They wanted to be the cool, powerful, unafraid savior to those in need. 

Like… what papa needed in the past…

So they made up their mind. Their fate would be one of heroics. Of punishing evildoers! Of delivering justice!

… Right after they get ungrounded.

Chapter Text

Spamton sighed as he walked down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen. He just couldn't believe what happened yesterday. That his kid got themselves into a fight. It made more sense after Click told him they were trying to protect someone else in trouble. Sky always was enamored by those stories of heroes swooping in to save the day, and they had zero self-preservation instincts.

But that didn't mean he wasn't furious with them for putting themselves in that kind of situation. He scolded them pretty harshly and told them to never put themselves in danger like that ever again. It's not their duty to save people. They're a child, for crying out loud! They shouldn't be carrying that kind of responsibility! 

He was just happy that Click managed to save them before they got hurt. Battles are no joke.

He tried to not think about it too much and just walked into the kitchen to get supper. But as he rounded the corner, he spotted Swatch by the table. They were just sitting there and gazing out into space with a concerned, thoughtful expression. He gulped nervously, feeling like this wouldn't be something light-hearted. But, he still proceeded into the kitchen.

"SWATCCH?" He asked softly, snapping the bird out of their thoughts. 

"Oh. Hi, Spam."

"WH4TS THE MATTTER?"

"I'm just… I've been thinking about something. And… I really need to talk with you about it."

"[Ok]?"

"It's about Sky and the incident yesterday. Would you mind taking a seat so we can discuss it?"

Of course it was about that. He wasn't surprised in the slightest. He had almost been expecting it. Spamton sighed heavily as he mentally prepared himself for the conversation, walking over and taking a seat across from them.

Swatch looking down at the table, at their firmly interlocked hands. They didn't say anything for a long moment, also having to mentally prepare themselves and collect their thoughts.

"... … … I… I'm worried about them."

"THAT MUTCH IS [no duh!]."

They huffed and shifted their gaze towards the window, to the rain gently pattering against this glass pane. "This is something that we're going to need to deal with. They are gonna want to… explore eventually. Gracious, they already want to do that!"

"... I no, Swatch. But it's just [CAUTION CHILDREN AT PLAY] 4 them to do that. Even as is, being [company meeting!]."

"Yes. That's exactly my concern too…"

The way they completely turned their head away from him told him something was up. There was something they wanted to say, but were scared to for some reason. He wondered why that would be. What could they be thinking about that made them think he'd have a bad reaction?

"... … … … … sigh Which is why I think it's best if we teach them how to get through an encounter."

Spamton's expression fell into total shock horror at the suggestion. They… couldn't be serious, right? He must have heard them wrong. Surely, that's not something Swatch would consider a valid option.

"I'm… sorry?"

"Look. Spamton. I understand that this is a very serious decision. It's not one I would make lightly either… But it's the only reasonable one to make at this point. They will have to go out on their own at some point and experience independence. We can't stop that. All we can do is prepare them for it."

He sat silently as he stared at the butler, unable to believe what he was hearing. They can't be serious! They gotta be joking with him!

His brows quickly furrowed as he managed to snap out of his shock. "WHAT?!? You're [kiddo] me! You gotta be! T>his can't bee [real life]!"

"I am! But please, understand where I'm coming from!"

"Underst- YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE SKY TO PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER!!!"

"No! Of course I don't! I just want them to be able to defend themselves if something were to happen!"

"ARE YOU DENSE?!? HAVE YOU MET SKY?! IF YOU TEACH THEM HOW TO FIGHT, THEY WILL THROW THEMSELVES HEAD FIRST INTO BATTLES RIGHT AWAY!!!"

"That's not true! They're reckless, but they're not self-destructive! They wouldn't get themselves into pointless danger if we make sure to teach them right!"

"THEY'RE A [$%@#]ING CHILD!!! A LITTLE KID!!! THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS SORT OF STUFF!!! KEEPING THEM SAFE IS OUR JOB!"

"And teaching them how to defend themselves is a way to do that job! You have no idea what could happen! They could get in trouble at any time, even when we aren't around! And it could be through no fault of their own! Sigh… You need to realize that you can't always protect them. At some point, they will have to learn how to take care of themselves. It's up to us to prepare them for that, sooner rather than later."

Spamton was shaking in anger. He really couldn't believe his ears. Didn't his child already have enough to deal with?! Not only the very real difficulties of growing up, but also being a lightner in the dark world and having to deal with whatever lasting damage that Spamton's issues may have caused them. They shouldn't have to be settled with more fear and responsibility! 

He slammed his hands on the table.

"NO!!! NO NO NO!!! THAT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION!!!"

"Spamton, please! Just think about-"

"YOU ARE COMPLETELY INSANE!!! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!!! I AM NOT HAVING YOU ENCOURAGE OUR CHILD OR GIVE THEM MORE WORRIES TO DEAL WITH!!!"

"I'm not trying to-"

Suddenly, Swatch stopped talking, right as they were trying to make a point. Their face changed into surprised realization. Spamton just leaned on the table as he glared at them, feeling his body still shaking from the thoughts that Swatch's suggestion gave him.

"... … … ou-… our… child…?"

…

…

…

Spamton felt his heart drop as he realized what he blurted out. The anger disappeared from his face and he just looked at them with a blank stare. They looked back at him, trying to understand what that slip-up meant. They reached a hand out to put on his in concern. "Spamt-"

The ad bolted out of the kitchen.

"SPAMTON!!! WAIT!!!"

They got up and ran after him. They hurried after the sound of frantic footsteps before they heard a door slam and a click. They ran over to their wide open bedroom door and peeked in. They looked over at their bathroom, figuring that's where Spamton went. So the bird walked in, towards the door and knocked gently.

"Spam… please, come out. I'm sorry I upset you so much. I just… I want what's best for them, just like you. Let's just… talk it out…"

"... … …"

"Please! I understand that you're scared! This can't be easy! But… but please… we can sort this out…!"

"... … …"

Swatch frowned sorrowfully and leaned against the door, listening in on any noises Spamton might make. But, still, they heard nothing. Not a single sound.

He's probably overwhelmed. He isn't thinking straight. Maybe giving him some space to breathe will help him calm down.

"... Thank you. For… for saying 'our'... You don't know how much that means to me…"

After saying that, they moved away from the door and headed back downstairs. 

Suppose I'll be sleeping on the couch for tonight. 

… 

… 

… they were gone.

Spamton finally let himself breathe as they left. He had been holding it, because if he didn't, they would hear his garbled voice making unintelligible glitching noises. He felt so stressed. He didn't just have to deal with the very real ultimatum of either protecting his child or giving them the freedom they craved. He also had to deal with these confusing and frustrating feelings towards Swatch. Feelings he had no idea how to handle. 

It all just combined into one big lump in his heart, making him feel so heavy and unable to act. It was too much. Too much to think about. Too much to feel. Too much to be dropped onto him at one time. He just wanted to face none of it and live in his perfect little dream world where everything was fine.

He stayed in the bathroom for a couple hours, just doing his breathing exercises and pulling himself together. Once he was sure he calmed down, he walked out into the bedroom. He saw Swatch's bed empty, with the blanket and pillows removed. 

… he felt guilty about shaming them out of their own room. But he couldn't do anything about it right then. He'd probably break down again if he did. So he decided to just go straight to bed. Maybe he'd feel better in the morning.

Maybe he'd handle everything better then.

*~*~*

… 

… 

…

Creeeeeaaaaak

Spamton slowly opened his eyes as he heard a loud creaking noise, waking him up from his slumber. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, sitting up in bed. Looking towards the door, he noticed it was wide open for some reason. Maybe Swatch forgot to close it. He didn't think much of it and just went to shut it.

As he reached the door, he heard another noise. He peeked out from the room out of curiosity, spotting a shape moving in the dark hallway. He squinted to get a better look. That's when he noticed the small stature of the person, which immediately clued him in to who it was.

Sky? What are they doing up at such an hour?

He, of course, went after them to see what was up. Why they were wandering around when they should be in bed. He had a gut feeling it wasn't good.

He quietly followed them down the stairs and towards the front of the house, feeling his heart pick up in speed as anxiety was starting to creep in. Worries about what could be wrong kept popping up in his mind, making him feel more and more scared.

When they finally stopped, they were standing in the hallway to the front door. Spamton gulped nervously as he decided it was about time to stop sneaking around. He approached them quietly.

"Sky?" He called out to them. But they completely ignored him and just reached for the handle, pulling the door open. "HEY! WH4T DO YOU [thunk it] YOU"RE DOING? ?"

They continued ignoring him and ran outside, making him gasp and stare in disbelief at the rude dismissal. He quickly recovered and went to chase after them. "HEY!!! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, YOUNG ONE!"

Once he stepped outside, he felt a sudden drop in his stomach. Something was… off. The atmosphere felt incredibly heavy and foreboding. Like something was extremely wrong.  

He continued outside, walking down the street extending in front of the house. He looked around for his child, his worry growing into fear as he couldn't begin to understand what was happening. 

His heart was racing already. He kept looking behind him, scared that someone would suddenly jump him in this barren, dark, quiet street. Which only made him more determined to find his kid. He wouldn't turn back until he did.

"HEY! YOU!"

Spamton heard someone shouting from somewhere nearby, causing him to turn around frantically to find the source. He quickly located it to have come from an alleyway a little further ahead. He ran over and peeked into it, his heart dropping at what he saw.

Sky was standing there, face to face with Queen, who simply stared down at them with condescending intrigue. 

"You're the awful lady who hurt papa!!!"

"Oh My! Is That A Lightner? Interesting."

"You're gonna pay for making him suffer!"

"Lol Who?"

"Papa! Spa-"

"Actually Nevermind. I Don't Care. But I Do Care About Capturing You. A Lightner Like You Would Make An Excellent Peon. Or I Could Take Your Soul To Power My New Mech With Idk."

As soon as she said that, Spamton couldn no longer just stand around and watch. He immediately bolted over there and reached them just in time to push Sky out of the way of a cage, trying to snatch them up. He looked down at his child, who stared back at him with wide, horrified eyes. "Papa?! Get out of here!"

"NO! Not without you! I'm not letting you get hurt!" He shouted back at them as he pulled them up from the ground. But before they could run, Spamton was hit by Queen, who kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying into the wall. 

"Sorry, Car Guy! But This One's Mine! Get Your Own Minion!"

He groaned loudly and pushed himself up a bit, his body aching from the pain of her powerful heels. Sky gasped and ran over, getting down in front of him to check him over. They cried and asked him if he was ok. But he couldn't answer, his head was spinning as he was still recovering from that impact. 

But as he looked up at them, he saw Queen approaching them from behind, staring down at the two of them.

"S… Sky… b-b-beh… behin…"

ZAP

Sky stared at Spamton in complete shock, not saying anything. They slowly looked down towards a growing stain on the front of their shirt. 

Spamton also stared at it, his eyes growing wide in terror. Neither of them made a noise. Just stared at the splotch of red on their shirt until Sky stuttered weakly and fell to the side. Queen grinned down at the laser wound she made, looking really proud of herself.

"S-s-s-sky…?" Spamton mumbled in shock, turning his head to look at the child, no longer moving. It wasn't until their soul materialized above their body that the realization settled in. "SKYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

"What A Shame. I Was Looking Forward To Having Such A Ballsy Peon. Oh Well."

The puppet started crying uncontrollably, crawling over to his kid and shaking them frantically. But he got no response. He just kept crying as the world crumbled around him. His entire life fell to pieces at right that moment.

He lost Sky. His little angel. He lost them because they wanted to protect him. Because they felt responsible for him and bringing him justice. Because of him. BECAUSE OF HIM.

He gently cupped his hands around their soul, pulling it closer to him and silently watching it glow its vivid yellow. He could still feel Sky's power radiating from it. Like they were still there with him. Like they were telling him something. 

He turned around, finding Queen completely gone. So was the alley. Instead, he was sitting in a hauntingly familiar room, looking back at a hauntingly familiar body. 

NEO .

The soul floated out of his hands and slowly flew closer to the robot suit, as if it was showing him what it wanted him to do. He just watched, expression blank as he was in total shock. 

He lost his baby. 

The light of his life, dead.

Taken from him by this insatiable darkness. 

…

He hated it. 

He had to get revenge.

He had to bring justice to his angel.

*~*~*

"SPAMTON!!! SPAMTON!!! WAKE UP!!!"

The ad felt so disoriented. Everything was blurry and he had no idea if he was sitting, standing or lying down. All he knew was that his body was tingling in pain. He could have sworn he heard someone calling for him, but he barely cared. He didn't have the energy to care when his child was gone.

"SPAMTON!!! PLEASE!!! PLEASE WAKE UP!!! IT'S NOT REAL!!!"

He tried to get a better look at the person in front of him, but couldn't seem to make his eyes focus enough. But, after his hearing was coming back, he realized who it was.

"... … … Swatch… …" he croaked out weakly, barely able to hear himself from how meek and low his voice was.

"Spamton!!!" They cried out with a more hopeful tone, sounding really hoarse, like they had been shouting for hours.

Swatch was just trying to sleep. They had no idea what they would wake up to.

They were at first awoken to the sound of someone mumbling in the next room over. They sat up and rubbed their eyes, wondering who could be up so late. 

They weren't too concerned until they heard the front door open. That's when they got up from the couch and went to check.

They were confused when finding the front door standing wide open. Usually the Swatchlings and Spamton close the door if they go out. Sky might forget, but Swatch doubted they were awake, as they were never much of a night person. That child slept like a rock the entire night. But then who was it?

Then there was the question of why they'd be out to begin with. Not only was it extremely late, but it was raining too. It was only a light drizzle, but it was still acid. Not the most comfortable thing to get showered in.

Something about it didn't sit right with them. They had a gut feeling that something was wrong. So they decided it was better to investigate, grabbing a coat and an umbrella before walking out. 

They looked around the front yard from the porch, trying to spot something out of the ordinary. They didn't see much, until they noticed one of the lawn ornaments being knocked over a bit away. They walked over to it for a closer inspection. But as they approached it, they saw something around the corner of the house. 

Spamton.

He was kneeling on the ground, pyjamas wet from the rain falling down on him. He wasn't moving much, just sitting on the lawn and holding his face.

Swatch felt their heart drop as they rushed over as fast as possible. They skidded to a halt beside him and kneeled down to check on him.

"Spammy! What are you doing out here?!"

He didn't respond to them. He just remained where he was as he moved his hands to grip his chest. He was crying and shaking, his eyes closed tightly as he mumbled in distress. "Sky… Sky… my baby… oh god…"

The light in Swatch's head flicked on quickly as they understood what happened.

Spamton was sleepwalking.

The bird quickly reached out to shake him, hoping to wake him up. But it didn't seem to have any effect. He just kept sobbing as he crumpled together on the ground. 

They kept shaking him, growing increasingly distressed by him not stirring in the slightest. They kept yelling louder, praying that he'd hear them calling to him.

Finally, they saw his eyes open, looking bleary and irritated. Whether from the crying or the acid, they couldn't tell. But they were just happy to see him awake.

"Oh my goodness! Spamton! I was so worried! Are you alright?! What happened?!"

He just looked at them quietly, not saying anything for the longest time. He seemed to be recovering from whatever he just went through.

He was just thinking. Thinking about what happened. And then thinking about Swatch. He thought about how distraught they were going to be when they found out what happened. That Sky was gone. Gone, because of him.

The ad's eyes started tearing up again as he managed to sit himself up, weakly clinging onto Swatch's coat.

"S-s-s-sw… Sw-Swatch… I'm… I'm sorry… I'm so so so so so so so so-" he started mumbling in desperation, his words getting mixed together with the static in his voice. He just shook and cried, stuck saying that one word on loop. 

The bird quickly hushed him and wrapped their arms around him, picking him up and rushing to get inside. They couldn't be outside in the rain. He needed a change of clothes and some medical attention. Who knows how long he was outside. They tried to speak with him as they carried him in. 

"Spamton. It's ok. It was just a nightmare. You didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to apologize."

"I… I… I… I… I… got them killed. It's my fault. I murdered our child. I made them-"

"No! No, you did no such thing! They aren't dead! Everything is fine!"

"If I was stronger… if I wasn't so pitiful… if they didn't feel responsible for me…"

"He really won't listen… I might need both of them to help" they concluded to themselves as they closed the door behind them and headed for the stairs. 

*~*~*

"Alright, Spamton. Repeat after me: I'm in a safe space."

"I-I-I'm… in a s-safe space."

"I am safe and so are my loved ones."

"I am safe… a-and so are my loved ones…"

"I haven't done anything wrong."

"I haven't… I haven't done anything wrong."

Ivory was sitting on her bed with Spamton right in front of her, holding both his hands in her own. She was breathing deeply and calmly, which Spamton was mirroring, as instructed. Her hands were glowing softly as she was using her magic to help calm him down.

"What happened was just a nightmare."

"What happened was… just a nightmare…"

"It would not and could not happen."

"It would n-not and c-could not happen."

"Because I'm in control of myself."

"Because… because… I'm in control of myself."

Swatch was watching nervously from the other side of the room. They weren't feeling well after hearing what Spamton said. They felt so guilty. They couldn't be sure, but they were positive that they were the cause of that nightmare. Them and that discussion they just had to have with him. 

How stupid am I? I should know better. He's not mentally sound! I shouldn't give him so much stress by saying stuff like that! God! You're an idiot, Swatch!

"Master Swatch."

They jolted from their name being called. They looked over at Eggshell, who seemed relatively calm.

"How… how does it look?"

"Just fine. It was only a minor case of skin irritation, luckily. You caught him before any serious injuries could manifest. It's mostly his neck and scalp, but that can be healed pretty easily."

"Thank the stars…"

"His clothes are in the wash now and he seems to be a lot more stable, thanks to Ivory."

They looked over at the two again, who had moved into a comforting hug. Ivory rubbed her feathers over his head, her magic helping him relax. Swatch sighed and walked over to them, looking worriedly at the Swatchling. She just laughed warmly and gave them a smile. 

"He's fine. Just a little shaken now. Are you ready to talk with them, sweetheart?" She directed her question to Spamton, who huffed heavily and gave a small nod. "Good. You're doing great. And remember, you're loved by us all and we could never be mad at you."

He started blushing at the reassurance, giving her another shy nod before pulling back fully. Swatch sat down beside Spamton and gave him a worried frown. "Spamton… I'm… I mean- how are you feeling?"

"... Better…"

"Good. I'm glad you're coherent again. So… I'm guessing it was a pretty terrible nightmare."

"... Yeah… [horrifying] ."

"Want to talk about what happened in it?"

"[Just in time!]... Sky was trying to [avenge me] for what [her snootiness] did to me. I… I… tried to protect them… but… she… … … "

They were surprised by the inclusion of Queen at first, but didn't find it all that weird. They would have liked to defend her highness and say she wouldn't do something like that, but felt it wasn't appropriate at that moment. It was kind of a reflex to hearing someone speak ill of her. But they shoved that urge down and focused on Spamton.

"That… must have been extremely scary. I'm sorry."

"... … … then I saw NEO. Their soul… it was leading me to it. Like… it wanted me to take revenge on the dark world. And… I wanted it too"

He whimpered and shook his head, trying to dismiss that mental image before it took over his thoughts. "I'm… I'm… sorry. I don't… I shouldn't…"

"Hey. It was just a nightmare. It says nothing about you. I once had a nightmare about taking delight in seeing the mansion get overrun by mice. Does that mean I'm secretly siding with the mice for mansion domination?"

Spamton couldn't hold back the cackle that burst out of him, finding that mental image a lot more amusing than the last one. He laughed for a solid half minute before calming back down again.

"N0. But… I still [experience side effects] about it. And… I… um- uh- I uh…"

"I understand. It is difficult to make your emotions see reason."

"... [Ja]."

They both fell quiet, Spamton staring at the floor and Swatch watching him nervously, trying to choose what to say next. They wanted to apologize for causing this whole mess to begin with, but found it extremely inappropriate as this wasn't about them in any way. They shouldn't be making it about them. They should focus on Spamton and his feelings.

The Addison suddenly yawned loudly, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"Oh my. You must be very tired, sweetheart. Perhaps we should get you to bed. Need any assistance?" Ivory asked sweetly as she leaned over to him inquisitively. 

He blushed at the offer, feeling a little embarrassed from everyone fussing over him like that. He felt even more embarrassed when he really wanted that. But… not from the white clad butlers. He just wanted to be alone with Swatch. He just couldn't say it because of how creepy it would sound. 

Ivory gave him a sympathetic look before reaching out and rubbing his back. It surprised him, but made him feel better. Less tense and anxious. 

"... … … surr. But, um, could [Easels] help [Mii]?"

"Oh! Of course, Spam! Of course! Let's get going to our room."

The bird quickly took his hand and helped him out of the room. They closed the door behind them, leaving the siblings alone.

"... Why did you use your magic just then?"

"No reason. Don't worry, brother."

"Hey… Spam?"

The ad glanced up at Swatch, wondering what was on their mind. 

"... I just wanted to apologize about what happened earlier. Before bed. I… never meant to agitate you so much. I shouldn't have argued with you like that."

"... … … Swatch. We ve lived together for [many wonderful years] & barely ever [EPIC RAP BATTLES OF HISTORY]. 1 [measly little] fight is nothing."

"But… you were so upset."

"Well… [OH YEAH!]. But you just wanted to do what u thot was [Best Buy] f4 Sky.. Like me."

They were shocked at that. Completely dumbfounded. They hadn't expected Spamton to be so understanding about where they were coming from. Especially not after that nightmare. Despite how much Spamton had changed after raising Sky, he always had been the stubborn kind. Proud. And very protective of Sky. To hear him admit that they weren't being unreasonable was… very unexpected.

"Even if I don't agree… you would never want to hurt our kid…"

Their heart skipped a beat when he said that. Again, he said 'our kid'. He had said it three times total now. Which just proves to them that he means it. 

The butler couldn't hold back the huge, grateful grin that grew on their face. Their stomach was assaulted by butterflies and they felt so warm inside.

"Sw4tch?"

They jerked themselves back to the present and looked down at the ad beside them.

"U can [let loose!] now." He motioned towards their intertwined hands, only then realizing that they had reached their room already. They started blushing and let him go, feeling so stupid for zoning out like that.

"Gha! Sorry! But… uh… guess it's time for bed! Good night!" They quickly excused themselves and went towards their bed. But they then realized they forgot everything down in the living room, on the couch, making them even more flustered. They were acting like such a mess all of a sudden!

"... Hey…" Spamton mumbled, gaining the bird's attention. "... … … u can… borrow my [trash]"

"Come on, Spam. What would you use then?"

He looked away and rubbed his neck, looking so shameful all of a sudden. They tilted their head at him, wondering what was weighing on his heart right then.

"... … … … … could I [share this on] bed with you?"

"Huh?"

"I… I don't want to sleep alone."

They saw tears start to gather at the corners of his eyes, reminding them how shaken up he still must be. That was a pretty intense nightmare, from what they could tell. He must be feeling so scared and hurt, having really believed he lost his child.

"Spammy. Of course you can. Don't worry, I'll stay by your side the entire night. You won't have to sleep alone."

He looked so happy as they said that, the small tears rolling down his face before he wiped them away and went to get the blanket and pillows.

Once they were both done making Swatch's bed, they got into it and made themselves comfortable. Spamton laid down on his side, facing away from Swatch so they wouldn't see his red hot face. 

But he was surprised as he felt them wrap their arms around him, hugging him from behind and pulling the blanket up over them. He was stiff in their arms for a moment before the exhaustion finally hit him. His muscles all untensed and he went limp in the embrace, letting out a yawn as his eyes fluttered heavily.

"Good night, Spam."

"G'night, Swatch…"

He fell asleep almost instantly. The feathers around him really made him feel so safe. So happy. All his anxieties just melted away as he drifted off peacefully.

Chapter Text

Banner hummed softly as he was sorting through his tools, absolutely ecstatic. Sky stood a bit behind him, wearing an uncomfortably tight leather jacket. They were feeling pretty salty about the situation. Sure, it was one of their own making, but that didn't mean they liked it. 

They had called Banner and offered to model for him again. He was very suspicious about it, wondering what they were trying to get from him. He knew Sky wouldn't just do a favor like that without an ulterior motive. They lied and said they wanted to save up some money for a present for papa and was hoping he could help. When he offered to just buy whatever it was, they refused, saying they wanted to work for it.

But, in actuality, they just wanted to come to the store. Because it was right across from Clippy's archives. They wanted to visit him again to learn a little bit more about battles. Specifically, they wanted to know more about their weapon and armor. How to properly use it so they wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone and how they worked in general. 

Banner had bought the lie and was more than happy to have a model for more of his outfits. He immediately started planning out more things to make in their size for future fittings. And he did already have something he wanted them to come in and get fitted.

So there they were, enduring the painstakingly slow process of being a model. Banner was pulling in the sleeves a bit to make sure they didn't sag too much while Sky kept looking towards the door, thinking about what they would ask Clippy. Until the adult gave away a satisfied sigh, that is.

"Yes. I think this will do. You're a huge help, Hun! Thank you for the offer!"

"You're welcome. It's just nice to be somewhere else for once."

"I understand. If you want, you can sit down in the back and grab a couple cookies I bought. I just have to go outside a little to talk with my supplier. It won't take long, I promise!"

They just shrugged and gave a casual smile. "Sure. I wouldn't mind that."

Banner nodded and turned to leave, before he stopped as he remembered something. "Oh right! I forgot to ask something! Is it true that you've started… training?"

Sky groaned loudly at the question. Because yes, technically they were training. But it wasn't at all what they had expected.

Spamton and Swatch sat down with Sky a few weeks back and discussed teaching them about encounters. They were so hyped up by the suggestion. Getting to be like a badass action star and do all these cool fighting moves.

When they had their first ever lesson, it was so underwhelming. Swatch and Spamton were in a party with them, going up against a group of Swatchlings. They barely got to do anything! They had only learnt how to ESCAPE and DEFEND. Then the next lesson was practicing that, then the next was learning to CHECK. 

Needless to say, it was BORING. The attacks were laughable at best. Just avoiding slow moving birds or whatever bullets they used. Sky would occasionally let one of them scrape them, which caused their papa to slightly freak out until Swatch healed them. It was ridiculously weak and easy.

So Sky just responded with a noncommittal, "yeah…"

"I see. Surprised he would let you do that, but good on him for not being such a mother hen and just doing it. It's fundamental knowledge everyone should know about in the dark world. It was about time!"

Sky just huffed as they shifted in discomfort, wanting Banner to get done talking so they could leave.

"Anyways. I must make you some armor to wear when you train. Something that will look great but also protect you and maybe give some nice, flashy bonus effects to-"

"Didn't you need to talk to someone?"

Banner gasped as he remembered his supplier, quickly turning on his heels and rushing out the room, leaving the human alone in there. They waited a moment before they threw the jacket off, running to grab their hoodie and head over to the archives.

*~*~*

"I'm so glad you came here! I got everything you could ever need to know about battles and encounters! Inventory, equipment, actions, magic- the whole shebang!"

Clippy was excitedly blabbering on as he carried a couple of large folders with him towards the reading area, which consisted of a couple of desks and tables, some office chairs, lamps and various tools to help with reading. Sky followed after him, curiously glancing over the folders. So thick! There must be a lot of information in them!

"So… what do I start with?"

"Well that's up to you! Anything in particular you want to learn about first?" Clippy asked them as he started putting down the folders and sorting through them briefly. They thought about it, thinking over everything they had learnt so far. But there was one thing in particular that never came up. Something they had been so interested in hearing more about.

"Can I learn more about equipment? Like, weapons and armors?"

"Of course! Hold on. Let me see if I can find that guide in here." He opened one of the folders and was leafing through the papers, scanning them intensely until he exclaimed, "AHA! Here it is!"

He pulled out the bundle of papers, stapled together. He put it on the table and motioned Sky closer. They leaned over and stared in amazement at the document. It looked just like an old sacred scroll or a page straight out of a spell book. It was ancient! Must be even older than that entire building.

"Here. Why don't I help you go through it? I can summarize the complicated parts." 

Sky just responded to Clippy with a nod before he flipped through the pages.

"So, EQUIPMENT is a special kind of item that someone can… well, equip to their person. They will grant the user status modifiers and in some cases even bonus stats with special effects. Equipment comes in two different forms: WEAPONs and ARMORs. Of course, you already knew this. So let's start with explaining how WEAPONs work!"

Sky nodded, listening closely as they looked at the pictures on the page, depicting these amazing, powerful looking weapons. Some were just profiles of them, others were pictures of them being used in battle. The people in the pictures looked really strong and like actual warriors.

"WEAPONs are an EQUIPMENT that you can only ever equip one of at a time. They are also highly specialized tools, meaning that for someone to be able to equip a certain WEAPON, they have to be proficient in that WEAPON's type. For example: Swords, lances, bow and arrow, staffs, throwing knives and so much more. If you don't have a proficiency in that WEAPON's type, you can't use or equip it."

"Wow… but, how do I know if I'm specialized in something? Is it a permanent thing? Can I only have one?"

"Ah… well… usually, people have an inherent talent with certain types from birth, but I don't think it's permanent. You can usually practice using other weapons you aren't used to. As for the last question, it seems like it's a soft Yes."

"What do you mean?"

"Well it takes a lot of dedication, time and training in order to specialize in multiple weapon types. True warriors are the only people to have ever been known to dual-class."

Sky was disappointed by the news. They had hoped that maybe they could be some cool lasso wielding gunner cowboy. But that dream was now crushed.

"Anyways, let's continue to ARMORs. So ARMORs are a little different to WEAPONs. First off, you can have two equipped at any time, and second, anyone in your party can equip any piece of ARMOR. They are a lot more versatile in that way. Which also means that you can use ARMOR to balance out any negative stat changes caused by a WEAPON. There's such a large variety of ARMORs out there, practically anything can be made into one if you have the knowledge and resources to give it the properties."

"Really? Anything?"

"Well… anything within reason, I assume. You gotta be able to wear it, presumably."

That made sense to the kid. So they looked down at the page, scanning over the pictures. There was a bit of everything, from chest plates to hair ties, finger puppets to backpacks, ankle bracelets, gloves, masks, pins. Anything from what you expect to the completely absurd.

"Wow… this is amazing… but, about weapons. How do I know what my type is?"

"Hmmmm…" Clippy had to really think on that one. "... … … Usually, with most darkners, it's just something you know. I don't know how it is for lightners. Maybe it's a case of trial and error?"

They sighed and lowered their head, sad that there wasn't any way for them to know for certain that they could use that gun. They hadn't tried equipping it yet. So they weren't sure if they could. But Jevil had said it was their weapon, so it must mean that they can use it… right?

"Should I continue onto how to equip items?" Clippy asked nervously, noticing their gloomy change in mood. His interjection made them look back over to him with a slight pout. "... Yes please."

*~*~*

"OW OW OW! BANNER!" Sky cried out in pain as they were being pulled over to their house via the ear. The pissed off ad just continued stomping up to the door before giving it a harsh knock.

A pink Swatchling opened and gasped as they saw the struggling kid. "M-m-master Banner?! What is wrong?!"

"Just dropping off my disobedient nibling! Snuck out from the shop and almost gave me a heart attack!" He scoffed in annoyance as he let go of Sky and ushered them in.

"I said I was sorry! I was only across the street! It's no big deal!"

He turned his head away with a displeased huff, clearly not happy with them. The Swatchling looked between the two and was fidgeting uncomfortably, waiting until they finished talking before interjecting. "Um… well thank you for… watching them for Spamton. He really needed that free time with Swatch and Flash."

"You're welcome…" he muttered before storming off to his car, acting more like a kid than Sky. They both just watched him leave before Sky turned to the bird. "... I'm not in trouble… am I?"

"Bucko, which one do you think I am? Raspberry? Blush?"

Their face brightened at the casual, amused tone she gained after they asked. "RAZZMATAZZ!"

"Yep! Consider yourself lucky that I answered. You might have gotten grounded again otherwise. Don't worry, I won't tattle" she added a small wink at the end, a cheeky smile on her face as she led the child inside.

"Thanks, Tazz! You're the best!"

"I know. But next time, it won't be for free."

Sky chuckled and gave a nod. "Alright alright. If it happens again, you get to borrow my game and won't tell anyone."

"Deal" she shook their hand and laughed. Sky did too, happy to have at least one person in the house who had their back when they screwed up.

They soon went up to their room, walking over to their TV dresser and opening the drawer. The one with the weapon. They picked it up and looked it over for a moment. 

It was so old. Scuffed and starting to rust lightly. They rubbed their thumb over the handle, feeling the texture of the wood against their skin. But at the edge of the handle, they felt something that was definitely not normal wood grain. They moved their thumb to take a closer look. 

It appeared to be some sort of indent. Or… judging by how detailed the shape was, an engraving. They tried to figure out what it was supposed to look like, but just couldn't do it. It was too weird to get a real idea of what it was, probably some text if they had to guess. But it was also so faint and dulled from time, making it even harder to tell.

Just another mystery on top of everything else.

They took a deep breath, feeling tense as they thought about equipping it. What if it didn't work? What if it did work? What would it mean for them? 

They shook their head and growled softly, telling themselves to stop overthinking and just get it over with.

(Sky equipped the Old Gun)

Feeling the weapon in their hand felt like a puzzle piece falling into place. Or like pulling on a glove that was just the right size. It fit perfectly. 

They stared at it for a moment, just taking in the sensation of their stats changing. They checked their stats quickly after.

Sky

Weapon: Old Gun

Armor I:

Armor II:

+2 AT. +1 Magic. Guts increased.

The kid was in awe at the change. And… they did feel a little stronger. And a little more confident. They quickly struck a pose, pointing the gun at a random point of the wall. It felt so good. It felt right. They felt so cool!

"... … … now how the hell do I use it???"

*~*~*

"EAHAHAHAHHH! YOU [goofy goober]! ILL [kill] U NEXT TIME YOU [bring the kids]!"

"Sure you will! But I gotta go now. See you later!" Flash waved Spamton and Swatch off as she walked back to her bike. The butler waved back, smiling brightly while Spamton was quietly stewing.

"... I didn't know you were such a lightweight back in the days" they commented with a smirk.

"NOT. A. WORD." He just growled back before walking into the house, Swatch following close behind. As they entered, they were immediately greeted with the sound of something shattering. They looked at each other briefly before rushing towards the stairs. They knew exactly where that sound came from.

Sky was panicking, looking down at the framed photo they accidentally shot with the gun. First successful shot and it hit something loud. They scrambled to gather up the glass shards, after tossing the gun into the drawer and kicking it closed. 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"ZKY?!? WHAT'S [the latest news] IN THERE??!?"

Crap! Papa was home!

"N-NOTHING! I WAS JU- OW! DAMN IT!" They swore as they cut themselves on a piece of glass.

The door burst open after that and Spamton ran inside, looking down at his child with a bleeding finger. He gasped in shock and got down beside them, grabbing their hand from them.

"SKY!!! WHY IM THE [lord almighty] WOOLD YOU [ready for pickup] SHARP GLASS?!?!?! ARE U [in need of medical attention]!!!!!?"

"N-n-no! I'm fine! It's just a small cut! I'll be fine! I was playing and knocked the picture down. It was an accident!"

Spam kept fussing over their tiny cut, looking it over to see if it was any worse than that. Swatch walked over and got down beside him, putting a wing on his back. "Spammy. It's alright. They just need a bandaid. Calm down."

Their reassurance helped calm his nerves. He sighed softly and looked back at Sky, seeing their worried face as they glanced between their dad and the photo. He took a big breath before speaking again. "Sorry I pannick'd. Its [okie-dokie!]. It was just an [minor car accident]. You're not getting grounded."

They sighed in relief and smiled at him as he gave them a hug. Swatch returned after having left briefly, pulling out a bandaid to put on the cut before helping them clean up the mess. They were so relieved that neither of them suspected anything weird was going on. They would have probably been grounded for life if they found out Sky was messing with a gun. Even if it was a low power item.

They decided that they would not touch that thing again for a while. At least until they can learn how to use it better. It wasn't like they would need it anytime soon, so no rush. 

Sky yawned as they were changing into their pyjamas, feeling pretty exhausted after everything that happened that day. They really had done a lot and narrowly avoided heaps of trouble multiple times. They really deserved a long night of sleep. So they got into bed and made themselves comfortable, staring up at the ceiling as they let the day wash over them. 

… They were doing the right thing. They were finding their purpose. It's going to be fine. Everything will be fine.

That was the last thing on their mind as they drifted off to sleep.

*~*~*

…

…

…

…

…

Sky groaned as they sat up onto their knees. They rubbed their head, feeling like a headache was coming on. They felt stiff and like they had woken up on the floor.

Once they opened their eyes, they were met with something they were all too familiar with. 

The carousel. Jevil's place.

"Jevil?" They asked, looking around for him in the spinning room. They pushed themselves up to their feet and started wandering, not sure where he could have gone in such a small place.

"Ahuu huu huu~"

They turned back around and spotted the jester, floating where they had woken up. They sighed and began walking over to him, wondering what he could want this time.

"There you are. I was wondering where you went. Wha-"

As they approached, Jevil shifted his head to slightly face them, revealing a large, twisted grin, wrinkling his cheeks. His eyes were sharp and narrow, hiding his usual yellow pupils and making it hard to tell if he was looking at them or not. It gave them pause, feeling this intense energy coming from him. This threatening aura. But still, they continued, if not with a bit more hesitancy.

"J… Jevil?"

"So lonely, lonely. So boring, boring. I grow so weary, the silence making me teary. I can't be still any longer! But now, that you finally came…"

"Wh-what are you talking about? Is everything alr-"

Before Sky could finish, they felt a hard impact to their shoulder, pushing them back and making them hold the spot from pain. They looked back up at Jevil, who grinned down at them as he hovered a pair of diamond suits over his palm. He looked manic, like he was ready to burst with whatever emotion had taken over him right then.

"... Are you ready to play my game?"

Suddenly, Sky felt their soul activate, just like it did when they entered an encounter. It materialized in front of them. They felt the world around them grow more hectic, as if it was trying to match Jevil's energy. The carousel spun faster under their feet.

*LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Chapter Text

Sky stumbled back as they were suddenly and without warning thrust into an encounter with Jevil. He was just staring at them, waiting for them to make a move. They were frozen, wondering what the hell was going on. Why was Jevil attacking them?! What was he blabbering on about before?! Was he being serious?!

Their training kicked in quickly, making them instinctually go to check him. 'Always check before you act' is what Spamton drilled into them at every opportunity during training.

*Jevil - AT 10 DF 5

* He's a master with numbers. Don't be fooled by his tricks.

"Master with numbers? What's that supposed to mean?" They grumbled in confusion. But their attention was quickly redirected back to the imp as they were hit by a spade, flying at them from the side. They stumbled a bit, but luckily caught themselves before falling.

"NUH-HA! Silly justice! We are all numbers, numbers! In a numbers game, all our time has been numbered!

They groaned and held their arm, a little surprised with how little it hurt. It still stung, but not as badly as they thought it would. Checking their health, he did-

"ONE FIFTH?!?" Yep. He had done quite a bit to their health bar. It really wasn't a joke when it said ten attack. Sky suddenly felt a drop of sweat roll down their temple, realizing that this might be a little trickier than they thought. If they weren't careful, they would be downed in no time.

So they got into position and shielded themselves with their arms held up in front of them, legs in a stabilized stance as they defended.

"What's the matter, little justice? Not equipped for the task? HAHAHA!"

*Jevil is mocking you.

He started teleporting around them and tossing out diamonds from every which direction. They did their best to dodge, even if these attacks were a lot faster than what they were used to. But they somehow managed, despite that. Some were a pretty close call, making them feel this radiating tension in their soul, like holding your hand close to something that's loaded with static electricity. It was very weird and they didn't know what it was.

When Jevil was done with his attack, they took a second to recover their stamina, panting heavily. But while they rested, a thought struck them. What Jevil said earlier. 

"Equipped. MY EQUIPMENT!" 

Sky went into their inventory as fast as they could to see if they had anything on them. But to their surprise, they found the gun and earrings that were in their dresser. They stared in confusion for a moment before they heard Jevil's maniacal cackling.

*Jevil is laughing incomprehensibly. 

They decided there was no time for questions and quickly pulled out the gun and earrings. They worried about not being able to equip the earrings as they tried it, despite that thought. But they clipped right on to their earlobes, giving them a nice stat boost.

+3 DF. +1 Magic. Lucky stat.

They were in awe at first, but quickly snapped out of it and equipped the gun, aiming it at Jevil for an attack. They shook a little as they held it up, their grip feeling very unstable. But they fired still, ending up stumbling back from the recoil. It also completely missed him as he danced around in the air. He chuckled softly at them.

"You show a lot of heart, heart I see. Then a heart-to-heart it shall be!"

He extended his arm, shooting out a cluster of hearts at them, spinning around in a circle as they approached. The kid swore softly before running to avoid them, getting increasingly distressed as they saw more appearing behind them. They panted as the attack was getting closer and closer, until they tripped over their own shoelaces and landed face down on the ground. The attacks simply soared past them right above their head, barely missing them.

They pushed themselves up and stared in bewilderment, thinking how lucky that accident was.

"Ahuu huu huu! Such chaos, chaos! Such fun, fun! I can barely contain myself!"

Sky growled at his cheering while getting up to their feet. They couldn't understand why he was doing this. Why he suddenly turned so… that. He had never shown any hostility towards them before, barely even touching them in any rough manner. He was always nice to them… well… nice was a bit of a simple word to use. But he was nice, in his own odd way, despite how much he talks about violence and mayhem.

But this Jevil in front of them was completely different. He wasn't that knowing, quirky, mysterious jester they grew to know. He was just feral and mean.

"Jevil! Why are you doing this to me?! What did I do?!" They yelled as their eyes grew a little teary from frustration. But he didn't answer them, he just bounced around and giggled to himself. They got even angrier at that and aimed at him again, firing another shot that, this time, hit its target.

His head was sent bouncing around on its spring neck as he let out a loud laugh in surprise. But he didn't seem very hurt by the hit. He just looked even more excited. 

"WHAT A BIG SHOT! HAHAHAHAHA! Oh you must make your papa so proud, proud! But right now it's time for fun on the merry-go-round!"

As he said that, he flew up into the air, only to descend back down, riding on the back of a carousel horse. Several more followed after, flying straight at Sky. They weaved back and forth between the rides, trying their best to avoid them. But it didn't take long for one to crash into them, knocking them over to the floor again. They barely had time to get up before another one ran into their arm, making them yelp in pain.

That attack did some pretty gnarly damage. They were now below half. It didn't hurt as badly as they expected, but it was still pretty bad. Jevil jumped down from his ride and landed with his arms raised, as if he was performing and showing off. He looked proud of himself.

"JEVIL! PLEASE! STOP IT! I don't wanna fight you! Why are you being like this?! Just say something that makes sense for once!" They shouted at him as they were collecting themselves from that onslaught. They really didn't want to hurt him. He was their friend. Or at least they thought he was.

The imp giggled softly as he held out his arm to the side, summoning a scythe like weapon in his hand.

*Something terrible is coming…!

Sky didn't know what to do. Their attacks were doing nothing while his attacks took out large chunks of HP. He didn't listen to them and they had nothing on them that could help. It felt useless. He'd probably down them with one more hit. 

They tried, one more time, to reason with him.

"Jevil… please. Please! If I did something wrong, I'm sorry! Just… Please talk to me!"

One second later, they felt the scythe hit them as he swung it across their body. It knocked the wind out of them and, once again, sent them down to the floor. They barely held on with a minimal amount of HP. 

But Jevil wasn't done. He walked up to them and stood above them, staring down at the kid with blank eyes. He gripped the weapon in both hands and gave a wide grin. Sky just braced themselves for the impact, covering their face with their arms and squeezing their eyes shut.

…

…

A sparkling noise filled the quiet room.

Sky immediately uncovered their face and looked up at Jevil, feeling his hand on their head. They saw some green glitter slowly fade away from view, leaving them stunned and confused.

"You sure don't keep your balance, balance very well, little justice."

They stared at him for a long while, taking note of how they didn't feel all sore anymore. Did Jevil… heal them? What was going on???

"I shall give your performance… a 3 out of 10. You dodge quite well, but need some thicker defense."

Wait…

"Was… WAS THIS A GODDAMN TEST?!?"

"Ahuu hee hee~! Indeed, indeed!"

"You freaking jerk!!! I thought I was in trouble for real!!! I was this low on health!!!" They started yelling at him in rage, hearing him admit that this was all just some sort of dumb joke.

"You did not get my hint at the start of the fight? Clearly, clearly, you're just not very bright!"

They gave him a perplexed scowl, not sure what he was referring to. The first thing they did was check him. What was the hint there?!

He's a master with numbers. Don't be fooled by his tricks…? What tricks? Tricks with numbers??? 

… wait.

"DID YOU FAKE YOUR DAMAGE?!?"

He started laughing as they finally put the pieces together. He found it very funny, apparently. "An extra zero here and there can really make the difference~."

They groaned loudly and put their face in their hands, so angry at him for messing with them like that. Why?! What was the point?!

"Funny, funny. So eager for action, action when wide awake, but in the world of dreams, confrontation makes you shake. Curious, isn't it?"

"Hold on! Don't tell me this is another stupid life lesson! I get enough of that crap at home! I thought you were different! I thought you weren't like everyone else, telling me what I can and can't do! You said so yourself!"

"Little justice, when oh when did I tell you what to do? Whatever lesson you just learnt isn't up to me, but you. I only served as an example for the danger you've been seeking."

Sky just got more angry by his wishy-washy statements and avoidance of taking a stance. He was being so coy about everything and it pissed them off. 

"You suck! You're a butthole! So you just did all this to embarrass me?! Or did you have something to say?! Because I'm starting to think you don't even care! You never say what you think! Are you stupid or just super dull?! Do you have any opinions at all?!"

Jevil grew silent, floating slowly in the air as he looked down at them. He seemed stunned by the outburst, from what they could tell. He might just be thinking of how to respond, but they felt this vibe from him, a vibe of… could it be offense? 

He flew down to them so he was on the same level as them, landing on his feet in front of the child.

"... You want to know what I think, huh? Well… I can tell you my opinion."

He leaned in closer to them, his face taking up all their vision. They swallowed dryly and tried their hardest to not back up from him. They wanted to show that they weren't scared of him.

"... … … You are getting way in over your head, Sky."

*~*~*

The lightner woke up with a start, finding themselves on the floor beside their bed. They groaned loudly and sat up on their knees, looking around a bit to take in their surroundings. They were back in their room. Jevil was gone.

…

They felt so mad at him still. Mad at him for being so smug and acting like he was so much better than them. Rubbing it in their face that they were weak and useless.

They crossed their arms and pouted angrily, staring at the floor as they thought about the dream. They felt so embarrassed. He made them feel so small and pathetic and useless, like they were just a dumb… child.

Like they were just a child.

They sniffled quietly as tears started gathering in their eyes. They curled up on the floor and cried softly into their legs, just feeling so weak.

After a minute or so, they walked out of their room and snuck down the hallway towards their papa's room. They couldn't fall back asleep. And they just wanted their papa right that moment.

So they carefully opened the door and peeked inside, seeing both of the adults sound asleep. They continued inside and walked up to Spamton's bed. They hesitated for a moment, wondering if they should wake him. But they couldn't go back to their room. They needed him.

"... Papa?" They whispered and pushed on him lightly. That was all it took to wake him up, groaning softly as he cleared his groggy eyes. He squinted a bit before he could tell who woke him up.

"Skie?."

"... … … I can't sleep."

"Y… what happened?" He grumbled back as his expression quickly morphed into concern. Which was expected. Sky usually never wakes up in the middle of the night, unless they had a nightmare. And, in that situation, it wasn't exactly too far off.

"I… I had a bad dream…"

Spamton frowned sympathetically and reached out to rub their head. Then he shuffled back a bit to make room for Sky in his bed. They climbed in beside him and curled up next to him. He hugged them and mumbled softly, "Do you wana [walk n' talk] about it?"

They did, actually.

"I… I was fighting someone. Someone who was much stronger than me. I… I…" their voice grew wobbly as they teared up again. "I couldn't d-do anything! I felt so weak a-a-and useless! I just- I-I-I-"

Their father shushed them gently as he tightened his hug, kissing their head as he tried to soothe them. "That sounds [1 star reviews]. I'm sorry. But that won't [Happening], because… we'll all protect you. We're always here for you, Sky."

They sniffled and nodded into his chest, still feeling awful about it. They just felt like they failed. Like they did something wrong. Like they were being stupid and reckless. All of the bad stuff at the same time.

"And…" Spamton added, gaining their attention again as they moved their head to look at him. He was smiling down at them tiredly. "... With more training & [limited time offer], I thi nk you'll B able to [threat protection] yourself in no time."

"... Really?"

"Mhm. But this is not an [dinner invitation] to throw yourself into [danger noodle], ok??"

Sky looked down shamefully and apologized between hiccups. Spamton immediately felt his heart break at the reaction and he pulled them in closer to nuzzle them. "No. I m [sorry for the inconvenience] make-ing you feel [mild]. You're not. You'll be really strong someday."

"I love you, papa."

"I love you too, angel."

They both snuggled up together before falling asleep, Sky feeling much better about what happened. They had their papa, so maybe they wouldn't have to worry about being strong yet. He would always protect them. They knew that. And, at that moment, they felt really safe sleeping in his arms.

Chapter Text

Banner trying his best to get a nice gift for sky. Based on a bootleg pokemon figure I saw on a market.

When you play too many video games with your kid and it starts seeping into your dreams. (Spamton 64 anyone?)

And lastly, me just drawing a couple of gamers, hanging out.

Chapter Text

Ring ring ring

Ring ring ring

Ring ring ring

RINGRINGRINGRINGRING

Click

"... … …" he kept his mouth shut. He had nothing to say.

"Hello. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"..."

"Don't worry. I can do the talking for both of us."

God damnit.

"You do know they aren't being honest with you, right? They are lying to you, keeping secrets from you. You should know this by now."

He tied his fist around the receiver. He wanted to say something out of anger, but couldn't find his voice.

"They don't trust you. Despite all the love and care and effort you've put into them, they still don't trust you. And why would they? They are a lightner and you are a darkner. They are not yours. Should you even trust them at this point? How many times have they broken rules and done things expressly against your command?"

Ok. That's it. He couldn't hold his tongue anymore. "You take that back…"

"They constantly get into trouble and challenge you at every turn. Tell me; why do they want to learn how to fight so bad? If they are the sweet kid you make them out to be, they would have no reason to…"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Sky would NEVER want to hurt anyone! Unlike you!"

"... … … Now… why would you say that? Since when did I ever hurt you? I never raised a finger to you. You hurt yourself by getting into these unfortunate situations. I'm just trying to help."

"You…! Y-you… …"

"They don't trust you, Spamton. Sooner or later, they will grow strong. Strong enough to defeat you. Will you really let yourself be betrayed like that again?"

His mouth felt dry. The questions were making him feel unsure and confused, his hands trembling on the phone. The panic slowly grew as his thoughts grew muddled with all these ideas [Mike] was putting into his head. It felt like his brain was overflowing, ready to burst.

Until it eased slightly. Out of nowhere, a light fog washed through his mind, rinsing out those excessive thoughts. It made him less unsure and anxious, but even more confused. He could barely comprehend what Mike was trying to tell him anymore. In fact, he couldn't understand it. It made no sense. Neither did the whole scene he was in. Where was he, anyways? Who was calling?

"Wait. What? What's this?"

Apparently they were baffled too. So was he by this long… spiraling cord. It was unnecessarily long. It led off into another room of the house. He decided to investigate it.

"No. The connection. Spamton, listen to me. I'm just trying to help you. S-Spamton. Spamton!"

He looped up the cord around his arm as he followed it into the room, which he only then noticed had a bright yellow glow coming from it. It pretty much obscured the room until he entered, which then revealed what appeared to be a… golf course? He doesn't remember them having a golf course in the house. Must have been from a house upgrade or something. 

"PAPA! PAPA, OVER HERE!"

Spamton looked over to see Sky, with a bunch of cartoony characters around them, all wearing sport's gear. They waved him over while holding a very elaborately decorated golf club. "Come on, papa! Mr. Mario and the other's are waiting! You were going to show them your professional golf skills!"

Oh yeah. He recalled promising that over dinner at some point. He thinks. Oh well, they were already there, so might as well. He ran over to join his kid and the red plumber, getting his gear from him before they were off to play.

*~*~*

Swatch yawned as they sat up in bed, stretching their stiff joints. It was about time to get up and prepare breakfast. But before they could, something caught their attention. 

They saw a faint glow from Spamton's bed. Slightly concerned, they walked over to see what was happening. They were surprised to find Sky sleeping beside him, snuggled up to his chest and snoring soundly. Their soul was outside their body, nestled slightly in between the two of them as they hugged. It became quickly apparent that that was the source of the light. 

They could only raise a brow at the display as a smile quickly snuck its way onto their face. They couldn't help laughing as they heard Spamton mumbling sleepily, "mmmnnng… watch my swing, Mr Mario," or something like that.

"Now that's just precious" they sighed and held their cheek, admiring the cuteness of such a wholesome sight. Spamton really was a wonderful father, wasn't he? So considerate and loving. So protective and understanding and attentive. He really did everything he could for his kid. They adored that about him. As well as his sense of humor, his empathy, his cartoonish expressions and body language, his creativity, his enthusiasm, his-

They caught themselves zoning out and just staring at their friend and his child, feeling heat rise up to their face as they realized how weird that was. They shook off that strange episode and got themselves ready to start the day. As well as make breakfast for the two silly sleepyheads.

*~*~*

Sky was practically shaking with anticipation. They were so freaking excited about this. Finally. Finally papa would let them get their first ever official weapon. 

It took a lot of convincing from the other Addisons to make him agree to it, but he had finally decided that it was time after the night prior. He had felt really bad about how he had made Sky feel with his overprotectiveness. How he was suffocating them with his fear for even the most minor of injuries. His talks with Flash had made that very apparent. 

He had come to the realization that he was being naive and stubborn to think that he could shelter them forever. He immediately apologized to Swatch before telling them he was taking Sky out to find a suitable weapon for them. They were so proud of him and praised his progress in handling his anxiety, which only caused a different kind of anxiety to bubble up in him as he became a blushing mess.

But now they had arrived. At the weapon store. Sky and Spamton, along with Click and Survey who decided to join them. They would help Spamton stay calm and not freak out at seeing his child holding something dangerous.

They walked into the store together and looked around at all the display pieces. Sky especially was gawking at the badass weapons, like cool daggers, boxing gloves, combat shoes, magic tomes, frying pans and so much more. Anything you could possibly imagine, they had. The kid was squishing their face against the glass containing a large broadsword.

"Wow… pretty cool stuff they've gotten recently" Survey commented as he inspected a couple of arrows on the wall.

"Yeah! Look! They got a new line of swords! Maybe I should get a new weapon. My old cutlass is getting pretty worn" Click said while they were browsing through the options they had for an upgrade.

"GUYSSS! [1 teaspoon Vanilla concentrate] ON WHY WE E CAME HEER! SKY'S WEAPON!" Spamton snapped, a little on edge from the entire thing. 

"Come on, Spammy! If we're already here, might as well take a peek for ourselves!" Click giggled before eyeing up a really nice looking cutlass with a sick paint job. Spamton groaned and crossed his arms grumpily. 

"Oh! Hello there, patrons! Welcome to the 'Versatile Protection Network'! I'm Nord. How can I help you?" A high pitched, cheerful voice asked. Everyone turned to look at the tiny little Addison lady coming out of the back. She was pretty much as tall as Spamton, which made him feel a million times better about his height. She was a pleasant azure blue, as opposed to Survey's light cerulean. She smiled at them all and walked over so she could assist them.

"Oh! Hello, Nord! Nice to see you!" Click greeted with a happy wave.

"Well hello, Click! Nice of you and Survey to drop in! Wait… is that Spamton??? Oh my god, Spamton! I haven't seen you in years!" Nord was completely shocked seeing the white ad. Not that weird, he had kept a pretty low profile since going bankrupt. But that just made everything so much more awkward and uncomfortable. He went to say something, but quickly shut his mouth, feeling self-conscious about his glitches.

Survey decided to step in. "Well after everything that happened, he had to retire to a pretty quiet and low-key lifestyle. You know how the business world is."

"Oh, yes. Yes, I understand. I'm so sorry about what happened to you. Couldn't have been pleasant."

He nodded at her while avoiding eye contact, feeling like he should say something at least. He tried to control the glitches as best he could. "It… w-wasn't. Bit I am d0ing [higher quality!]."

"Oh no! Was that a glitch?! Oh you poor thing" she immediately picked up on his ad interruption and gave him a sympathetic look. He started blushing and tried to hide his face.

"Y-y-y-y-yyyyeah. But I m i'm[new and improved] w1th it."

"Papa! Papa! Look! They have katanas here too! Like ninjas!" Sky yelled as they were admiring the cool selection of katanas on display. Spamton turned around to look at them. "THATS [great deals!], SWE3TIE."

"WAIT! You have a child??? Oh my god, congratulations! I never ever pictured you becoming a father!" Nord gushed as she took his hand and gave him a congratulatory shake. He gulped and grew even more red at suddenly becoming the focus of the conversation.

But as she went to greet Sky, she got a weird look on her face. "Wait… this isn't an Addison. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they look like a lightner."

"UH-! WELL WELL WELL WELL-" Spamton started skipping as his brain buffered, making him unable to come up with an excuse.

But Sky had him totally covered. "I'm adopted. I came from a different dark world and papa found me and took me in."

Nord gasped loudly and clasped her hands together, a touched smile on her face. "Oh my goodness, that's so sweet~!!! I can't- oh my god! It's so rare, but so wonderful to see someone adopting nowadays, especially a child in need from far away! Spam, you're a saint!"

He had turned totally red at that point, hiding behind his hands and wanting to sink into the ground. Click thought they should save him from any more unnecessary embarrassment. "Actually, that's why we are here. We're getting them their first ever weapon!"

Nord gasped again, even louder this time, and grinned brightly. "Oh my! What an occasion! Well me and my husband are more than ready to help! You can pick any of our beginner gear or we can make you a new costume weapon. Just let me know what type they use!"

"Um. Actually. We don't know what they use. Neither do they" Survey explained as he motioned to the kid, who tensed up as they had to pretend that was true.

"Oh really? Well no worries! We can figure that out! We actually offer some testing for that. Hold on. SURF! BRING OUT THE TRIAL WEAPONS!"

They all watched as a lumbering man came through the back door, his appearance very reminiscent of a shark. He held a large box in his arms, which he placed down heavily, causing the ground to shake. Nord pulled a lever, which caused a panel in the floor to open and a training dummy to pop out.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Give it a shot!"

Sky looked a little bewildered by the turn of events, until Click put a hand to their back and gently ushered them over. Surf opened the box, which quickly sprung out with two additional layers of weapon storage on either side, revealing just how many weapons were in it. Sky could only stare in awe as they scanned over their options.

"L-L-L-L-LET'S [try our brand new ] BLUNT WAPON [but first and foremost]. LIK A [join the club] OR A [Batter up!] 0R-"

"A hammer!" Sky interrupted Spamton's nervous rambling as they picked up a cool looking hammer from the box. He immediately gasped and went to grab it from them, but was stopped by Click. 

"Don't worry, Spamton. These are trial weapons. Their damage output is nullified and they only make a cool little effect on a successful hit" Nord assured him as she led Sky over to the dummy. "Now just go ahead and do what comes naturally, hun."

They took a deep breath and gripped onto the hammer, raising it over their head for a strike. But as soon as they held it behind them, the weight became too much for them and they fell backwards, dropping it on the floor.

Everyone stared in silence for a second before Survey spoke up. "So… no hammers, I guess."

*~*~*

This went on for a while. Sky tried out a bunch of different weapons of varying types, each one ending up a failure. Be it heavy, light, two handed, one handed, close up, distance or whatever. It just wasn't working. They felt so stupid, looking like an idiot in front of everyone. They wanted to just grab a gun and show off how they weren't as dumb as they looked right then. But they didn't want to make papa suspect something's off. So they kept trying whatever weapon the others suggested.

Picking up a slingshot, they looked it over with a scowl.

"Maybe… melee weapons just aren't for you! Try something ranged! That might be more your style!" Click tried to encourage them, which they didn't acknowledge. They just turned to the dummy and gave it a sour glare. They then readied to attack.

They actually managed to make the shot, even if the projectile didn't fly far and just skittered across the floor. But Nord looked very pleased.

"Oh! That wasn't so bad! I could tell that aiming was something that came naturally to you. Maybe you should try some more ranged weapons!"

Click lit up as she suggested that, immediately going over to the box and rummaging around in it. "Well in that case, I got the perfect idea!" 

They then pulled out a gun with a big grin. Spamton went pale as he stared at it, looking like he was about to faint. Survey quickly got down to his level to support him, just in case. "Calm down. They don't do damage, remember. It's safe."

"Yeah. It's fine. Go ahead and try it, hun" Nord insisted and took the gun from Click to give to Sky. They took it from her and felt both nervous and excited at the same time. They looked up at the dummy, knowing that this would be the one. They had to make it good. So they raised the gun, holding it out stretched towards the target before pulling the trigger. A bullet flew out towards the doll and hit it square on the forehead, exploding in a rain of fireworks. 

Everyone looked stunned. They were clearly impressed by the child. Nord then started clapping, along with her husband. "Bingo! We got a match!"

"Sky…" Spamton mumbled as he walked over to them, wringing his hands nervously. They turned to him with an awkward smile, scared that he had figured them out. But he simply pulled them in for a hug and rubbed their head.

"My angel is growing up. I'm so proud of you."

As he whispered that, they became teary eyed and hugged him back, nuzzling into his shoulder. They felt so happy hearing him say that. 

"Thanks, papa."

*~*~*

"Well that was nice. Hope you like your new weapon, sweetie" Click commented cheerfully as they watched the kid admire their newbie gun, a dark blue handgun with an orange tip. Even had some orange accents on it. Spamton seemed a lot less anxious than before. He actually looked proud seeing them reach such a milestone. He reached over and ruffled their hair affectionately. 

"Papa! Don't mess up my hair!"

"S0RRY, ANGEL."

The four of them approached the house. Spamton was ready to call it a day and spend some time with his kid. So was Sky. But as they walked up to the door, Click and Survey looked at each other with knowing smiles. The puppet grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. As soon as he did, Click and Survey stepped to the side, away from the doorway and soon thereafter a bright flash blinded Spam and Sky.

"CONGRATS, SKY!" A chorus of voices rang out, followed by cheerful applause. They both opened their eyes and saw all the Swatchlings, Flash and Banner standing around the door, looking at them with big grins.

"Wh-what's going on?" Sky asked as they walked inside and looked around at everyone. Their father followed soon after, along with the last two Addisons.

"You just got your first ever weapon, right? That's a huge step towards growing up! We gotta celebrate it!" Flash explained as she walked over and helped usher them both inside. They were led to the dining room, where more Swatchlings were waiting, including Swatch, with a nice looking cake on the table. Banner ran over to them and showed them his phone with a picture of Sky and Spamton standing by the door on it. That must have been what that bright flash was.

"Look at this! A sweet candid moment, captured perfectly! Oh I have to post this for my followers! They love it when I have updates about papa and the kiddo!"

Spamton sighed heavily and rubbed his head, a little annoyed with him. Though he had gotten used to Banner posting about him and Sky on Darkgram for his fanbase, so it didn't surprise him. But he was distracted from that as Swatch walked over and gave the two of them a big hug. 

"I'm so proud of the both of you. You make me so incredibly happy. I love you both."

Sky smiled wide and squeezed them back, but Spam just stood frozen on the spot as his face grew more and more red. Flash looked over at him with a cheeky smirk before teasing him with kissy faces. He glared and flipped her off.

"Come on, bud. Show everyone what you got" Survey encouraged the child, who quickly pulled out of the hug and ran over to the table. They got up on a chair so everyone could see them, pulling out their gun and holding it up proudly in the air. "I GOT A COOL GUN! I'M OFFICIALLY A COWBOY NOW!"

The crowd of people started applauding them again, mixed in with the odd comment about how cool it was. Swatch walked over and lifted them up, then sat them down on the chair with an amused chuckle. "Alright, sweetheart. You'll get dust on the furniture."

The Addisons walked over to sit down with them, Flash cutting herself a piece of cake before Banner smacked her hand, making her hand the plate to Sky. Then he turned back to the kid.

"A gun, huh? I wasn't expecting that at all! Judging by those games you play, I was guessing some sort of sword or an ax. Seems more like your style."

"If you got a sword, we could have matched!" Click added with a happy laugh.

"You have a sword, nini Click?" Sky asked.

"Yeah! Specifically a cutlass! It's so satisfying to swing it whenever I train. Don't get to use it often, but I like keeping my sword fighting skills sharp, just in case."

"Oh… wait, does that mean you all have weapons too?" The human then turned to the other three, eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

"Yep yep yep! We sure do! You're going to like aunt Flash's weapon. A pair of gnarly brass knuckles. They've gotten me out of some tight spots before" Flash told them with a very satisfied smirk.

"Yeah. But they have no range, so pretty useless in my opinion" Banner commented, earning him a sour glare.

"Then what about you, uncle Banner?"

"Oh! Well I use a measuring tape."

"A… measuring tape?" They sounded confused and let down.

"It's not about the weapon, it's about how you use it. It's basically like having a lasso. You know, like a cowboy?"

Sky gasped at how cool that was, mouth agape and eyes filled with awe. Banner laughed and threw Flash a smug look, happy he managed to impress the kid more than her. She just pouted grumpily.

"And what about you, uncle Survey?" Sky then asked the blue ad. He made a surprised noise as he drank a bit of juice, putting down his cup to answer.

"Sticky notes."

"... … … wait, seriously?" They asked with an even more confused look than before.

"Hey, don't underestimate the power of paper cuts and origami. Paper airplanes can really hurt when they're enchanted."

"But anyways. We are so proud of you, Sky! This is a big step forward in life. We are so happy to be a part of it" Click said and gave them a hug, which they couldn't help but return. That's when Spamton joined in, sitting down beside Sky.

"SO. HOW DOOO U FEEL [on a scale from 1 to 10] AB:OUT STARRT1NG [combat training]?"

"I'm so excited! I can't wait to start!" They said happily before muttering under their breath, "and I can't wait to rub it in Jevil's dumb face."

The white Addison suddenly dropped the plate he was holding, making it clatter onto the table. It made a couple of heads turn their way, wondering what happened.

"... … … wh-what did you just say…?"

Sky tensed up and gripped their spoon, trying to think up a good excuse. They were sure mentioning Jevil wouldn't be a good idea for several reasons, not the least of which being him literally attacking them. 

"Um… I just said… I can't wait to punch some evil scum in the face."

"O-o-OH! HHHHAHAHA! I THINK THAT WILL HAVE 2 [processing order] UNTIL YOUR OLDDER!" Spamton laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck, looking away from his child and focusing intently on cutting a piece of cake. They could feel how his mood shifted just then. How he suddenly felt dread and fear take over when he heard them mumbling. Did he hear Jevil's name? Or did he hear something completely different? If he did hear them right, why that reaction?

They decided to ignore all of that for the time being and just focus on having fun. So they flung their arms around their dad and nuzzled into his shoulder. "Papa! Can we pretty please play Smash Bros with the other Addisons later?"

His tension seemed to slowly go away as they changed the subject, making him sigh and smiling slightly. "YOU [the more you know] I AM TEAR-IBLE AT [console gaming]."

Sky gave him the puppy eyes, still holding onto him as they pleaded.

"... … … … Ugh. Fine. After cake."

Chapter Text

The day felt… gloomy. Not in a sad way. Just very low energy. The sky grid wasn't as vibrant as normal, the household was rather quiet and Spamton was feeling pretty melancholic.

He just felt so restless, but didn't really have anything to do. He was just sitting and staring at the TV. He was flicking through the channels mindlessly, not really paying attention to anything he passed. His brain was too busy thinking about other stuff. Like…

… Like him.

He had been randomly crossing Spamton's mind lately. After he thought he heard Sky say his name, he's all the Addison's been able to think about.

Jevil… Jevil… god. Why did it have to be him invading my thoughts again? Stupid jackass always has to worm his way into my business even when he's not around. Just another pain that Mike inflicted on me. Why would Sky…?

No! No. They didn't say his name. There's no way they could have. He up and left you years ago for some dumbass game! You were too 'BoRiNg' for him! He needed someone fun! Not some useless, graying, broken puppet that can only repeat stuff like a damn parrot! He probably found someone more entertaining! And that's fantastic! Because why would I want his annoying face around?! That manic, unstable, loudmouth clown could rot for all I-!!!

"Spamton?"

The man jumped to high heavens as his name was called. He turned to his right and saw Swatch standing there, looking very concerned about him. He stared at them in bewilderment before he started blushing brightly and cleared his throat in an awkward manner. Swatch just leaned over with a scowl on their face.

"Spam, is everything alright? You look… really irritated. Is there something on your mind?"

He felt his face grow warmer from the remark. Was he really that obvious about what he was thinking? He really needed to get his emotions under control.

"IM [Hunkydory]. JUST… DISTRACTED."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Spamton grimaced slightly, mind torn between telling them and not telling them. He felt very uncomfortable with the subject but he also wanted to be honest about what was happening. He still felt guilty about not being able to talk about Mike. They deserved to know, but he was too much of a coward to tell them. He really wanted to, but he couldn't.

Though, with Jevil, the reason for why was very different.

"Hey…"

He looked up as Swatch gained his attention again. He felt even more embarrassed for zoning out.

"It's ok if you don't wanna talk. I understand."

God. Just shove a couple more knives into his heart, why don't they? He was already guilt ridden enough as is. But that smile just made him feel worse. Their gorgeous, angelic, enchanting smile. He just felt compelled to do whatever he could to make sure that smile never disappeared.

He felt his mouth moving before he could even think. "It's… about Jevil…"

He was shocked at himself for just blurting that out, no problem. It would usually be really difficult for him to talk about his past, but the words just flew off his tongue.

Swatch looked down at him, confused for a long moment. They looked thoughtful, trying to figure out where they had heard that name before. 

"Jevil… hm… Jevil sounds… oh goodness. Wait. That's not that insufferable troublemaker who made Tasque Manager's job into a living nightmare, is it?"

Their tone made Spamton snort quietly, finding their immediate disdain really funny. He was glad that they and him were on the same page. "YEP. THAT'S [our one and only!]."

"Eugh… god. Well I can see why you're annoyed. Why are you thinking about him? He doesn't exactly bring back good memories."

"HA HA! I KNO ! HE'S [fun for the whole family] AWFUUL! GOD, WASN'T HE [pesky flies]?!"

"Indeed. He was quite the bug. Would mess up the cafe every time he visited, drove away customers and pranked my staff. He was an absolute pain!"

They both started laughing, clearly having fun reminiscing about Jevil and how horrible he used to be. But when they finished laughing, Swatch gave Spamton an inquisitive look. "So… why bring him up all of a sudden?"

He wasn't sure how to answer that. It sounded kinda stupid saying that he thought he heard Sky say it. So he instead chose to just shrug and glance to another corner of the room. Swatch tilted their head and just watched him silently, mind racing with curiosity. The sudden topic left them with so many questions and memories. They weren't sure what to make of it.

"... So… do you mind if I ask… who was he anyway? You were always so dismissive with him and his relationship to you. All I remember you saying was that he worked with your business partner."

Spamton sighed as he thought back to the past. Back to when they first met. Jevil. The court jester of Card Kingdom. He was apparently also learning from Mike, similar to Spamton. Except he seemed to be learning about magic and… the other stuff that Spamton hated thinking about. 

Mike had introduced him over the phone before he showed up and started to pester the Addison endlessly. He did not enjoy his company all that much, but the imp seemed fascinated with him. It was kinda creepy.

What was Jevil to him? Good question. It was hard for Spamton to answer, as he was a lot of things to him. Things that others would consider contradictory to each other.

He tried to explain the basics that he knew about Jevil, his position, their relation and that one friend of his he'd bring up a lot. It wasn't much. Jevil, despite his goofy, talkative nature, really was a mystery.

"HE JUST ST4RTED [spending quality time] ME ALL TEH TIME.. HE WASN'T [100%] BAD, BUTT [Lord almighty] WAS HE ANNOYING!"

"Not all bad? I strongly disagree! That man was nothing but a burden! He even managed to anger her majesty with his antics, and that's saying something."

"C-COME O.N. HE HAD HIS [pros]!"

"Oh? Did you have some good moments with him?"

Spamton paused, surprised by his defense of that terrible clown. He didn't exactly have many nice memories of him. He was usually just in the way. A persistent pest. But… he had his charm to him. Ok, maybe not charm, but… he had something about him that made Spamton put up with him. Maybe it was his insistence on sticking around, him taking an interest in Spamton and what he did, his confidence that never really manifested as an ego or maybe his unique quirks. He was weird in a way that made you so intrigued, wondering what he'd do next.

That's probably why he found himself putting up with him for so long. Why he indulged in his confusing games. Why he grew kind of attached. Why he…

"Spammy? Is everything alright?"

He bit his tongue, looking at the floor as he let those old repressed memories flood back into the forefront of his brain. They were mostly fuzzy. Which made sense. He wasn't exactly in a clear mental state at that time. The fog over the memory made it so easy to shove down and never acknowledge again. But after everything that's happened, all the time that's passed and all the changes he's gone through, it felt wrong to not address it. To at least acknowledge their existence.

"... … Swatch. Can I… tell you something… [private message]? It's really… um… [hyperlink blocked]"

"Uh- S-sure. Go ahead. I won't judge you."

He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts and his courage. This would probably destroy him. But if he could tell Swatch this one secret, then he could probably start to work towards bringing up Mike in the future. It was a good stepping stone. So he focused on making his speech as clear as possible.

"... … … I used to… have a thing with him."

…

…

…

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Me and [certified clown] had a fl1ng for [a wonderful time]. I got prety [make a toast] one [Saturday night live]and he was kinda tipsy 2. He was bothering me and [yappedy-yapping] on an d on an onn. I wasn't very [all smiles] that nite, so I just wanted him t0 shut up! But… the only way I could think of to do so… was… [kiss and make up]."

Swatch was stunned, staring at Spamton like he grew a second head. They were too shocked to speak, just stuttering softly as they tried to form any words they could. The puppet was redder than Crimson's favorite suit, covering his face in shame and almost steaming behind his hands.

But Swatch finally managed to find their voice after a while. 

"So… you're saying… you were together, like, romantically?"

"D-D-D-D-DON'T B [Silly Billy]!!!! IT WSN'T ANYTHING [true love's kiss]! IT WUZ JUST [Business casual], OK?!?"

"Oh. You were just… hooking up?"

He nodded timidly as he sank further back into the couch, wishing it would just swallow him whole already. The bird glanced away, eyes distant and distracted. They seemed to be thinking about something.

"I see. So… you had some sort of fondness for Jevil then. If only… casually. That's certainly not what I was expecting, but I promise I don't judge you for it."

"Thanks…" Spamton muttered from behind his hands, still not daring to remove them. He just glanced at them from between his fingers.

"But then… what happened? Why did he suddenly stop hanging around you after a while?"

"I don't know. Probably [bounced] when he fou,nd some 1 [hotter deals] than me! Someone morr [fun adventures] and [high interests]!"

"Don't say that! I assure you that you are plenty fun and interesting! As for the first part… well…"

Spamton looked up at them, his mood dropping as he could hear them trying to find a nice way to say he was ugly. He just prepared for it.

"You were extremely charming back in the day. I really wasn't surprised by all your admirers. Far from unsightly. And I have to say that, despite what you went through, you have aged very well too."

His face instantly regained its blood red hue from earlier, staring at Swatch in disbelief. Did they just… say he was attractive? 

They must have noticed his shock, as they quickly grew nervous and tried to backtrack. "O-o-oh dear! That was impolite of me, wasn't it? I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! I just mean that you- you're um-!"

"Thank you…" was all he could mutter as he stared, feeling the disbelief morphing slightly into flattery. Swatch froze briefly before their brain caught up, making them smile at him. But they soon thereafter got back to their point. 

"What I was trying to say was that if he found someone else, that's his loss. And you deserve someone who values you and doesn't see you as just a fling."

"I… I apprishiate it… I just wondered if [pagliacci] still thinks about me. I wonder… what he [thunk] about me."

They sat in silence for a moment, Spamton looking at the floor as his mind started swirling with more and more memories of Jevil. He felt mixed feelings. 

"Heh… ya know? He was so annoying. He wanted to be around me all the time. But then, when he left… it felt a little empty. Sometimes I just wish he was dead in a ditch. But others… … … … … I wish I'd have treated him better."

"Oh Spammy…" the butler sighed sadly and leaned down to him, giving him a big hug that completely enveloped him. He leaned into it, just feeling sad thinking about Jevil. He wondered why, if he hated the imp so much, he'd feel so bad for him. 

Maybe he'd have to analyze his feelings later with Ivory.

The jester watched quietly as the two friends pulled out of the hug, continuing to talk about whatever they felt like. But he couldn't care less. He had heard all he needed to hear. 

"... Oh… Doll face. Such low, low self-esteem you have."

He walked over to the figure of his old friend, looking him over as he obliviously continued his conversation. Jevil smiled and reached out a hand, gently cradling his red rosey cheek. He rubbed it softly as the puppet remained completely unaware, not reacting nor acknowledging him as he leaned in close to his face.

"If there's one thing I can't forget, one thing I miss, it is the fun, fun of your deep, tender kiss."

He tried closing the distance between them, letting his lips meet the puppet's mouth. But as soon as they touched, the illusion vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving his lips feeling empty. He hummed flatly and righted himself again, dismissing the hollow sensation. He just sat down on the carousel and continued waiting. 

Waiting for Sky to return.

…

…

…

Hopefully soon.

Chapter Text

"[O.K.] SKY. BUT YOU H4VE TO [swear to me!] THAT YOO WON'T [leave a review] OR GO ANY[secondary location],, UNDER--STAND?"

"UGH. Yes, papa. I understand."

"AND NO [hazardous] ACTIVITIES!"

"Yes papa."

"AND NO [late night festivities]!"

"Papa!"

"AND NO [sugar rush]-"

"Yes papa! I get it! I'll behave and be a good kid who won't make you mad!"

Swatch looked over to Spamton with a small laugh, amused by his overprotectiveness. "No need to be so strict, Spammy. This is their first ever sleepover. Let them have some fun. Plus, I'm sure you can trust Flash about her friend being a responsible parent."

"Yeah! Bill is a total milk toast kinda guy, he wouldn't let his girl do anything crazy with her friends. So no need to get all worked up" Flash chimed in as they all approached one of the apartment doors. Spamton just sneered, not completely convinced.

"BUT WHAT AB0UT [Girls Go Games]? U SURE SHES [have some manners!] & NOT A [taking a wild ride ] KINDD OV KID?"

"Don't worry! It will be fine. Besides, Poly is there too and she seems like a well behaved kid. So just relax, Spams."

As she reassured the nervous father, she rung the bell to the apartment and waited. The door soon opened and a green Addison stood just inside. "Ah! Flash! Great to see you! Now where is that little nibling of yours?" He asked cheerfully as he glanced over to the people behind her. 

"Hi Bill! They're right here. This is Sky, our little menace and treasure!" She introduced them as she pulled them into a headlock and gave them a noogie. They whined and tried to get loose. Bill looked shocked and bent down to be on their level. "Oh my. I was expecting another Addison."

"I'm adopted" Sky quickly answered and wrestled themselves free. Spamton walked over and nervously extended a hand to the green ad. 

"H-H-H[Good evening, everyone!]. I'M SP-SPPPAMTON. SKY'S DAD."

"Oh Spamton! I've heard about you! Mr. 97, huh? You… look a lot different now from your old commercials." Bill shook his hand back, not taking notice of how suddenly stiff he turned at the comments about his past. But Swatch noticed and quickly intervened. "Well it's been a few years. He's moved on from that. But hello there. I'm Swatch, her lady grace's head butler and caretaker of Sky too."

"H-h-h-head butler! You never told me you knew someone so important!" Bill directed his question to Flash, immediately dismissing Spamton. The short white darkner sighed in relief at that before turning to Sky. "Now,, you have fun and make l0t5 of friends, ok?"

"I will! Thank you, papa."

"And if yu [get sick of] [home renovations], just call and w3'll pick you up."

"Ok. I love you."

Sky gave Spamton a big hug, which he happily returned. Then he rubbed their head and said goodbye before leaving with the others.

Bill led Sky inside the apartment, walking through the living room towards another hallway. They looked around curiously, finding the space rather small. It was about the same size as Flash's home, maybe just a little bit bigger.

Bill knocked on a door with a sloppily drawn 'KEEP OUT' sign on it. "Skipper, sweetie. Sky is here."

After a few seconds of whispering and scuffling, the door opened and revealed a smaller green Addison, peeking her head out with a small pout. It was bizarre for Sky to see another kid. They had only met Poly before, but this was an Addison, the same type of darkner as their dad. They weren't sure how to feel about it.

"... You're Poly's friend?"

"Uh… yeah."

"Alright. Get in."

She quickly ducked back in, making Sky turn to Bill with a questioning grimace. He chuckled nervously and ushered them towards the door. "Don't worry, bud. She's just… playing a game. She can get very swept up with it."

They nodded slowly before walking inside the room. Skipper was standing right behind the door, closing it after them, startling the lightner. 

"Sky-yyyy!" Poly called out, running over to them from her little project on the floor. She seemed excited. 

"Hi Poly. Is uh… everything ok?"

"Yeah! It's fi-iiiii-ine. We were just talking abou-ou-ou-out something."

Sky raised their brows in curiosity. "Oh! What's that?"

Before Poly could answer her friend, Skipper flew over to her and slapped a hand over her mouth, giving Sky a suspicious glare. She mumbled seriously, "That's strictly confidential."

The human looked at her confused, not sure what exactly she was trying to say. Was this part of the game? It had to be. "W-well… I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"Sorry, but this is very important business! We can't just trust anyone with the details! You never know who could be trustworthy or a tattletale."

"Hey! I'm no tattletale!" Sky was offended. 

"Skip, it's f-fiyucy-ine. Sky save-sa-d me from that-that-that dumb ambyu-lance. We can trust them" Poly cut in, pulling Skipper's hand away from her mouth so she could speak.

"You don't know that! This was already a risky plan to begin with! You never know when It might call. Having a sleepover here is a huge risk to our whole operation!"

"It?" Sky asked, very intrigued and puzzled. The vagueness of everything had them feeling more and more worked up, wanting to understand what was happening. They also felt left out of the game, if that's what this was.

"Classified information" Skipper responded with a snarky frown. Poly looked between her two friends, unsure if she should insert herself. Sky glared in annoyance, really feeling excluded now.

"Swatch tells me that it's rude to leave someone out of a game when they were invited to play!"

"This isn't a game! This is serious!"

"Come on, Skip-PER. I'm suuuure Sky won't-wo-t tell anyone about the calls."

 "POLY! YOU DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN TRUST THEM TO KEEP-!"

As she was shouting, Bill opened the door and peeked in, not looking very happy. "Skipper! What did we talk about? Be nice to Sky! Flash wants them to have a good first sleepover!"

"But daaaaaad! This is top secret and-"

"Stop being rude! You include Sky in your game or you'll be grounded, missy!"

Then the door shut before any more protests. Sky turned to the Addison with a big, smug grin, arms crossed over their chest. "Well well well. Seems you don't have much of a choice now."

She growled at them and looked about ready to throw down, but Poly got between them. "Please! Let's just be nice-ice-ice and tell them! I prommmmise you that Sky isn't a snitch!"

Skipper huffed in defeat and sat down on the floor, not saying anything else. Ploy just shrugged it off and turned to Sky. "Something weir-eir-rd has been going on lately. Skipper says that someone-some keeps calling the aPARtment above herrrrrs late at night. But the weird part is that no ONE-one lives in that place. It's been e-ty-empty for years."

"Really? That's weird. Has anyone else heard it?" Sky asked curiously.

"Probably. But I don't think they really pay much attention to it. Probably ignore it or think it's someone else's phone" Skipper said as she glanced at Sky over her shoulder.

"Ok. Have you talked to anyone about it?"

"Of course! It kept waking me up at night, so I told dad! But he works nights a lot and isn't here to hear it. He just offered me earplugs."

Sky hummed and rubbed their chin. "What about neighbors?"

"They just tell me that a lot of people have jobs that call at odd hours and then wave me off! I'm the only kid in this building, so no one takes me seriously" the Addison sighed heavily, frustrated with the whole situation.

Sky looked at her in silence for a moment, relating a lot to that feeling. They too felt like the adults around them didn't take them seriously or just brushed them off. The only one who would talk to them like an equal was… that jerk.

"Yeah… I can get that. Papa didn't let me get a weapon until recently."

"Rrrrrrreally?! My mom taught me t-t-t-t-to fight year-ear-ea-s ago!" Poly chimed in, shocked that they wouldn't have learnt fighting earlier.

"No, that sounds about right. My dad still won't let me use a weapon. He says that 'A civilized Addison doesn't need a weapon. We use our words.' Barf!" Skipper pointed into her mouth as she stuck her tongue out, a displeased expression on her face. Sky giggled at her last comment, finding the experience too familiar.

"God! Sounds just like the Swatchlings back home! 'Don't play in the dirt!' 'You shouldn't climb that high up!' 'Stop teasing the popups! You'll get hurt!' Blah blah blah!"

Skipper started laughing too, the imitations amusing her a lot. "Exactly! You get it!"

"Sure do! But at least my aunt is cool. She let's me help out in her workshop. It's really awesome!"

"You mean dad's friend Flash? Yeah! She's so badass! I wanna be like her when I grow up!"

Poly was grinning brightly as she looked between the human and the Addison, overjoyed to see them bonding and getting along so well already. She was worried they would butt heads with each other, so she was very relieved to be proven wrong.

The three got so swept up in the conversation that they completely forgot about the argument before. They were just having fun talking about games and cool action shows. It eventually turned into them having a sword fencing duel with cardboard tubes. Needless to say, Sky was doing a good job making new friends. They even stayed up late to tell each other spooky stories to try and scare the others. They did that up until they became too tired and completely crashed. 

Sky fell asleep on the mattress, face pressed into their pillow and blanket squeezed against their chest instead of draped over them.

*~*~*

The lightner groaned as they pushed themselves up off the ground, sitting up on their knees. They rubbed their eyes tiredly to clear the fog out of them. When they did, they realized that they were no longer in bed. They weren't even in the same room they fell asleep in. They were somewhere completely different; a dark forest path. 

They recognized this situation. It's what always happened before they met with Jevil. They would wake up somewhere weird and unfamiliar before finding him doing something strange. God damnit. Sky was not in the mood to talk with him. They still weren't over what he did to them last time. So no way they were going to act happy to see him.

The kid sighed and got up to their feet, looking around to see where they should go. There was only a straight path, either side completely blocked off by pink trees. So the only choice they had was back or forwards. They decided to just go forward and see where they ended up, already planning on what they would say to Jevil once they saw him. 

They would tell him that he was wrong about them, that they were strong and prepared to fight anyone. But they wouldn't be fighting with him, because he didn't deserve to see how much they had learnt. They would also tell him that he was super mean and should be sorry for what he did. If he still wanted to be friends, he'd have to apologize a lot!

Suddenly, Sky stopped as the path changed out of nowhere. The ground was no longer that grass-dirt mixture, but some unspecified black material. It was like a line where the forest stopped and this new dark abyss began. The track led up to a small area with one singular tree, standing alone and swaying gently in the nonexistent breeze. 

They watched in confusion, unsure what this was supposed to be. Probably another little scene that Jevil made up. They shouldn't be surprised at that point. So they just rolled their eyes and walked over, absentmindedly watching a leaf as it fluttered down onto the ground. 

The atmosphere felt cold, in an empty, still kind of way. It wasn't like a chilling wind, it just felt like there was a lack of warmth. A lack of life. A numbing sensation without the freezing temperatures.

It made them feel tense, their soul sensing that something was wrong. It made them worried, wondering if this really was the same thing as usual. With a big gulp, they walked around the tree to see what was on the other side.

Sky stopped in their tracks. They were shocked by what they found. Behind the tree, sitting on the ground and leaning against his knees, was Survey. But he wasn't normal. Instead of his usual blue, his skin was a dull and depressing gray, same as his clothes. But the most startling thing about him was his blank face. No. Not blank as in expressionless, but literally blank. There was no mouth or eyes, only his nose was left on his face.

Sky yelped in surprise and stumbled back from him, landing on the ground with a muted thud. The reaction seemed to get Survey's attention, as he turned his head to face them, not moving from his position. The kid stared at him for a moment, cautious of the familiar, yet changed figure.

As he didn't seem to be about to move anytime soon, Sky slowly pushed themselves up to their feet and walked closer, one careful step at the time. 

"Uncle Survey…? Is that…?"

He didn't respond. Which they should have guessed, lacking a mouth and everything. He just moved his arms to rest at his sides, turning his whole body towards them. They gulped and stopped in front of him, not entirely sure what to do or say. 

"Um… I… is that… you, Jevil? Are you doing this?" They turned their head to look around, instead asking their questions into the void, hoping someone else who they couldn't see might answer. But it was totally quiet, no sign of sound or life. Even with the darkner sitting right in front of them.

They saw movement in the corner of their eye and whipped back towards Survey, who stood up from the ground without making any noise. It was super eerie.

"... … … What do you want? What's going on?"

Silence. Nothing from the monochromatic doppelganger. He just loomed over them for a short moment before he lifted his arm. Sky got ready to defend themselves, until they saw him turn his hand over and open it, revealing a key in his palm. 

They blinked in confusion, wondering what the hell he wanted them to do with a key. Where did it lead? Why would he give it to them?

Uncertain, they accepted the offer and took the key from him.

(Sky got Apartment Key)

They stared at it for a second before they noticed Survey moving again. He turned around and just started walking away. He headed around the tree and stalked off out of sight. 

The lightner quickly went to follow him, but found him gone as soon as they got to the other side of the tree. In fact, so was the forest from earlier. Instead, they were standing in the middle of a hallway. The same hallway that they used to get to Skipper's apartment. 

"What the hell? Where did he go? Where did the…? I swear, if this is Jevil, I'm NEVER forgiving him!" They huffed in frustration before continuing forward, figuring that there was no point in standing around and twiddling their thumbs. Might as well figure out what's going on.

It didn't take long until something caught their interest. 

RING RING RING

"Huh?" They turned towards the sound, coming from further down the hallway. The sound of a phone ringing. It sounded like an old phone, because they were used to people having music and stuff set as their ringtones. But… this one… it sounded so familiar still. They couldn't put their finger on it, but they could have sworn they've heard it somewhere before.

RING RING RING

Sky headed over to where the sound was coming from, stopping right in front of a door without a nameplate on it. The other ones on the way had names, but not this one. Weird…

RING RING RING

They reached out and tried the handle, unsurprised to find it locked. Of course it was locked. No sane person leaves their door open for anyone to waltz right in. But that just meant no way for them to get in. Unless…

They looked down at their hand, the key from Survey still securely gripped in their fist. Could it be for…?

RING RING RING

Curiosity taking over their head, they didn't hesitate before shoving the key into the lock and giving it a decisive twist.

(Sky used Apartment Key)

Click

Sky gasped as they sat up in bed, hand grasping at nothing as they held it out in front of them. They looked at it confused, wondering where the key and the door went. It took a second for them to realize they must have woken up, which pissed them off. They just unlocked the door! Did they have to wake up right then, before they could even open it?! What a stupid-

RING RING RING

The child jumped as they heard that very same ringing from their dream. It was quieter, but still sounded exactly the same. It was clear that it came from the floor above them.

Wait… just like Skipper and Poly said. A phone ringing late at night. But… why would I dream about it right as it was happening?

They couldn't handle the gnawing curiosity in their gut. They had to know if there was something more going on. They had to investigate, at least to figure out what apartment it came from. Maybe get some more information about it.

So they snuck out of the apartment and headed up to the next floor, still able to hear the phone ringing. It was louder now, which meant they were close. Looking down the hallway, it looked exactly like it did in their dream. Which meant…

It was… one, two, three, four… this one!

Yep. The exact same door. The loud noise from the other side was enough to confirm it. And it still didn't have a name plaque on it. 

… Poly did say no one lives here, right? Then it shouldn't be an issue if I tried the door. I mean, it was locked anyway. And I don't have a key on me, so it should still be…

Creeeeaaaak…

… … … Locked…

It opened. 

Sky stood in the entrance and stared into the dark apartment, seeing the outline of clothes hanging by the door and shoes on the floor. The phone was still going off, somewhere further into the apartment. 

They hummed and walked inside, looking around the place as they went. It was rather empty, but not totally empty. There were still some random decorations and knick-knacks lying about. Stuff like rubber bands, screws, a lip moisturizer, pieces of paper and pens. 

But the thing that caught their eye was a picture frame lying face down on a living room dresser. They lifted it up for a peek and saw-

"U-uncle Survey!"

-a picture of Survey and Banner, dressed up in some formal attire. 

That told Sky enough to know that their dream had way more significance than they were expecting. 

RING RING RING

They decided to ignore that for the time being and headed into the room with the phone. They opened the door and saw some sort of home office, everything in it coated in a very thick layer of dust. The rest of the place was also dusty, but this was really dusty.

They spotted the phone on the desk by the far wall. It was still ringing incessantly, begging to be answered. They weren't sure if they should. This all seemed… serious. Probably important. But the familiar feeling in their soul that the sound gave them told them to answer. That they have to know what's happening.

Sky walked over to the phone and grabbed onto the receiver, lifting it up to their head. They stayed quiet for a long moment, wanting to hear who was on the other end first.

"... … … … …"

Nothing. But they could sense that there was someone on the other end.

"... … … Sky. It is a pleasure to finally speak to you. How are you?"

They jolted as soon as the person spoke. 

"How… how do you know my name?"

"Don't be silly. Of course I know your name. How could I not know the name of my partner's child?"

"Partner? Wait- child? Are you talking about my papa?!"

"Spamton, yes. I'm talking about Spamton. Me and him are business partners."

"... And what's your name?"

"I would have assumed you'd figured that out by now. After all, that clown didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He really felt comfortable talking about all our private business to a little child."

That was when Sky realized exactly who they were talking to. The memories came back all at once. Not just the memories of Jevil explaining who had been tormenting their dad for years, but memories of that torment. 

They recalled being a baby, seeing Spamton break down and yelling at someone they couldn't see or hear, seeing him hunched over his phone and talking with someone desperately, seeing his glasses fill with static and hear his voice get drowned out by static as well. They could recall feeling his pain as they watched him from their crib, begging to be left alone, to be spared from any more suffering, before they would reach out to his soul and try to console him. 

They remember using their magic to make him feel better and keep the static away.

"... … … Static man… "

"Static man? Is that what you called me? Ha. That fool didn't even bother giving you my name? I feel insulted. It's Mike."

"So YOU'RE the one who made my papa's life hell?!"

"Watch your language, my child. I don't like-"

"SCREW YOU! Why would I care about you?! You hurt papa! You made him feel like crap! You can suck my ass, jerk!"

"Why you-! I mean- ahem. I apologize for my past transgressions. But that's why I've been trying to contact you. See, I would like to-"

"Oh, you apologize?! Freak off, dumbass! I don't care what you want! I want you to stay away from my papa!"

"Listen, I understand. But I'm trying to make up for my wrongs in the past. And I'm the only one who can help him."

Sky huffed angrily, getting more and more worked up by his calm and collected tone. It felt so condescending. They wanted to just continue yelling at him, but stopped themselves as they realized they could get some answers out of him.

"... Static man, I want to know some things."

"Oh? By all means, ask away."

"Why are you calling this phone? Is this Survey's apartment? Do you know him too?"

"Of course. I know everyone related to Spamton. The question is: does he know me? And the answer is yes. We have talked once before. As for your first question, I'm calling this phone because it's the only number I have to Spamton, obviously."

That 'obviously' really riled them up. "Ok… but… what about my dream? Was that you too?"

"Indeed, you're right. It was me. Where do you think Jevil learnt that power from?"

"Wait… you?! You learned him how to do that?!"

"Taught. 'Learned' is not proper grammar."

Oh they wanted to punch him so bad.

"But yes, I did. Though he's not as skilled with my level of expertise, so the results end up being… shaky, let's put it. He doesn't have as much control over it as I do. Which is expected. He's not a very stable character in general, is he?"

Not that Sky disagreed; he was rather all over the place. They could never know what he'd do next. But they still felt offended on his behalf. "Don't talk about him like that! Jevil could probably kick your ass if he wanted to!"

They heard a dark chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Sure. Whatever you say. Now, let's get back to my issue. Spamton. I want to speak to him."

"Uh huh. Why? What would you do?"

"Like I eluded to earlier, I would like to give my sincerest apologies and try to help fix my mistakes. Hold up my end of the deal we made so long ago."

"Deal? What deal?"

"It's… adult business. Hard to explain to a young, inexperienced child like you. But, simply put, he helped me with my… business, I promised him to help get him the one thing he ever truly wanted. To be free. To be powerful. To be in control of his own life."

"... What? That makes zero sense."

"Of course. I didn't expect you to understand. But you wanted answers, I delivered. But please, I ask you to get this phone to Spamton so I can help him finally get his one wish in life. The only thing that can make him genuinely happy."

Sky stayed quiet, thinking about everything Mike said. His tone was very calm and reasonable, which did make him sound convincing. But they still couldn't shake the feeling they had about him. Not only did they hold a grudge for everything he did to their dad, but their soul was on edge with every word he spoke. His voice felt like pins and needles throughout their entire being. He made them feel slimy and gross, like he was spewing garbage over the phone.

"Would you really deny your father the opportunity to finally be happy?"

That question snapped the kid out of their contemplation. It just felt like they were suddenly slapped in the face, then told they walked into a wall. This guy… who does he think he is? 'His one wish in life'? 'Finally be happy'? Was he that full of himself? Thinking only he can make their papa happy. How dare he! They knew for a fact papa was happy with them and Swatch and the Addisons! They could tell he was happy! This guy didn't know anything!

They couldn't let this stupid jerk act so important and cocky.

"Go kiss a maus butthole, sleazebag! He doesn't need you! He's happier without you! You just want to hurt him more!"

"Of course not. I'm a changed man. I want to fix my mistakes."

"I don't believe you."

"Please. Just allow me to-"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Sky, I-"

"Nope!"

"Just li-"

"Not listening to a jackass!"

"You little brat! Do you understand what you've gotten yourself involved with?! This isn't some petty spat! This is-"

"-Stupid, like you!"

"Why you…! I'm trying to be nice here, and you-"

"Blah bla-blah blah blah! That's what you sound like! I don't have to listen to a tit like you. Neither does papa. Leave him alone!"

Before Mike could protest any more, Sky slammed the receiver back down into place, hanging up on him. They glared at the dumb phone with disdain, fuming at the memories that phone call brought up. Remembering all of Spamton's past suffering so vividly made them furious. They wanted to smash the phone in anger, but didn't think that would do any good. 

Hope that taught him a lesson! Stupid jerk better stay away from papa if he knows what's best for him!

They finally sighed after a while of staring and stewing. They felt a little nervous, thinking about what they were told. They were worried about their papa. They wanted to see him. Make sure he was ok. That stupid static man wasn't being an ass to him.

They left the apartment and decided to call home. They couldn't continue this sleepover. They just hoped Poly and Skipper wouldn't be upset.

*~*~*

Spamton sat in the passenger seat as Swatch was pulling up to the apartment complex. It was very late for both of them to be out driving. But neither of them minded. Not if it was for Sky.

They saw their kid standing in front of the building with Bill beside them, waiting for someone to come and pick them up. The car soon parked and, as soon as it did, Spamton hopped out. He was immediately met with Sky running up to him and hugging him tightly. He sighed and hugged them back.

"It's ok , [angel food cake]. It''s okk.."

"I'm so sorry for the trouble, sir. I hope we didn't disturb your night off" Swatch apologized to the green Addison. But he smiled and waved a hand at them.

"Don't worry. I would have done the exact same. I get worrying" he responded understandingly.

"Come 0n, Sky. Let's [boogie] homm" Spamton said while rubbing his child's head, walking with them to the back seat of the car. He got in the back with them so he could keep them company. Swatch thanked Bill for the help before getting in the car to drive home.

"... … … Papa?"

"Hm?"

"... Are you… happy?"

"Huh!??? Of course [are too!]! Im noot mad ab-"

"No… are you… happy? Like… happy happy?"

"Um… … … yes????? I mean, how could I [pass up this deal?]? I have th most [high quality] kid in [all of Cyber City!]. You… you make me happy every day."

"And Swatch too, right?"

They both heard Swatch chuckle from the front seat.

"Y-yes. And [easels]."

"Good" they concluded and nuzzled up to their papa, feeling themselves growing tired as it was way past their bedtime.

Chapter Text

"Sky! Welcome back! Didn't expect to see you today!" 

The kid looked over as they were greeted by the excited paper clip, bouncing over to them as they entered.

"Yeah. Well… I really needed to learn something and… I just had to come here."

Clippy lost his cheer as he noticed Sky's serious mood. He looked a little concerned. "Did something happen? You don't look too well."

They sighed and lowered their head, walking inside as they considered what to say. 

It had been two days since the sleepover. Since they talked to Mike. That night had been eating at them ever since. Sure, a bit of that gnawing was from worry. Worry for their dad, themselves and the rest of their family. But a majority of it came from curiosity and anger. They had no idea who this guy was, what he was or what his whole deal is. Why did he need to get in contact with Spamton so badly? For what reason? What would he do to their papa.

They didn't trust a word coming from his trap. He was definitely lying through his teeth! He wanted to hurt him; they were sure of it. But what exactly could he do? He must have some powerful magic. And they had to know more, from somewhere that they can trust.

So they came to Clippy.

"There was a thing two days ago. I talked to someone over the phone who… seemed bad. He wanted to talk to papa. But he had hurt papa a lot!"

"Oh my! That sounds scary!"

"Mhm. But he was being pushy and talked about a bunch of stuff I didn't really get. It made no sense."

Clippy followed after Sky and just observed them in confusion. "Um… so you want to understand what he was talking about?"

"No. I wanna know who he is. What happened with him and papa in the past."

"Um… sorry, but I don't think that's very possible. I mean, we don't really have articles on private people. We only really carry stuff about public figures and groups. We don't list private information."

"But papa was a popular person before! There has to be something about him and Mike somewhere!"

Clippy's eyes lit up as they said that. "He was? Then we may have him listed somewhere! And depending on how famous he was, there might be news articles or gossip pieces about him!"

"Really?!" They seemed hopeful as Clippy bounced off towards one of the sections in the archives.

"Yes! I just need his name so I can search it up in here!"

"Spamton! Spamton G. Spamton!"

Alright! Give me a second!" He pulled up a search bar on the side of one of the shelves, writing in the name before hitting the magnifying glass icon. He smiled as a bunch of numbers and words popped up.

"Wow! Plenty of matches! Let's go and fetch the documents!" He told Sky as he jumped ahead into the row, reaching out to grab the items with a bright blue glow. He grabbed newspapers, magazines and file folders from the shelves, giving them to Sky for them to hold as he gathered a small pile. When they got enough, he led them over to the reading area.

"Alright! Let's see here! Where do we start?"

"I… I don't know…" they stated bluntly, feeling their head spinning from all the stuff in front of them. Clippy laughed sheepishly and picked up one of the magazines. 

"Let's just… skim through a few first. Alright, Spamton… Spamton… Spamt- AH! Here! 'Spamton G. Spamton: Glamorous Salesman or Flashy Con Artist?'...? Con artist?"

Sky got mad hearing that title. They didn't know exactly what that meant, but it didn't sound very nice.

"Uuuh… h-how about another one to start? Ummmm… This one! 'Number 1 rated salesman, Spamton G. Spamton, faces great loss as his sales numbers drop by the tens of thousands overnight'. Umm!"

The paper clip started going through the stack, frantically trying to find something a little less offensive towards Spamton.

"Wait wait! How about- um- this one instead! 'Big Shot Making It Big: Number 1 rated salesman moves into the queen's mansion after business flourishes, seemingly overnight'. Yeah! That one sounds better!"

Sky sighed and leaned over to take a look. It was one of those celebrity magazines, but this one seemed to be a majority about Spamton. There were pictures of him as a younger man, leaning out the window of a convertible car and smiling wide. He looked so different. No lines along his jaw, pristine smooth complexion and totally white hair. 

"That's… papa? Wow. He looked really weird when he was young."

"Let's see… hm… talking about his success… his love life, ew… his experience with Queen-"

Sky stopped Clippy at the last part. "Wait! With Queen? What does it say?"

"Oh um… 'Spamton was quoted saying: Me and Queeny get along like a house on fire. In fact, just between us, she was the one who offered me an exclusive guest room. She simply couldn't resist my endearing charms! I'm starting to suspect she might have a thing fooooorrr-' and that's enough of that!"

Sky sneered, feeling extremely grossed out thinking about their dad getting all flirty with Queen. Absolutely disgusting. They also wanted to move past that.

"Anyways. You wanted to know about someone named Mike, right?"

"Oh yeah! Can you find anything about him?"

"Let's see…" he mumbled as he brought up another search bar, the window titled 'Find in page'. He put in the name Mike and came up with nothing. He huffed in disappointment before picking up another file and doing the same. Nothing there either. He did it again on a third file and actually came up with 7 results. Sky gasped and leaned in closer in suspense, watching as Clippy flipped through the pages until they reached-

"Wh-what the-?!"

They were both stunned to find a big chunk of the text thoroughly corrupted and completely illegible. It was glitching out badly and it really confused the human, who turned to Clippy for an explanation. But he looked shocked as well.

"It's corrupted! Darn! This does happen occasionally, though it's usually the whole thing and it's more scattered out. This is a very concentrated glitch."

"But there were more times his name was mentioned, right?" Sky asked hopefully.

"Yeah… let's see if it shows up any- WH-?!"

As he flipped to the next highlighted page, he found the same thing. A whole paragraph was glitched out, in between two other ones. Clippy's face became more and more bewildered as he stared at the mess of symbols. Sky watched quietly as he grabbed another file and did the same thing in that one. Still, every highlighted page either had big pieces of text being corrupted or the entire page itself. He was in total shock as he scanned the articles in a frenzy, clearly overwhelmed and confused by all this.

"C-clippy?" Sky spoke up meekly, watching him turn towards them in distress.

"Th-this is crazy! I've never seen anything like this! Corruption that's targeting something specific in a file! This is… this… it's unreal! It's like someone came and manually corrupted every instance of his name being mentioned! How does this happen?!"

"That's… so weird. But what does it mean?"

"I… I don't know. The only thing I can think of is that someone broke in here and messed with the archives. But… why…?"

They both stood there in silence, deep in thought about the strangeness of the situation. Sky wondered if this could be part of Mike's powers, that he could glitch anything that mentions his name. But why? What reason would he have to-

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!"

Sky jumped to high heavens as they heard that furious voice shouting right after the front door was slammed open. They knew who it was right away. They just didn't wanna turn around to face his wrath.

Banner came storming over, his face scrunched up in rage as he approached the two people by the reading desk. 

"I TOLD YOU TO WAIT FOR ME IN THE BACK!!! I WAS GONE FOR A FEW MINUTES!!! OH YOU ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE NOW, PUNK!!!"

"B-b-banner! Wait! It's not- I was only here for-!" 

Sky was interrupted as the tall ad grabbed them by the arm and pulled them over, giving them a very angry glare.

"NO! I TOLD YOU TO STAY! YOU NEED TO LISTEN WHEN WE TELL YOU SOMETHING! WHAT IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO YOU WHILE-!"

"Oh my god… Oh my god! It's Banner! You never told me that you knew Banner, Sky!" Clippy suddenly cut in, his eyes wide and awestruck. That caused both of them to look over at him, confusion apparently on their faces.

"Um… why would I…?"

"Are you kidding me?! It's BANNER! Oh my god, I'm such a huge fan! I follow you on Darkgram!"

Banner looked surprised, very taken off guard by this paper clip knowing who he is. "O-o-oh. You do?"

"YES! I love your designs! They are gorgeous! You're a genius! I just can't believe you're here, in my archives! Ahhhh~!" He kept blabbering excitedly as he bounced up and down. The Addison just stared at him for a moment, trying to process what just happened. But he soon felt his cheeks grow a little red.

"R-really? A genius?" He asked with a flattered smile. He got a lot of compliments in the comments of his posts, but getting one in person was very different.

"Absolutely! Oh I wish I had the right body type for your outfits, but sadly I can't wear clothes. Only these glasses and my bowtie. But I love seeing your stuff on your profile!"

"Heh heh! W-well thank you! It's always nice to meet a fan, I suppose! What's the name?"

"CLIPPY!!!"

"Well Clippy, thank you for watching my nibling for me and keeping them out of trouble. Speaking off…" Banner turned his head towards Sky, who was trying to sneak off. They stopped as he caught them, giving a nervous grin.

"... They were staying out of trouble, right?" He asked suspiciously, realizing that this was the place they had been sneaking off to before. "What exactly were they doing here?"

"Oh! Don't worry, Mr. Banner! They have been just great! They were just asking me to help them learn some things! Right now we were-"

Clippy interrupted himself as he saw Sky waving their arms to get his attention. Then they did the 'cut it out' motion while shaking their head vigorously. He slowly looked back to Banner and smiled awkwardly. 

"... Uh… looking at sales stuff. They said something about papa being good at sales and wanting to learn more about it to impress him."

Banner turned around to look at Sky, who was smiling innocently, holding their hands behind their back and leaning back and forth. He hummed thoughtfully before looking at Clippy again.

"I see. Well thank you for being so nice with them. Now, if you'll excuse us, I have to take this hooligan back home."

"I understand! Sorry I couldn't be of much help, Sky. Hope everything goes well for you anyways" he told Sky sympathetically, giving them an apologetic smile.

"It's ok, Clippy. Thank you anyways."

As they said that, Banner grabbed them again and dragged them outside. Sky waved goodbye quickly before they disappeared out the door. Clippy was left standing there in silence.

"... … … Oh my god! I met Banner~!"

*~*~*

Sky sat on their bed, head hung low as they kicked their feet. They couldn't believe they were grounded over something so small like going to a library. It was stupid! They didn't even do anything bad this time, so why punish them?! And was the lecture really necessary? Papa was scolding them so much that he began sounding like a DarkTube poop. 

They sighed and fell back onto the bed, staring at the roof as they went over what little information they got from the day.

Spamton had been very popular before, so popular that Queen invited him to the mansion. Something went wrong, probably because of Mike, and his fame was ruined. And despite there clearly being mentions of Mike at certain points, every time he was, the entire bit of text was glitched out. 

So… they learnt nothing. Nothing useful. 

They groaned loudly and turned to put their feet on the wall, head hanging upside down at the edge of the bed. What could they do now? The only trustworthy source of information they had was of no help. And there was no way they could ask Papa about it. They knew what would happen if they brought up Mike. The same thing that happened when they were a baby, and they couldn't put him through that. He was happy, he said so himself. They couldn't ruin that.

They might be able to bring it up with Survey, but worried that he would tell papa about it if they did. He seemed like the type who would tattle if it was something important. He wouldn't understand that they didn't wanna tell him for his own good. Plus, Survey might not want to talk about him. If he made their dad upset to the point of tears, then maybe it was the same for him.

They grabbed the pillow beside them and shoved it over their face, groaning again in frustration. This was so much. Stupid Mike couldn't just give up and leave Spamton alone, no, he had to talk to him again! 'Apologize' to him! As if!

They put their feet back down and laid their head on the bed, staring quietly at the window. They felt so tired after worrying about Mike for two days straight. Their brain couldn't handle much more thinking. They just wanted a break. A pause from the concern. 

Just some time to relax.

*~*~*

Sky didn't realize their eyes had closed until they felt them open again, revealing something that was very familiar to them at that point. Blue and purple stripes.

A few things passed through their head right then. 

Oh. I must have fallen asleep.

Is this Jevil's place?! Why am I here?!

Is this a trick? Is Mike trying to screw with me?!

I swear, if Jevil is just being a jerk again, I'm not talking to him again FOR REAL.

They sat up and looked around the carousel, feeling that something's… a little off. The room was… barely spinning. It was so slow that Sky almost thought it had stopped completely. And it was too quiet. Basically, it felt deserted. There was no life in that place like it usually was. It felt extremely eerie.

"... Jevil…?" They asked hesitantly, getting up to their feet while looking around the room. They couldn't see him yet, so he was most likely hiding somewhere. They decided to go look for him, since that was about all they could do. They barely walked for a minute before a sound caught their interest.

"UGH! WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!"

Sky was shocked by the outburst. At first because it came out of nowhere and broke the unsettling silence, like a jumpscare. But after a few seconds of processing, they realized that the voice sounded awfully familiar. 

They ran towards the direction of the noise until they saw a shape coming into view. And a small scene.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS BEFORE IT PENETRATES THAT THICK CLOWN CAR OF YOURS?! I DON'T WANT YOU AROUND!"

The kid slowed as they could more clearly make out what they were seeing. It was… Spamton. But young Spamton, from when he was popular. He appeared to be pacing back and forth in some sort of fancy hotel room, rubbing his face in irritation. In front of him was Jevil, sitting on the floor and not saying anything. But despite being completely silent, the ad still responded.

"Listen! You need to understand that I can't be seen associating with a nut job freak like you. I have an image to uphold now. I'm number one! A big shot! The biggest shot, chuckles! If you constantly hang around me, they will think I'm running a damn circus! And I don't WANT your infuriating ass around anyways!"

The salesman huffed in exasperation, combing his hair back with one hand. He looked down at Jevil as if he had said something, raising a confused brow before his face twisted into disgust. 

"Game…? You're not being freaking serious right now, are you?! You think our…? You really are insane!"

Sky continued sneaking closer, unable to believe what they were seeing. This man was nothing like their dad. He was an absolute jerk! He didn't act like him at all!

"Look, sweet cheeks. What we had was nothing more than a fling. Not even that! It was a simple transaction! You got to have your fun and I got to blow off steam, it was mutually beneficial. Well… aside from me having to deal with you. But that was just because of Mike. If you deluded yourself into believing I actually cared about you, that's not my problem. You are nothing more than a bother!"

Spamton walked over to Jevil, getting down on one knee and condescendingly tilting up his chin so he was facing him. He then got in really close and grumbled to him, "I don't need you anymore. You're not funny, you're just sad. Go back to being left out of the playing deck, Bozo."

As soon as he finished saying that, the image of both him and the room disappeared, leaving Jevil all alone on the ground, head still tilted up like he was still there. He didn't say anything or react to everything that just happened, he only sat and did nothing.

Sky gulped, wondering what the heck that was all about. Was it one of Jevil's dream things he talked about? The scenes and stuff that he could create? Why would he make something like that?

… … … Mike did say that he doesn't have good control over it. Maybe it does that without him wanting to.

"... … … Spamton…"

They jumped as Jevil spoke, looking back over at him again. This entire time they had been looking at him from the back, so they had no idea what expression he had on his face. But that one word he said… his voice sounded so empty.

"... … … … … Indeed you were right, right. A card I am, discarded from the deck. No one needs a joker to play. They would rather keep their prison pristine, protect it from ugly, ugly truths. But… Why do I have to be alone in spreading the truth? Why must you lock yourself away, away when you have the key, key?"

The human had no idea what he was talking about. It made zero sense. He was talking like one of those characters in a cartoon who can only speak in riddles.

But they didn't need to know what he was saying, because they knew what was wrong. They could feel it.

Their soul was pounding in their chest. Slow, heavy, harsh pounds, like someone slowly banging on a drum. It felt so hollow and hurt. It felt like they were completely alone in the world right then, like the dawning dread was setting in and making that ache in their heart grow gradually. 

But it wasn't them feeling that pain. It was Jevil. They were just sensing his hurt.

The kid walked over to him, finally getting a look of his face. It sent a chill up their spine.

They realized right then that they had never seen Jevil without some sort of smile, funny expression or casual look on his face. He's never looked so serious. So… sad.

"... Jevil?"

The imp turned to look at them as they called his name. As soon as he saw them, he immediately tensed and widened his eyes. Then he grabbed his hat by the tail ends and pulled them harshly, lowering his head towards the ground whilst trying to hide himself. "No! Not this again, again! Don't remind me how I failed them too!"

"What? What are you talking about?" The kid tried to ask, feeling the panic in his soul picking up.

"Stop! I understand my mistake, mistake! I was not the friend I thought myself to be! Just please, show me any other rejection! Any time a back was turned to me! Anyone other than that!"

Was he even talking to them? It seemed more like he was yelling out into the ether. He was trying to bury his head between his legs, shivering slightly while continuing to tug at his harlequin's hat. The bells jingled neurotically as he shook his arms, as if trying to stimulate and calm down. 

Had these dream memory things been going on for a long time? It had been quite a while since they last saw Jevil, and they didn't part ways on the best of terms. Maybe he felt bad about it and his magic was acting out. And he should feel bad, he really scared them when he attacked out of nowhere. They thought they were really in trouble. Doesn't matter if it was just a test, it made them feel awful!

But they couldn't help but feel like Jevil really did regret his actions.

"Jevil. It's me. Sky. For real."

"Show me Seam, Seam again! I'd rather relive their betrayal, betrayal than this!"

"Jevil! Are you listening?! It's the real Sky! Not some stupid dream thing! I'm here!" They tried getting down in front of him to get his attention, but he only pressed his face harder into his knees.

"No! Stop! Just let me be berated by Spamton ten times over!"

He wasn't listening. At all. He seemed to be completely lost in whatever state he was in, just shouting and begging for them to go away. He really thought they were just an illusion. What could they do to help convince him?

… … … What did Ivory say again? Think about the emotion you want them to feel, then focus on making that feeling real. I really hope that works, or I'm not sure what to do.

They hadn't tried to reach for their magic in a very long time. Years in fact. It had been so long that they weren't sure how to even activate it anymore. But they had to try. They just had to.

So they sat down in front of him and took a deep breath, like they learnt from Ivory. They first focused on their soul in an attempt to manifest it. Once it was out in front of them, they thought about what they should do to help. What could they possibly think about to help Jevil in his current state? What would be the thing to convince him Sky was really there?

Think, Sky. Think. You have to be… there. You have to be… with him. You… you have to… be with him. Like… like in the past. Remember when you made that deal with him? I was just a baby then, but I still remember it. He… his smile then was different. It looked like he really was happy. And the times after that. I had so much fun with him. Seeing cool places, doing weird dream stuff, talking about anything. 

He really was always there, wasn't he?

Sky's soul began to glow brighter as they kept their eyes closed, deep in thought about this side tangent. Its brilliant shine pulsed with the magic flowing through it, which also seemed to have an effect on the other being in the room.

Jevil felt a small spark in his cold little heart. Something he knows quite well. The little ember of hope that came to life after he became friends with Sky. That tiny source of genuine, conventional, innocent joy. Something pure that he thought had died long ago, until that human child showed up. That light that was always present along with said child. Every visit from them was a gift. A treasure. He just didn't realize it until it was too late.

But why was he feeling that hope right then? While being haunted by visions of their past self, asking him why he'd hurt them. Why would he have a spark of hope right then, unless…?

Hesitantly, Jevil raised his head to look at the person right in front of him, sitting with their eyes closed and a floating yellow heart in front of them. They looked really focused as their soul was shining brightly. 

Could it be…?

"... … … … … L-little… justice?"

The kid immediately opened their eyes as he spoke, their soul dimming right as they did. They looked shocked, but not more so than Jevil. He was just staring at them in silence while trying to collect his thoughts.

"Jevil! Are you back?" They asked as they looked him over, unsure if he really did realize it was them or not.

The demon unfolded himself quickly and scrambled closer to the lightner, putting his hands on their face and squishing it frantically. "Sky?! Is that… really, really you, you?"

They groaned in bewilderment at his reaction, until he pulled at their cheeks, which hurt a little bit. They swatted his hands away before shouting at him, "Jevil! Stop! Yes, it's me! Don't pull my face!"

After they confirmed his question, he started shaking lightly before throwing himself at them and giving them a huge hug, pulling them in closer to his chest.

"Little justice! You came back! I thought- I was sure- you-! I made a big error, little justice! I am so sorry, sorry for the pain I caused you! I brought sadness upon you with my game, game! I am really sorry!"

Sky sat frozen in the hug, not sure how to react to his sudden outburst. He sounded so different from how he usually does, voice no longer confident or unperturbed. It sounded scared, desperate and guilty. His apologies were definitely genuine and they could feel his relief in their soul after realizing they came back. 

They simply reached a hand up and patted him on the back, hoping it would reassure him. "Um… I uh…"

"I thought I drove another person away! And this time it was someone who actually liked me, liked me! My actions were awful, awful to someone as freshly hatched as you!"

"... Yeah. They really were!" Sky pulled out of the hug to cross their arms at him, giving the most stern glare they could muster. "Why did you do that anyway? What did you think would happen?"

He stared at them quietly for a few seconds before he lowered his head in contemplation, finally seeming to calm down from his previous upset.

"I… I didn't… I was simply trying to show that fighting… that… some enemies won't be easy or go easy. That you can wind up hurt, hurt or much worse, worse if you don't practice caution. That… you are still fragile."

"Just like everyone else… I knew it." They sounded really disappointed as he explained, pouting as they looked at the floor. They really thought he was different.

"I simply… wanted you to understand. If I went soft, soft on you, then you may have thrown caution into the wind, wind and gotten hurt in the real world. And you… always wanted to be treated like the adults around you, so I thought you might listen if I did, did."

… … …

Oh. So he… tried to treat them with respect? Well they doubt most adults fight each other to make a point, but Jevil wasn't exactly most adults. And… they supposed they weren't listening all too well when all the other people around them tried to explain why it was so dangerous.

"... Still! You really hurt me! That was super mean of you! Next time, stop listening to what a dumb kid tells you! Use some common sense, stupid!"

"... … … It has been oh so long since I've had to activate that sense. But… I suppose it's about time I learn something too. Perhaps you can teach me some important lessons as well."

That made Sky feel pretty smug, getting told that they could teach someone something. That they had useful information too. But they quickly shook that feeling of pride off and focused back on the real issue.

"Don't distract me with compliments! Promise me that you'll never try to pull something like that again! Or else I won't come back here! Ever!"

They saw Jevil's eyes flash with panic briefly before he shook that off and tried to smile at them like normal. "Y-yes. I swear on my soul, soul that I will not hurt you like that again. I will be careful, careful."

"Good. Then… I guess we can be friends again."

The smile on his face morphed into awe, disbelief. He was dumbfounded for a moment before he smiled again, this time much more genuinely, and gave them a light hug. "Thank you for your mercy, Sky."

They huffed grumpily before they hugged him back, not really wanting to hold onto their grudge. He was one of the only people who would actually take them seriously and really listen to them, even if it was to their detriment. Guess he isn't that good with kids.

"... Hey… what was all that stuff before? With the guy yelling at you."

"... … … Ah. You saw."

Jevil pulled back and rubbed his neck sheepishly, looking down at the floor as he formulated his thoughts.

"That was your papa, papa back in the day. When he was… full of himself to the brim, brim."

"Papa really talked to you like that? Why?! What did you do?! What did he do?!"

"Well… let's just say that your dear father intrigued me more than anyone else ever had. He was such a fascinating, fascinating specimen. I had to get in there, see what makes him tick, tick. But he was not a fan of my company. I really was a bother to him."

"He was mean to you because he didn't like you?"

"With ample reason, I must say. My games were not ones he found fun, fun. But I stuck around, played with him anyway. Getting rid of me was not easily done."

"So… you were annoying to him?"

"Yes."

"B-but that doesn't give him the right to say such awful things to you!"

Jevil looked at Sky for a solid few seconds before his cheeks darkened a bit and he turned his head away. 

"Well… I may or may not have… embellished the event in my head, head. The things you saw were… worse than that actually said."

"Ooooooh."

They both then sat there in silence, not sure how to continue the conversation. They looked away awkwardly and said nothing for a while until Sky could come up with something new.

They thought they should probably bring up Mike. After all, Jevil was the only person who had given them any information about him in the past. He was the only reason they knew about him. He should be able to tell them everything they need to know.

… … …

But they didn't want to. Not now.

"Can we play something?"

His head perked up at their ask, eyes bright for the first time in a very long time. He looked happy with their request, which made them feel a little better. 

"... How about cowboys, as you call it?"

"Hell yeah!!!"

Chapter Text

Swatch hummed softly as they were walking towards the queen's throne room, unusually chipper on that particular day. They were just in a very good mood. 

Yesterday, Spamton had done something very special for them. Something they hadn't expected at all. When they got back from work, there was a small celebration waiting for them in the bedroom. A small platter of cookies, all a varying degree of burnt. He had also put up some streamers he and sky made. When they asked him what the big deal was, Spamton informed them that it had been 7 years since they smoked their last cigarette.

To say they were flabbergasted was an understatement. They were speechless at him having remembered their recovery so precisely. It hadn't been that big of a deal to them, they quit once before after all. But Spamton seemed so proud of them, going through the effort of baking them something to show it. They were touched. They felt so accomplished and happy. They appreciated it so much. 

Ever since that, they had been in a very peppy mood, being especially friendly to co-workers and guests. They had probably been smiling all day. Though they hadn't paid attention to everyone else who definitely noticed. The other Swatchlings were happy for them and returned the enthusiasm. The patrons were mostly just confused but fine with it, only a few being weirded out by it. But they didn't notice, just going about their day.

The queen called them over a while ago, which was why they were heading over there right then. She said she needed help with something. 

The butler opened up the door to the room and stepped inside, stopping as soon as they saw their queen contorted on her throne, trying to reach for something on her back. But she noticed her head butler right as they entered, freezing briefly in surprise.

"... An itchy screw, your majesty?"

"Correct. Please Help."

They laughed softly and walked over to help fix the loose screw that was causing the itching. She sighed in relief and leaned back in her seat. "Thank You, Hun. I Was About To Ruin My Paint By Dragging Myself Across The Floor."

"It's no problem, your majesty. I'm always happy to serve you. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

She paused and looked Swatch over quietly, her face morphing into contemplation as she scanned them. They tilted their head curiously at her.

"... … … You Are In A Very Good Mood. Why Is That?"

"Hm? I am? Well I suppose I've just been having a good day."

"Come On. Tell Me, Bestie. Don't Hold Out On Me!"

Queen looked very interested, lying across her throne sideways and kicking her feet in the air. They thought about it for a moment, asking themselves if they should. They supposed there was no harm in telling her about it.

"Alright, your highness. See, a friend of mine just did something very nice for me yesterday. He threw me a small celebration to congratulate me on being 7 years smoke free. I didn't even remember it, but he did. It wasn't a lot but it was so sweet of him and I've just been so happy ever since. It was very special to me."

"I Didn't Know You Were Smoking???"

"Well… I tried to keep it private. I wasn't exactly proud of it."

"Ok. Well That Sounds Nice. Did You Party It Up With Battery Acid And Explosions?"

"No. It was just some cookies and spending some quality time together. Just me and him. Nothing big."

Queen looked disappointed by their answer, giving a bemused pout. "Not Very Cash Money. What's The Fun In That?"

"Well I was happy with it. He doesn't cook or bake much, so the cookies were such a nice surprise. And I quite like spending time with him. We were talking about a lot of fun stuff and he made me laugh so hard at one of his jokes. He even showed me his writing. Then we watched a movie together. It was wonderful."

Her expression changed as she listened to Swatch describe the celebration, looking a lot more confused. They sounded so pleased, talking about it in an almost nostalgic way. The smile on their face was pure glee, looking off in a different direction while recounting yesterday's events. It sounded like they were talking about the best day of their life or an amazing summer vacation, not a small barely-party with only two people. 

"OMG. It Sounds Less Like A Party And More Like A Date When You Say It Like That LOL."

Swatch immediately went red in the face as she made that comment. They sputtered and flailed their hands around briefly before collecting themselves awkwardly from their flustered outburst. They cleared their throat and laughed nervously. 

"Pl-please, my queen! Don't tease me like that! It was far from a date! Just some quality time together. It was nothing out of the ordinary. We do that stuff all the time!"

Queen tilted her head before making a buzzer sound, giving a suspicious raise of her eyebrows. "Contradiction Located. You Stated Earlier: 'It was very special to me.' That Conflicts With Your Statement Now."

"Y-y-you're misunderstanding me! I mean that the sentiment was nice! And he doesn't bake often, so that was very special!"

"Uh Huh? So He Doesn't Do These Sweet Gestures A Lot?"

"Of course he does! He goes out of his way to do nice stuff all the time! B-but this was different!"

"Because It Was A Date~?"

The bird huffed as their feathers puffed out and their blush only grew deeper. They appeared rather annoyed and flustered by her teasing tone, which only made her more smug. They sighed and smoothed down their feathers while trying to calm down.

"Your highness… I can assure you that it was not a date. We are just friends. Nothing more."

"Then Why So Worked Up LOL?"

"Because that's not appro-!" They caught themselves raising their voice, which made them look mortified. They straightened their back before bowing to their queen. "I'm terribly sorry for my temper, your majesty. I don't know what came over me."

"HA! Nice Try, Swatch! But I'm Not Done."

They groaned as Queen got off her seat and wandered over to Swatch with a bright grin, like she had just found a brand new game to play. They stayed professionally rigid and watched her circle them, like a shark.

"Who Is This Friend Of Yours?"

They wanted to say 'none of your business', but couldn't really do that to the queen of all people. They thought about it for a moment, feeling really tense. "Um… j-just an old friend I reconnected with."

"Would This Happen To Be… Mr. Dad Guy? The One Who Moved In?"

"Wh-?!? I-I-I-! Th-that's…!"

"Vocal Pitch Increased! I'm Right! W For Me! Now, How Close Are You Two? I Have Many Points On The Romantic Attraction Checklist!"

"Please, my queen. Can we not do this right now?" They covered their face with their wings while wishing they could just clip through the floor.

"NOPE! We Are Doing This! OK. Are You Frequently Having Physical Contact With Each Other More Than Other People?"

"I-" before they could protest this invasive quiz, they paused as they processed the question. They thought about how much they and Spamton actually touch each other. They hug a lot, sit close to one another, put their hands on each other's backs or shoulders or whatever and have even slept in the same bed before. It kinda shocked them to realize that so suddenly. 

"... Y-yes…"

"Are You More Open To Him With Your Feelings That Others?"

"... … … Yes."

"Do You/He/Both Of You Laugh A Lot At Each Other's Jokes?"

"Yes." They didn't like where this was going.

"Do You Feel Happier In General When Together? Smile More? Get Excited Spending Time With Him?"

"Y-y-yes, b-but…"

"Do You Find Compliments From Him More Impactful Than Most People?"

"Kinda."

"Do You Feel More Willing To Do Big Gestures Or Make Sacrifices For Him?"

They thought about the plushie incident briefly, feeling very nervous. "Yeah…"

"Do You Find A Lot Of His Quirks Endearing Or Charming?"

"Yes." Of course they did. They frequently thought about how funny or cute his quirks were… oh no.

Queen's visor turned into a loading bar as she was processing the answers given. "Loading Results… … … Complete! You Are… Head Over Heels, Sweetie."

Oh god. Oh no. That couldn't be right, could it?! They weren't in love with Spamton! They were just close friends! Sure, they admired him a lot and cared about him deeply, and they enjoyed spending time with him a lot, and they wanted nothing more than to see him happy and to take care of him and Sky and be a happy… family…

"... … … Oh bleep."

"Wow. It Really Just Dawned On You, Huh? LMAO! You Are So Oblivious Sometimes."

"This can't actually be happening. This isn't real. It's just a dream. I'm dreaming. I'll wake up soon enough."

"Hunny, If This Was A Dream Then I'd Be A Lot Taller! And Ruling The World LMAO."

Swatch started pacing back and forth as they tried to rationalize their feelings. Maybe it wasn't love! Maybe it was more of a deep respect and caring that looks like love! Or maybe it was just an innocent little crush! Just a small thing! It didn't have to be true love or anything! It could just be a little pining.

"Come on, your majesty! This is ridiculous! Me, having a crush?! Don't you hear how that sounds?!"

She tilted her head in confusion, with a visor full of question marks. "No??? What About That Would Be Preposterous?"

"I mean-! I'm-! He-! I-i-it wouldn't be appropriate! He's a house guest and I'm the host! There's a big power imbalance there!"

"Interesting~. My Records Show You Explicitly Saying The complete opposite. Quote: 'They aren't guests anymore! This is their home!' You Changing The Narrative Now Seems Indicative Of Someone Who's Coping. Hard Coping."

They growled in frustration and ruffled their feathers while giving Queen a pleading look. She did not appear to be about to show them any mercy. "W-well… I really don't think it would be moral of me to keep up these feelings while he's going through such a hard time! His mental health isn't the best and I'm his support system! It would be taking advantage if I were to act on it!"

"Are you saying mentally ill people don't deserve love?"

They glared at her as they picked up on her snarky, intentionally vexing tone, having their suspicions confirmed as they saw that self-satisfied smirk on her lips. She was clearly having fun teasing Swatch about this, as if she wasn't taking it seriously.

"... My queen. It's just… not a good idea. He's my best friend. I would never forgive myself if I were to ruin that trust he has in me by confessing my feelings. I'm not even sure of exactly what these feelings are! So risking the close bond we have right now… even thinking about it is breaking my heart."

She watched them as they explained themselves, seemingly listening very closely to what they were saying. She hummed thoughtfully while she kicked her leg lightly as it rested over her other one. They stayed quiet, wondering what she was thinking. Maybe they finally made it through to her about how serious this really was.

"... … … I think I could guess who it is."

DID SHE EVEN LISTEN TO A WORD I JUST SAID?!?

"Well… you don't know him, so I don't know if you could."

They really doubted it. Not only had it been so long, but she didn't exactly pay much attention to her guests often. She was the type of person to be absorbed in her own world, so would probably not remember most of the people staying in the mansion. She barely remembered Spamton's name when he lived there.

"We'll See About That."

She then started making a lot of humming sounds and shifting around on her throne as she thought about her guess really hard. She even ended up lying upside down at one point from her constant repositioning. 

"Let's See… Male. Terrible Cook. Funny. A Previous Friend Of Yours. Has Mental Instability. Hmmmmmmmmmmm…"

…

…

… Swatch could only stand there awkwardly as she pondered.

"... Agh! I Know It, I Do! The Answer Is At The Tippy Top Of My Speaker System! What Was His Name?! It Was… Trashlot. No, That Can't Be Right. Bugmuch! No No No No. Hm… Spamton? No, That Sounds Stupid. Annoybunch???"

The butler looked absolutely stunned as they heard her say his name. They stared with wide eyes while standing frozen, making Queen glance over in surprise. "Did I Get It? Tell Me If I'm Getting Warmer."

"Y-y-your… your h-highness. You just said it."

"Annoybunch? I Knew That Sounded Familiar!"

"Wh- N-no! Spamton!"

"Right! That's What I Said. Totally."

"I… I didn't know you… remember him."

"Are You Making A Super Funny Joke To Me? That Little Guy Was Hilarious! I've Never Laughed So Hard Before. I Always Wondered What Happened To Him After I Booted Him."

Swatch's face turned almost horrified as she said that, forgetting all the other stuff for a moment to focus on that tidbit. What does she mean she always wondered?! It was obvious what happened! It was the talk of the town for a while! He'd break into the mansion so many times before he vanished completely.

"Wh-what…? What do you mean? My queen, he became homeless! He lived on the streets and even ate out of our trash!"

She looked taken aback by the information, her visor displaying 'fr?' before she continued. "Wait, Really? Didn't He Have, Like, A House Or Something?"

"No, he sold it after living here for a whi- how do you not know that?!"

"Why should I know about that???"

"He literally told you when he was begging you to not throw him out! He was on his knees and pleading, saying he had nowhere else to go! I can't forget that moment. How did you?!"

Queen remained quiet, looking like she was buffering as Swatch desperately tried to figure out if their lady Grace was really that ignorant. They knew she could be cruel, it's why they assumed she knew about all this. 

"... … … Ok. I'm Going To Be Totally 100% Honest With You, Bestie. I May Have Been Wearing Headphones At The Time."

"... … … … … Excuse me?"

"I Was Working On An Awesome Mixtape Then! And He Was Being Loud And Annoying! I Didn't Know It Was That Serious!"

They stared at their queen in silence, completely gobsmacked by her explanation. That all of the suffering Spamton went through was, in part, because she wasn't paying attention. That she simply didn't realize how desperate he was, how much he just needed a little extra time. Sure, it might have ended up being of very little help in the end, but the thought just sent Swatch's world for a spin. It even made them think something they would have never even dreamt of thinking.

Oh my god… my boss is an idiot.

"... … … Well I… I suppose that's… better than the alternative."

"You Thought I Did It Deliberately?" She sounded very surprised as she realized that. They remained quiet, unsure how to respond to that. They didn't want to offend her.

"... Awe. That's So Sweet, That You'd Assume I Was That Evil And Tyrannical. You Always Know How To Compliment People!" Her visor showed an emoticon heart as she seemed flattered.

Well that went better than expected.

"Anyways. The Crush. Don't Get So Agitated About It. It's Not Like He'll Feel Betrayed By You Having Developed Feelings For Him While You Were Meant To Support Him Unconditionally And Without Ulterior Motives!"

Swatch immediately tensed up and gave Queen a horrified stare, that little idea starting to fester in their mind as yet another anxiety. Queen just stared back until she realized what she just said. Her visor flashed the word 'Uh-oh' as she said, "Bleep."

*~*~*

After getting done at work, Swatch headed back home, mood no longer chipper. The Swatchlings had noticed the sudden change in their behavior and seemed concerned. Ivory had pulled them aside to ask if everything was fine, which they said it was and to not worry. She didn't seem convinced, but didn't pry and let them work. They were thankful for that at least.

They just felt so confused and conflicted on what to do. They were still not fully convinced that what they were experiencing was pining. It could have many more reasonable explanations that would make everything fine again. They wouldn't have to feel guilty and didn't have to ruin their friendship, as long as they could find that explanation.

The bird walked inside and closed the door behind them, taking off their jacket before heading inside. They saw Sky run past them in the hallway, hastily throwing them a quick greeting. But they stopped the kid in their tracks.

"Hold on there, Sky. Your punishment isn't over until tomorrow! I know, I've been monitoring the time myself."

Their face fell into a big pout, crossing their arms as they looked up at them. "But I usually get to play outside near the end of my grounding if I'm good!"

"But this was a repeat offense, so clearly you're not learning unless we get stricter. Tomorrow you get to play outside."

They huffed and shrunk together like a grumpy turtle, face turning a darker shade of purple. The butler sighed and rubbed their head. "You're such a troublemaker. But I still love you."

"... … … Love you too…" Sky grumbled while sinking further into their hoodie.

"Hey, where is your father?"

"I don't know. Haven't seen him for a while. He said he was going to write and went to his room. But he never came out when Obsidian called for coffee."

"Hm… perhaps he was just very absorbed in his work. You know how he can get with his focus."

"Yeah. Probably. Anyways, I'm going to grab an apple."

They hummed in acknowledgement before heading upstairs towards their room. They didn't want to startle Spamton in case he was very in the zone, so they gave a light knock before entering. But he wasn't there. That was odd. Maybe Sky was mistaken and simply missed him. 

Maybe that was for the better. They weren't even sure what they would say if they saw him. All of their emotions were jumbled and confused from their meeting with Queen. They didn't want to make Spamton suspicious or uncomfortable. Plus, they felt like being close with him right then would be really awkward. They didn't feel like they could hug him and sit close together for a little while, at least until they could get used to these newly discovered feelings.

Swatch lifted their head as they noticed a sound coming from the bathroom. It sounded like water running. Maybe he was in there. They walked over and knocked again, waiting for a response. They didn't get one though, which was weird. Maybe he didn't hear them? 

They then noticed the white on the indicator, meaning it was unlocked. That was odd. Did he leave the water running by accident? They decided to open up and check, in case he just forgot to turn it off. 

They saw the shower head on, pouring water down into the bathtub. They spotted something peeking up over the edge, looking like black hair. The bird cautiously walked inside while calling out Spamton's name, not wanting to accidentally walk in on him showering. But they still didn't get an answer. So they walked over to check, which was when their heart shot up into their throat.

The ad was sitting curled up in the bathtub, fully clothed and letting himself get completely soaked. And the water couldn't have been above room temperature, which means he might be showering in cold water. None of that was normal at all! And his expression was one they knew all too well. A blank, thousand yard stare, glasses clouded by static. 

He was having an episode. 

They gasped and quickly moved over to turn off the water. Only then did Spamton seem to notice their presence. He looked flabbergasted as they turned down the shower, shooting over to stop them by grabbing their wings. But fortunately for Swatch, they had the physical advantage over Spamton and turned it off while he was yelling at them desperately. "H3Y!!! WHAT AAARE U [selling]?!? ST0OP THAT!!1!"

"What do you think you're doing, Spam?!"

"GETT ING [squeaky clean!]! ! I'M [filthy vermin]!!! D1SGUSSTING!!! A [grossing in a measly  ] GREASY [slime]!!!!"

"You are no such thing! Now get out of there before you catch a cold or something!"

"NO!!!! I CAN 'T!! NOT L-L-LIKE THIS!!!"

"Spam, buddy! Please stop! It's ok! Everything is fine! Just calm down and we can talk about this!"

Spamton struggled to remove their hands from the faucet, grunting and groaning like he was trying to push a whole refrigerator. He begged them to let go, but they refused, waiting for him to give up before they would let go. Eventually, he just sighed in defeat and sat back down in the tub, hugging himself and burying his face in his knees.

Swatch quickly grabbed one of their towels from the towel rack and wrapped it around him, gently patting him down to dry him at least a little bit. 

"It's fine. It's ok. You're fine. Please just breathe like we always do together and then tell me what you're feeling."

He shook his head and shrunk down further into himself, shivering a little. Whether that was from the wet clothes getting cold or from distress they couldn't tell. They just wrapped their arms around him and preened his dripping hair. It was not very pleasant, but they didn't care as long as it made their friend happy.

He let out a shaky breath and pressed into them, enjoying their comforting gesture. It was a very good way to calm him down quickly if it wasn't a really bad episode. 

"... Swatch… I'm…"

"It's alright. Just breathe, then tell me. Want some help getting out?"

He responded with a jerky nod, slowly getting up to his feet with Swatch's help. They assisted him out of the tub and walked with him out into their room, leading him over to their bed to sit down. He followed without a word, holding the towel around himself and staring at the floor with a look of upset. They then sat down beside him and continued their previous reassurance attempts, listening to Spamton taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"... … … I feel so dirty."

"Why is that?"

"I… I don't know. I just… feel s o [such a pity]ful . Like a… A… [ratatouille]. Just so pathetic and weird!"

"Why would you think that? I don't see anything pathetic about you."

Swatch reached down to turn his head towards them so they could properly look at him, giving a sweet smile as they spoke. "You are such an admirable person."

Spamton scoffed in response. "I don't see what anyone could admire about a sleazy has-been salesman that lived in garbage for some years."

"Well your resilience is one thing. You're too stubborn to ever give up, even when you should." The last remark was said with some snark, but no malice. Spamton snorted softly at it. 

"You're very funny and charming, knowing just how to get people's interest, and you're so considerate. You also know how to get people to loosen up and enjoy themselves. I think those are some amazing traits."

The ad blushed a little and glanced to the side, hiding his face slightly in the towel. He then muttered softly. "Yeah. I-I mean… I knew that all ready, I [take a guess to win a prize!]. I don't know why I make u repeat yourself so much. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I don't mind saying it again if it makes you feel better."

"Th-thank you." Spamton sounded touched. He leaned against them for another hug. But as they went to move their arms around him, they recalled what had happened earlier that day. They remembered all their fears of taking advantage of their friend while he was vulnerable. Of getting something out of him when he was weak.

The thought made them jerk back in a startle and gasp quietly. The Addison looked up at them, surprised that they didn't reciprocate the embrace. They lowered their head shamefully and gave him a pat on the back.

"S-sorry, Spam. That was… inappropriate of me. You probably don't want to be squished in wet clothes. How rude."

They got up from the bed and walked to get him a change of clothes, leaving him sitting alone and confused, looking so let down. Why did they get up like that? Was it him or was something else wrong? Why did they recoil suddenly after having hugged him just earlier? It didn't make much sense. 

It left him feeling cold again, missing their soothing body temperature.

They placed the new outfit down beside him and reached out to pat his shoulder, the action feeling so stiff and impersonal. It wasn't like them at all. But he didn't comment on it. He just silently picked up the clothes and went to get changed in the bathroom. Swatch watched him close the door behind him, feeling the tension in their stomach let up slightly. 

You need to be more careful, Swatch. You can't hang off him all the time, especially when he's so vulnerable. You need to contain yourself! You should know how to do that, damnit! You shouldn't be getting gratification out of his suffering; that's disgusting. Hold back your crush before it ruins everything.

Chapter Text

Sky could tell things were getting tense in the household. 

Everyone seemed to be on edge. The Swatchlings were all nervous and talking about the tension between Spamton and Swatch as of recently. They had all seemingly noticed something was wrong with them both, but no one dared to ask about it or speak up at all. Sky more than noticed the problem, they could feel it. 

Swatch was constantly stressed and they seemed more reserved than usual. Their demeanor was stiff, as if the house was a hotel they just worked at. Anytime Sky talked with them, they could feel this weird sensation of guilt. Like getting mad at yourself for wanting a cookie before dinner. It was denying yourself of something you desperately want, but also beating yourself up for ever thinking you could have that cookie.

They realized that must be what Swatch was feeling. They weren't sure how or why they could tell, but they could just sense those strong emotions inside them. Somehow they had the ability to feel that. They knew as much thanks to that conversation they had with Jevil recently. His guilt over having hurt them. They just somehow put two and two together and realized that's what they had been doing for so long. But they still weren't sure how to use that in regards to Swatch's situation.

Or Spamton's.

Papa had been down too, but in a much different way. He was just sad. He seemed to do fine for the most parts, but was really hurting deep down. They got this feeling of loneliness and longing from him; of feeling confused and let down. It was like trying to grab for something that's just out of reach and accidentally pushing it away whenever you almost get it, wondering if trying to get it will only make everything worse. 

He was doing well hiding it though. He barely showed any hint of pain or sadness. Sky would have probably not noticed if they didn't have this magic ability. They just wondered why. Why was he trying to hide his problems? What were his problems? 

They decided that they should ask.

"Papa?" Sky muttered hesitantly as they opened the door to his room, finding him by the desk in the corner. He looked over with a big grin, pausing his work to greet his kid. "HELO SKY!. WHAT'S UP?"

"I… I wanted to ask you about something."

"ABOUT [what we do best]?"

They walked in and over to his side, rolling their fingers nervously. 

"I was wondering… is everything ok? Everyone seems so upset. No one is in the mood to play and Swatch doesn't give me any head pats anymore. They just run around and work! Why?"

The mood shifted, despite Spamton's smile remaining unchanged. He looked thoughtful about the question, but they could feel his distress growing. The feeling of everything falling apart and trying desperately to pull it back together. The feeling of failure as someone gets hurt when you were supposed to protect them. That familiar feeling of helplessness, unable to do anything to fix the issue and only left to watch it unfold.

Why did they find it so familiar?

"I'M NOT [rest assured]. [Mayhaps] THEY AREN'T FEELING WELL. HAVE U ASKED THEM?"

"Yeah. They won't tell me."

"WELL IT'S PROBLY [not worth the $$$] OVER. THEY CAN GET LIKE THAT SOMETIMES."

Sky pouted and looked down at his note book, which he returned to as he dismissed their concerns. He was lying. They knew he was. But how could they get him to admit the truth?

"... Are you ok?"

"OF COURSE! I'M [Okie dokie]! DONT [fret] SOO MUCH!" Spamton reached down and ruffled their hair, giving them a reassuring smile. They just stared at him, unconvinced. But there wasn't much they could do to get him talking.

… Or was there?

"Papa. When did you and Swatch meet?"

He tensed immediately at their sudden question, clearly caught totally off guard by it. It caused his smile to drop into shock as he turned to look at them. "Wh-what?"

"When did the two of you first meet each other? Was I around when you did? Or was that before?"

He was stunned for a second before he let out a soft laugh and put his pen down on the table. "No. It was [a long long time] before you came. I waz [in my youth] when wii met."

"You were young?"

That made him laugh more and reach out to ruffle their hair again, making them huff in annoyance. He just grinned and leaned against the desk. "[Yes]. And 1 was a lot different from me n ow."

Sky watched him curiously, clearly waiting for him to continue. He sighed in resignation and motioned for them to sit. They took a seat on his bed and looked expectantly at him.

"Let's see… where to [Start!]?"

*~*~*Flashback*~*~*

He looked at himself in his new and luxurious mirror. In his new and luxurious room. In the queen's mansion. His new place to stay. 

"... You made it, Spamton. You really did it. Top of the world, living in the lap of luxury, adored and envied by millions. You are number one."

He smoothed his hair back, feeling the gel he used to get it in proper form, and leaned in closer to the other Spamton looking back at him. 

"Who needs friends when you have the world chanting your name? Those idiots can rot for all I care. They never…"

His monologuing slowed, eyes trailing towards something in the background. His phone. He looked at it expectantly, as if he was ready for it to ring at any moment. At all. When he least expects it the ringing would start. He had to be ready for it. It's what brought him here to the top after all.

…

"... Nevermind that! Mike told me to have fun tonight! Gotta socialize and make connections! I'm sure that would make him pleased! Anyways, looking spiffy, hot shot! Or big shot I should say~."

With that, he left his room and was immediately greeted by a group of people, all vying for his attention. They were all congratulating and complimenting him. They were cracking jokes and acting real chummy, probably wanting to get in on his success. Fine by him! He soaked in all the attention with open arms. 

"Move, Comparative Failures!" That all too recognisable voice said, causing the group to split up and allow her majesty through. She walked up to Spamton and leaned down to be on eye level. It was done very deliberately, clearly trying to bring attention to the action.

"Excuse Me, Tiny Thing. Where Is The Big Shot?" She asked in a mocking tone. Spamton crossed his arms and looked unamused at her.

"You should know that great things come in small packages. Though maybe that's not so obvious to you, what with that big head of yours holding your brain."

Everyone got silent, watching in shock as the salesman just insulted the queen herself. They were all waiting for her reaction. He was as good as dead already. So much for being number one.

But after a moment of staring, Queen stood up and let out a regal laugh, putting her hand beside her mouth as she laughed. Spamton's face also broke into a smug grin, puffing out his chest proudly at her outburst.

"Oh You Get It. You're As Funny As In Your Interviews."

"What can I say? I'm the only guy 'round town who's willing to grab those interviewers by their marbles."

"HA!" She just let out one big laugh before abruptly stopping and looking down at him. "Anyways. Ready For The Party?"

He pointed two finger guns at her and flashed a big, well trained smile. "You know it, thunder thighs! Number one is ready to get schwasted!"

"LOL Same! Let's Go Already Before I Have Something I Need To Attend To!"

"Like?"

"Mopping The Floor With Some Losers At My Awesome Arcade Game! Can't Do That Sober, So Better Hurry! My Thumbs Are Already Getting Bloodthirsty!"

"Yikes! Better turn that thirst for blood into thirst for battery acid" Spamton laughed as he started walking again, Queen and the rest of the crowd following suit. 

"Your majesty!"

Everyone looked over to the voice calling out, finding a Swatchling hurriedly walking over towards them. They were quite a bit shorter than the others, but that didn't say much since they were all huge. They wore a much more distinctive outfit, half white and half black, switching sides between sleeves, chest, collar and pants. They also wore a stylish salmon tie and two-toned orange and yellow glasses. 

Spamton was surprised, seeing such a different looking Swatchling. He didn't know they came in that color too. They sure knew how to dress well.

"My queen! Someone is taking the Swan boat for a joy ride around the acid pool! We are currently handling it, but it will mean that the party will be understaffed as that gets sorted."

Queen just looked at them for a silent moment before huffing dismissively and waving her hand in the air. "Don't Care. Just Want To Get Messed Up RN. You Can Handle A Little Extra Work In The Café."

"W-well of course I can. I live to serve you, my queen. Want me to lead the way there?"

"Yes please!"

The crowd looked over at Spamton, who realized he just said that out loud. He blushed up slightly before clearing his throat and trying again. "Yes, please can we just get going already?"

"Certainly, Mr. Spamton, sir. Right this way." The Swatchling then took the lead to walk them to the place of the party. Spamton scurried up beside Queen and tried to get her attention. "Pssst! Hey!" He whispered. She leaned down to him curiously as they walked. 

"Who's the smoke show over there?"

"You Mean My Head Butler, Swatch?"

"Swatch, huh? Holy motherboard in heaven. They sure know how to look fine!"

"Of Course! No One Is Allowed To Look Ugly In My Staff. It's In The Contract Agreement."

"Say… you wouldn't mind if I borrowed them a little, huh~?" He elbowed Queen as he said that, giving her a wink and wiggling his eyebrows. But she just chuckled before looking at him with her glowing visor saying, 'NO'. "The Staff Is Off Limit. Be A Horn Dog Towards The Other Guests." Her voice was suddenly serious, despite her well maintained smile. The ad leaned away until she pulled back, making him snap his finger in defeat. "Awe shoot!"

*~*~*

"PAPA! GROSS!" 

Spamton laughed at his kid as they shoved him, making disgusted faces at his story. 

"H3Y. BE [Happy Birthday!] I DIDN'T GO IN TO [the nitty-gritty]!"

"I don't wanna hear about you thinking they were hot! EW!"

"BLAME [the ghost of Christmas past] ME. COULD NEVVER [looking respectfully]." He shook his head at his past self. Then he tried to remember where he was in the story while Sky made gagging noises.

*~*~*

"There you are. Hope everything is to your liking." 

The head butler bowed politely to the group as they served up all of their drinks of choice. Spamton picked up his glass and held it up to them in a toast. "Thanks. Excellent service. Five star rating!" He chuckled jokingly before taking a sip. 

"Thank you, Sir. I appreciate the- uh- feed… back…"

Spamton turned to see what they got distracted by and saw Queen downing a glass of battery acid in a few seconds. Then she threw it away and it exploded behind her, causing another table of guests to go flying. 

"WOOOOOOH! That Hit The Spot. Swatch Sweetie! Get Me Some More Plz."

"Um… of course. Dangerous or safe glasses?"

"LMAO You Know The Answer!"

"Dangerous it is…"

Spamton saw them about to leave, but decided he wasn't done talking with them. So he spoke up before they went too far. "Hey! Feathers! You never congratulated me on my success!"

They gave an annoyed sigh while facing away from him, which he managed to catch a glimpse of before they turned around with a professional smile. "Of course. How rude of me. Congratulations, Mr. Spamton. You must have worked very hard to get where you are and you should be proud."

He wasn't expecting that, he more so thought they would just say congrats and leave it. But the added compliment made his face turn pink and he looked away from them, a little flustered. "A-ahahaha! Thank you, Swatch."

Then they left and Spamton sat there silently for a solid half minute, getting teased by the other people around the table. Especially Queen, who said he wasn't doing a good job hiding his attraction. But he eventually got back to drinking and talking, having a good time with them for the rest of the evening. 

*~*~*

"AND YEAH. THAT''S THATT. [First time for everything] WE MET."

"That's it? That's how you met?"

"YEP!"

"But that was boring! You barely spoke to each other!"

"WELL [first impressions] ARE USUALLY NOT [worthy of note]. THAT'S JUST HOW IT GOES."

Sky pouted at him, hearing that. So all they got was gross flirting stuff and an uninteresting story?! That's such bullcrap! 

"Come on! There has to be more! How did you get to know each other?! When did you become friends?!"

"WELL… THAT STORY ISN'T AS [squeaky clean!]. IT G3TS… MESSY."

They immediately leaned forward in curiosity, making Spamton chuckle at their nosiness. He gave in with a sigh and started recalling the story the best he could, without bringing up anything inappropriate.

*~*~*

Spamton was a regular at the café. He hung around there a lot when he wasn't doing business. To be fair, he hung around the rest of the mansion too, just taking in the sights and talking with the staff. 

Honestly, the novelty of being popular wore off pretty quickly. After a few months in the mansion, he couldn't stand the other guests anymore. They were all so superficial and two-faced. He could smell how insincere they were when they were trying to butter him up, only being nice to him so they could get some clout from being chummy with the top rated salesman. He despised that feeling. It only reminded him of his old so-called 'friends'. He only ever tolerated it for potential business opportunities, nothing more. He didn't want any more fake friends. 

But the staff on the other hand, they were so easy to talk to. He wasn't sure why, but they just seemed a lot more genuine with how polite they were being. It was like they were all born for the butler job, exuding welcoming and friendly energy. So he'd take any opportunity to talk their ears off. They were nice enough to not tell him to screw off and actually listened. They would nod along and respond to him, not just laugh and pretend to pay attention like his other associates.

It… honestly got kind of awkward sometimes. 

Not because of them, but because he'd run out of things to say. It felt like the conversations were a little too one-sided for his liking. So instead of blabbering on about himself, he decided to ask them a little bit about themselves. 

Spamton would walk up to a Swatchling or Tasque Manager or whoever and start asking about anything he found relevant. About their day, how long they worked in the mansion, what kind of stuff they like to do outside their job, any funny stories with Queen, other interests and so much more. 

He found that they would actually start talking quite a bit more when he did that. The conversation would be a lot more balanced and he would see them display a bit more personality, not just that professional facade. It was fun. Finding out what type of people they were behind their occupation was great. It became sort of like a game.

But one person he wasn't able to figure out was Swatch. The ever mysterious head butler. They were incredibly tight-lipped, not giving out any unnecessary information and always making themselves busy. He didn't get much of a chance to have a casual chat, just short, mediocre conversations that revealed nothing about them. But that just made him more fascinated. What kind of person could Queen's head butler be? What was hiding underneath that calm, mild mannered, pretty mask of theirs?

He wanted to find out.

Well one night in particular, he'd just so happen to do just that. 

It was very very late. Spamton was sitting in the color cafe like he usually liked to do on nights when everything felt awful. Drink in hand, leaning against his table, staring at whatever was left in it and avoiding going back to his room. 

It just filled him with dread, thinking about going there and potentially getting a call he'd inevitably have to answer. He didn't want to take on yet another project or get chewed out for not doing enough. He'd rather just create an excuse for why he couldn't.

Getting drunk was the best one he could come up with.

"Spamton, sir."

He barely moved, shifting his head to look up at the Swatch as they stood beside his table. 

"What is it, feathers?"

"You're gonna have to leave soon. It's about time to close up."

He turned around and saw that the entire place was empty, just like usual. He was the last person left in there. How pathetic. He must look like such a loser to Swatch.

"... … … Just a few more minutes" he grumbled and put his face in his hands, sighing heavily as he waved them off. But they didn't leave, just remained in place and gave him a concerned expression.

"I… sir, that's… … … alright. A few more minutes should be fine."

"I don't suppose a refill would be possible."

"Sorry, but we don't serve past certain times, unless her lady grace commands it."

"Of course…" he sighed in disappointment and sank further into his hands, staring solemnly at the glass of half melted ice. "Don't know why I ask… you've already told me a thousand times… you've gotta be sick of me now."

They glanced to the side, their professional posture dropping slightly as they appeared to be deep in thought. "... May I ask what has got you so downtrodden?"

"Ha! That's a good one."

"E-excuse me?"

"Don't worry, I'm not drunk enough to start rambling like an idiot. You don't have to stay and listen or get someone to carry my ass to bed."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Don't play dumb! You're just hanging around to make sure I don't make a mess or black out on the floor! You're just doing your job by keeping me content, pretending to care about my issues. But… don't bother. I don't want any fake pity."

Swatch sighed softly as they sagged even more, dropping the proper persona fully and crossing their wings over their chest. "Look, I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I'm just asking because of my job. I'm not. I'm actually concerned for you. Especially since… well it's not rare to have you getting wasted and staying here way past closing. And that along with you venting out your frustrations to me has made me a little worried."

"Oh wow! Amazing! So you just suddenly care about my health out of the blue? After listening to my stupid rants and tolerating my annoying ass you're now worried about me? Yeah right! I'm not as stupid as I sound, Swatch! I know that I'm an insufferable prick!"

The sarcasm dripping from his words had the Swatchling shocked, taking a step back in surprise. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"People only care about me because I'm successful! I don't have any redeeming qualities outside of my fame! I'm just a bother and a jerk! A pathetic man who's only worth is his wallet and status! There's no reason to pretend it's anything else…"

As he jerked his head away to glare at the middle distance, he didn't notice the other darkner moving until he heard the soft scraping of a chair against the floor. He whipped his head around and saw Swatch moving one of the chairs over, taking a seat beside him with a quiet groan. He stared at them, stunned for a long moment.

"Spamton. You're being too harsh on yourself. I don't know you personally, so I can't say anything from my perspective. But from what I've heard, you sound rather nice."

The ad shook the surprise off and regained his scowl. "Oh yeah? From where? The gossip papers?"

"From the Swatchlings."

"Wh-wha-what?"

"I hear a lot about you from them. Honestly, I thought you would be like most other celebrities, big ego and rude and all that. But when I talk to my friends, they say you're pretty great. You always stop to talk whenever you pass by any of them, you ask how they are and get to know them, you even address some of them by name. No other guests really do that, or at least those types of people are rare. Us butlers are usually seen as background characters, just there to perform tasks. But… you were actually social with them."

Spamton felt himself grow a little red in the face, not expecting them to know about his interactions with the other Swatchlings. He didn't think it would be anything noteworthy for them, just regular conversations. But… they actually valued them as much as him, enough to talk about it with Swatch? Consider him flustered. He wasn't sure why, but it just made him feel fuzzy in his chest to hear that.

"They really like talking with you, you know? It makes them all giddy when they tell me about it in the back, away from guests. It brightens up their day."

"... … … … … W-w-well-! I uh-! That's-!" He felt tongue-tied. That was one of the sweetest things he's heard in a while. 

"So they don't think you're a jerk. Surely that's worth something. That's a lot of people disagreeing with your take."

"I… I… I didn't realize they cared so much. I… thought… So they actually like me?"

"Yes. They do. So chin up, yeah? We all appreciate you for your chatty self."

Spamton looked down at the table, processing the encouragement and how kind Swatch was being. It was so surreal. He had never seen them act like that towards anyone, all their politeness usually coated in this layer of professionalism. This was much much different.

"That's… you… you mean it?"

"Of course."

"B-but you don't even know me! What if I'm secretly a piece of crap that just acts nice to get what he wants?! How can you know?!"

Swatch smiled slightly, looking down at the floor as he asked them that in exasperation. He gulped at the expression, knowing from only one glance that it was a genuine smile.

"Then let's get to know each other."

…

"... … I… uh- s-sure. If you… if you're ok with it."

"I am. Trust me."

He couldn't help but to smile back at them for their reassurance, finding it sweet. He felt much better, getting to spend a few hours talking with Swatch and learning more about them. It felt so… good. Like he finally found a connection, someone who wanted to be around him for the company and not for the bragging rights. Someone who wanted him for him. 

He felt like he finally had a friend again.

*~*~*

"Oh… that… sounds nice. So they liked you because you were nice to the other Swatchlings?"

"[Basics]LLY, YEAH. BUT I… [here's a thought] THEY WERE A [teensy-weensy] BIT TOOO GENEROS ABOUT HOW NICE I WAS. IT WA AS JUST SIMPLE [pleasure doing business!]."

"Well… that's still good! You were still nice and that's what matters, right? Be kind and people will be kind to you? Like Jet always says!"

He laughed at his kid's optimism and gave them a half hug, feeling thankful for them trying to lift his spirits. Their heart was too big for their own good, but that's just another reason he loves them so. "YES. Y0U'RE RIGHT. THANKSS, SWEET>HEART."

Outside the door, Swatch stood still and held their breath, trying to not let the two hear them. They looked down at the floor as they thought about the events Spamton described. It made their chest buzz lightly, smiling from the nostalgia. Yet the bird still felt that anxiety inside them, making them worry about their actions. About making one wrong move and…

They sighed and shook their head, leaving so they could continue with the house chores that were most likely already done. 

Chapter Text

"It's going to be ok, boss. Just keep breathing and we'll be there before you know it."

"Ngh-! I-I know! I know. J-just… please don't sh-shake me so much!"

"We're being as careful as possible. Just… deep breaths. You're doing well."

Spamton heard the voices from the entryway speak back and forth, the door shutting soundly behind them. He shot up straight on the couch, looking towards the noise curiously. That sounded like Soot, Teal and Swatch. Weird. He thought they would be at work right now.

His confusion quickly disappeared as he saw them pass the living room, the shorter bird using their green and black friends for support as they limped towards the stairs. That made him extremely worried, bolting out of the room and catching up with the three of them. 

"[Easels]?!???! WHAT H4PEND?!!? ARE U [press ok to continue]!? ???"

"S-Spamton! I-I-I'm fine! Just fine! Don't worry a-abo-OW!" Swatch interrupted themselves as their attempt to turn towards him ended up in a jolt of pain shooting through their system. They whined at the feeling and gripped tighter onto Teal's work uniform.

"It's ok. It's ok. Just focus on breathing, not anything else. It will be over soon" he assured them as he rubbed their back calmingly. 

"YOU [2 for 1 deal!]! W HAT HAPPENED?!" Spamton demanded an answer.

"Master Swatch seriously injured themselves at work after a fall. Their leg must be sprained or something" Soot explained as she continued walking, not looking at the Addison as she focused more on being careful while moving.

"D-don't say it l-like that! You'll ma-make him anxious!" Swatch pleaded through gritted teeth, trying their hardest to not burst out into tears at the agony they were going through. Spamton huffed and crossed his arms angrily. "DON'T [treat yourself] ME LIKE A [talking baby doll]! I CAN WORRY HOW MUCH I [dagnabbit] W3LL PLEASE!"

"What's going on? S-swatch?! What happened?!" Sky stood at the top of the stairs, looking scared as they saw Swatch in such clear distress. That just made the butler even more worked up. "S-s-sky! P-please! It's fine! J-just a small injury!" 

Spamton quickly got to work calming the situation down. He headed up to his kid and led them to their room, assuring them that it would be fine. He glanced back to see the thankful look on his friend's face, making him give them a reassuring smile before closing the door. 

"Papa! What happened?! Did someone hurt them?! Who do I have to bop?!" The kid looked ready to fight, puffing up their cheeks and clenching their fists. Spamton sighed and shook his head at them. "NO 1. THEY [fall season discount] AND [ouchie!] THEIR LEG."

"What?! No! You're lying! They look so scared! That can't be it!"

He sighed again at that, thinking about how he should explain this to his kid. "SKEY… hmm…it's not [and just like that!]."

"What do you mean?"

"C, Swatch has… [an irrational fear or aversion to] pain. If they get too hurt, they [lost your marbles!] and pan!c. Theyre very sensitive to [PAIN!] and try to avoid it at all [price!]."

"But… that just sounds like… everyone! Everybody avoids pain!"

The ad's face immediately shifted into incredulity as he looked at them, the silence and his unwavering stare speaking louder to the irony of that statement than any words.

"... … Ok. Fine. You got me there."

"Swatch is a lot more sensitive to it than [miscellaneous]. Why do you think they never get [hired!] in the attack training and stand off to the side?"

"Oh… I thought they just didn't want their clothes messed up."

He shook his head again and rubbed their back, seeing the slightly guilty look on their face. "It's f1ne.. You couldn't know."

"Will… they be ok?"

"[YES!]. They just need rest and healing. Eggshell vill take car of them."

Sky didn't look entirely convinced by the reassurance, so he gave them a half hug and a smile. "We can also check in on them later. Allright, angel?"

"Ok…" they mumbled and pouted a bit, still a little glum about it. His smile dropped at that and he thought about how to get their mind off of it. 

"... Want to play a game?"

"... … … Yeah. Smash bros."

"Ok. Come on then."

*~*~*

It had been a couple of hours since Swatch was brought to Eggshell and Ivory. Spamton had spent that whole time with his kid, keeping them distracted and happy. He found it nice to take his mind off of things too, but couldn't help worrying about them. They had always been so scared of getting injured. He never saw them handle any physical alterations while he lived in the mansion; that usually fell on Tasque Manager or other Swatchlings. The only time he could remember them removing someone by force was… himself. 

They had occasionally gotten hurt while working for Queen. Burning their hand, scraping their knee, hitting their head on something or getting their foot crushed. Regular workplace accidents. Anytime he witnessed it, it was a damn scene. The bird would make a weird noise, like an inward squawk and a repressed yelp at the same time. They'd start shivering and cover the pained area before hurrying off somewhere private. If another butler was around, they would fuss over them and ask if they're fine.

Spamton would check in too if he wasn't busy with his business acquaintances. Swatch would wave him off and insist they were fine whilst clearly holding back tears, at least if it was a particularly bad one. He wouldn't be allowed to help. 

The ad only found out about the phobia after confronting them when they were fine again. He remembered how ashamed they were about it, telling him they felt so childish about their oversensitivity. But he assured them he didn't judge them for it and they shouldn't either.

"Papa…"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at Sky, who had paused the game. "Can we check on them now?"

"Um… can you wait a second first? I gotta check" he told them and rubbed their head, pulling out his phone with his other hand. He texted Ivory quickly.

Me: Hey. Ivory. Is Swatch doin ok? Sky wants to check on them.

Ivory is typing…

Ivory: They are doing better now. Though I would suggest that you make sure Sky doesn't get them worked up if they come over to check on them. 

Me: ok i was gonna do that anyways

Ivory: Well Swatch is in a delicate state right now. You might not know about it, but they usually need stronger medicine to keep them calm. They're pretty loopy right now.

Oh. He… wasn't sure how to respond to that. 

He didn't know about that fact. They hadn't mentioned it to him before. And he hadn't seen them this injured since he moved in. 

Swatch never got inebriated in any way. They didn't drink. He had never seen them as anything less than completely sober, unless drunk from lack of sleep counted.

He had no clue what he would see when he went over there.

"Papa! What did they say?"

"OH! Uh… theey said to be… [keep calm and ] not get them [extreme workout!]."

"So we can go?"

"Yep." 

Sky immediately got up and ran out the room towards Swatch and Spamton's. He just sighed and stood up, feeling a little bit nervous about seeing them right then. They had been acting so strange lately and… being heavily medicated would probably only make that worse. Who knows how they would act when seeing him now. 

But he swallowed his nerves and followed his kid, seeing them waiting for him outside the door. He walked over and opened it, carefully peeking inside for Ivory and Eggshell. 

But he was instead greeted with a constant stream of chatter. It surprised him, so he opened the door fully and looked over at Swatch's bed. The two birds were sitting beside it while the injured bird was lying on it comfortably. 

"-and I just really think he does it so well. He can whistle so, like, clearly and without messing up and it sounds so nice. Copper sounds so good! Did I ever tell him that? I don't remember if I did. I need to do that if I didn't. He deserves to know."

"You probably did, hun. You never hold back on giving praise if you find something praiseworthy" Ivory giggled at Swatch's ramble.

"Really? Because I feel like I don't tell you all enough how much I appreciate your talent outside of work. You're all just so great and I wish I could compliment you all personally but there are so many of you and I just don't know if I have the energy to talk that much."

"You sure seem to have the energy to chat our ears off though" Eggshell mumbled to himself as he finished up with the wrapping. He then noticed Spamton at the door and stood up. "Spamton. I didn't notice you."

"Sorry, I-"

Before he could respond, Swatch was heard gasping and tried to sit up. But Ivory gently laid them back down again.

"S-s-spamton??? Spammy! I was wondering when you'd come! I was worried you wouldn't want to come in and disturb me or something. But this is your room too so you should be able to be here too. I don't want to hog the room to myself just because my leg is hurt and-"

"Calm down, hun. It's ok. He was just busy. Don't work yourself up" Ivory tried to reassure them while rubbing their shoulder. Spamton looked shocked, glancing between everyone in the room with a perplexed face. Sky also seemed confused, wondering why Swatch was acting so weird.

Eggshell decided to explain. "This is what they're usually like when they're on this particular medicine. They get… very… very talkative."

…

Spam couldn't help snorting at that. He found it pretty funny. They didn't get really emotional or tired or anything while high off their ass, they just became really chatty! That was honestly really cute.

"EEEEGGSHEEEELL! Don't tell him that! Oh my god that's so embarrassing! He's going to think I'm being so weird and stuff! I don't want him getting weirded out! Then he won't wanna talk with me!" Swatch whined and looked over at the exhausted bird, currently pinching his beak. The Addison tried to not burst out laughing at that. It was just too sweet. How could Swatch just continue getting cuter and cuter with every new thing he learns about them?

"Umm… Swatch… are you ok?" Sky asked timidly as they walked over, standing beside the bed with Ivory. Swatch gasped in surprise before reaching out and squishing their cheeks together. They made a startled noise at the action.

"Sky! Awe hi there, sweetie! Don't you worry your precious little head about me. I'm doing just fine! Dawwww! Look at you! Just an adorable little angel. I could gobble you right up!"

The lightner's face deepened in color, turning a dark purple at the gushing and the baby talking. They weren't sure what the hell was happening. Spamton burst out laughing at that, holding his stomach as he doubled over. That made Sky puff their cheeks in humiliation. 

"D-don't laugh! Papa!"

"S-SOOOOOORRY SKY! EAHAHAHAHA! I-I-I-I CAN'T- HHHHHAHAHA!"

"Spammy! Wow! I haven't heard you laugh like that in a while! God it makes me so happy to hear it. I've missed your laugh. It's so infectious and genuine and it just brightens my day."

Now it was his turn to blush like mad. His face immediately turned fire hydrant red and he shot up straight while staring at Swatch, who simply smiled back at him. 

"Why am I suddenly getting a sense of déjà vu?" Eggshell muttered as he remembered a very similar situation from way back.

"Hush, brother. No need to bring that back up" Ivory whispered to him as she got up from her seat. She then addressed Spamton. "They should be fine now, for the time being. I trust that you can keep an eye on them for us, yes?"

"Uh-! Wha-! M-me?"

"Well this is your room, so I just assumed. If you need any help then you can just send a text!"

"Yes. And I will be checking in on them from time to time, so don't worry" the other Swatchling sighed as he grabbed his supply bag. 

"[Well well well], alright. B-but arre u sure-?"

"It will be fine. Just make sure they don't get up. And keep Sky under control. No excitement for them until they get better!" This was directed at both Spamton and his child. Sky gave Ivory an understanding nod. "Got it! I'll make sure they don't move an inch!"

She laughed at that and rubbed their head before leaving with her brother. They then looked over to Swatch, who was watching the scene quietly. They looked a little dazed, but not completely zoned out.

"Swatch. I… are you sure you'll be fine? I just… I've never seen you so scared before."

As Sky said that, the butler looked like someone broke their heart into a million pieces. They looked so sad and started cooing worriedly, reaching out to pull the child down into their arms. They preened them and rubbed their back softly. "My darling baby. I'm so so sorry you had to see me like that. It makes me so sad to scare you so badly. You poor thing. You don't have to be worried about me, you're just a baby. I should worry about you!"

The kid looked even more flabbergasted by the sudden hug and fawning again. They were being so affectionate all of a sudden after weeks of basically no hugs or headpats. "I-I-I'M NOT A BABY!"

"You're my little baby~!"

"S-s-stop it! I'm not!"

"Al[trans rights]! Let's not [START A RIOT!] n0w. They need to be [rest and relaxation], sweetie. Tho it is very enter/taining" Spam chuckled amusedly as he walked over and sat down beside them, making sure they were calm and comfortable. They seemed perfectly content. 

"But papa! I'm not a baby anymore!"

"I no. U R a [growing young boy] and I'm proud of you." He patted them on the back after that and smiled sincerely at them, earning a half smile back.

"AAAAAWWWWW! It's so cute when you're such a great dad! It melts my heart every time I see it! Just a big happy family… hahhhhhh… like a dream come true."

Spamton turned to Swatch with complete shock covering his face, watching them grin like a dork and gush over the two of them. He felt himself blush up again, not sure how to respond to that.

Sky just fake hurled and stuck their tongue out. "Gross! Stop being weird and mushy! He's just doing dad stuff! If you're going to be all sappy and call me a baby then I'm leaving!"

"Nooooo~! Don't leave me, my precious little princess~!" Swatch called out while barely holding back the giggle in their voice. Sky huffed at the teasing and stormed out the room without any comments.

"Aww. I think you [ultimate cringe compilation] them" Spamton laughed nervously as he tried to recover and act normal after what Swatch said about him. They snorted at that and covered their mouth, finding their joke before funnier than it probably was. But the ad was more focused on how goofy they looked stifling their laugh and how adorable those little snorts were. He was enamored by their light-hearted and silly attitude right then.

"H-hey! Hey, Spammy! You know something? I've been thinking a lot lately and I think we should go shopping together sometime."

That shook him back to attention as he wondered where that conversation topic came from. Though they were intoxicated, so he supposed making sense wasn't a priority for them. He just went along with it as he sat down in Ivory's prior seat. "Oh yeah ?."

"Mh hm! You never get any new clothes anymore. You used to dress up so much when you were younger in stylish outfits! You were always so fashionable! But now you only switch between the same few outfits you own. That makes me sad, that you don't have more clothes to pick from."

"A. W-we-we-well… I just… n//ever [average moviegoer]- I meen, saw a reason 2 get more. These are… [the best service]."

"But you loved showing off your expensive suits! Even if your taste has changed, you should still get to have more than five or seven outfits. I wanted to buy you something myself while out, but I was worried about buying something you wouldn't like and making you feel the need to wear it, even if you don't want to. I wanna buy you something you'll love and happily present like one of your old suits."

He stared at them for a moment, his chest growing tighter with every word they spoke. They were just so considerate and kind. They were absolutely perfect, too good for this world. Too good for his poor little heart.

"I… I… think I'd… really like that. Thank you, Swatches. You're so sweet."

The bird was positively beaming at him as he accepted their offer, sending Spamton's heart aflutter. He was just falling more and more in love with them, which he didn't think was possible. But they always found a way to do it. 

"That makes me so happy! Let's go as soon as my leg heals! Oh! We should consider getting you a formal outfit. I know you don't really go to many events nowadays, but maybe it'd be nice if you go out with the others for a drink or something. And I think you should get something nice and cozy. Like, really cozy. Maybe one of those fuzzy bathrobes or the oversized hoodies. You usually lounge around in the same outfit that you go out in and I think it might be nice to have some loungewear."

He sighed as he listened to them ramble, leaning into his palms and smiling brightly. He's really missed this. Ever since the butler started acting weird a while back, not really hanging out with him as much as usual, he's been longing for them to have a nice chat again. He just can't understand why they started avoiding him or getting more distant. But he was so relieved that they were more than happy to talk with him in this slightly delirious state. It was really cute too, which was a bonus.

After an hour or so of chatting, Swatch then suddenly groaned softly and grimaced. Spamton noticed immediately and leaned over to them. "Eh-whats the matter?"

"I… it's… h-hurting…" they mumbled and shifted around in discomfort, their breathing picking up in speed as they were clearly getting anxious. Spamton gasped and reached over to hold their hand, which they more than accepted. They gripped his hand and panted worriedly, dread creeping up onto their face. 

"Hey. Hey. It's going to be ok, Swatches. Just stay calm." He tried his best to speak clearly so he could comfort them as best he could.

He pulled his phone out with his free hand and sent Eggshell an alarm emoji so he'd come and help. Then he turned back to Swatch again, rubbing his thumb over their backhand. 

"S-s-spammy… I… I shouldn't… you shouldn't be… um…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"I-I-I-I… I don't deserve this… this… your… … … I'm the worst!"

The tears rolling down their face made his heart hurt so much. He got up to sit on the bed with them, rubbing their shoulder while still holding their hand. "No. Of course you're not. Why do you…?"

"I-I've been ignoring you and Sky! I've avoided being around you and didn't let you be close with me like we always are! I didn't give you the hugs and talks and everything you needed! I hurt you so bad! B-but I can't! I just- j-just-!"

"No, Swa- He y! Swatches! Swatch! Loo0k at me." He snapped his fingers to gain their attention, as they were getting themselves worked up. When they finally stopped talking, he continued. 

"You [don't miss out on ]- agh! Y-you didn't do anything wrong. If you need space, th-then you can have space. You don't have to worry about me all the time. All I ask is that you talk with me about it. Just tell me that's what you need."

"But I don't! I don't wanna have space! I wanna be near you and hang out and do everything with you! But I can't! I-it wouldn't be right! I don't-"

"Swatch…"

Spamton reached out and cupped their face, turning it so they were looking at him. He smiled calmly and gently ran his thumb over their cheek.

"I want to be near you too. So don't push me away."

"B-but-!"

"Ah! No. None of that self-shaming. I won't hear it." He put a finger to their mouth to silence them. "Whatever insecurity you have can be discussed when you aren't high. I want you to be all there when you bring up your issues. Just know that whatever reason you have for not letting yourself enjoy company, I don't mind. I give you full permission and that's all that matters."

"... … … B-but I… I… you might get mad if-"

"No. I won't. I promise with all my heart."

"... Are you sure? I really don't want to overstep any-"

"Positive." He emphasized his point by leaning in and hugging onto them tightly, holding their head to his chest as he tried to comfort them. They went stiff in his embrace, their brain buffering as they had far too many thoughts swirling around their head at that moment. It was hard to fully grasp any one of them.

"Is everything alright? Is something wrong?" They heard Eggshell ask from the doorway, their face still buried in the soft shirt of their best friend. 

"The painkillers are [new collection of formal wear]. I mean waering off. Could you [give it all you've got!]?"

"Of course. Give me a moment and I'll bring it."

Swatch heard the door gently shut, followed by a long stroke over their head. Then the ad spoke again. 

"How doss yur [slim fitting leggings] feel now?"

As he brought attention to their leg, they remembered why they were upset to begin with. That reminder caused the pain to finally register and they hissed in agony. "Hhhh-! I-it hurts… hurts… ow."

"It's going to be [press ok to proceed]. Just breathe with mee." As he said that, Spamton moved Swatch's head a bit so it was resting on its side against his chest. Then he started to take a deep breath so they could copy him. They did just that, finding it rather easy to do. It was just so instinctual, since they had to do the exact same thing for Spamton a lot. They knew the motions and followed it like it was second nature.

The Addison praised them as he held them close, running his hand up and down their arm while the other cradled their head. It made the bird feel nice. It was so easy to ignore the pain when they were listening to the gentle heartbeat and slow breathing of their friend. When he was calming them down with his caring touch and movements. When he held them so securely. It just felt… right. It felt like home.

"Alright. Open your mouth, Swatch."

When they heard that, they didn't even bother to open their eyes and check who said it. They just did as told and opened their mouth, feeling something small placed on their tongue. They swallowed, then took a few gulps of air until their breathing went back to the previous rhythm. 

"There. That should do it for the night. Next time they need more, we'll switch to normal painkillers. The pain should have subsided enough to not trigger their phobia."

"[What a beautiful sound!]. I'll just… [got the right stuff] here. Keep them calm."

"As you wish. Would probably help to prevent another anxiety att-… … … -at should be fine-… … … -ything else, let me know."

"Tha-... … … -bye 4 now."

Swatch groaned softly as they felt their attention fade in and out. They were getting pretty tired. Just everything about the situation had them getting so drowsy. The medication, the warmth and comfort, the soothing sounds, all of it was gradually lulling them to sleep. With a heavy sigh, they sank down into Spamton's body and drifted off.

…

…

…

The Swatchling felt their eyes slowly open on their own, barely aware of it until they were already halfway up. They looked around the room, trying to take I'm the situation. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just their and Spamton's bedroom. Though they couldn't help but to notice that Spam wasn't anywhere in sight. They wondered if he had left them to sleep in peace. They didn't like that thought. He said he'd be close with them. Why would he just leave them like-

"SNRRRK." 

The bird was startled by a fairly loud snort coming from right above them. They looked up in a slight panic, until they saw that familiar white face, with its long nose and red cheeks. But no two-toned glasses. Spamton was right behind them, letting their head rest in his lap, snoring away as he seemed to have fallen asleep with them.

It calmed their soul to see him still there. To see his serene face right above theirs, so content being near them. A big smile grew on their face, admiring him as his snores turned into soft breathing. He was just so handsome. That smile. That physique. Those eyes. They had seen them all go through utter hell and be tainted by suffering. So seeing them be so happy, so satisfied, made them swoon with a big sigh. 

A gentle wing lifted up to give his face and light caress. But since they were still pretty dazed and were looking at him upside down, their coordination wasn't exactly great, causing them to accidentally flick his nose.

He snorted again at that and blinked his eyes open, groggy from being so suddenly awoken. Swatch gasped and tried to sweetly hush him back to sleep.

"Shhhhhh. It's ok. I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to hold your face."

Spamton tried to blink the sleepiness from his eyes and look down at the butler in his lap. But as soon as he understood what they said, he chuckled softly and scritched their head, earning him some pleased chirps.

"Yourr too cute lik this."

"You think I'm cute?" They asked, their voice barely a mumble as they stared at him with foggy eyes. They still looked so sleepy.

"[ *Ding* Correct!]. You're being so silly."

"Heh heh~! No you~!"

They leaned into his hand as he continued scratching them gently, watching his slightly baggy eyes as they were locked onto their own. It felt so nice. This was such a beautiful moment. They had to say something.

"This is just like the day you moved in, except I'm the high one."

Spamton let out a snort-laugh mix at their comment, surprised by the randomness of it. But he also recognized that they weren't wrong. They really had switched roles from that day, hadn't they? It was kinda funny. But also… it felt sort of sweet. He felt different from himself back then, like he had changed. 

He wasn't that pathetic man anymore who always needed support and reassurance. Who always tried to push people away. He didn't need someone to constantly take care of him or be hyper careful around him, lest he break down or run away. He was stronger. He had matured. And him taking care of Swatch like this was proof of that. The parallels only made it more obvious to him. 

"Yeah… you're so right, Swatches. It really is. Never thought I'd be the one with my lap full."

"Ha ha ha! Why?"

"... … … It just feels different. Like I'm different."

Swatch sighed and reached up to cup his cheeks again, this time actually succeeding. They smiled brightly at his touched expression. "Because you are! You're so… great! You got better until you were able to be the one caring. You gained confidence and you handled your issues, learning how to control them. You have grown so much and I couldn't be prouder!"

He just stared at them as they spoke, feeling their words resonate with his soul. And he realized they were 100% true, because he would never accept that to be the truth if he was still the same man as before. The fact he could agree with them proved it. And he was overjoyed that he could finally admit it.

"You know what, Swatches? I think you're right. And I couldn't have made it without you helping me."

"Spammy…" they muttered in awe, their expression turning stunned at his response. They seemed almost amazed by it, like it was a beautiful firework display. He chuckled at the look and rubbed their head again, making them chirp quietly and sink into his lap.

"It's late. We should be asleep."

"Mmm~. Chrrrrp~. Huh?"

He laughed again before yawning loudly. Swatch grinned teasingly at that. "Hee hee~! Someone is getting- g-gettin'... Yaaaaawn~ tired…"

"Yeah. You. So go to bed, bird brain!"

"Mnnnnng… you… first…" they murmured sleepily as their eyes fluttered shut and they slowly slipped back asleep. 

Spamton smiled tiredly, admiring them as they drifted off and thinking about what just happened. About the realization. Yeah. He had grown. He had gained so much confidence and strength. He had gotten ahold of his fears and managed to deal with them, one after another. He was fixing himself. He was getting better, for his loved ones and himself.

"... I can do it. I can tell them. He doesn't control me anymore. And I'll prove it. For me."

Chapter Text

It was getting a little late. Spamton had been at his writing desk since early that day. He didn't care about the time, he was too focused on his story. He was extremely in the zone and put all his attention into this piece of writing. He hadn't even noticed Swatch checking in on him from time to time, mostly just peeking in through the door before leaving him be. 

After their leg healed, they had actually gotten a little better in regards to their interactions. They stopped trying to avoid him and spoke with him more, but did still keep their physical distance. They were… extremely embarrassed about how they were acting during their recovery period. Especially the delirious part. But even after that they were rather clingy of Spamton's free time, wanting him to keep them company despite how ashamed and apologetic they were about their actions whilst heavily medicated.

He saw that as a good sign. At least they would talk with him again. He was more than ok with that, even if he still missed them hanging off of him and giggling like a dork. He did occasionally take breaks to think about that for a second before going right back to his work.

"Spamton."

He jumped slightly as he turned to Swatch, holding a tray of food and looking at him concerned. "You missed dinner, so I brought it here for you. Is something going on?"

"WH-WHAT? NO [no spills, no messes!]! I JUST… G0T RRREALLY [suck up] IN MY [passion project]!"

"Well you shouldn't miss food over it. You gotta take breaks."

"I KNO . BUT I JUST WANNA [get 'er done!] AS SOOOON A$ POSSIBLE. IT'S REALLY [imported from-] 2 ME."

"I understand, but I can't let you get sick from doing this, and neither should you. Think about your health."

Spamton sighed and glanced down at his paper, seeing all the progress he's made on his 'story' today. Then he looked back at Swatch with a mixed smile, hiding some pretty complicated emotions behind it. 

"IT'S ONLY 4 THIS ONE. I [no swearing!]."

"... … Well alright. But please eat a bit before you continue."

"OF COURSE. THANKS, SWATCHES."

They gained a light blush at the nickname, quickly setting the tray down before excusing themselves to leave. He smiled at their nervousness, finding it too cute. He watched the door for a moment before turning back to his work, putting it aside so he could have his meal. He wouldn't want to worry his friend any more than necessary.

*~*~*

Spamton stood quietly outside the living room, leaning against the wall next to the doorway. He felt so nervous. His heart was pounding in his chest and his throat felt tight. He could hear faint static ringing in his ears from the building anxiety, but he ignored it as best he could. 

Glancing around the opening, he looked at Swatch again as they were watching TV while knitting. They looked so calm and content. He almost felt a little bad about ruining the peace, but he realized that he couldn't possibly wait any longer to do this. He had to.

So he headed into the room with his hands behind him, gripping his notebook tightly. "S-swatch…"

"Oh! Spamton! You finally came down! Does that mean you finished the bit you were writing?" They seemed surprised, but delighted to see him. His stomach was twisting around itself, watching them smile so gently at him. It both made him hesitate and strengthened his resolve to do this, making him feel a little conflicted. But he had already made his choice and he was sticking to it.

"... Yes. And I… [would love it] you to reed it. ."

"Oh. Well of course. After I'm finished here, we can go upstairs and I ca-"

"No."

"H-h-huh?" They were shocked by his blunt statement. It was so forward, but not demanding. It just sounded like he had a good reason to say it.

"Please. [Read more] now."

"Uh… why?"

He remained silent for a moment, not sure how to justify his demand. He really couldn't. But he just had to have them read it right away.

So he let his nerves take over and simply shoved the notebook into their hands, muttering a hasty, "I-it's important! Please!"

Bewildered, they simply accepted the book and sputtered softly. They got a little concerned with how he was acting, this sudden change in behavior seemingly coming out of nowhere. "U-u-um- I-I- o-ok!"

Spamton sighed and thanked them under his breath before he scurried out the room, hurriedly saying something about talking after they finished reading. And just like that, he was gone, leaving the bird sitting there on the couch, confused and stunned. They stared at the doorway, then at the notebook in their hands. 

"Geez. Whatever this is must be important to him. Maybe he wrote something he was really proud of or that had a lot of meaning to him. I can understand him being too nervous to sit around while I read it, just waiting for me to finish."

…

"Well… suppose the only thing to do is read. He's got me curious now."

They opened the book to the earmarked page, turning off the TV quickly before they settled in to read.

Prism and Mono walked up to the obsidian black statue standing before them. They had collected so many pallets already, each challenge they faced harder than the last. They feared what kind of hardship they would be up against this time.

The statue began to speak as soon as they approached it.

"Young darkners. I welcome you to the ball of black. It pleases me to meet you finally. I've heard so much about your adventures in the other color zones. About your bravery, strength, cunning, talent and kindness. You are truly amazing."

Prism was surprised. He had no idea they had heard about what was going on. But, judging by the way they spoke about them, they weren't in trouble at least.

"Thank you… friend. We have been working hard to get here."

"Yeah! And we have been through a lot, just to get all these pallets!" Mono chimed in as she carried a large bag with the treasures they had been collecting. She put it down and sighed tiredly, clearly exhausted from their travels. "But we're finally here now. So let's just get this over with. What's your challenge, marble?"

"Hm… I admire your willingness to take on these missions. You have both been so strong to continue this long. I am truly impressed."

"Uh… thank you? So… about the challenge?" Prism asked softly.

"I assure you, I have seen enough to know that you are worthy to enter my ballroom. I don't need to test your abilities. Instead, I wish to bestow upon you a gift."

They looked at each other in confusion, not expecting this at all. They were ready for life-threatening danger. But they were both very thankful for the well-needed break.

"Thank you, my friend. You have no idea how much we appreciate that."

"First, for Mono. Your gift will be a meeting with your brother. When you fall asleep tonight, you shall meet him in your dreams. The real him. I will connect you both so you may talk until you need to wake up. I'm sure he's missed you."

Mono went wide-eyed at that, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Wait… really?! You're serious, right?! This isn't a sick joke?!"

"Of course not. He may be petrified, but his consciousness is still in there, sleeping. With my magic, I can at least connect you two so you may communicate."

"I… I… thank you…"

"Now… Prism. I can sense something in you. A deep desire that you have been unable to reach. A need. Something that has been plaguing you for so long."

Prism looked really nervous. He could feel his throat closing up and his mouth going dry. He wasn't even sure what they were referring to, but something about it made him feel panicked. His heart was pounding in his chest and his fingers dug into his shirt.

"I shall bestow upon you… the key to your heart."

Suddenly, a magic light enveloped him, making his body tingle and feel nicely warm. It completely removed all those dreadful sensations from earlier and made him feel… lighter.

He looked at himself in confusion. "What… what did you do?"

"I have broken the lock on your soul. I set your heart free from its horrible cold prison. Those bonds of fear, keeping your voice held captive in your chest, are no more. A gift of bravery, you may say. You can speak freely now without anything holding you back. You can speak your mind."

He could feel it. Something in him was different. He felt so free inside. There were no longer any restrictions, preventing him from saying those things he's been needing to say for so long. He wasn't afraid to talk. He wasn't scared of speaking his truth. He could finally be honest.

"I want to talk about what happened in 1997."

Swatch almost tossed the book away when they saw that date be mentioned. It really startled them. What did it mean?! Was this just a random year he picked?! It couldn't be, right?! Was he using it as a reference or something?! What could it possibly mean?!

"... … … Spam… are you…?"

Only one way to find out. They continued.

"Back in the days, I was a terrible businessman. I couldn't close a deal to save my life. Add on top of that me having to watch all my friends be successful, I felt pretty terrible. I felt like a failure.

But then, one day, I received a call. A man told me about how he had heard of me. He said he saw great potential in me, potential to be big someday. I just needed someone to help guide me. He said he wanted to be business partners.

I was skeptical at first. It sounded too good to be true. But he wanted to give me a demonstration of his skills, so gave me a script of what to say on my next business deal. And it actually worked. I got my first ever official deal. He called me soon after and I begged him to teach me more. 

That's how we started working together. Him telling me what to say and how to act and me just doing as instructed. He taught me everything he knew, not just about business, but about life, about the world. 

He told me so much about how things are and what's true and false, what to believe, what to think. He had me eating up all of it. After all, he made me successful, so he must know better than me. I was such a gullible idiot that I even believed him over my own friends. I was just clay for him to mold as he saw fit."

"I became arrogant, rude and doubtful of my friends. He told me lies about them, how they looked down on me and didn't care about my success. Whenever they were concerned about how I was acting, he'd tell me they were just jealous of me, mad that I was doing so well in such a short time. They wanted to sabotage me. They wanted to use me to boost their own businesses. He'd use every excuse in the book on me and it worked like a charm.

I turned on them, yelled at them and drove them all away, all because I wouldn't listen to them. Because this idiot believed someone he didn't even know the face of over the friends who were always there for him. I was such a dumbass."

The bird could feel their heart picking up in speed with every word they read. It wasn't hard to understand that this was no longer part of the story. This was a confession. They wanted to believe he had just borrowed from life experience when writing this, that he was using his own past to create art with. But they couldn't even begin to fool themselves into believing that.

This was his story. 

They couldn't stop now. They had to keep going.

"He wasn't nice, either. He was demanding and demeaning. He'd ask more and more of me, then chastise me if I didn't do it right. But then he'd pull me back in with these manipulative phrases. He'd tell me I had potential, as long as I just did as he asked. He'd say he wouldn't give up on me, even if I was a failure, because he believed in me. 'He could fix me'. 'He wouldn't throw me away like everyone else did'. 'He would always be there for me, whether I want him to or not'.

I hate how easily he swayed me. I hate how much I appreciated his backhanded compliments. I hate how much I looked up to him. I hate him."

"But. Things began to change. My success was diminishing, my sales tanking, my business dying. It was all falling apart and, it pains me to say this, but I felt that I was nothing without my success. I felt like a failure, not only to the world and to myself, but to him. He had given me everything I'd ever wished for and I was squandering it by being a disappointment. I was so desperate to fix things, to somehow find a way to not end up totally alone and worthless. I just wanted to be worth something.

And he offered me an opportunity. A chance to, not just be successful, but free. He offered a way to escape the confines of the world I live in and fly above it all, to be the ruler of my own life. To no longer be tied down by the limits of my role."

"He offered me to become NEO."

Swatch gasped as they read that part, feeling their heart sink into their stomach as the realization of what that meant hit them. What it revealed about his past actions and why he was driven to the point of trying to get to the robot. He was manipulated to do it. He was taken advantage of when he was at his lowest moment, being used to serve some sort of twisted purpose they couldn't begin to wrap their head around. It all hit them and they felt so many emotions stir up in them. But, wanting to know what else he had to say, they continued reading. They had to know.

"I just believed him without question and went along with whatever he suggested. And I will never forgive myself for doing that, after my dear friend had told me how dangerous NEO was, how it was not to be messed with. I thought they just didn't know what an opportunity they had on their hands, that I could make them see the light. But I was stupid, still taking his word over that of my friend's. Because I thought I could actually trust him.

I never expected to be forgiven for doing that. Manipulated or not, I should have been more considerate towards someone who I said was my friend. I should have known better. I'm not saying this for sympathy or to excuse my past, I'm saying it because my friend deserves to know. I can't keep hiding it from them, no matter how terrified I am of that man coming back to make me pay for it. I'm only worried about them getting hurt from it. 

But I don't want to live in fear anymore, I don't want to let paranoia rule my life! I want to share all of myself with them so they can know who I am. Because I trust them and I want to show them that."

Swatch had a hard time reading this, they're eyes watering making it so difficult to see the text. They had to clear their eyes in between lines to continue reading. They felt so touched by his honesty and how vulnerable he was being with them. It made their heart swell, sobbing quietly from behind their clenched fist. They were shaking and gasping for breath, not sure what else to do but to keep reading. There was only one paragraph left. They had to see what last thing Spamton had to tell them.

"They mean the world to me. I just want to make them happy and do right by them. I love them so much and I hope this has shown it. So tell me, Swatch: did I make you happy?"

Before they knew it, the crying butler had dropped the notebook on the couch and was already out of the living room. They were running down the hall faster than they'd ever gone indoors, even for an emergency in the mansion. Pure emotions were driving their actions, causing them to barrel past a couple of the other residents on the way. The Swatchlings would gasp in shock and worriedly look after them, flabbergasted by their speed. 

They couldn't think about that, they just had to get to their room. To Spamton. He had to be there. It only made sense. Not that they were being very sensical as they knocked over a lamp on the way, not bothering picking it up as the door to the bedroom was in sight.

Spamton was sitting on his bed, staring at his hands and trying to stay calm. He was extremely nervous. He wasn't sure how they might react to his story. They were so complex and he had no way of guessing their emotions. He just rubbed his fingers over the segments in his other hand, counting the seconds going by as he waited.

Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open and, before he could react or even register it, he was swooped up from his seat and squished in a big bird hug. The pair of wings were wrapped tightly around him, holding him like they never intended to let him go. He was stunned for a second before he looked up to see his best friend, staring right back at him with one of the most emotional faces he's ever seen. Tears were streaming down their pale cheeks and they were barely failing to bite back their sobs. 

He was overwhelmed by the big emotions going on, not having expected their reaction to be so… BIG!

"S-s-spa-spammy! Oh my god, Spammy! I… I… I had n-no idea! I could ha-have never g-g-guessed! This is… it's… SPAMTON! YOU BEAUTIFUL SOUL! I can't believe how brave you are! How strong you have been all this time! You're amazing!"

"I-I-I-I'm what?"

"I had no clue you were going through so much back then! That you were keeping yourself afloat when being weighed down by so much! And now- NOW! You're telling me all of this, despite how painful it must be! You're… you're… so strong, Spamton!"

His face quickly flushed with red as he was being praised by his friend. It was so shocking that he still didn't know how to react, just staring at them as they were crying and smiling at him proudly. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, only contributing to his blush.

"I… I… I don't know what more to say. I'm just so happy that you trust me enough to tell me all this, but I'm also heartbroken that you had to go through all of that pain in your life. You really are the most stubborn man I have ever known; your determination is inspiring! It… it's inspiring me to… be brave myself and… open up too."

Finally, Spamton shook the speechlessness off and responded properly to Swatch, their last sentence catching him off guard. "What a-are you… talking about? I-I-I mean… [sincerest gratitude] for… that, but y-y-y-you don't have t-to…" He wasn't sure what they were about to say, but he didn't want them to feel pressured to do something just because he did it.

"No! I do! I have to say it, because you deserve to know! Because… you're amazing and… you make me so happy that I want you to know. You make me happier than anyone else in my life; you and Sky. I've never felt so fulfilled until the day you two entered my life! It's like… like… we are a family. I have a real family by my side and I would never exchange that for the entire world!"

Spamton stared at them in awe, feeling his heart flutter at those kind, sincere, touching words of theirs. It just swept him up in them and made him get teary eyed as well. "S-swatch…"

"Spammy. You make me feel so excited and like there's something new waiting for me every day. You make me so comfortable to be myself and to let loose, to not always be so boring and proper. But you also make me feel safe, content, happy. You… you… I can't… Spamton G. Spamton. I think that I may have fallen in love with you."

His eyes shot open wide, staring in disbelief at them. He had a hard time comprehending the concept. It just felt like something he had told himself would never happen, so much so that it became the truth. But… here it was. The truth was shattered and made way for something new to step through, something that could become a new, open truth, something that could change and grow, unpredictable yet so easy to understand and accept. His world was born anew and he would nurture and cherish it.

"S-Spamton…? Are… are you ok…? I didn't… go too far with it, did I? I-I just… I had to tell you, even if you didn't feel the same. You deserve the truth so you can decide what you want to do with it. If you want some space then I'm-"

Swatch was interrupted as the ad grabbed both sides of their face, pulling them in so their foreheads were touching, forcing them to look him straight in the eyes. They were bewildered by the action, shutting them up completely as they watched him tensely.

"Swatches. I want you to kiss me right here and now."

"Wh-what?! Y-you don't have to do that! I-I don't want to pressure you-"

"I have wanted this for years, Swatch. I want you to kiss me right goddamn now."

They stayed quiet, processing the command, what it implied. They realized right then how stupid they really were and mentally slapped themselves for being so oblivious.

Then they leaned their head in to kiss Spamton.

It wasn't exactly what they were expecting, since he didn't really have proper lips. But they didn't care. It was perfect for them. His teeth were sleek and easy to plant their own lips on, pushing up against them while wrapping their arms around him again. Spamton threw his arms over their shoulders, pulling himself in closer to deepen the kiss further. It was quiet in the room, neither one making a noise and just experiencing the moment. It was wonderful. It didn't feel big, no fireworks or magic in the air, just a special little moment of love and honesty. Of being open and not holding anything back. 

It felt warm and exciting, but that was it. And it was all it needed to be.

When they finally pulled back for air, they stared at each other for a second before Spamton started chuckling to himself. Swatch smiled and laughed a bit too, the relief washing over them as well from keeping so many feelings bottled up inside.

"How long have you felt like this?"

"Couldn't tell you. It's come and gone over the years, but it grew a lot ever since we started living here."

"Ah. I see. I only recently realized I had caught feelings for you. Queen made me realize it. Which was why I started getting distant, since I felt like I was taking advantage of you for my own satisfaction."

Spamton burst out laughing at that and hit the butler in the shoulder, making them yelp from the small shock. "Oh my god! You freaking dork! You're thinking way too hard about it!"

They chuckled nervously and rubbed their head, feeling so sheepish for how they had been acting about the whole thing. But Spamton sighed and shook his head. "Though I guess I did too. I was worried about weirding you out and ruining our friendship by confessing."

"I… suppose we were both a little insecure about our feelings."

"Yep! But I don't care anymore! Now I can finally call you love bird!"

They blushed more and gave him a suspicious glare. "How long have you been cooking that one up?"

"Since the mansion!"

They both laughed again before looking at each other, smiling brightly until they leaned in for another quick kiss.

Chapter Text

Sky hummed happily as they were standing in a large, fancy kitchen, stirring around in a pot of soup on the stove. They reached their hand out to the side before announcing loudly, "PEPPER, PLEASE!"

A Swatchling ran over with a shaker of pepper, handing it to Sky and watching them season the soup a generous amount. They continued stirring again for a bit before grabbing a random spoon from the counter, scooping up a bit of soup and offering it to the Swatchling. They leaned down and took a sip of the food, smiling when they finished and giving the lightner a thumbs up. Then they left the chef to finish their cooking. 

"Whew! Almost done here!" They called out proudly and wiped their forehead on the sleeve of their chef's outfit. As they did, Swatch came over with a tray in hand, a curious look on their face as they placed it down next to Sky.

"Sky, how is the order coming along?" They asked while pulling out three bowls that the kid could pour the soup into.

"I think it's about done! Here you go!" 

Sky lifted the pot with ease and poured over the contents into the bowls, filling each one with a perfect serving. The bird smiled thankfully before picking the tray back up and going to serve it to the customers. 

Sky huffed and put their hands on their hips, a big smile on their face as they watched yet another fantastic dish leaving the kitchen. They were the best chef this place had ever known! No one expected them to make it in the mansion, but now they were all proven wrong!

Their gloating was interrupted by the phone on the wall ringing. They looked around and saw that all the other Swatchlings were busy, so decided to walk over and answer it themselves. They jumped up and pulled the phone down to their level, bringing it to their ear and greeting the caller with a chipper, "Hello! This is the Color Café! How can I help you?"

"Hello, Sky."

They suddenly felt a chill through their body, making them go rigid and grip the phone tighter in their hand. That voice… was that…?

"M-Mi… static guy."

"No need for such rudeness. I know that you know my name."

"But I'm not going to say it."

"Very well, do as you'd like. I just wanted to call and have a little chat with you."

"Too bad, because I don't wanna chat with you!"

"I'm sure you don't. Nevertheless, I think you'd do well to listen."

"Why?"

"Because I know something that you want to know. And I might just tell you about it, if you'll be a good child and behave."

"Bullcrap! You're a bleeping liar and a big ugly glitch!"

"..." Sky could sense his frustration from over the phone, despite the complete silence that lasted for a couple seconds. But, to their annoyance, he continued talking again.

"I know that you are very interested in the mansion. You want to know how to get there, see what the big mystery surrounding it is."

Sky remained quiet, not wanting to dignify his ramblings with a response. He didn't deserve to know whether he was right or not. And they didn't want to reveal anything about themselves to him, even if he already knew.

"Well I could tell you how to get in there. I could give you access to a little shortcut that no one else knows about."

Wait… really? He knew a way to get in there? A shortcut? So they could finally see the mansion for themselves and find out why everyone else wants to get in there so badly!?

… Why would he tell them that?

"What's the deal?"

"Interesting choice of words. The 'deal' is that I'd need you to do a little something for me while you're in there-"

"No!"

"I understand the suspicion, but it's really just a small task. An easy job. It would barely be an inconvenience."

"I'm not doing anything for you, jerkwad! Get bent!"

"Are you sure you want to talk to me like that? You do remember who I am, right? I have a lot of connections and I can pull a lot of strings. You wouldn't want to upset me now, would you?"

Sky growled and tightened their grip further, almost crushing the phone in their grasp. Mike was really starting to piss them off. He was acting so condescending and like he was being so nice when he really wasn't! They wanted to curse him out again, but felt a small inkling that they probably shouldn't. But they didn't wanna talk to him anymore.

They let go of the phone and walked to get a stool, bringing it back as they still heard Mike from the receiver, trying to talk to them. The kid got onto the stool, picked up the phone again and put it to their face.

"I'm sorry, sir. But we don't accept solicitation at this business. Unless you have an order to make, don't call back" they said politely, repeating a thing they had heard a few times from the butlers they live with. 

"... You'll regret this. Trust me, you will-"

CLICK!

They slammed the phone back into place with an angry huff, feeling their temper still rising, despite getting to stick it to Mike. They were angry about him still trying to make them do things, that he thought there was any room for negotiation. Just give up already!

"... So. I see you've finally met him, him. Am I right?"

Sky turned around and saw Jevil behind them, sitting on his tail like it was a spring. They gasped and ran over to him, giving him a quick hug. He was surprised, but patted them on the back before they broke from the embrace.

"Jevil! You're here! So I… guess this was a dream then. Didn't know that until now."

"It is. But he very much wasn't. The man, the man behind the scenes; he reaches his contacts by any means. It was him that taught me how to pull at the seams."

"He did say something like that on the phone."

"Little justice…"

Jevil put a hand on their arm, lowering himself down to his feet before he continued speaking. "I know what you want. But that goal is far far out of your reach. You have much to learn before you can attempt a breach. The man won't go easy and he doesn't play fair. You must grow strong to even hope to compare."

"I-I-I wasn't going t-to fight him! I wasn't even thinking that! Hmf!" They huffed grumpily and turned away from Jevil. He just chuckled at their sour face and squeezed their arm lightly. 

"I can tell your tell, dearie. Your dark cheeks and scrunched nose are a dead give away~." He teased before getting serious again. "Now that you have made the connection you won't get rid of him easily. And he is a persistent man, man. You should have never answered him."

"But I can't just sit around while this messed up crap is happening to papa and everyone else! And he connected to me first. I had a dream like this one, where I was given a key and unlocked uncle Survey's apartment. When I woke up, I still heard ringing from upstairs and the door was already open when I went there."

Jevil tilted his head in confusion. He stayed quiet for a second to think before responding. "Mayhaps you already had a link. A thread that he could exploit, exploit. It must be through Spamton, that's the only choice. I feel sorry for you, unknowingly exposed to power like his."

"It doesn't matter, because he won't get to me! He can't do anything but bug me!"

"Let's hope that will be the case…"

Sky frowned at the dreadful tone he got when saying that. They felt nervous, not knowing if he really could do something to them or not. But they had to stay positive; they had to be strong. For their family!

"Now… about time to awaken, is it not?"

"WHAT?! But I didn't get to finish here! I was supposed to go out and see everyone eating my food and they would applaud me for being so good at cooking!" They complained and puffed up their cheeks. They couldn't believe Mike actually came and ruined their dream before it could finish! He's literally the worst!

"Now now. You've slept long enough. We would not want your bones to rust from disuse now, would we?" Jevil playfully chided the kid as he pulled them along through a fridge, which opened up to that place with all the patchwork and stuff. It had become very familiar to them after meeting with Jevil there every so often.

He led them over to a bed that matched the ragged theme of the place and patted the sheets as he pulled them back. "Come now. Don't be difficult."

"Says you. You're more difficult than me!"

He chuckled at their statement, because he knew that it was very much true. "That does not change things for you. My difficulty doesn't neglect your need to get up. I can tell you're stirring."

Sky grumbled as they rubbed their tired eyes, knowing that meant they would be awake soon. They finally gave in and shuffled into bed, making Jevil smile brightly and rub their head. "Good kid. Now, let's try to meet again tonight, tonight. Maybe I could make up for your lost delight."

"Mmm… promise?"

"Promise."

Sky sighed and let their eyes fall shut, getting ready to wake up. Jevil stayed by their side and watched silently, smiling to himself. 

*~*~*

The kid grumbled to themselves as they wandered down the stairs to get breakfast. They woke up way too early for their liking. They didn't even have any plans until much later, so they should have been allowed to sleep in. But nooooo. Jevil had to be a nag.

They sighed deeply as they lamented their lost culinary success, approaching the kitchen entrance.

Swatch and Spamton were already there, sitting by the table and eating. Spamton took a big gulp of coffee as he pretended to browse on his phone, when in actuality he was checking out Swatch as they ate. He just couldn't believe he actually got a chance with such a classy, beautiful, strong, dedicated and loving darkner like them. He felt so lucky. And so lovestruck. He couldn't help but to get another taste of them.

"HEY [feather boa], U G0T SOMETHING [Now on sale] UR [the face of the company!]."

They abruptly stopped eating and turned to look at him in mild surprise. "Hm? Where?" They asked as they rubbed their cheek with their wing. 

The ad chuckled as he put his phone down. "RIGHT…" he paused, leaning over and grabbing their tie to pull them down to his height. Then he pressed his mouth to theirs, making them gasp in shock and turn pink from the surprise kiss.

As he pulled back, he grinned smugly and purred a soft, "-There~." They stared at him as their blush increased in intensity and they giggled blushfully, turning away with a shy smile.

"PAPA!"

They both stiffened from the sudden shout and turned their heads to the doorway, where a small human was standing and looking incredibly flabbergasted. Swatch immediately felt slight fear creeping in, worries about what Sky would think about them actually dating their father resurfacing. Would they be willing to accept them as his new partner and as their official parent now.

The child looked very offended when catching them kissing, so their insecurities were rising to the surface.

"SERIOUSLY?!? Do you two have to be so gross at breakfast?! Can't you wait until after I eat?!"

That just confused both the adults, who looked at each other with equally puzzled expressions. 

"UHHHHH… Y-Y-U… YOUR NOT [outrageous savings!!!]? ORE SURPRISED AT ALL? ?"

They crossed their arms and gave a perplexed raise of one eyebrow, staring at them with a disgusted gaze. "Why should I be surprised?"

"W-well… because we only became a couple yesterday…" Swatch mumbled and looked down at the floor. Sky then uncrossed their arms to flop at their sides, getting even more confused.

"What? What does that mean? Were you not dating before?"

The bird and the ad both grew increasingly red in the face as Sky asked that, realizing that they must have been very obvious before about their feelings. Or Sky just assumed they were for other reasons. Either way, they felt stupid. Especially Swatch, for thinking that Sky might not accept them. 

"Ugh! Your couple crap is so confusing! I'm eating in the living room!" The kid groaned loudly and walked over to the fridge, made themselves a sandwich in silence and left. Spamton and Swatch could only stare without a word, processing the whole conversation. Then they turned to each other and burst out laughing. Spamton reached up to give his handsome lover a hug, which they gladly accepted, adding in a little cheek kiss.

*~*~*

"It looks like I'm out of vanilla extract. I gotta head out to the store to buy some more if we want to make that Swiss roll. I'll be back in a bit!"

"Bye Click! Hurry back!"

Sky waved Click off as they left the house for some shopping. That just left them and Survey in the house.

Sky had wanted to bake something with Click and Survey so badly recently, so they planned on coming over that day. They were really excited to bake, especially since they were robbed of that experience in their dreams. But this would be a fine replacement. All they needed to do was wait for the pink ad to bring back the ingredients and they were all set. 

"So… whatcha wanna do until they get back, partner?" Survey asked casually as he laid back on the couch, looking over at the kid in the doorway. They turned to him with a surprised look, as if the thought never occurred to them. 

"Oh! Um… I'm not sure."

"Well, how about a chat? I heard you've been getting into a lot of trouble lately. Tell me about it."

They walked over to sit beside him, getting a little flustered at his inquiry. "Why should I? So you can yell at me?"

"C'mon, you know I'm not the yelling type. Sure, I might be a stick in the mud, but I'm not cruel. Plus I'm curious what you did this time."

"Well you should know that I haven't been grounded for a while now!"

"Good job. Seriously, that's great."

"Thank you!"

"Though I think Banner still isn't very keen on trusting you just yet."

They huffed and pouted, crossing their arms over their chest. "Well… fine then. I guess that's what I deserve for making him worry."

"See? You're learning! That's a great step forward. Taking accountability is a sign of being grown."

They puffed up their chest at the praise, soaking it up immediately. "Thanks. I just… I really wanted to go to the archives more. It was so interesting."

"The archives? What do you mean?"

"The archives! It's this library-like place that has a lot of old information! The guy working there is named Clippy and he's really nice. He helped me learn more about weapons and armour and even about lightners. Though… that one didn't go very far. I'm still not sure what I am."

"Hey kid. Don't overthink it so much. It doesn't matter to us what you are because you're family. Sure, being different from everyone else can be frustrating, but you will always be a darkner at heart, alright?"

"That's cheesy bologna! You know what I mean! I want to know about myself! I want to understand my abilities and why other darkners would treat me differently if they knew. I don't want to hide what I really am forever."

Survey frowned softly as he looked at Sky, a somber kind of sympathy on his face as he put a hand on their back. "I know… it's so difficult. But you're a clever kid. You'll figure it all out soon enough. We'll be here to help you however we can."

They turned to him with a slight grimace, not believing him that they would do whatever they can to help Sky learn. They had been trying to get answers out of them all for years, they doubted that things were going to change now.

"Fine. Whatever."

"... … … Anyways. Let's change the subject. Heard that you made some new friends recently."

"Oh! Right! You mean Skipper. Yeah she's Poly's friend and her dad is friends with Flash."

"Ah! Really? That's great. How have you been getting along?"

"Good. She was kinda mean at first, not letting me in on their game when I got there. But after we talked a bit, I found out she also likes the same shows as me and she understands what it's like to have a lame dad!"

"Hey. No need to insult Spam and her dad. He's just protective of you because he loves you."

"I know. I just wish he wouldn't be so extreme about it."

"By the way, who is this dad? You said he was a friend of Flash?"

"Oh yeah. I think it was Bill. You don't know him?"

"I… think I might. We might have been neighbours."

"Yeah! They live in the apartment right below your old one!"

"Oh yeah. I think I remember now. Right, that B-"

Suddenly, Survey stopped talking as his face shifted from realization to confusion. Sky looked up at him, unsure why he reacted like that. Was there something he remembered about Bill that upset him? Did he have some beef with him?

"... … … H-how…" he turned to face Sky, looking more and more unnerved by the second. "How did you… know where m-my old apartment is?"

They realized right then that they had slipped up really bad. Shoot! They had to come up with an excuse! Something believable! "Ummm… uh- ah- F-Flash told me about it! Wh-when we went there!"

Survey's face twisted into a look of distress as he shifted on the couch to sit up straight, showing how much this revelation really shook him. He seemed to actually get scared, which Sky found really worrying, since he was never the type to get scared. He always kept a cool and calm attitude. This was weird.

"Sky. You know I can tell when you are lying. Why do you know about my apartment?"

They clamped up, looking away as they thought about a better explanation. They couldn't tell him the truth. They couldn't tell him about Mike. If they did, it would all come back to papa and he would have to deal with that stupid jerk and his torture again. Plus, they would probably get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out what they had been getting themselves into.

They felt the ad putting a hand on their shoulder, snapping them back to the moment. He gave them a nervous, serious look as he leaned a little closer. "Sky. Tell me the truth."

"I-I-I-I… I-I am! I'm telling you! Why won't you believe me?!"

"Sky! Seriously! Be honest with me!"

They stiffened at his raised voice, finding it so unlike him. He was being so weird and it was freaking them out. "I… I… I… c-can't…"

"What do you mean? Why can't you say?"

"It… you… I'd be in trouble… you'd tell papa and… he'd be really upset."

"No he wouldn't. I swear. But you have to tell me; why do you know about that apartment? How did you know where it was?"

Sky bit their lip, looking down at their lap to avoid making eye contact. They couldn't possibly tell him. They couldn't drag him into Mike's dumb schemes too. He'd be tortured just like papa. They couldn't let that happen to anyone else ever again.

Survey grabbed them by both shoulders and unintentionally gave them a slight shake, starting to get desperate as he raised his voice at them again. "Sky! This is really serious! I need you to answer me!"

They stared at him in panic, getting really freaked out by the way he was acting. He was being so tense all of a sudden and he was really insistent. It wasn't like him at all! What was wrong with him?! Why was he acting like that?!

"Hello guys! I'm back!"

As soon as they heard the door open and Click call out to them, Sky bolted from the couch and ran out the living room. Survey watched in bewilderment before he managed to pull himself together and run after.

Click put down the bag of groceries beside them before they spotted the kid running up to them. They smiled and spread their arms for a hug. Sky took that opportunity to grip onto them, maneuver them both to turn them around, then let go so they could continue running out the house.

The pink ad stood frozen in surprise, not sure what just happened. Until Survey ran up to them and grabbed them by the wrist, pulling them along after the child. 

"Quick! We gotta catch them!"

"H-huh?!? Wh-what's going on?!?"

"No time! Sky is running away!"

They tried to pull themselves together as they started running with him, watching as Sky was getting further away down the street. They were running for dear life, not sure where they were going. But they couldn't let anyone know what was happening. They just couldn't.

"SKY!!! COME BACK, DEAR!!! SKY!!!"

They ignored Click's shouting and just sped up, rushing towards the nearest turn and quickly rounding it. But they didn't get far as they crashed into someone who was just standing there. They fell over and looked up at the tall green darkner turning around to look at them. They seemed to recognize them.

"Oh! Sky!"

They then realized they recognized them too. It was K_K! One of the musical guys. The robot leaned down to help them up, smiling brightly at the kid. "Funny of you to run into me! Whatcha running to?"

Sky looked back as they heard the footsteps of Click and Survey getting closer, panicking and quickly scurrying behind the big turntables that were resting beside them. "Don't tell them I'm here!" They mumbled hastily to K_K before curling up as they hid. K_K was confused by the request, until they turned to see two people running over towards them. 

"Hey! You! K_K, right?!" Click asked as they stopped in front of them. Survey did too, panting and gripping his chest. 

"That's me!"

"Did you see Sky running by here?!"

"Yep! They were in a real hurry somewhere."

"Did you see where they went?!"

Sky bit their lip as they prayed that K_K wouldn't give them away. Please. Please don't give them away!